This S.O.B. System

Asher wasn’t out long. He jumped awake as the tentacles wrapped around him. Fear gripping him it wasn’t till the face of Lulu popped out that he calmed down. The girls were laying around them. Throwing Lulu off he moved to Zora first. Casting Healing Touch as he felt for a pulse it was there, but faint. 

 

Then he was moving to Tiffany, she appeared a little less pale. He checked them one by one, but they were all there. He grew nervous since he couldn’t find Nsabita’s pulse, but her fin ear wiggled. He thought that was a good sign at least. He felt her nostril and air was entering slowly.  

 

“Thank you Lulu,” Asher said. The tentacles disappeared as the woman appeared. 

 

On his back she whispered, “Safe.” 

“Because of you, yes,” Asher said. It was dark around them. Pulling holy mana out to his palm the room became alight. The dark death mana flowed all around them. He could feel it coating everything. 

 

“Not safe,” Lulu whispered. He had been looking in the direction of the deadly mana. 

 

“Never is,” Asher said. “But she is like you used to be, Lulu. Alone. She needs us.” Lulu began to tremble on his back. Asher counted the girls one more time. They were pale, but alive. Asher stood with a groan. His HP had dropped a little, but not by much.

 

“Stay,” Lulu whispered. 

 

“You stay,” Asher said. “Protect our girls. I have to go save another one of them.” Her hands tried to pull him down, but Asher ignored her as he focused on the mana. He regretted taking the girls now. It had been a big assumption that if they had the quest they needed to be there as well. Maybe they still had a part to play, or already did play it, he didn’t know. 

 

Asher came to another door. Using his ring he began blindly walking in the direction of where he had to go. 

 

—

 

Siela was dying. Blackness all around her she couldn’t fight the Death mana that escaped as the Queen of Death fought. Siela wasn’t able to watch it. She could only feel it. The darkness mana tried to push back the death. Ice mana blasting forward. People yelling and screaming. She was in some sort of horror show that was only sound and her Mana Sense. 

 

Against the wall her father was somewhere around her. Most likely dead, Siela used her last health potion. It barely worked. Only staving off the Death Mana for a little bit. It didn’t take long for her HP to drop again and again. 

 

“I told you I’d kill you Yevus,” Dea said. Her voice was cold and deep. Filling the room like the death mana. “You let the System do as it pleased. And what do you have to show for it? Doing it’s bidding while trying to stab it in the back. Once a high human, always a high human.”

“Fuck you!” Yevus spat up something with the words. Siela assumed it was blood. 

 

“You let them die, Yevus,” Dea said. 

 

“I did, but so did you,” Yevus said. “We couldn’t coddle them. Why must you blame me for something I had nothing to do with?” 

 

“You had everything to do with it!” The station shook with her words. Siela felt the metal groan around her. “Do you think I have been sitting for the past 8,000 years? I have gone beyond the borders. I have seen the other Systems. I have seen the truth.” Siela heard intakes of breath from around the room, but still couldn’t see. Her HP dropped to 40/150. 

 

“Look at the System now. Red quest after red quest. Always leading nowhere. Always making them fight amongst themselves. And you help the System get away with it. Happy in your little castles because you get to lord over them all. All my time in the void I have finally seen it. To end the cycle of the hurt we cause we have to end it. All of us have to disappear. Prime included.”

 

“You’ve been saying that for years,” Aiysoyim whispered. “What would Awyrenn say?” 

“Awyrenn is dead,” Dea said. Siela could hear sobbing from the Queen of Death. Siela’s HP dropped to 30. “He trusted the System too much. Like you all pretend to do.” 

 

There was a long silence. Then the mana started up again. “I see we can’t talk you out of this,” Tellus said in a sad tone. “I will miss you, Dea.” 

 

“I will miss you, Tellus,” the voice said and somehow more Death was released. 

 

—

 

Asher worked his way to the mana. It pulsed and grew larger. His holy mana lighted his way as he headed through door after door. Unsure where he was going he had to backtrack a few times. He never ran into anyone. No high humans or people risked these halls, but he had to. The closer he got the more his HP dropped. 1 or 2 points at first, then 10 every few seconds. 

 

When he came to one large door he expected to have to go further. As the door opened he felt the Ice, Fire, Darkness, Earth, Death, and Mind all around him. Gasping as he tried to fight it he chugged a potion and stepped in. Something flickered in his mana. A faint calling to him. Asher turned in the pitch black area. Following the wall he found her body on the floor. 

 

Without thinking about it Asher grabbed her hand and began pulling her back to the door. Her skin ice cold he ran her back quickly through the way he had come. When he got to a far enough area where the Death mana wasn’t doing any damage he felt for her pulse. It wasn’t there. Asher began performing CPR on her. 

