Casting one final look around the emptied storage to confirm he took whatever was there to take, Joe followed his warrior back to the main chamber where he awoke not that long ago. He noticed one of the furballs was missing but he ignored that for now and pondered what could have made this twitchy woman into an even darker shade of green.
"It's... in here."
Alia opened and held the doors for him, but her demeanor made it clear she had no desire to follow. Whatever she found there was enough to turn her face sickly green and the smell told him she wasn't the only one who lost their breakfast to whatever hid behind that door. Still, he went in. Alia did not bother to close the door behind him. She appeared to be counting under her breath.
It didn't take that long. Perhaps a minute or slightly more until Joe emerged back from that chamber. Calmly, he leaned against the nearest wall and retched. What he saw in there looked like an amalgamation of works of Gunther von Hagens and H.R Giger only much, much less sensual, and outright disgusting. Horrifying even. To think that... that... that thing still lived... Joe knew those burbling sounds of that contraption will haunt him for the rest of his life.
Another convulsion bent his body.
"What the fuck is wrong with this world?!"
He smashed his fist against the wall, leaving a bloody mark on it. If he hadn't seen the status screen floating above the thing, he would never believe someone could do so horrible to a fellow human being. That...
His stomach emptied itself of whatever still lingered there.
[*Ding!*]
[You have witnessed something that calls for heavenly retribution. As a Harbinger, you have the right to summon the god of vengeance and plead your case to him. Would you like to do that now?]
"Yes."
For the first time since his life turned into this mess Joe was happy when he saw the glowing black screen appear before his eyes.
[ Warning: If you fail to convince this god you shall receive divine retribution. Do you still wish to proceed?]
"Yes."
Joe pressed the button, and nothing happened. A whole lot of nothing. He began to suspect the system had once again swindled him into something when the sound of echoing footsteps made his heart skip a beat and sent a chill down his back.
Unhurried, paced footsteps came from the torture chamber occupied by that nightmarish apparatus. After they stopped, in the silence Joe could swear he could hear faint susurrus of a hushed conversation. Someone asked questions and something answered.
The exchange seemed brief, and the footsteps soon resumed but this time he could hear these were coming towards them. Before Joe's mind could produce a coherent thought much less a coherent plan of action, the newcomer emerged from the darkness of that vile chamber.
Tall. This first thought struck Joe as the man coming for him had to lower his head to pass through the chamber door. The second feature that Joe focused on were the sleek, combed black hairs that framed the face full of sharp features.
"So, are you the one that dared to call me?"
The god straighten up and focused his beastly eyes of a snake on Joe, awaking horrors of his past. Stiffened like a wooden log, Joe mumbled a ‘yes' and locked his eyes on the golden pin, hanging somewhere in the middle of the necktie of the approaching deity. To him it felt like the court once again. Soon they'll sentence him, a jury full of bored middle-aged crones, for a crime he had not committed and once more he will lose his life. In their eyes he was guilty without a chance to prove his innocence.
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"Innocent huh?"
The god of vengeance flicked his fingers before Joe's face, pulling him out of those bleak memories and back to reality.
"Innocence in your case is a thinly stretched veil but indeed, you have no sin on you for me to avenge and I do not judge. I punish."
Joe shuddered at the dry voice of this suit wearing entity. He eyed his companions but all he saw were the empty eyes of motionless bodies lying on the floor.
"And I would hear no end of it from my love If I were to punish a messenger for the sin he had no part in. Go. You have one hour. Take what is yours and leave this place. I will not detain you."
[*DING!*]
[You have received a god's grace! You have 59 minutes and 59 seconds remaining. Take only what is rightfully yours and leave the city's premise before divine punishment.]
Silent, Joe bowed, not daring to look at the deity and with his head hung low, he shuffled over to freeloader and packed her motionless body back into storage. His map showed Neira's dot in the corridor behind the doors they were guarding so Joe hastily stored Savile's armored frame and was about to leave when icy cold voice stopped him.
"Wait. You've forgotten about that one."
The god of vengeance nudged his head at the chamber with the nightmarish, burbling apparatus.
"I've promised her she would get a chance to avenge her lady with her own hands so, as a payment for my grace, you better deliver on that promise."
Still silent, Joe nudged his head and stalked pass the watchful deity and into the torture chamber.
"I am Joe, a necromancer. If you become my follower, I shall assist in your vengeance to the best of my abilities."
Inside, surpassing his urge to gag, Joe called out, not sure what else he could do. A moment passed with nothing but the ominous burbling playing out before him when suddenly several screens appeared at once.
[Zaleria el Quilen (Body and Soul) had become your permanent property!]
[Quest Buried Love Part I - 'A servant's sorrow' has begun. You have ninety days to learn what happened to Zaleria's lady.]
[Due to corruption level Zaleria el Quilen (Soul) was moved into soul storage. Eight out of ten slots remaining.]
[Zaleria el Quilen (Remains) added to the body bag. Nonorganic body parts moved into item box.]
That should do it right? Not wishing to remain there any longer, Joe turned on his heel, and marched out of that dungeon, picking up Neira's collapsed body on the way.
Nobody stopped him. Nobody even noticed his passage.
Perhaps it had something to do with the eerie red light, filtering through the clouds or the fact that all the people he passed lied collapsed on the ground, their faces twisted in some unimaginable torment.
[*Ding!*]
[Conditions met! Imminent death detected! Skill endless run active!]
[Threat level: Calamity. Estimating adequate response...Done. Applying... Done.]
His movement and reaction speed shoot through the roof. Joe cast one final look about him at the silent city and run.
***
Somewhere in a realm where light did not reach and mortals weren't welcome, a mass of tentacles with a solitary eye sat and pondered what to do with the final cookie Joe gave her. They were so, so good. So tasty. So crumbly...
Drool began to leak from a maw that filled the nightmares of many, many beings.
A tentacle wrapped around the solitary cookie and picked it up. She'll just have a tiny little bite and save the rest for later.
"So, this is where you went? This is what become of you?"
"Eeeep!"
Darkness jumped, nearly crumbling her cookie.
"Sh-sherltion? W-what are you doing h-here?"
The god of vengeance studied the eldritch horror trembling right in front of him. Since she knew his name, there could be no mistake.
"Why have you not come to me? With all that she'd done, you have all the right to vengeance. Speak a word and I will..."
"No."
The darkness shook in a way one could interpret as her shaking her head.
"Your sword would cut too many innocent lives along her. This is not something you should interfere with. I'll do it my way."
"The necromancer? That will not work."
"You don't know that! Joe is a very capable man. He is... well... he is... He is good at making cookies!"
Sherltion watched her without uttering a word for a while then came closer and cupped one of the wiggling tentacles in his palms.
"If that is your desire, have it your way."
He bowed and placed a kiss on the slimy appendage.
"However, my offer still stands. Call my name and I shall come. Any time."
"Thank you."
Darkness used one of her tentacles to sweep away a tear that gathered in her solitary eye.