“A choice?” Edgar glanced at Mirai.

She was looking thoroughly relieved, although he could tell she was still a bit leery. They were in a rift, after all, and the rift was designed to kill them.

Mammon raised a single finger. “I will answer any question you ask. I am not quite all knowing, but—short of asking one of the Emperors themselves—it would be difficult to find a more knowledgeable being. Especially if the question has to do with rifts or leveling.”

Mammon raised a second finger. “Or, I will give you a rare essence, one that you request specifically or one that I choose by appraising your skills and journey thus far.

Edgar glanced at Mirai, but she was staring at the floor avoiding his gaze.

“Can I ask a question first? I’d like to clarify a few things.”

Mammon looked Edgar up and down. “Perhaps. Ask it and we will see.”

“Who are the Emperors? Is that Pharaoh?”

Mammon nodded. “Yes. Pharaoh is one of the Emperors.”

“How do you have knowledge on par with the Emperors?”

Mammon smiled with nostalgia shining in his eyes. “Long ago, my master was once an Emperor and I was his right hand. He granted me power to do his bidding in this place between the worlds. Since his defeat, I have not left and have grown more connected to it. I see and know many things—perhaps more than any other immortal.”

Edgar sighed. It felt a bit like Mammon was selling snake oil, but after everything he had witnessed over the last few days, he was willing to believe just about anything, especially here, in a rift.

This place between the worlds…

There were a great many questions he could ask. There were probably scholars where Mirai came from that researched these things and would kill for this opportunity. It was a chance to advance the knowledge of the world, to ask some foundational questions that would change everything.

“Thank you, Mammon.” Edgar bowed slightly and Mammon nodded.

“What are you thinking, Mirai? I’m leaning towards option one.”

She sighed, glancing at him. “I am too, only… this is selfish of me, but I have to ask…”

Mammon turned his gaze on her, his eyes beginning to glow with purple magic.

“Ask. I will answer in the best way I can.”

“How can I lift my father’s curse?”

Mammon’s eyes blazed with magic.

“There is a way to dispel the curse, hidden where the Witch of the Abyss is sealed. However… you will not reach the required level by the time your father’s health fades.”

Edgar could see tears form in Mirai’s eyes. “No… I refuse to accept that…”

“I’m sorry. Even an Emperor would struggle to remove that particular curse. If by some miracle, you were to reach level twenty-five before your father passes, you could ask Pharaoh for assistance directly.”

The magic in Mammon’s eyes faded and Mirai slouched, balling her hands in frustration. Edgar looked on helplessly, striding over to lay a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him, determination fighting back the sadness in her tear-filled eyes.

“I won’t accept it… sniffle… That’s all I needed to hear. There’s a way…”

He squeezed her shoulder gently and she turned away, but didn’t remove his hand from her shoulder.

“It’s always been a hopeless quest, but… what choice do I have?”

Mammon’s eyes were hollow as he gazed down at her. It seemed like he might say something, but his eyes turned upon Edgar, glowing purple again.

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“Today is a day of curses, then. Not my favorite subject, I’ll admit.”

Edgar fumbled his words.

“I know there are… better questions to ask, Mammon… sir. But this has weighed on me a great deal…”

“Ask it.”

“The Curse of the Grand Imp’s Bloodline, what is it? What does it do? I can feel it asking to be leveled—but it’s a curse, right? Why would you ever raise the level of a curse?… I’m new to this whole thing, but that sounds like a pretty stupid thing to do?”

Mammon’s eyes flared with magic again.

A status screen appeared in front of Edgar, revealing the details of the curse.

Ability: [Curse of the Grand Imp’s Bloodline: Level Corruption]

* Leveling is now more difficult.

* Level: 1

* Progress to level 1: 46%

An extra line fizzled into existence within the description, as if hidden information were being forcefully revealed by Mammon’s magic.

* [System Effect] The base factor in this player’s x://☐ess3ncexthresh0ldx/> for leveling activity is raised by 50%.

The letters flickered in place, making it hard to read.

“There will be another who questions the merit of this curse. Hardship can be its own reward…”

Edgar had no idea what to make of Mammon’s cryptic answer or the strange text hidden in their curse.

“I don’t understand. Is the curse good or bad? It’s bad, right?”

But, Mammon didn’t speak anymore about it and his magic dissipated.

Edgar waved his stats screen closed, frustrated at himself. He dearly hoped he hadn’t wasted his question. The click of a hidden lock sounded and a section of wall shimmered, revealing a door. The door swung open.

Mammon’s face was emotionless as he sipped his tea.

“I wish you both the best in your journey and… thanks for the tea.”

Dumbstruck and frustrated, Edgar helped Mirai to her feet. She wiped her eyes as she let Edgar help her up, glaring fiercely at Mammon the whole time. Together they approached the door and passed through, finding themselves back in the central room of the rift, with a large marble door swinging closed behind them.

Cleared the Djinn’s Chamber’s

Room 2 of 5

The hearth in the center of the room roared to life, but Mirai’s eyes were fixed on the next door. “If we’re going to clear this dungeon within three days, we have to make better time. Let’s continue.”

Edgar nodded. “Are you sure? I’m sorry about—”

“I’m fine. I got my hopes up for a second, but I have to be reasonable. We were speaking to a monster in a rift, after all. It was probably lying to us, trying to get in our heads.”

Edgar shook his head. “I don’t think he was lying.”

Mirai looked up at the ceiling. “If there was any truth to it, then there may be a cure for my father’s curse, after all.”

She turned back to Edgar with fire in her eyes, “But, I’ll be damned if some rift monster is gonna to dictate my future. I’m not as simple as that.”

“That’s right! Who’s to say how fast we’ll grow and what sort of powers we’ll unlock along the way?”

Mirai nodded and they turned towards door number three together. The magic began flowing and the doors unlocked.

A pang of guilt thrummed in Edgar’s chest as Mirai faced the door, gathering her will. Ignoring Mammon’s cryptic answer about whether the curse was good or bad, at least one thing that was crystal clear—the Curse of the Grand Imp’s Bloodline was going to make their leveling more difficult than it would normally be. He assumed that this was likely the reason Mammon predicted that she wouldn’t reach the level required to enter the Witch of the Abyss’ rift in time.

And, of course, who’s fault was it that she had that curse…

He could feel a new tension in the air as they entered this rift. He had saved her life by clearing the Prince’s challenge, but he had also doomed her chances at saving her father. The realization was a heavier weight than he was ready for. She was his only friend, his partner.

She gazed back at him, as if reading his mind, and reached out to him. Behind her, the third door finished grinding open, revealing a corridor of torches and thick, lush moss beyond.

“It’s not your fault, Edgar.”

“It feels like it is.”

“You couldn’t have done anything better or differently. I’m still grateful you were able to save me and I will always owe you for it. If anything, I’m sorry I was so useless. It’s clear you haven’t had half the training I have—combat or otherwise.”

Edgar flinched, “Stick to the praise, it’s much easier on my ego.”

“I’m glad we ended up together, Edgar.”

She glanced up and reached above his head, grabbing his ear and…

oooooh no…

He nearly fell over as she rubbed the soft fur lining the inside of his ear and a feeling of paralyzing bliss surged through him, unlike anything he had ever felt. His leg and tail twitched.

She giggled. “You really are just like Orli after all.”

He slipped out of her grasp long enough to recover his dignity and wipe a bead of drool from his lips.

“Who’s Orli?”

“A wise and powerful hunter…”

~~~~~~~~~~

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