 

Counting as he compressed on her chest he wished Zora was there with her Revive skill. But she wasn’t. It was only him. Breathing into her mouth he began compressing again. Panicked, he knew there was no Phoenix Down or Revive in his inventory. He only moved faster. 

 

Then gloriously she began coughing. Asher was quick and poured a potion down her throat. She sputtered but took it hungrily. “Ash?” She said after forcing it down. 

 

“Hey babe,” Asher said. “Didn’t expect you here.”

“What are you doing? We need to go,” she said weakly. 

 

“I’m on a quest,” Asher said. 

 

“There is no way you can kill her,” Siela said. 

 

Asher bonked her on the head. “I’m here to save Prime. Not kill my friend.” Asher leaned over and gave her a kiss. “Stay safe. The others are back in that direction.” 

 

“Don’t,” she pleaded, trying to stop him from going back. 

 

“I have to,” Asher said. “Or else Tiff will be mad at me.”

 

“I’ll be mad at you!” Siela yelled. Asher chuckled. Leaning down he gave her another kiss. 

 

“You see, that’s why she is my wife. Because she has trust in me. I want you to try to do the same. Just like I want you to trust we will be together,” Asher said. 

 

Without another word he headed back through the halls. Cycling mana he sped up easily. The other manas became stronger. Once in the large room Asher felt it assail him. He really had no idea what he was doing, but he had to try. 

 

“Dea!” He yelled. A wave of ice cut through his arm and leg. Asher dropped as his HP did. With a grunt he rolled out of the way of another wave of ice. “Fuck,” he said. Focusing he began cycling mana in his present arm and leg. Manipulating the mana over to his frozen stumps they began to bubble and new skin formed with the mana. Just like when he made his dick. Joon had been right, it did work. A part of him had worried that he would make 2 right arms and legs. There must have been something in the magic because he made both left ones. 

 

Willing on his Champion Armor he began walking forward again. Mana moving above and all around him he chugged another potion only for his HP to drop as the Death Mana became thicker. Asher used Mana Manifestation to coat his body with Holy Mana. It didn’t completely stop the damage over time of death, but it slowed it as he kept walking.

 

Stumbling over a high human he yelled again, “Dea! It’s me. Asher!” There was no answer, Asher ducked as a stone slab bigger than his light could reach flew over his head. It crashed into the wall and kept going. “Quite the party you have going on Dea!” 

 

Asher jumped 100 feet to the side as a large wave of darkness mana tried to hit him. His holy light became weaker as the Death mana became thicker. His breath misted in front of him as he shivered. 

 

“Aiysoyim that you?!” Asher yelled into the darkness. His body still alight with Holy mana he made his way in another direction. 

 

“Gotta say thanks, Dea. I appreciate you pulling this shit at the end of the semester. Very Voldemort of you!” Asher yelled. He heard something like a freight train go past overhead. Darkness all around he wasn’t sure what else he could do but wander until he found her. 

 

“Dea! Answer the fucking phone,” he whispered the last part. She was in the room somewhere. From what he could feel so were a lot more Primevals. He remembered Yevus saying something about a meeting at the end of the semester. He did not expect Dea to show. Asher assumed the meeting didn’t go well. 

 

“Dea!” He yelled. A body fell out of the air and thumped against the ground in front of him. Asher moved forward. The man was black all around. His arm gone, his foot was too. Asher barely recognized Yevus. 

 

Pulling out a potion he began pouring it in the man’s mouth. There was no response as the liquid disappeared in his throat. Asher felt a shiver up his spine. Turning around she stepped out of the shadow into the glow of his mana. 

 

“Finally, there you are. Dea, let’s go,” Asher said. 

 

Her eyes locked onto him. The gaze reminded him of the little girl he had saved. Asher flashed her a smile. 

 

“What are you doing here?” She hissed. Death mana poured out of her. 

 

“Trying to get you,” Asher said, taking a step forward. He did his best to ignore the mana cascading out of her. “There was a red quest for your life.”

 

“And you want to collect?” Her eyes were dark. Asher’s anger flared. Before she could react he karate chopped the top of her head. 

 

“No you idiot,” he said. “I’m trying to get you out of here.” She stared into his eyes. Her mana exploded for a second and Asher almost lost it. The sickening feeling of death thickened and his HP dropped. “Stop that Dea. You’re really going to kill me this time.” His hand clenched his gut and the mana began to drop. 

 

“They were talking about killing you,” she said. 

 

“Well right now you’re doing a better job of it than them,” he said standing up straight again. The mana continued to decrease in density around them. “That’s better. Now what are you doing here?”

 

“Me! What are you doing here?! You know they want you dead!”

