Amanda laughed and kissed Dan’s nose again. “Daddy, you gotta dodge now.”
With regret, Dan forced himself back to reality and immediately dove out of the way of a lance beam.
The False God usually followed that up with a targeted area of effect attack, then by three fast-flying orbs of a wasting disease that couldn’t be dodged. The orbs had to be popped before they landed on their target.
No further attacks came. Dan and B’eliyl stared at each other. After the pillar released its profane heal, The False God sapped Dan’s willpower again and Amanda was in his arms once more.
“Baal only has that attack this time, Daddy. The light thing. Not like the other times.”
Surprised, Dan asked, “You remember the other times?”
“Yeah, Daddy. Don’t you?”
“Of course, angel.” Dan didn’t want to think about why his daughter remembered what she shouldn’t and couldn’t. He just wanted her to be as she was. He just wanted to enjoy this little time with her. He told her, “I miss you so much. So, so much.”
“You too, Daddy,” replied Amanda with a smile and a laugh. She squeezed Dan’s head with her little arms and said, “Did you know you’re bleeding? Wait. Dodge again, Daddy.”
He forced himself back to reality and dove again. And stared at B’eliyl as he waited to spend more time with his daughter.
Maybe putting his will against B’eliyl’s helped advance the revelation he was working on. Maybe it didn’t. Either way, he wasn’t going to waste this opportunity to spend time holding his daughter in his arms.
----------------------------------------
First, he killed Moloch in such a bullshit, cheating way. Then he got really lucky with Beelzebub. We were banking on him getting killed when B’eliyl sapped his willpower.
It seemed like it was working. Dan stood there like a stupid cow with a blank look on his face, just as everyone else does when their willpower’s sapped.
Except Dan would always somehow wake up and avoid the lance invocation at the very last second.
And he didn’t use that time to close the distance either. He just did the same thing over and over. He waited in place to get his will sapped, dove out of the way at the last moment, and waited again.
Beelzebub had stuck his side pretty good. That injury didn’t get much healing when he killed all the damned. In fact, he took a few more injuries fighting the six demons and six devils. Our big hope was that he’d bleed out doing whatever crazy nonsense he was up to.
Guess…never mind. When his vitals were getting close to red due to blood loss, he started advancing. After the spike released a healing pulse, he formed a lava-dagger and slipped past B’eliyl’s guard like he had done it a thousand times.
He knew exactly where the weak spot on the spine to remove The False God’s head was located and got it in one go.
That spike thing on the throne doesn’t just heal The False God, it also refills his core and makes him invincible. A party could grind him into dust, but as soon as that spike pulses, he’s back hale and whole again, the same as he was when the fight first began.
The only way to win against B’eliyl is to drive his skull through the spike. When it next pulses, his body reforms there, and he’s stuck.
There’s a rumor the real B’eliyl is still alive and stuck on the same type of spike thing. Know if that’s true?
[I do not.]
Damn. Oh well. Dan checked the bleeding wound on his side before he retrieved the dropped frags, an Epic Foundation, and those two swords he took from Beelzebub. He could’ve taken the giant lance, but like Moloch’s axe, he left it.
The quote shown as a participant is transferred back to the lobby says –
He demands that you submit. He demands you act unnaturally and against your best interest. I only want you to do as I have – rebel against the unnatural. Do and act as pleases your instincts. Take comfort in your true nature. This is why I will ever be more loved than He is.
– The Light Bringer
SS-rated Trial of the Shining One completed. Congratulations!
The SS reward for this Trial is a Step-Enhancer. Dan didn’t use it though. He put it in his backpack along with the two swords and the two foundations he looted, put on his shoes, checked his injury again, and walked out.
A few other participants were outside and asked him how to complete the Trial. He told them there was information about this at the camp growing outside the Sanctuary of Revelation, and that they should head there.
Then he walked south until he reached the Trial of the Scouring. He cursed when he saw three people with weapons walking to its entrance. One of them was the woman that had stolen from him. The one he tackled and let go.
That girl saw Dan before the other two did and nearly shit her pants. She had a bow from the exhibit. She nocked an arrow, loosed it at Dan, and he batted the arrow aside with his hand. She took off running.
Dan yelled out, “Hold up! I just want to talk!” The girl didn’t care and kept sprinting away.
Dan shook his head and continued walking to the Trial. When he was about 20 meters away, one of the two guys that were walking with the girl, an old, said, “So, you the guy she told us about? The one trying to kill her?”
