Chapter 253 - Negotiations

Tom licked his lips and wondered what to do. Selena’s squad was here. The rigid way they held themselves screamed out a warning to him. They had come to the zone with a plan to backstab and rob them. Now that backstabbing was off the table he was not sure in which direction their attitudes had moved.

Would the fact they had seen through their plans make the other team leave peacefully or would they escalate. The True Dream he had experienced suggested that the group was capable of more than just robbery.

“TOM. THERE IS NO POINT HIDING WE SAW YOU RUNNING.” Selena’s voice boomed throughout the hollowed out mountain. Even almost two hundred metres away it felt like she was screaming next to him.

He judged her choices harshly. The cost of the skill or spell she was using was a waste of experience… or maybe not… it was possible that it was not just for this moment. Sometimes making loud noise was useful for attracting prey or scaring off predators.

“YOUR REACTION PUTS ME IN A QUANDARY,” she continued. “IT’S OBVIOUS THAT YOUR TRUE DREAMING SKILL WORKS. THE QUESTION IS WHAT NOW?”

She stopped speaking and from her body language and the way she had tilted to face her team mates it was clear they were carrying out a rushed conversation.

Over a minute passed, and the time dragged. He wasn’t sure what to do. There didn’t appear to be signs of battle or dead bodies. There was no evidence they had crossed the line. He relaxed slightly. Nothing critical had happened yet and hopefully reason would prevail.

He watched the puzzle, searching anxiously for more of his team. If they appeared and Selena’s squad tried to intercept them, he was not sure what he could do, but he would probably try to help. It was a dilemma. Launching himself into a physical confrontation always felt like the right decision, but logically it was not the best move. Keeping himself free was more important than anything else he could do right now, even if it meant someone got captured. Anyone else becoming a prisoner was a complication they could work through. Him, on the other hand being captured meant game over. He couldn’t imagine Everlyn strong arming them without his support.

Ultimately, the deterrence of him hitting them with something big from range was the only true bargaining chip they had. They would get slaughtered if they tried to fight in up close.

Everlyn appeared next to a puzzle in ring number five. The only reason he spotted her was because he happened to be staring right at the correct spot when she had materialised. Unlike him, she immediately checked on the guard position. There was a brief flair of concern on her face, and then she seemed to blur until he could no longer see her. She had vanished, and when he strained his eyes, he failed to find her. Not even any distortions in the shadows.

Most likely she still stood in the same spot, assessing her options before moving. Even with that near certainty, his eyes were unable to pierce her abilities. That was okay. He couldn’t be the best at everything and Everlyn and soon Rahmat would be the ones with the skills to break camouflage, not him.

He wasn’t sure if Selena’s group had seen her or not, but they made no aggressive moves in her direction.

“Anyone in immediate danger.” Everlyn asked after a ten second pause.

“I’m pretty confident we’re all safe.” Toni said finally. “They haven’t gone on the offensive. Unless one of them has an advanced stealth class and left an illusion…”

There was silence for a moment. “We’re fine. None of them are illusionary and they’re all accounted for. Do we know if Michael and Keikain are alive?”

Tom cursed his slowness when Everlyn asked that and checked the people in the conversation. Everyone was there apart from those two.

“They haven’t emerged.” Toni reported. “And I would have seen them if they did. They were both attempting ring three puzzles. If my mathematics isn’t wrong, we have fifteen and twenty minutes respectively before they can exit.”

“And if they are both successful, we’ll be able to complete the zone quest and exit.” Everlyn observed. The flower zone was apparently the door that would open at fifty-eight percent. All the other doors apart from the one they wanted to use had already been made available as an award for their incremental successes after fifty percent completion. Tom suspected it was overt manipulation where the one they had expressed a desire to use was the last to be made available. That was well within the bounds of what a trial administrating spirit was authorised to do.

“But not hit sixty percent.” Harry said. “And that’s a threshold that’s worth going for.”

“Everlyn,” Toni interrupted. “I’ve been watching them. They know the truth.”

“I guessed.” The scout responded immediately. “You’d have to be a fool not to put the pieces together and they’re not that.”

“We need to open communication.” Tom told them. “To defuse the situation, and if you want it to be effective, it needs to include both Jenny and Selena. From what I can tell, they’re the key decision makers.”

“Who’s Jenny?“ Everlyn asked.

He realised he only knew the name from the True Dream and not from real life. He was annoyed with himself. Selena’s squad outside of the leader and Jane to a certain extent had been secretive and he should have figured their angle out. “She’s the female healer and apparently has the most votes in strategic directions.”

