Why was he with them? When he saw them being happy, being alive, it made him oddly happy, too. Not just because of his Mask, it was something deeper inside of him. Some hint of real humanity? He wasn’t sure, but it was there. He struggled to understand them or interact with them except for when manipulating, but even so, at times he almost thought he liked them. Was that him, or the Mask?
It was good for him, being with them, he was pretty sure about it. This was important, if he wanted to learn to be that Better Man. But he couldn’t ignore that he was gradually losing his fight with the darkness. Just like Kleos and Maric had said, there were strange beings out there, working hard to seep into him and carve him out. He could feel that he was changing, bit by bit, and in a manner contrary to his previous desires.
The admittance led to an immaterial cracking sensation, as though something had broken within him. He moved quickly to the cage, looking it over, but the dark was still.
It was beyond depressing that he was failing to control it. So what if there were Demons? He should be stronger! He needed to be stronger! If he couldn’t control himself, then what was the point of any of this?
What could he do? Finding some kind of Heaven Artifact or Symbiote, sure, that would be nice—but it was down to random chance if he even learned of such an item.
For now, all he could do was his best to deal with the darkness and the hole himself, with his own methods. When he’d mentioned the cage to Kleos and Maric before, they’d both commented that this must be why he’d lasted so long.
But the cage was a mess, broken and taped back together time after time, never restored to its original, perfect state. What then if he could return it to that state? Even make it stronger, make it better? Perhaps he could prove victorious in this on his own merit, with no need for external sources. The idea appealed to him on a fundamental level.
So why did he struggle to fix it? Because it is like mending a net, he answered. The net could not be mended if it was in use, dragging fish from the sea. It would need to be returned to the deck of the boat, and perhaps taken apart all together then knitted back anew.
The first step was to tear down the cage. It was increasingly ineffective, and band-aid repairs weren’t working. It needed to be totally destroyed and then remade. He felt sure he was up to the task, but he also knew that if he did this, he would lose himself for some time. The dark would move through him and control him utterly, and he would be at the mercy of higher-dimension beings. Would he be able to piece it back together in face of that, make it stronger and better than ever?
Perhaps, perhaps not. Either way, if he could find no Heaven Artifact, then that would be the only option left to him. To let the process happen on his own terms, when he was ready for it, then act to take control and mend what was broken.
But he needed to be away from the others, first. Unless he was fine with them all dying. He considered that a moment, and the Mask flexed and squirmed over his face, digging painfully into his Soul. In response the dark began to stir. No, don’t worry, he told it, and assured it he wouldn’t let them die until it relaxed.
He breathed slow through his nose. He needed the Mask, he felt sure it would be integral to remaining in Control, remaining himself when he did rebuild the cage. It was helping keep him in check even now. If he allowed the others to die, it might desert him, or fall apart.
A clean break, then. He’d go elsewhere in the castle then rebuild the cage. No, he shook his head. That wouldn’t work. He didn’t know what would happen when he broke the cage. No reason to think whatever he turned into would have forgotten what he knew. He’d have to hide them from himself, and that wouldn’t be easy. He was too good at finding things.
Really, he needed to leave the castle entirely. Get out into the jungle, travel some distance. Then he could lose himself without worry.
But he couldn’t leave, not yet. He still needed to accrue enough funds to buy the Skin-Suit, for starters, and he wasn’t sure whether Paxolnaz would still be able to find him to deliver its information on the Lizard if he left. He suspected it wouldn’t have trouble, but he didn’t know for sure. It was due anytime in the next couple or weeks. He also couldn’t leave until he’d put Kleos in the cocoon-thing it had mentioned, unless the Contract ended.
Beyond that, he also wanted to ensure he had extracted maximum value before moving on, by seizing everything within easy reach. The prisoners he’d taken would provide him two Symbiotes which his Mask would not begrudge him taking.
He wanted to investigate the sword Paxolnaz had spoken of, though he wasn’t entirely sure about that. He felt it was wise to be wary of a demon bearing gifts. He doubted it had directed him towards the sword out of desire to help him. But even so, a tainted rose is still a rose. It sounded like a powerful weapon and he wanted it. If he could pluck whatever thorns it might have, it could be of great use.
The main reason to stay, above it all, was that he was in a good position. The Chosen weren’t interested in selling Trade Link items, and there was no one else with access to a Trade Link. He was the only seller in town. If he didn’t make use of that to extract maximum possible value from the many people with many points-tags in this place before leaving, he would be deeply disappointed with himself.
