~Run 7, The perfumed prison, Floor 2, The Fallen Merchant city of Aerlyn~
I blinked a couple of times as I stepped into the perfumed prison, my face full of confusion. The room was filled with an intoxicating mix of scents that clung to the air, making it hard to focus. At least I knew how to solve the room without triggering hordes of Grendelblin or, worse, the GrendelKin.
A thought stuck in my head as I walked past the red, blue, green, and purple smoke-filled jail cells. I knew thisDjinnn was nigh unbeatable, and while I could certainly pack a punch, I couldn't fight a horde of angry beasts or a giant with over 500 HP. But maybe Glutyeknee could.
"Glutyeknee, come here, and you'll get to eat your fill, I promise."
I had yet to try one thing with this class, and that was overcharging a spell. I was thankful that Klericho gave me back the ring after we found out it didn’t work for his healing spells. Doing so with the different spells would lead to some exciting results, so that was what I did.
Leaving Glutyeknee to soak up the first horde, I opened the red cell. The cell door creaked open, releasing a dense, acrid smoke that made my eyes water and my throat burn. I knew for a fact that it would take a couple of turns for the Grendelblen to form, so I wasted time, one turn at a time, by casting scan:
Enemy Entry 0022:Grendelblin: Weak against: Shadow, fire, water Strong against nothing
These beasts are the discarded, often jailed, progeny of the great mythological beast Grendel. It is claimed that once upon a time, he was happy and in love with the Goblin Queen. They married and had all sorts of horrifying offspring. They lived a happy life until Grendel's mother came looking one day. She slaughtered the Goblin Queen coldly and lured Grendel back through magical control. These Grendelblins were left creating chaos in their parents' wake. The oldest, a boy named Hob, on the cusp of adulthood, corraled his disorderly siblings and threw them all in here.
Stat:
Level
Health
100/100
Potency
5
Item drops
Amount
Chance to drop
Gold
5
75%
Prison rags
1
25%
By moving around behind my giant pet and not letting any of the mobs get close, the giant monster didn't need my help, even though I could have easily cast a few spells at the GrendelBlins. The ground shook as the giant monster swiped with his oversized arm, grabbing all five of the Grendelblins surrounding him and swallowing them whole. The monster let out a burp and fell to the ground, satisfied.
I was grateful I wouldn't have to command him to stop, so instead, I focused on the sight in the background. The loud growls of the Grendelblins were almost cute, sounding more like distressed puppies than terrifying man-eaters. I kept pacing to end my turn, and it took around five turns for the GrendelKin to emerge victorious over his now-eaten siblings.
As soon as only two monsters were left, I implemented my plan. I moved around, ended my turn, and overcast my mana battery. My mana drained to 0 immediately, and I started taking damage as an excruciating pain overwhelmed my body.
It's said that when someone dies, their nerve endings are cut out, and instead, the body releases something called endorphins, making them feel excellent and getting rid of the nasty pain of death. I still didn't know how I died, but as the memory of my death finally came to me, I could only remember thinking how much of a rotten lie it had been that the pain of death wasn't felt. A ball of pain had formed in the core of my being, and it radiated outward, growing bigger and bigger.
A memory core descended from the sky, and I jumped for a chance to escape the pain, but it only got worse as the memory didn't appear. The pain was no longer a ball but a spike driven through both of my eyes and out every single part of my skull simultaneously. I grasped my head and screamed my lungs out before fading away into the memory.
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{Memory core 21/???}
~~~~~{Memory Core 21 Start}~~~~~
The rain's icy needles pierced my cheeks and scalded my bound hands, each drop a tiny blade. Forced to kneel, I awaited my sentence, the cold dampness creeping through my clothes and settling into my bones. A shiver rippled through me, more from the dread twisting inside than the chill.
I kept my face a mask, my eyes locked on the Queen. She stood before her father and the judge, pleas for my release written in the tears mixing with the rain on her cheeks. Desperation widened her eyes, a silent scream for mercy.
A sudden crack split the air as her father's slap echoed louder than the downpour. Jamie's cry was a dagger in my heart. I strained against my bonds, a useless gesture to reach her, to comfort her, but I was powerless, condemned to watch.
"Insolent girl," her father roared, his voice a thunderclap. "This is exactly what I warned you about. This boy could have killed you at any time. He was found with a warder's amulet and two bloodstained knives. It's clear he already killed and planned to kill you. You may bear the crown, but you cannot bear the leadership." He seized her hands, dragging her to her feet.