“Which they settle by democracy,” Everlyn muttered bitterly, “and then collectively they decided this was okay.” She took a deep breath before her voice switched back to its usual professional manner. “Selena, can you please connect this to Jenny as well.”

They were silence for a couple of seconds before around two hundred metres from them the tight packed group split. A single figure paced away.

“I will, in a moment, but you have to understand this was not my choice or intention.” Selena told them. “Unfortunately, I’m bound by the rules our squad put in place.”

“I understand…” And Tom’s already informed us. He could almost hear the unspoken words in the long pause that she had left. “We have no desire to burn bridges.” Everlyn continued. “But we will protect ourselves with force if required.”

“I have patched Jenny in,” Selena said after a moment obviously having decided she’d said as much as she could. “Jenny, Everlyn just contacted me and she wants to discuss our next steps.”

“What’s to discuss?” The unfamiliar voice stated quietly. “We are the strongest humans and if you pay appropriate tribute to us, we’ll leave you alone.”

Everlyn laughed at that. “That’s a bit arrogant. You’ve got zero people in the top ten versus our two. Plus, Tom’s meteorites can blow you away.”

“Don’t believe every crazy thing you think.” Jenny responded scornfully. “Before we entered this zone, we discussed this exact scenario. Do you think that we’d be stupid enough to have come without a counter to that spell. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that there was a high chance that our conversation would be spied on.”

Tom was unsure how to respond in the face of that level of confidence.

“I can assure you,” Jenny continued, “that we are far stronger than you. We have our own Oracle abilities without the ridiculous restrictions of your silly dreaming version. If there’s a fight, we’ll destroy all of you. Of course we don’t want to, but it’s important that resources get funnelled into the strongest to let humans meet the threats of Existentia head on. Any resistances on your part is pure selfishness and betrays the common purpose we all have. You idiots should have just offered.”

“I’m number one on the ranking ladder.” Tom said quietly. “If anything, under your twisting logic you should be giving us tribute.”

“The difference is that you are a single individual while we are a team. Our many is superior to your one.”

“I’m not one.” Tom snapped his sudden fury. “I have a team. A great group.”

“One of which is ranked in the top ten as well.” Everlyn interjected.

“I’ve seen you fight.” Jenny continued her annoyance clear. It was like she had expected them to roll over and show their throats and the fact they hadn’t irked her. “You’re a bunch of individuals who barely know how to help each other out. That’s why when we fight, you will lose and probably die. I don’t want that to happen, but whether we avoid it is on your head. If you plan on protecting your friends, all you have to do along with your scout and that earth mage is buy oath stones. I’ll administer the oath and it will be fair. A pledge not to harm, plot against us or leave critical information unsaid and that you will store and give us fifty percent of all loot your team generates. Agree to those terms and no one needs to die today.”

“That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.” Tom snarled unable to help himself. The arrogance was breathtaking. “What’s going to happen is that we’ll collectively declare a truce. Then you and Selena are going to be bound by my contract skill not to hurt any other humans in this trial and that you will help kill the dragon. Or did you guys forget about that threat?”

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

Jenny, via Everlyn’s communication necklace chuckled. “That won’t happen. There is no way even Selena would agree to that. That would involve putting us in your power and frankly that’s a hard no. We’re too important to humanity to risk that.”

“Then leave.”

Even from this distance, he could see Jenny shaking her head. “I think allowing enemies to stay behind is the height of madness. Once you’re oathbound we’ll go. I don’t want you sneaking in and launching meteorites at us when we’re fighting a boss.”

“We wouldn’t do that.” Everlyn blurted out in reaction.

“And as if you would admit to it if you were intending to do it. That’s what the oaths are for. To give us peace of mind.”

“I’ll never swear the oath you’re proposing.” Tom said. He was furious. He clenched his fists. They were trembling uncontrollably. After the unexpected evolution, he had been so excited and now this was happening. He wanted to kill someone and while they might have a plan for his meteorites, they didn’t know about his secondary weapon. A minute of a greater elemental attacking them would wipe out whatever defences they had prepared Tom was certain of that. They wouldn’t even see the threat before he struck them or it would take was for him to retreat into the tunnel and he could cast the spell without them noticing anything.

“You don’t have much choice. Your problem is that you’re too weak mentally. You’ll pull your punches and we won’t. Do the smart things and submit before I make the conditions harder in response to you wasting my time.”

“I’ve had enough.”

“Tom, don’t kill them.” Everlyn suddenly said urgently. “If you have to strike them knock them out. They’re humans and their rating points matter.”

“Kill us?” Jenny laughed.

