Chapter 25
The portal led me to a giant room that had a stage at the end with multiple round tables enough to hold a couple of chairs each. There were also a few red booths set up in the corner with the whole area reminding me of a stage that one might see at a casino. Just before the stage were 3 boxes of different sizes that were wrapped in different colors with a giant bow on top looking like Christmas presents. I wasn’t sure If I was to select one of them or if all three were mine. It didn’t matter I suppose because I was going to reject them all.
I looked around at the quiet room and then at the top of my lungs screamed out, “I REJECT YOUR REWARDS”. There was no answer. Nothing stirred and nothing happened. I could hear a faint echo of my scream however but even that died quick.
I made another attempt, a longer more elaborate one this time, “I AM GATSBY LARK AND I REJECT THESE REWARDS OF THE GOD OF RIDDLES, PAHELI, RUBIK, KNOSSOS. I REJECT THESE REWARDS IN EXCHANGE FOR A MEETING!!”
This was a gamble for sure. The gods of this world were fickle creatures. They were all mortal once and gained enough power to be considered gods but lost something in exchange for it. To be fair not all were like that but certainly a good number. My approach right now could lead me to have a face-to-face meeting with the god and it was just as likely that he would obliterate me where I stood. But I needed answers and outside of a crystal ball, a god was the next best thing.
There was another minute of quietness and just as I was about to scream, an orchestra band appeared on the right-hand side and started playing something out of a jazz club but festive. Scantily clad women dressed in one piece outfit that appeared almost like a bathing suit walked out on the stage. They stood in line and started dancing like the Rockettes throwing out their long legs in high heels into kicks. A few acrobats went past the stage doing backflips while two strongmen walked out trying to juggle a baby elephant on their head. Another man in brightly dressed clothes came out and was juggling half a dozen sticks on fire. And then there was a green whirlwind that appeared and danced from one side to another finally ending up on the stage. It slowed down to show a 20 feet tall man dressed all in green including his bowler hat, buttoned up sports jacket, pants and socks. The only thing not green on him was his shoes, which were bright yellow rubber duckies.
The god in front of me dressed all in green had a big giant grin on his face which appeared pretty much like a famous actor. At least he wasn’t wearing a mask this time.
“Well, first thing first, I just want to congratulate you on the big giant cojones you got on you. Ooo Ooo Oooh, That look is sexy on you,” he gave me an exaggerated wink, “I don’t think anyone has refused my gifts in the past like this. But hey, I guess I may as well make you happy and meet you before I Bitch slap you out of existence!!!” the god said to me. His aura overpowered me, and I buckled. I went down to one knee but willed myself to get up. My body wanted to collapse but I forced myself to stay standing.
An Aura was the presence that a highly ascended being projected without even trying. It was a presence. A feeling of power and the stronger the being, the stronger their aura. Most would pull down their aura not to kill mortals when encountering them, but this one was a jackass. He was obviously doing it on purpose to make me feel like crap and grovel to him. He knew I wasn’t going to die but he did want to see me beg as most people would have from the intense pain washing over them.
I wasn’t going to die but I felt sick. My head was pounding but I adjusted. I gritted my teeth and overcame the overpowering aura to stand tall against this twenty-foot-tall leprechaun.
“You have become so weak, Lark. You have fallen so much. It is so pathetic,” the god said to me while making a face of disgust, “So why did you choose to reject the rewards. Why the eagerness to meet me?” He recognized me from before. We were never friends, but we had met on a few different occasions.
I was getting accustomed to the pain that his aura exerted on me. The longer I bathed under it, the less it felt like a firestorm and the more it felt like a day at the sauna.
“I needed some answers, and you seemed like the best option,” I asked using all my will. If I cowered under him as most would have from his aura alone, I would be done for immediately. He would have thought me weak; well weaker than he already thought of me and either destroyed me or best-case scenario, ignored me. But he was talking and that meant I had a chance.
“Why would I lower myself to answer you? You have nothing to offer me. You no longer wield any power. If anything, you will be dead by the year’s end.”
“I beat your dungeon. At the very least you can grant me some answers as a reward.”
I felt blood run down my nose. I could feel pain in my insides but not as bad as before. It was getting easier slowly, but it was getting easier.