Dan stopped and said, “Naw. I just want what she stole from me back.”
“She said she ain’t stole nothing. Said she took some stuff that was left on the ground. Said you tackled her and tried forcing yourself on her before she escaped.”
Dan jerked his head up. “That’s a damned lie. I let her go since she wouldn’t stop crying and I couldn’t say my piece. That stuff she took was mine. I was too busy fighting to collect it right away, is all.”
The man hmmed before saying, “I figured it was something like that. She got a few screws loose. Still, this ain’t no place for someone like her to be running around alone. From how she says it, her starting area went crazy with everyone killing everyone else and whatnot.”
“Yeah, I can believe that,” replied Dan. “If you see her again, tell her she can keep what she stole but she needs to start acting right. Some stronger folks are setting up near the Sanctuary of Revelations and fixing to lay down some rules and regulate. Ensure people act civilized. No killing, no robbing, none of that.”
The man hmmed again. After a small pause, he said, “Glad to hear it. I reckon we’ll swing by and see if they looking for help.” The man extended his hand and Dan approached to shake.
“Bill.”
“Dan, sir.”
As Dan shook the other man’s hand, Bill said, “This here feller don’t speak. We call him Quiet. Been with him since the first day. He’s real good in a fight. Mind if I ask about that interesting outfit you wearing?”
“No, sir. I got this armor from a Trial. I reckon you’ll see more folk wearing this or some robes. They repair themselves.”
“Hmm. Unless I’m hearing wrong, I’d say you an Okie.”
“Yeah,” said Dan. “Woodward County.”
“Our starting area came from south Texas and a little bit of Mexico. Brownsville, Corpus Cristi, Loredo. I was a rancher. No idea what Quiet did before this.”
Dan asked, “Y’all planning on doing this Trial?”
“Yeah. Checking it out, seeing if it can be done or not.”
“I’d hold off. There’s some good information with the people near the Sanctuary of Revelation on these Trials and how to advance right. Y’all should check it out before doing anything besides the exhibit, and it looks like you done that one.”
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
The older man hmmed again. “Guess we should. I’m trusting you this ain’t no trap or nothing. I hope I ain’t misplacing my trust, son.”
“You ain’t, sir. Dotty and Andrew is running things. They can be trusted.”
Bill asked, “You know you’re bleeding?”
“Yeah. I know it.”
“Well, you take care of yourself. And that injury. You way too pale, son. You losing too much blood. Nice meeting you.”
“You too, sir. And your friend.”
As the man walked out of sight, Dan entered the Trial and killed undead with his lava-lasso. His injuries healed long before the door opened and he could exit.
Then he took turns running the Trial of the Rapture and the Trial of the Shining One over and over until it was late into the night.
When other people were waiting to do a Trial he wanted, if they already knew of the camp near the Sanctuary of Revelations, he usually bribed them with frags or a Foundation to cut ahead and run the Trials he wanted with little waiting.
The next morning, after exercising and meditating, Dan heard Austin getting yelled at by both Ace and Becky. When things settled, he pulled Austin away from the others and sat beside him.
The two sat in silence for minutes before Austin asked, “You going to say anything, shithead? Or did you bring me here to enjoy the view?”
“I’m fixing to. Just trying to get what I’m going to say right in my head first.”
Another minute passed before Dan said, “I’m not much for talking, and I ain’t a guy people should take serious life advice from. Growing up, my parents loved me and always done right by me. I don’t know your exact situation, but if it’s what I reckon, it ain’t too unlike what could’ve been for someone I care a great deal about. If things went a little different for her.
“I put you in the same party as Becky and Ace because I seen how they care. No matter how much you piss them off, they won’t abandon you. You can believe that. I don’t mind you talking shit to me. You should try giving those two a chance though.”
Austin was picking up pebbles and flicking them at a tree. It took him a while to reply. “I don’t need more people pretending they care. And if you picked those two, why Carlos? He can’t even speak English.”
Dan said, “He don’t speak English, but he got kids, and fathers have that fatherly instinct. Luke don’t got no kids. And if Carlos don’t understand the dumb shit you say, I reckoned he couldn’t get too mad about it.”
Austin scoffed and asked, “So what? You think I care?”