“You’re an arrogant bitch. You seem so confident, but True Dreaming crushes whatever cheap precognition skill you’re using. It gave us the knowledge to be safe. How sure are you that it didn’t give Tom everything he needed to break through your defences to allow his meteorites to land?”

Tom smiled at what she was saying. She was exaggerating and implying the skill had given them more than it had, but in a way she had a point. True Dreaming had armed him for this confrontation and the fact that it hadn’t shared the knowledge of how to pierce their defences meant that a greater lightning elemental would be sufficient or the information was unnecessary because they be talked down. Either way, it was bad news for Selena’s squad because there was no universe where he would swear an oath like what Jenny had suggested. So they either left or he attacked and they would die.

“You’re bluffing.”

The conversation was disturbing. Why were they confident? He wondered what Oracle ability gave them that conviction or was it born from being the best in their area. They had probably robbed all the other teams blind and never faced anyone anywhere near as powerful as Tom, Everlyn, and the others.

“Nothing to say.” Jenny asked mockingly.

“I’ve had enough of this. If you don’t fucking turn around and leave,” Tom found himself snarling. “I’m going to blow the shit out of you. You’re wasting out precious time.”

“You guys don’t even realise how outclassed you are.” Jenny responded smugly.

“Tom don’t.” Everlyn said urgently. She must have recognised the conviction in his voice. “You’re not a killer. You don’t have to do this.”

“Honestly, I think I might. I sort of want to see if I can now and I’m leaning more toward Keikain’s plan than doing nothing.”

“Tom! You’re not that type of person.”

“Oh, I am,” He told her confidently. This conversation was more for Jenny and Selena than for each other. “You haven’t seen what I’m capable of when backed into the corner.”

“I sort of have… Or at least witnessed your willingness to make the hard choices no matter how repulsive you find them.”

“I can bust their shield and kill them!”

“You expect me to believe you have some secret weapon.” Jenny asked, sounding uncertain for the first time in the conversation. “Selena?”

“They’re not bluffing,” Selena confirmed finally. “Or at least they both believe he can destroy us.”

“With our defences? No way.”

“I don’t know. I’m just sharing what my truth trait is telling me.”

There was a long moment of silence.

“You haven’t left yet.” Tom broke the silence aggressively.

“We need five minutes to consult.” Jenny stated.

“And why should I give it to you.”

“Because you’re soft and don’t want to fight, and this is the only path that might get you that wish.”

They were disconnected, and the enemy squad got closer and was furiously debating each other. With hands flying every way to emphasise their points.

“Well played guys.” Harry said quietly.

“Strength is a uniquely persuasive phenomenon.” Everlyn quipped back immediately.

Harry cleared his throat. “Do you guys actually think you can kill them. Those defensive artefacts are impressive.”

“I think True Dreaming would have given Tom more if we were truly in danger here.” She answered with quiet confidence. “It’s after all a tier nine skill.”

“I’m confident we can defeat them. A greater lightning elemental surprising them will absolutely destroy them.”

“They’ll see it coming.” The ritualist objected. “Neutralise it at a distance.”

“Not if my golem is distracting them with a dust storm.”

“And especially not if we coordinate a fate release in advance.” Everlyn observed. “That will invalidate their fighting style. Without random outcomes of their chaos bolts going in their favour, they’re not that great.”

“Yes, we can definitely take them.” Tom agreed. “If they knew I could summon greater lightning elementals, then it would be a different story. But unprepared… They’re vulnerable.”

“Where’s the golem?” Harry asked.

“About forty metres behind them. In a cave, out of sight.” Tom answered.

“WE’RE READY TO NEGOIATE.” Selena’s voice thundered.

“Guess I’ll link them in.” There was a slight pause. “No need for a magical enhanced shout. We would have heard you, anyway.”

“Can you kill us?” Selena surprisingly asked. It was an interesting question, and he immediately realised why she was asking.

“Don’t answer that Tom.” Everlyn snapped immediately, and he was surprised to discover that his ability to communicate had been muted at the same time. “He’s not answering that.” She told the other woman confidently.

“Then maybe you can?”

“Fuck off.”

“It was pointed out to me that the nature of the conversation was not as definitive as I implied. Before we go forward, I want to confirm our bargaining positions. So Tom can you kill us?”

“He’s not saying a thing.”

“He can do what he wants.”

“No Selena, he can’t because I’ve muted him.”

There was a derisive snort from Jenny.

“Man up Tom.” Selena said. “You don’t need a gatekeeper.”

“We’re not going to be provoked by your juvenile attempts at reverse psychology.”

“That was sort of a lie wasn’t it Everlyn? You are being provoked.”