The god stared at me for a minute. He let out a sigh, “Fine. I suppose you did beat this dungeon which has been sucking on my power like a leech because no one seems to have been able to beat it for five hundred years. And because you are known to me from before, I suppose I can be even more charitable today than I already am and answer a couple of your questions. Go ahead and ask before I change my mind.”
“What has happened to Celestial Nirvana?” Just as I finished asking the question, Jimmie spoke up in my mind,” OMG I have the biggest headache. Why does that giant look like Jim…” but before he could finish, Paheli, adopted a look of curiosity, “Interesting, what is that creature inside of you that just called me a giant Jim, which is a ridiculous name by the way.”
“Did he just hear me? I thought only you could hear me?”
“Paheli, perhaps you can answer my question first and then I can answer yours?”
“How dare you presume to tell me what I shall or shall not do. Now tell me who that is before I rip it out of you,” the god responded back.
“He definitely heard me. So, he is the god that you were trying to meet.”
I was surprised that the god could hear Jimmy who was only able to talk to me and even then, it was in my mind. I wasn’t sure if Paheli was able to hear what Jimmie was saying or read my mind. If he was reading my mind, then I was in a lot more trouble. I waited to see if there was any kind of a reaction from the god about what I was thinking, and he had none. This meant he was likely hearing Jimmy in some way and not necessarily reading me mind.
I knew I couldn’t test his patience for very long, so I decided to tell him, “That voice you heard belongs to a man named Jimmy who is also from my world but now somehow has become trapped inside me.” I didn’t lie. I didn’t tell him everything but that was fine.
“Let’s see what this Jimmy looks like,” He pinched his giant fingers and pulled a string out from me that stretched and got bigger until it appeared like a man.
“Interesting. Very Interesting. Can I keep Jimmy? He looks like he would be a fun little friend.”
“No, you absolutely cannot keep him. He is a friend and a person.”
Jimmy looked absolutely terrified. He was a tall thin man that wore jeans that sagged a little too much and a t shirt with “Bad Apple” which I suspected was a heavy metal band given the pictures on the shirt. He shivered at the sight of the god. I could tell it was the aura that was hurting him. He had developed some immunity perhaps from being inside of me but not enough. If he was a regular guy, he likely would have passed out by now. He laid down on the ground in fetal position still just shivering like someone had just pulled him out of an ice-cold lake after being under it for a little too long.
“Paheli, you need to either put him back or pull back your aura. Can’t you see you are killing him?”
Paheli stared at Jimmy lying there for a couple of minutes while holding a bored expression.
“Fine,” the god said sounding mildly annoyed. Jimmy stopped shivering but he still laid there. I knew he was ok even if he may have pissed his pants or something.
“Now can you tell me what has happened to the Celestial Nirvana?”
“Ah yes, the celestial nirvana. Well, the celestial nirvana no longer exists,” the god answered with unparalleled casualness. He looked at his nails as if he was checking out their shape or size.
“Can you please elaborate further, Paheli?”
“First, of all in this area I’m known by Rubik so stop calling me that. You will confuse my worshipers. Secondly, I answered your question already.”
What worshippers? There were only the three of us here. I just needed to ignore his lunacy and get him to focus. “Rubik, can you please elaborate further about what happened to celestial nirvana? Are all the gods dead?”
“You are lucky I know you or I would have separated your head by now already. I will answer your questions but first I need you to promise me something.”
“What?” I asked. I shouldn’t have asked. When gods asked you to do something, it was usually something extremely deadly or difficult or required pissing off another god in some way. All of those options did not sound so great right now.
“So, it seems that this is not the only dungeon that has been slowly bleeding me dry over hundreds of years. There is another and I need you to finish that one as well.”
“I don’t understand. What are you talking about?”
“Oh my, you really have dulled haven’t you. I will explain. This dungeon has not been able to be finished by anyone, like ever. And not many have come to try. The ones that did, failed but unfortunately those sacrifices are not enough to keep lights on in this place, so it has been slowly bleeding my power dry. Not much but enough to be a bother. Even a leaky faucet can eventually skyrocket the water bill. Similarly, I have another dungeon. That one is even worst as NO one has even been able to find it and enter it, let alone finish it.”
“And since I have finished this dungeon and it’s a transient dungeon, you can move it to a better location or just completely get rid of it. I’m guessing the other dungeon is also transient.”