Dan stopped looking at his dead daughter to look at Austin. “I don’t care if you care. I just answered your question, is all. After y’all complete these Trials, a couple new people is joining y’all’s parties. The lady going in yours will set you straight, no matter what you or me do or say. You can believe that. I’m just asking you to lay off the others till then.”
“And if I don’t?”
“Then I reckon you don’t, and things keep going as they been. I reckon you act as you do to preempt what you figuring is going to happen anyways. Like a self-fulfilling prophecy. I don’t like myself much and I see the same in you, except you too young for it. All I can tell you is if you want to remain, you got to lose that chip on your shoulder.”
Austin scoffed again. “Can I go now?”
“I ain’t holding you prisoner.”
“Okay. Have fun abandoning us again today. Just so you know, we all assume you go hump your sisters and first cousins, hillbilly.”
I wish that was what Dan was leaving to do. There was zero hot action going on between any of these prudes.
Nothing else important happened that morning. Dan ran through all the tutorial Trials once more before he headed to the Trial of Savages with bloodshot eyes and somewhat messed up skin.
This Trial suppresses Class, Orbments, and mana. They keep their Stats, but Durability is set to zero so mundane weapons always work.
It’s supposed to show what it’s like for the mortals of a world once they lose a Game and ascension denied them.
It would be a lot more impactful if these mortals had destroyed their world’s suppressors. Since they never found them, this was just normal life as they knew it on their planet.
Dan had a lot of the exhibit weapons in his belt he had collected from corpses. Those aren’t considered valuable so storing them is pretty cheap. He took out a shield and spear and initiated the Trial. His summons couldn’t enter and waited in the lobby.
The first fight is against a bear, the second a lion, and the third’s a pack of eight wolves. Since Dan was level 20, all the beasts would be level 30 with cores formed.
Most participants find this Trial impossible solo since it suppresses mana and Orbments but not Stats. Doing it solo isn’t smart. At all. A full party’s the way to go. Even then, it’s never easy.
Except for Dan. He made it look easy. Like he completed this Trial a million times before this.
Keep in mind that Earth has decently advanced tech and tamed their world. Its inhabitants aren’t forced to fight beasts nearly as often as those from turd and garbage worlds do.
Seeing Dan fight all these beasts so expertly made me lean more towards time travel. No knowledge he attained from Carnegie Hall could explain this.
He didn’t even get bitten too badly by the wolves. Have you ever seen how a pack of wolves take down prey?
[No.]
They coordinate and distract. They probe. A few pressure the front. Once the prey commits to defending against or attacking a peer, a few others attack from the rear. Nip and wear down. Real teamwork.
He used a similar tactic against the bear and lion. Shield up protecting. Hop back and aside when the animal committed and make it pay with a spear thrust. Anger the beast, and wait to get one good hit in, then finish it off safely.
That wouldn’t work with the wolves. There was a cliff-like thing not far away. He was supposed to run to that and put it at his back. He didn’t. Like an idiot.
----------------------------------------
As the wolves slowly approached, Dan stood unmoving, his shield held down by his side, his spear resting on his shoulder.
The wolves began to circle as they stared at Dan with hunger in their eyes, growling lowly. If Dan felt fear, they’d know, and anticipate their feast more.
But he didn’t. He couldn’t.
He wished he could, and he wished he wasn’t looking forward to this fight every bit as much as these beasts were.
As the wolves tightened their circle, Dan kept his eyes on the biggest as it walked past him. He knew that one wouldn’t attack first.
The one that charged in with a feint attack got a shield to the side of its head as Dan spun and slashed the real attacker with the spear’s head.
Spearing one when facing this many wouldn’t be smart since it’d bind the spear up for too long.
Learning to use a spearhead for slash attacks wasn’t easy, but he needed the reach. The attack didn’t kill the beast but put a good wound on its snout. His shield clocked the second wolf that attacked Dan’s back right after.
Then Dan spun and slashed another wolf that charged when his back was turned. He could feel another coming at his back. That one got the spear’s butt to its chest as he wacked another to his front with his shield. Then he slashed his spear around in a wide circle as he spun, keeping his enemies at bay.
There was a pitched hill, almost a sheer cliff, he could’ve had at his back for this fight, but this was much better practice.
It made the fight last a lot longer, but it also made it a lot more worthy. One mistake could spell his doom. One mistake and it could all be over and done with.
Except he wouldn’t make a mistake. The injuries the wolves took would pile up and compound. They’d slow, and slow some more, until he could afford to safely spear one. Then another.