He just had to hold it together, that was all. It shouldn’t be much longer. He could last a couple of weeks. Couldn’t he? In the meantime he just had to keep the dark down and the Mask happy, and he knew what it wanted.
The Aura around him, faintly sensable through his Soul Sense, was rippling. Nicolai was growing increasingly sensitive to these ripples, and he tracked them to Perro and Azure’s room. They were in the throes of the Integration. He pulled his Soul Sense away, thinking, deciding. He would stick with the group so long as he could, and if they survived that would mean he was a Better Man. The ripples faded. He watched the doors, patient as the slow shifting of the shadows.
A few minutes later, one opened, and then the other. Perro and Azure emerged.
Nicolai immediately noticed what had changed. Perro, and Azure were Cultivators, their Soul Senses visible around them. He could also feel a resonance around the pair which told him they’d claimed Symbiotes and had them on their person, not yet broken-in.
‘How are you two feeling?’ he asked.
‘Good!’ Perro laughed.
Perro sprinted down the corridor and jumped, covering almost the entirety of it one great, energetic leap. His movements were quick and smooth, full of a hyper strength. ‘I’m faster, and stronger!’
This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.
Azure, laughing, chased right after the boy, leaping over the inflatable couch, almost brushing the ceiling, letting out a howl of delight as she crashed into one of the inflatable chairs, bouncing off of it and tumbling to the floor where she sprung back to her feet.
‘And me!’ she yelled, raising her hands and spinning a pirouette, then taking up an odd pose before Perro.
Nicolai gaped at the pair as Perro lifted his own hands, both of them making odd, almost constipated faces, and adopting strange stances.
‘Hya!’ yelled Azure, raising her arms high and lifting one leg, bent at the knee.
‘Shyaaa!’ howled Perro, standing with his legs wide, one arm high, hand clawed, the other extended towards her.
Both froze, staring intently at one another. Perro, eyes narrowed, made a come-hither gesture.
‘Wuuuuh!’ screamed Azure as her bent leg snapped out in a kick at Perro, who spun to the side. Nicolai observed that the boy needn’t have dodged, because the strike wouldn’t have hit him. Azure was standing too far away.
The two transformed into an ungainly but quite fast blur as they hopped around and wildly swung their limbs, screaming warcries.
A strange form of sparring, Nicolai thought, staring at them. It was like they were high on something.
Jo and Beth had emerged from the rooms and where the teenagers were full of energy, they seemed drained, exchanging glances then circling around the combatants who were spinning in the centre of the room, settling into chairs. Beth chose the inflatable couch. Jo, like Nicolai, sought out one of the wooden chairs.
The teenagers were breathing heavily, their frenetic movements exhausting them, and they fell into the couch. Beth yelped as she scooted out the way.
Perro’s eyes found Nicolai. He reached into a pocket. ‘Look what I got!’ Grinning with pride he pulled a Symbiote and presented it, a tiny shimmering crab-like creature that seemed quite relaxed and non-aggressive despite not being broken-in.
‘May I?’ Nicolai asked, leaning forwards and extending a hand. He was feeling relatively relaxed and did not intend to attempt to steal these Symbiotes, due to having accepted his Mask’s needs in this area. Keeping the Mask happy was more important than two random Symbiotes.
Perro handed it over and Nicolai Examined it.
Quivering Dome-Crab
Once activated this Symbiote strikes out by itself, pushing any attacking the Cultivator back.
Not what I would have chosen, but I don’t know what his other options were. He gave it back, smiling. ‘A good choice,’ he said, and Perro preened. ‘How about you?’ he asked Azure.
With a pleased smile of her own she retrieved a Symbiote from one of her pockets, holding it out to him, though at a distance, not allowing him to touch it. It looked like a little spider, and Nicolai could sense how her Soul Sense was focused on pressuring it.
‘It’s called a Short WebSpinnner,’ she said, ‘I can use it make like, spider-webs, and throw them, and climb with them.’ She was bouncing in her seat, an eager light in her eyes. ‘I’m gonna break it in!’
Perro was quick to echo her, and now the pair of them did actually turn to Nicolai, both asking for advice.
He was happy to provide it, because of course, the fewer resources they used up breaking in their Symbiote, the more there would be available for him the next time they wanted something from the Trade Link. Maric and Kleos also chimed in, both seeming eager to show off what they knew, perhaps feeling a little competition from one another.
While the pair broke in their Symbiotes, the others gradually emerged. Nicolai managed to convince Jo and Beth to engage in a three-way Soul Sense battle with him in this time. The moments they both teamed up against him and he had the deeply enjoyable challenge of facing both at once, was by far the happiest and most relaxed he’d been that entire morning.