“Perhaps, you haven’t dulled completely of senses.”
“That’s a great way to ask for a favor.”
Rubik took a deep breath in, “I will answer what questions you have to the best of my ability as long as it doesn’t violate any rules or promises. And you will in exchange be required to complete this other dungeon to the best of your ability.”
I knew a god’s word was binding and I knew if I didn’t live up to my part, he would be another one I would have to count amongst my enemies, so I agreed.
“Do you know who Optimer Black is?” the god asked me. I did know him. He and I were friends once many many years back. But we had a falling out though I can’t for the like of me recall why at this time.
I nodded yes, so the god continued, “He has managed to do what no one else has been able to for a hundred thousand years. He managed to destroy the celestial nirvana.”
“How is that possible? I remember him and he was near me, just barely getting close to the level of a demigod. How could he have managed to destroy a structure created by some of the most powerful gods ever? Celestial Nirvana had been around for a hundred of thousands of years. It was the life blood of many gods.”
“The anti-life seed,” Rubik said and then waited for me to absorb what he had said.
“Anti-life seed was a just a myth.”
“Not a myth. Not any more than I am. He found it somehow and planted it at the sight of the Tree of Life. Once it grew, it destroyed all that it touched. The tree of life died. All the gods that fed into the tree died because of their connection to it.”
I had heard of the anti-life seed before. I couldn’t imagine such a thing existing. It was meant for destruction and destruction alone. In stories, it was what ended the world. If Optimer managed to do as Rubik had said, then I could see it destroying the gods that were tied to the tree through their psychic connection. Without the Tree, the celestial nirvana would have also died shortly after.
“Who is left now of the gods? Is there anything left of the celestial nirvana?’
“There are many gods that are left including the demigods that never made it to celestial nirvana to connect to the tree and the outcast gods like me that chose to never call that place home to begin with. I never could belong in the celestial nirvana; I prefer to be part of this world or yours,” he smirked.
“Do you know what happened to me? Why was I reformed into this weaker being and without my power? Why was Jimmie placed inside my mind or soul or whatever it is?”
“I don’t know all the details but from what I have heard it was that old god Osiris that did that to you. If I had to guess, it was to spare your life and to hide you from Optimer Black. For what reason, I have not a clue.”
“Is Optimer Black coming after me?”
“Yes. He cannot come for you directly due to the rules as he has now ascended so significantly, and you are a mortal but he can send his minions after you. I cannot be certain why this,” he looked at lying form of Jimmy and pointed in a way of disgust, “little man was placed in your mind, but it may be to hide your aura. While he was within you, I was not certain who you were for some time, and you were standing right in my dungeon.”
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
“To hide me from Optimer black perhaps?”
The god merely gave a half smiled and barely a nod.
“Any chance you know why I lost all my levels, skills and class?”
“Not a clue. I suspect part of whatever Osiris did to you,” the god answered.
I was going to ask him about Jimmy, but I figured if he didn’t even know that Jimmy was inside me till just now, he wouldn’t know much about what was going on with him and why he was being pulled towards The Essence. I could have asked but I didn’t want to lose the chance of asking another question that he might be able to answer or piss him off by asking him something he knew nothing about. Or even worse, give him information in regards to Jimmy which would entice him to hold on to Jimmy with him to study him or something.
I had a lot of questions that needed answering but most of those were in regards to the goblins or the city. I’m sure he would know something about all that or could find something about it but he could also easily get annoyed with me asking about basic mortal stuff from what I remembered about him.
“Can you give me help on how to complete the Quest to reunite Amalya with her child?”
The god seemed to perk up a bit when I mentioned Amalya. Amalya was the goddess of mana and magic. A demon king who was jealous of Amalya had turned her son into the form of a rock. The goddess asked the god of the forge to turn him into a coin and turned herself into a coin. Unfortunately they were separated and I had a quest to reunite the two parts of the coin. I had received the quest when I by happenstance had found the Soul of Amalya, the magical coin which was also cursed. I had no idea how to go forward in trying to find the son who was now in the shape of a coin to reunite back with his mother, the goddess Amalya. I figured if anyone could help me, it would be a god.
The god thought for a bit and then said, “If you complete my other dungeon for me, I can help guide you in the right direction with this quest of yours.”