“Was it? You’re the expert.” There was more awkward silence. “Well Selena you were the ones who wanted to negotiate. Start talking.”

“We’ve decided it’s not worth trying to force you to swear an oath. But we need the information in this room.”

“You move away from the doors and we’ll be forced to attack.” Everlyn said instantly her voice cold.

“Truth.” Selena sounded surprised by what her own skill told her.

Jenny chuckled. “They’re not a full team. They still have people in the puzzles that they’re trying to protect.”

“Who cares. You will stay where you are because you’re worried that our strike will kill you.”

“Your wording that very precisely Everlyn,” Selena pointed out.

“I’m not going to give you anything definitive to help with your truth sensing. Your opinions I will speculate on and our response to your actions. The consequences I won’t touch.”

“The question is,” Selena said. “Is your carefulness from a point of weakness or do you secretly want a fight. I suspect it’s the first.”

“You’re welcome to believe whatever you desire.”

“Yet you believe your attacks will kill us.”

“Nice try,” Everlyn said acridly.

“We are at an impasse.” Selena declared.

“No, we’re not.” Everlyn disagreed immediately. “Leave. We should be finished within two hours and after that you can gather all the information you want.”

“Fuck that.” Jenny exclaimed. “We’re not going. There is nothing to stop you from leaving lethal traps in place to spite us and block us from ever coming back.”

“We won’t.” Everlyn said confidently.

Tom wished she had said something more neutral like. ‘You’ll fine out.’

“Truth, but not truth.” Selena mused.

“She doesn’t have the authority to make the decision.” Jenny speculated. “We need to hear the promise from Tom.”

He was still muted, but he spoke anyway because Everlyn would hear him. “We’ll destabilize the traps when we leave. If they wait twenty minutes and spend a small amount of fate, they’ll be safe.”

“He just provided verbal confirmation that we won’t trap anything when we go.” Everlyn said quietly.

“Truth, but I need to hear him say it personally.”

“Tom’s not the sort of person to lie about that sort of thing.” Everlyn blustered.

“Nope, have to hear it from him. Even you aren’t a hundred percent positive in his decision.”

“Just open the channel. I won’t say anything out of turn.” Tom said quietly. He watched the interface and registered when he had voice rights on the larger chat. “I will ensure all lethal traps are destabilised before we leave the zone. Twenty minutes and a bit of fate will guarantee your safety.”

“Happy?” Everlyn asked, sounding annoyed and Tom saw he had been switched back to being muted once again.

“Selena?” Jenny prompted after over ten seconds of silence.

“He’s not lying.”

“Good, now that we’ve got that settled,” Everlyn said immediately. “Let’s discuss specifics. You retreat immediately. We’ll send auction house communication when we’re done and after that we will stay away from each other. The exits behind us will be trapped, so don’t try to follow us.”

“Agreed.”

“Jenny,” Selena said in confusion. “That wasn’t our agreed upon approach.”

“We were wasting time,” she said quietly. “We’re not going to get anything useful. Avoiding each other is the best solution.”

“We’ll send communication on our intended routes… you do the same and we’ll try to avoid each other.” Everlyn continued gamely.

“Agreed,” Jenny said immediately.

They unfortunately didn’t have something like Selena’s truth trait. It didn’t matter Tom knew she was lying.

“Everlyn can we ask about formalising this with a contract binding?”

“That’s an excellent plan.” Everlyn said smoothly to them and not him.

There had been a pause while he had spoken, so he knew she had heard him and chosen to ignore him.

Selena’s squad, with their usual professionalism retreated through the zone gate.

Everlyn sighed heavily. “That almost went to shit.”

“Why didn’t you push for the contract binding?” He asked. “They’re planning on betraying us. Probably by getting to a zone in front and ambushing us as we come through. If we got a contract, we could be certain that they wouldn’t be doing that.”

Because it would not have been effective. Everlyn sounded tired. “The only way they accept a contract is down the barrel of a gun.”

“You could have asked.”

“I could of and they probably would have said yes. Did you consider how the logistics would have worked? They would have agreed to get a chance to get you.”

“I could have met with Selena individually.”

Everlyn laughed. “One, if you bound Selena they would remove her from the decision-making process. Two you have a large countdown between contracts. That means to protect us you need to bind all of them. Which means getting close to them. Within Melee range. Are you seeing the problem? As I said it wouldn’t have worked.”

“But it would have been a chance to stop them from betraying us.”

“Try,” Everlyn corrected. “They’ll try to betray us, but we’ve got True Dreaming. Hopefully that will be enough. For now, we need to lock that exit down with lethal traps so they can’t come after us in the short term.”