I knew I shouldn't have done it, considering how painful it had been the last few times, including the second time when I passed out. But I cast mana battery, and things got crazy real fast. The spell surged through me, a rush of energy that made my head spin. The world around me blurred, the sounds and sights merging into a dizzying haze.
[What are you doing? You can't turn a boss into a minion! That will upset some powerful people that you don't want to be on the wrong side of…] Crystal's voice rang out in my mind, filled with alarm. Her words barely registered, the intensity of the spell overwhelming my senses.
"What do you mean? Who is more powerful than the gods? Didn't I already upset..."
And that's when I blacked out as a memory core suddenly overtook me. The world faded away; the battle, pain, and fear all disappeared into darkness. My last thought was a prayer that we would somehow make it through this. That we would survive.
~~~~~~~{Memory Core 23/???}~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~{Memory Core 23 Start}~~~~~~~
When I came to, it wasn't reality. I stood in a dirty and battered alleyway, the walls around me crumbling and covered in grime. The ground was littered with refuse, and the stench of decay filled the air, thick and nauseating. Peckolin stood before me, wearing his distinctive blue and gold wizard's robes, the vibrant colors now stained with blood where a dagger jutted out from his chest. His eyes, usually sharp and full of life, were now clouded with pain and confusion. He gave me a betrayed look, tears brimming in his eyes, reflecting the dim, flickering light of a nearby streetlamp. The light cast eerie shadows on the alley walls, making the scene feel even more surreal.
I didn’t understand the scene. I kept looking around for the inky mist that usually accompanied the false memories, but I didn’t see any. The alley felt too real, the cold, hard cobblestones beneath us, grounding me in the moment. The air was cold, and a shiver ran down my spine as the reality of the situation set in.
"No, I… I didn't mean to," I stammered, my voice trembling. Peckolin fell to the ground, his knees buckling as he crumpled in a heap. Blood seeped from his wound, pooling on the dirty stones beneath him. The sound of his labored breathing filled the air, each gasp growing weaker.
“First Candor, and now me? Why? All we ever did was...” he trailed off as he died, the light leaving his eyes. His words hung in the air, heavy with accusation and sorrow.
"This can't be real. I can’t have murdered Peck," I thought, a knot forming in my stomach. The scene felt too vivid, too raw to be just another hallucination. Peckolin was my one real friend, and here I was, standing above him, the dagger in his chest a stark reminder of my actions. The sight was too much; bile rose in my throat, and I threw up, the sour taste burning my mouth. I wasn't sure if it was the reality or the vision making me sick.
~~~~~~~{Memory Core 23 End}~~~~~~~
As I cleared my vision of the memory, I shrugged away the pain. The scene shifted, and I found myself back in the battle, the echoes of the vision still lingering in my mind. The words flowed from my mouth as if they had a mind of their own.
"I already have a god-shaped target on my back. What's one more enemy going to do? Besides, it's one more battle, and the floor is over. It's not like I can retain him through runs, and he probably can’t even come with me to the next floor," I muttered, trying to push the haunting memory aside. My voice was strained, the weight of the memory pressing down on me.
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Elizabeth, surprisingly silent, seemed to understand the gravity of the situation. Her usual quips were absent, leaving an uncomfortable silence in my mind. I laughed, a bitter, hollow sound that lingered a second too long in the air, and Crystal screamed in frustration.
The Goblin King didn't have the same calm face as the other minions. Instead, he glared at me, his eyes burning with fury. But the compulsion of the spell forced him to follow my command. The dim, torch-lit chamber around us was filled with the echoes of our footsteps and the distant sounds of battle. The air was thick with tension, each breath a struggle.
“Go attack the lamps. We need to destroy them both,” I ordered, my voice steady despite the fear gnawing at my insides. The King turned, screaming in frustration, his voice a guttural roar. The new commands forced on him were a nice bit of irony; the former slave owner was now a slave. His muscles bulged as he struggled against the magic's hold.
[Congratulations. You have unlocked the secret minion, Kingsley, the Goblin King (Mana Battery), level 10]
I grinned the success a small comfort amidst the ongoing boss fight. I couldn't believe that had worked. The insane amount of pain had been worth it. But my grin faltered as the memory of the vision clung to me, a shadow in the back of my mind. I hadn't believed I deserved Penance until I saw it. Out of context, it made no sense. I had no idea If it was even real or one of the many fake ones. But the lack of inky smoke in the memory had me doubting myself.
But now wasn't the time to dwell on thoughts. Lately, it was never the time, but whatever. I ran after my new minion, a fireball on my lips, ready to give the Djinn a taste of its own medicine.
My feet carried me fast, and I spotted an opening, so I took it, launching an icebeam; but before my spell went off, several things happened at once. Thomas raised his sword above his head and phased quickly through the intangible boss. Just as I thought something terrible would happen to Thomas, my new pet jumped into the air, claws swiping as they aimed for one of the few remaining floating lamps.
The lamp flew, spinning through the air, as little strands of inky black smoke fell like water through a sieve. The room was filled with the sound of crackling energy as the magic in the lamps began to dissipate.
Before the Djinn could react, my Ice Beam hit the final lamp. The cold, icy bright blue blast contrasted sharply with the dim blue radiating from the Djinn The air around me crackled with the sudden drop in temperature. While a fireball would've been safer and less painful, I noted as another tooth fell out, followed by a wave of pain, the Ice Beam was the best option because it physically moved things. The spell collided with the last lamp, shattering it with a resounding crash. The room was filled with the sound of breaking glass and the hiss of escaping magic. I collapsed as the pain in my mouth worsened, my vision blurring from the intensity. I was frustrated that these spells were so powerful but exacted such an excruciating cost.
I sighed, fighting back tears as my tongue slipped over the gums, the pain was like nothing I had ever remembered experiencing before. The battle raged around me, the Djinn's evil laughter echoing through the chamber. His voice was a haunting melody that sent chills down my spine. The fate of our mission depended on our next moves, and failure was not an option. The air was thick with tension, the weight of the situation pressing down on me.
As I racked my brain trying to figure out how to get through this situation, I remembered what the mini-Djinni had said: “Oh, my father can't be killed. He can only be overthrown and trapped like in those Aerlyntiums.” The words echoed in my mind, a reminder of the Djinn's power and the futility of our struggle. But then I spotted it. Underneath where the Djinn had been the entire time was an eerie blue lamp, the same shade as the Djinn. There was an obvious answer. I just needed to trap the Djinn using its own lamp. The realization hit me like a bolt of lightning, and I felt a surge of determination.
I rushed forward and dived underneath the djinn. The lamp was cold in my hands, the metal smooth against my skin. The room seemed to hold its breath as the words left my lips. The magic in the air seemed to pulse with anticipation. The lamp glowed brightly, and a blinding light filled the chamber. I felt a surge of power coursing through me, the energy almost overwhelming. But instead of solving our problem, things went from bad to worse.