"Father! That isn’t what it looks like. Rod is my—" Her protest ended with another slap, leaving a red welt on her face. "Guard, take her away."
"No, wait. At least let me stay. I'll be quiet," she pleaded, her voice breaking. But the guards and the judge answered to no one but him.
I masked the turmoil, pain, and rage battling for dominance. I knew this was the end. Life had held so much promise, magic, and wonder, and now I'd never see the ocean or escape the city's muck.
Tears mingled with the rain on my face. For a fleeting moment, I'd known love—the only love I'd ever felt. Jamie mouthed something to me, her lips forming the words I knew without hearing: "I–I love you." I blinked away the rain and tears, my composure finally cracking. Then, the judge's voice cut through the storm.
"Rod Argent. You stand accused of High Treason. Of kidnapping the queen and plotting to assassinate her. How do you plead?"
"That's what I'm accused of?" I spat, my voice raw. The judge's smirk stoked my fury. "I didn't do anything of the sort. I would never harm Jamie."
"Let the official record reflect his claim of innocence. However, the Royal Advisor, the former king, has declared him guilty. There shall be no trial. You are sentenced to death. Ready the Royal Executioner." The man spoke detachedly as if this whole preceding were wasting his time.
The Royal Executioner stepped forward, a grim silhouette in the rain. Panic surged within me, and something within me broke.
"You’re as useless as my parents were! You’re the Queen! Do something!" I shouted at Jamie, my voice cracking with desperation.
I closed my eyes, not wanting to face my death. I heard the whoosh of the sword, expecting sharp pain and nothingness, except when I opened them again, I was caught by a sight that would haunt me for the rest of my existence and beyond Penance. The scream that my mind's eye conjured every time I closed my natural eyes. The scream etched forever in my thoughts, never to go away.
On the ground, a sword caught deep into her side, perforating her kidneys and liver, was Queen Jamie. She reached out to me. "Rod, I—" The light left her eyes, and I collapsed to the ground, broken and hollow.
I did this. I killed a queen. I destroyed the world.
The king rushed me, and as I looked into the hatred burning in his coal-like eyes, I saw rather than felt his powerful hands grip my neck. It felt like I was floating outside my body, staring as life began to leave my body. His grip tightened, and I felt the raw strength behind his fury. All at once, I snapped back to my body as the sensation worsened.
"Jamie! What have you done?" he bellowed, his voice filled with rage and betrayal. The pain of his choking me was overwhelmed by the euphoria of a lack of air and the absolute despair that permeated my being. My vision blurred, darkening at the edges. Jamie… As my vision faded to black, I stared at Jamie one final time, willing whatever afterlife exists to give me one more chance with her—a chance I never should have gotten and never deserved here on Equiem.
~~~~~{Memory Core 21 End}~~~~~
"HUNGRY!" The loud noise startled me awake. Had it just been the one Glutyeknee, I'm not sure it would have awakened me, but standing before me, chanting in unison, were my two mana batteries. One was a giant overstuffed Goblin, and the other was a Grendelblin. It felt surreal being able to control monsters from the floor.
I reached up to my face, which was heavy with tears. What had I just witnessed? Was that the end?
I wanted to believe it was false, but something about the memory felt right—as if it had to have gone down that way. I curled up into a ball, letting the world fade away as I focused on the image of a Queen dying for me.
“HUNGRY!”
"Okay, let's go get y'all fed."
Just like with the summons, overcasting broke the rules regarding pet limits. I could feel the hunger radiating from the two batteries. They craved mana, and I needed to provide it before they got the idea to eat me. I was just about to leave the room when Crystal said something that made me pause.
[You did all that work, and then you’re just going to leave an Aerlyntium and the key to defeating theDjinnn?] I facepalmed.
I walked back and touched the Aerlyntium, but like last time, it said, [Insufficient resources acquired.]
I then laid my hands on the real treasure.
[Spout of the Immortal. 1 of 3. This relic is a key. It can open a secret door or for some other purpose, you have already figured out. Please don't drop it, or it will break.]
The spout was ornate. The tip of the spout was covered in gold leaf, and blue and gold spirals twirled around the rest of the spout as it widened. It looked like it could screw into a second piece.
I put the spout away, worried after reading the part about its fragility. It would be my luck to go through all this and fail because I dropped an item. I moved forward and left the room, my lumbering oafs following behind me… and then groaned as I entered the worst possible room.