I was disappointed but I suspected it wouldn’t be this easy.
“Now that our session is concluded, you need to go beat that dungeon of mine.”
“One more thing, Is The System changing? Recently I have noticed a change in messages, and they are accompanied by a voice. It sounds familiar but I can’t place it exactly. Is it even possible for something as powerful as The System to change?”
The mad god of riddles laughed loudly like an evil clown and clasped his pale bony fingers together, “Some secrets are better left to be discovered on their own, don’t you think?” I chose not to answer. He obviously had an idea of what was going on with The System and knowing him, I knew that I stayed quiet, he may just offer information much more willingly than if I was pestering him about it.
He turned his head playing coy and biting the side of his lip, “Fine, I suppose I can give you a hint. With the Celestial Nirvana gone, so many gods had been erased. That left the fountain under the hands of your wicked friend, Optimer who has used it to assign power to certain outcast gods in exchange for their support. The System has not changed, merely its appearance. The reason you recognize the voice is” he leaned in closer to me, “because it’s someone from your home world that had ascended a long while back. I used to love watching him myself on the with those amazing displays of fighting prowess.” He gave a wink and sat there smirking. I wasn’t sure if was waiting for me to try and guess or throw out some names. I had no idea who it was, so we just had this silent awkward moment with me having a confused look on my face and the god looking like as if was trying to roofie and kidnap me.
“I have a couple more questions,” I snapped out of the awkward moment and asked. I knew I was pushing my luck.
“No more questions,” he held his hand up in a stop gesture. His fingers elongated and claws formed at the end. The sclera of his eyes turned all black and his face took on an ominous visage.
“I just wanted to know where this dungeon was that you wanted me to complete.” That was not true. I really did have a lot of questions including about the stuff happening back in the city, but I had a feeling I was not going to be able to get much more out of him.
“It is located in the Pacinik sea off the coast of Old Zowland,” the god answered.
“I’m not exactly certain where we are but I think we are probably close to half the world away from that area. I have no way of getting there and even if I left and somehow survived all the dangers, overcome the mountain pass and the jungles I may encounter, I would not get there for another 1000 days at my current speed.” I knew I was exaggerating but it was not far from the truth. The god just stared at me like he wanted to strangle me.
“FINE”, he said with a diva attitude and went to snap his fingers like he was about to send me there and I interrupted him, “WAIT!”
“What now?” the god asked in a pretend annoyance.
“Is this a puzzle dungeon too? What level dungeon is it?”
“No, it is not a strict puzzle dungeon. It is a mixed, combat and puzzle dungeon. It is a level 3 dungeon.”
“Oh! Well, that makes things more complicated,” I said.
The god raised his eyebrow and crossed his hands.
“I’m sure you have seen my level and it’s not very impressive. Certainly not enough to take on a level 3 dungeon and even if I manage to get there and die, it won’t add much Essence from me because I am not at such a high level and soon you will be back at where you started, a transient dungeon that is leeching off you.”
The god relaxed his posture, “So what do you suggest?”
“Let me gain some levels and get stronger. And then I can go tackle this dungeon.”
He sat there thinking for a minute and The god snapped his fingers and in his palm was a small disc. He waved and the disc appeared now in my hand, “You have a week to get some levels and go the dungeon. When it’s time, just think of the disc and it will appear in your hand. Then all you have to do is crush it and you will be whisked away to the dungeon.”
“Can I have a month. A week is just not enough to gain enough levels to complete this dungeon, and you do want me to complete it right?”
After a couple of times going back and forth, he settled on 18 days from now. I would have loved to have had some more questions answered or got some other benefit, but I was starting to get the feeling that he had just about enough of me, and any more requests would end badly for me. I was glad to have been able to learn what I did. Now I knew what I had to face. I still had absolutely no chance of beating the minions of Optimer Black, let alone the demigod himself but at least now I knew what was coming for me. He also put Jimmy back in my mind or spirit or whatever it was without me even asking. I had considered asking him not to but then I realized that Jimmy was hiding my aura from Optimer Black. I also wasn’t sure how Jimmy would do without an actual body to inhabit.