Jo and Beth also faced off against one another, and Nicolai witnessed Beth’s smug joy when she continually beat her sister. After much time spent training against Nicolai, the fledgling Jo stood little chance. Like her sister, however, Jo was a quick learner and quickly the contests became less one-sided, with Jo managing to eke out a singular win.
Throughout this Kleos and Maric fully took over advising Perro and Azure as they broke in their Symbiotes, and Nicolai retreated now and then to his room, finding a kind of relaxation. In this time he would read some more of the Memory Tomes, though only a few pages at a time. Even just a few would give information on dozens of creatures of Symbiote, and all in quite an over the top manner with the quality of the information. He didn’t need to know every inch of the form of these beings in stunning HD quality, nor be able to smell the stink of them. Though, the fact he was able to feel Symbiotes and Natural Resources with his Soul Sense was very useful, as it allowed him recognise them via Soul Sense and Aura ripples. He didn’t want to overly saturate and exhaust his mind so early in the day, so he took it slow.
In due time the teenagers broke in their Symbiotes, and then after a short time spent practising, Perro came and faced Nicolai.
‘We want to go and help Maxine,’ said Perro. The boy had a firm, determined look on his face, likely concerned Nicolai would put this off again.
Nicolai’s mind slotted eagerly back into doing things, making progress. Break time was over, and getting control over Maxine and her radios was something he wanted to do anyway. His other current major goal was a return to the Library, to kill its undead Guardian. That being had had some very nice Imbued. The mist form one, especially, he wanted.
He wasn’t sure which route was better. Maxine was of use to him, and ought to be got because she was starving and the Chosen might make a move on her at any time. The Library Guardian could give him an Imbued that would let him transform into mist, which was only vulnerable to Soul Sense and Symbiote attacks.
Against Cyborgs who hadn’t integrated their Seed, such an item would be of unprecedented use. Even against other Cultivators it would likely be almost as useful, as Nicolai had yet to encounter any human who could match him in Soul Sense combat.
Maxine can starve a little longer. He’d been told she had a water bottle, and so long as provided with water, a human could survive for weeks without food. He’d be seeing about getting the Guardian’s Imbued first. There was plenty of time in a day, Maxine could come later.
He formed a regretful expression. ‘There’s something extremely important that must be done first,’ he told Perro, and he moved and rested a hand on the boys shoulder. He drew him closer, staring into his eyes, his expression perfectly crafted (the “firm leader”).
‘What is it? What needs to be done?’ asked Perro, blinking wide eyes.
Nicolai smiled, and shook his head. ‘Don’t worry. It’s simply something that needs to be done.’ His tone of voice and expression spoke volumes, tinted with mystery. Implying at something difficult, and dangerous, but deeply necessary. Something tied to their very survival. ‘Do you understand?’ he asked, raising his eyebrows meaningfully at the boy.
Perro gulped. ‘I understand,’ he echoed in a murmur, his expression half-confused, half-furtive, tilting his head and peering around in the manner that he perhaps imagined conspirators would.
Nicolai smiled, and his Mask sprung up to inject its own feelings into the matter, as his gaze towards the boy turned oddly fond and protective. Nicolai felt this only aided his act so allowed it. Threat Analysis and Cyberwarfare both drew closer to the Mask, deeply curious, drawing in the Masks attempt at paternal emotion.
Nicolai was not sure why the Mask felt so towards the boy. He believed it had something to do with Perro being rather “unbound” as a teenager; Katie had Sara, Azure had John, Perro didn’t have anyone, not exactly.
He was, however, sure about one thing. Perro probably wouldn’t agree with him if Nicolai was a bit more stark in what he was doing. I’ve decided Maxine can starve a bit longer because I want to get a Symbiote that lets me turn into mist. He had a feeling the boy wouldn’t consider that more pressing. His Mask agreed with this assessment and felt, of course, that he should prioritise Maxine.
In this case Nicolai felt his decision was entirely right, and pressed it down easily. The Library Guardian was not in some place alone and cut off. When he’d gone last time a group had been there. Others could get into the Library, which was no surprise. In truth all you needed was a sufficiently large chunk of wood, a beam from one of the collapses ceilings, perhaps, to make a bridge, and a group should be able to manage carrying such a thing to the top of the stairs. Or a Pegasi ring of other means of flight.
He certainly didn’t want someone to kill the Librarian Guardian before he did.
‘We should be able to finish this before midday, then we’ll go and get Maxine. Alright?’
‘Alright,’ said Perro, nodding resolutely.
‘Good lad.’ Nicolai smiled.