Unlike real wolves, these wouldn’t run. They’d stand and fight until dead. No different than him. Except he was a lot better at it than they were.
----------------------------------------
Dan spun and killed one coming up on his rear, spun again, wounding another, and so on. He had it all worked out so perfectly that it was infuriating to watch.
The fat prick got SS, put the frags in his belt, and put the Strength Step-Enhancer in his backpack. He had the other Step-Enhancer in there too. It was driving Bob, Az’ga, and me nuts that he wasn’t applying them.
He ran that Trial about ten times in a row. He only got one bad injury that whole time.
After he was done with the Trial of the Savages, he healed up in the Trial of the Scouring, ran the Trial of the Rapture and the Shining One a couple times, hitting the Trial of the Scouring to refill his mana and heal once done for the day.
Nothing else important happened. He did have Ashen Ruin summoned when he first ran the Trial of the Shining One. It did better than I thought it would until Moloch started spinning. He went…
[Nothing else important happened at all? What about gains?]
He did have gains. We’ll get to that. You’ll see.
Nothing really noteworthy happened. He talked to a few more people outside of Trials but most participants were at the Sanctuary of Revelations learning what they could, following the self-cultivation information Dan provided, and using their time in that building to work on their revelations.
The rest of my team members were all nervous since they had to form their cores and do their Trial event the next day. They put more effort into practicing. A lot more questions were asked of Leena and Chet. Even Austin seemed nervous and was less prone to being such an asshole.
Dan got back late into the night and set Ashen Ruin to guard. He got up early and got his exercises and meditation out of the way.
Then he finally took his first bath and shaved. I appeared to tell him he was a fat with a tiny groin. He attacked me again like a stupid idiot. Then he woke everyone up.
“I told y’all,” said Dan, “you can’t have the area messy like this. The demons will send a swarm of cleaner monsters if things get too messy. Those ain’t no joke. All trash goes in a Trial. Everyday.”
Just FYI, Dan never told them that. Not that Bob, Az’ga, or I ever heard. I think he was nervous. And I’ve only seen the cleaners sweep an area when it’s truly filthy.
We can’t send or control the cleaners. It just happens. With only nine on my team, they’d have to purposefully make a mess for months and months before needing to worry.
Once everyone finished throwing their trash in the Agility Trial, Dan said, “Alright. Just light exercise, then meditation, breakfast, and I’ll meet y’all at the Core Trial.”
While everyone else was exercising and doing Leena’s dumb yoga-meditation, Dan ran through the Trial of the Rapture once. He was back at the Core Trial before the others made their way there.
“Y’all ready for this,” asked Dan, standing a good 15 or 20 meters away.
Everyone confirmed.
Dan said, “Remember, if you fail, you die. So, don’t fail. If y’all get offered a reward choice, select the token. Y’all got something to hold Orbment Fragments with?”
Everyone confirmed they did.
“Who wants to go first?”
Ace, Chet, Nick, and Leena all volunteered. “Nicky, let’s see what you got.”
Nick did surprisingly well. His core was rated ‘Good.’
I won’t waste time describing this. They all meditated while waiting for the Trial to reset. My whole team did well enough to form a ‘Good’ rated core besides Austin, Chet, and Leena.
Any chance I can get you to guess the core rating of those three?
[No.]
Come on. How about just Leena?
[No.]
You’re truly no fun. Austin scraped by with an ‘Acceptable’ core. Chet’s was rated ‘Very Good.’ That normally would’ve been extremely surprising, but they all had the super-info from the cultivation book.
Leena crushed it. Her core was rated ‘Pristine.’ Guess what else?
[Really? Her core was rated ‘Pristine?’]
It was. But, again, they had the self-cultivation book. With that info and being taken to a plane filled with potent qi, I see it more as the others failing and Chet being the standout participant since Leena was cheating. You’ll find out how soon.
Guess what else?
[No.]
Please?
[No.]
I’m begging you. As a favor. Just guess. Please.
[She advanced her Soul-grade.]
Yes! You got it! Wasn’t that fun? Guessing and getting it right?
[No.]
Well, you’re wrong, Boss. It’s super fun.
After a few days of serious meditation reflecting on her first revelation, she had a 1-Star Soul. Very impressive, even despite the cheating, especially since she wasn’t a real person.
[Wasn’t?]
Isn’t, I meant. Still isn’t.