I knew Optimer Black would find me in time but perhaps it would give me a little longer to get stronger or at least find a better option in dealing with him. I needed to seek out or make some allies against this future battle. I wasn’t sure who was still around but even the help of a demigod would go a long way at this point. I expected even his minions to be vastly stronger than me at this point. I also needed to figure out about Jimmy. At this point, he was in my mind but if he was brought out, he would just be a spirit. I needed to figure out how to get him a body of his own. At least this dungeon was done and now I could head back to the city with Daniella.
The god faded away and shortly after he faded away, the dungeon started falling apart. Or more accurately the room that I was in was falling apart. The roof was collapsing on me and just as I thought I would be crushed. I was transported back out to the spot near the glyph I had entered except the glyph was gone. Since I had finished the dungeon, Rubik, could move it to a new location as it was a transient dungeon to begin with. The arrow shaped tree was still there, however. Not a moment after I arrived, I was inundated with System messages. There were three level up messages.
You have gained a new Level!
“You are the tower of power! Too sweet to be sour!
You just climbed a level! Ohhh Yeahh!!”
You have gained a new Level!
“You are the tower of power! Too sweet to be sour!
You just climbed a level! Ohhh Yeahh!!”
You have gained a new Level!
“You are the tower of power! Too sweet to be sour!
You just climbed a level! Ohhh Yeahh!!”
Just like that I had jumped up to level 19. I also gained some skills, spells, and titles.
Congratulations, you have learned a new skill: Wards
“Snap into a new skill, Bill! Oohhh Yeahh!”
Congratulations, you have learned a new spell: Dash
“It doesn’t take a spell, to spell Victory! I’m gonna beat you, your momma and your daddy too. Oohhhh Yeahh!”
Congratulations, you have learned a new spell: Set Tether
“It doesn’t take a spell, to spell Victory! I’m gonna beat you, your momma and your daddy too. Oohhhh Yeahh!”
:
Congratulations, you have acquired a new Title: Paint me puzzled. You have managed to defeat a dungeon no one ever has before in the 500 hundred years that it has existed.
+10 to all Primary attributes.
“And that’s how you get to the Belt! You get a new Title!! Oohhh Yeahh!!”
Congratulations, you have acquired a new Title: It’s lights out for the Golem. You have managed to defeat an opponent 100 levels above you on your own.
+5 to all primary physical attributes. +20% damage to any opponent 10 levels greater than you.
“And that’s how you get to the Belt! You get a new Title!! Oohhh Yeahh!!”
Congratulations, you have acquired a new Title: Cajónes the size of Rubik’s cubes. You have managed to stand up (without crapping your pants) to the Aura of a lesser god while still being a noob.
+10 to willpower attribute. You have learned the skill: Aura defense.
“And that’s how you get to the Belt! You get a new Title!! Oohhh Yeahh!!”
Congratulations, you have learned a new skill: Aura defense
“Snap into a new skill, Bill! Oohhh Yeahh!”
I was shocked how quickly I had my attributes raised. I knew that I would get an achievement title for having all my attributes 50 above base or 60 each. I had 15 free points and the only thing lagging behind was my charisma. I guess If I was meant to be better looking than I was meant to be better looking. I added 13 points to my charisma to increase it to 60 and then added the remaining 2 to my constitution. As soon as all my attributes were up to 60, I got a new message.
Congratulations, you have acquired a new Title: Path of Power I. You have somehow beyond expectations raised all your attributes to 60 or higher before reaching your first-Class evolution.
+10 to all core attributes to your class. +5 to all other attributes.
“And that’s how you get to the Belt! You get a new Title!! Oohhh Yeahh!!”
I brought up my status. My attributes had jumped up tremendously from all the Titles.
Name: Gatsby Lark
Race: Human Avatar
Primary Class: Mana Scepter
Level: 19
Experience to next level: 32
Primary Attributes
Strength: 65
Dexterity: 70
Speed: 67
Constitution: 75
Endurance: 66
Intelligence: 138
Wisdom: 93
Willpower: 103
Charisma: 65
Unused Attribute Points: 0
Secondary Attributes
Health Points (HP): 815
Mana Points (MP): 1068
Stamina Points (SP): 866
Psychic Defense (PD): 196
Perception Points: 301
Skills:
Arcanum Studies – Intermediate
Mana thread - Novice
Intimidation – Novice
Mana Shield – Novice
Wards – Novice
Aura defense - Novice
Spells:
Mass Sleep – Advanced
Magic projectile – Expert
Revealing Light (Chain of captivation)
Chain Lightning (The Shocker)
Summon Water - Novice
Path of frost – Intermediate
Thunder Stun – Intermediate
Dash – Intermediate
Set Tether – Novice
Best of Blu Bard’s blues (Blu Bard’s cloak)
Titles:
Amalya’s Blessing and Curse
Rage against the Titans
Genocidal for Life
The brave and the bold
Paint me puzzled.