 

“Everyone wants me dead,” Asher shot back. “Including the System. Does that mean I’m gonna show up at his house and start attacking him? Were you trying to kill the other Primevals? Destroy Prime?”

 

“I-“ she cut herself off. 

 

“Why the hell would you try to kill them when they’re all together?” Asher asked. “Kill them one at a time Dea. If you want it done. Do it right.” He shook his head. His holy mana began reaching more places. The death mana continued to drop as he spoke. “And destroy Prime? Why are we doing that?” 

 

“Because of the corruption, the backstabbing, the..” She trailed off. He turned around to eye her. 

 

“There is corruption everywhere Dea. Who cares? If you destroy it they will just make another. If you really want to end it. Let’s take it over ourselves,” Asher said. “I’ve spent the last 3 months on this station Dea. It’s not pretty but there are a lot of good people here. Tiffany included. You about killed us all trying to get here.” The death mana disappeared from around them. The room’s lights were out, but emergency lighting kicked on slowly. 

 

Asher noticed other people in the room. Bloodied and battered more than a few had blackened limbs hanging limply. Dea appeared a little tired but unharmed. 

 

“Damn, you kicked their asses Dea,” Asher said. “Are we killing them? Or gonna let them live?” She studied him but didn’t answer. “Hey Aiysoyim, thanks for that blessing, my girls really like it.” He yelled to the Ice Primeval. She gave him a weird look as he turned back to Dea. 

 

“We done?” Asher asked. “Or we gonna keep going?” 

 

Dea bit her lip. She appeared to struggle with something. Slowly she closed her eyes. Letting out a long sigh she turned to the other people in the room. “Done,” she whispered. 

 

“Great,” Asher said. Moving over to her he threw his arm over her shoulder. “I’m really proud of you. I’m not sure what they did to piss you off. But I’m sure they deserved it. Come on. My oldest son is due in a few days. I want you to meet my elven wife, or fiancé or whatever.” Asher began walking them toward the door. 

 

The other girls soon walked in through the large doors. Tiffany noticed Dea and ran over to her. Jumping on the Primeval she latched on to the dark haired woman. “You’re safe. I’m so glad.” She whispered. “You had me worried.”

 

Dea didn’t know how to react to the words. She patted Tiffany on her back. “Dea is coming with us. She wants to meet our kids.”

 

“Really?!” Tiffany asked. Dropping to the ground she moved to her other side. “That’s great. We can spend some real time together.”

 

“No I-“ Dea tried to say. Tiffany gave her a look, stopping the Primeval from what she was going to say. 

 

“You will,” Tiffany said. “Your palace or whatever is too gloomy. Let’s go have some fun. First you need to meet Zora. She’s my wife. And I guess Asher’s too, kind of.” Zora stepped up and reached out her hand. 

 

“It’s so nice to meet you. Tiffany has told me so much about you,” Zora said. Dea took her hand and barely shook it. She appeared lost. 

 

“This is Joon,” Asher said. “My fiancé.”

 

“Big fan,” Joon said, stepping up. “You sure we can’t just let her destroy Prime?” 

 

“Joon,” Asher said. “I think I talked her out of it. Don’t tempt her.”

 

“Fine fine. I’ll trust you,” Joon said, rolling her eyes. “So great to meet the queen of death. Maybe you have some pointers for me?” 

 

“Here’s Genevieve and Nsabita, my girlfriends.” There was obvious fear in their eyes as they stared at the woman. “Good, you found Siela. You doing better?” The high human was lost for words. “You coming with us Siela or staying?” 

 

She moved her eyes to his. Lost for a time she asked, “have you seen my father?” 

 

“I have not,” Asher said. He looked around. There were a few dead high humans. But none looked like Alconsus. “Maybe he got out. Either way we are leaving.”

 

“Hey cool, my portals work all the way again. I guess you knocked out whatever was limiting them,” Joon said with a smile to Dea.  

 

“Not Earth, right?” 

 

“No, but I think I can get us to the portal sector. If they’re still up and running it should be easy to get the hell off this station,” Joon said with a smile as she began to channel space mana. The portal quickly formed. 

 

“You’re amazing Joon,” Asher said. “This death mana took it out of me.” He yawned loudly as he stretched. 

 

“Come on,” Tiffany said, pulling Dea through the portal. Nsabita and Gen slowly followed. Joon laughed as she helped push them along. 

 

“You coming?” Asher asked, extending his hand to Siela. 

 

“But-“

 

“I’m sure your dads fine,” Asher said. 

 

“Not that, how can I leave?”

 

“Just tell them we kidnapped you,” Asher said. He gave her a wink and stepped through the portal. The high human hesitated but followed. Asher stepped through into the chaotic Portal Sector. Joon had spit them out where they needed to be. He walked through the Elantontrin portal with a few strides and his quest was completed.