It’s lights out for the Golem.
Cajónes the size of Rubik’s cubes
Perks:
+5% damage to all foes 5 Levels greater than you
+20% damage to any opponent 10 levels greater than you.
20% reduced damage from non-magical blunt and slashing attacks (Blu Bard’s cloak)
10% magic resistance (Blu Bard’s cloak)
20% increased healing (Ring of minor healing)
10% reduces stamina usage for any movement (boots of lost wanderer)
Resistance to mental attacks, commands, and subtle suggestions (chain of captivation)
Magical Items:
Ring of minor healing
Red robe of spellcrafters
Boots of the lost wanderer
Wand of minor telekinesis
Chain of captivation
The Soul of Amalya
Silent Storm
Magic Short sword
Ring of defense
The shocker
Potion of Splendor
Rock Em Sock Em Golem
Blu Bard’s Cloak
The manacle
I was impressed by how far I had come in such a short period of time. I had 7 titles now and they had boosted my attributes beyond someone who would have gone through their second-class evolution, and I had not even reached my first yet. I still had ways to go before I could be strong enough to take on even the minions of Optimer Black. My Dash had advanced just from the usage in the dungeon. Unfortunately, not much else as far as spells or skills had. I decided to look at my options for Dash and just as I was about to, a wisp of smoke formed in front of me and spelled ‘Gatsby’. At the same time, I heard Daniella’s voice call my name. She had activated the communication crystal on her side. I realized then that she was nowhere to be found. She could have activated it anytime that I was in the dungeon, and I only got the message now since I could not get it while I was in the dungeon. The rest of the message similarly formed out of the smoke and was carried with Daniella’s voice.
“Gatsby. I am surrounded by goblins.
About to be taken.
Don’t come after me.
Tell Mother.”
I realized that she was not able to give a longer and more descriptive message due to limitation of the crystal. I needed to go after her. If goblins took her then it was not an in the moment decision for them. Someone commanded them to do that. Goblins were not the type to take prisoners, especially ones that could fight back. If they took prisoners, it was usually children or weak people so they could use them for simple labor or as food. In this situation, someone wanted Daniella for a reason and if they took her, they would not kill her unless they got from her what they wanted which was likely information. But why her and what could she know that they would want to know. There was no way I was going to be able to take on an entire goblin camp on my own. I would have to try and rescue her as quietly as possible. The boots of the lost wanderer would help me find my way back there without a problem. That was a good thing because I had no skills in the forest, and I likely would have just ended up going in circles.
I needed to get my Dash upgraded. The spell should get me back there in no time. My health, mana and stamina were automatically restored completely once I finished the dungeon.
Dash upgraded to Intermediate.
You will eat my rear rockets, AND like it!! Ohhh Yeaahh
Level: 2
Cost: 10 MP 25 Stamina
Cast time: Instant
Duration: n/a
Cooldown Period: 2 seconds
Effect: This spell allows the caster to move a large distance with a single step. The distance travelled can be up to 15 feet for each point in Speed. The caster may not travel through barriers and will stop in front of the barrier. The travel is in a straight line and the traveler does not need to be touching ground during the movement.
Choose one of the options below for your Spell:
Option 1: Distance travelled is increased to 25 feet per second.
Option 2: Cost of the spell is decreased to 5 MP and 20 Stamina
Option 3: Caster may choose not to stop in front of the barrier. Caster hits the barrier with enough force to do damage. Damage done is calculated by your strength, speed and distance travelled.
Option 4: No Upgrade
This was an easy choice. I didn’t need to reduce the cost of the spell as it was not that high to begin with unless I was planning on travelling vast distances. The distance travelled was nice as it was scalable but option 3 added an extra weapon to my arsenal. I selected the third option.