Chapter 181 - At War

A beam of light filtered down the hole in the basement's ceiling as Vern finally breathed fresh air. One moment, he was in that white expanse, and the next, the captain snapped his fingers—bringing both of them out of the cage.

However, coming out somehow felt worse. Maybe it's my attunement to structure? In there, he was like a fish in water, whereas the real world felt like one of those polluted lakes.

Feeling Lethargic, he decided to connect himself to the two-faced parasite and switched the Duality's face to the cane. Red veins appeared around the sword as it transformed into a glossy thing. He leaned on the stick and followed the captain out of the basement. It felt less tiring than walking without a cane.

It messed with his sense of distance, but the answer to that was simple—Observe what was just ahead of him. Not that he needed even that. He knew this hotel a little too well now.

"Tell me, Vern," began Captain, "Why did you spare the rest of them?" eyeing the empty corner where the beaten up 'ravishing woman' should've been.

Vern stared at the captain's back as he ascended the stairs before answering truthfully, "I didn't want to paint too big a target on my back or cause things to become irreconcilable between Vigil and their organization just because of me."

Prince Akira halted at the top of the stairs and turned towards him, his silhouette cutting an enigmatic figure as he uttered, "No, that's where you sell yourself short, Vern. This is war. This world, this city, and its every observer is at war."

Vern stopped, his expression turning solemn.

"While I applaud you for capturing the perpetrators alive, even in such a dire situation, I advise you not to risk it again. The information I'll get out of them is bound to be useful, but not more than your life."

Vern could almost swear he saw a hint of red behind that blindfold for a second as Captain's words turned grave, "And remember—Vigil does not negotiate with terrorists.

I do not negotiate with terrorists.

There is no reconciliation.

So, while I understand your decision to be cautious this time, do not let such notions influence your thought process. As long as you can convince me that your actions were for the greater good of this city, I'll make sure no amount of politics can touch even a single hair on your head—even if it's Asea's church."

Vern opened his mouth to say something, but he didn't know where to begin and just settled on a "I…I will keep that in mind. Thank you."

That was…powerful? It changed his perception regarding the Vigil and its political stature in the city. He believed they were like an upstart that was still struggling to gain a foothold in the city, but clearly, he was wrong. As he climbed up the stairs, he let these notions sink in.

And sink they did. Captain Akira was a complex man. Not exactly a balanced individual, but certainly a scary one.

In this trance, he reached the usual foyer and couldn't help but take a step back once his sight opened up. Woah…

All the tenants had their eyes closed, snoring in serene rhythms as if in a deep sleep.

When he finally saw all those faces healthy and alive, a wave of relief washed over him, and he felt himself relaxing further. His perception finally registered the social structure to have found its balance once again—its equilibrium restored.

His thought space—as dry as it was—felt at peace. Many new insights had joined the ensemble since the start of this skirmish, and this realization added more, but the lack of mental energy made it so he couldn't really comprehend its extent just yet.

I need to rest. Holding back a yawn, he looked around and noticed another face he'd seen before. It was one of the Captains he'd seen on his first day in the Vigil. Vern didn't know their name, but this was the person who'd silenced and thrown those rude women out on the terrace before Prince Akira showed them true subjectivity.

He wasn't standing around, either. With every wave of his hand, wooden strips extended from one end of the hole that Vern had created to the other. Soon, his eyes shone brighter, and the process sped up.

In front of his very eyes, the instability Vern had created to ambush the scrawny Shepherd disappeared like it never existed. An observer specializing in the creation fundamental?

Regardless, the man completely ignored Vern, who didn't feel like disturbing this repair process. So, he turned towards Prince once more, who just called on another familiar face.

It was that observer who wore a plague doctor mask and—

"WHAT?" screamed the contraption in the doctor's hand as he faced the Prince.

Unfazed, the captain replied, pointing at Vern, "Can you check up on him once you're done with the people here? He seems okay, but I'd rather you make sure."

The doctor rummaged through his pouch and pulled out another contraption. Vern pre-emptively blocked his ears this time.

"OKAY!" shouted the little device when the doctor pressed it.

How the hell does it not wake up the whole neighborhood every time they use it? It was so freaking loud.

Prince Akira nodded and turned towards the tenants, his expression unreadable. After a while, he spoke, "I may not know the sacrifices you made to achieve this, and neither will any of these people, but know that…" he turned towards Vern and finished with a dignified voice, "The world remembers."

World remembers…huh?

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Vern didn't know about that. His experience had been starkly opposite. Or even if the world remembers, it does not care. Regardless, he knew not to take this man's words on a surface level. There was almost always a deeper meaning behind them.

So, he nodded, leaning on the staircase as he watched the doctor shining his lamp over one tenant after another—probably healing their minds with it.

After a bit, he asked with concern, "What happens now? Do you think the hotel's safe? The people in here are safe? What happens if the Order attacks once again?"

The moment he finished, a chill crept up his spine, and his body turned cold. He turned his gaze towards Prince, only to instantly look away.

A terrifying aura surged out of the blindfolded man, and even without unleashing his perception, Vern felt his surroundings cry out in pain. He wanted to make some distance, but his body refused to move. Fortunately, there was no malice.

In this oppressive atmosphere, the Prince replied in that same flat tone, "They can certainly try…"

Vern simply stood there in awe as his mind churned, Is this a vision?

No. That didn't feel right. Could it be his singularity? If so, then it was stupidly powerful. I have a long way to go, he realized. Not just his own, but even Axiom's singularity couldn't compare to this in terms of pressure. He knew his alternate singularity was lacking substance, but the difference was really too big.

And I have almost fully depleted even that. That thought depressed him. He really had to quickly find ways to replenish it and anchor Axiom back into people's minds.

After a bit, the pressure vanished as abruptly as it'd appeared, and Captain muttered, "You should go rest. Arthur has already restored your room."

"I…see." He exhaled before pulling back one foot and bowing deeply, "Thank you very much for coming to my rescue, Your Highness. I really was expecting the worst in there."

He couldn't believe that he almost didn't thank the Prince properly. Where are my manners? So much was happening that his etiquette classes were wearing off day by day. If not for their timely arrival, things could've ended terribly.

No one else besides Captain Akira could've helped him out of that cage without meaning to sacrifice him. So, it was really his great luck that Captain himself had shown up.

Captain Akira nodded tersely and walked off with strong steps, his cape billowing majestically behind him as he left a few words in the air, "You'll have your reward when you wake up."

Wake up? Why are you so sure I'm going to sleep? I mean, I am, but… He shook his head, and when he looked up, the prince was gone, and the hall turned silent.

Almost silent.

Tiny abstract noises dotted the hall as wooden beams appeared out of thin air to facilitate the repairs performed by the other captain with utmost concentration.

Vern decided not to disturb the man just to express his gratitude. When he made to head back to his room, the plague doctor stopped what he was doing and began following him.

Actually…

He faced the doctor in dark green robes and asked, "Sorry, but could you wait a while? I really need to take a quick shower."

Here's hoping I haven't destroyed the water pipelines completely.

The doctor pulled out the loudest device, and it chirped, "OKAY!"

Vern prayed for his ears and quickly rushed to his room, which looked exactly like it did in the morning. It was bizarre how there were literally no signs of what had transpired. Just what the heck kind of restoration is this?

Shaking his head, he quickly returned all his trinkets to where they belonged and escaped his tattered garments.

Finally, when he stood under the hot shower, his heart grew calm, but even the steamy droplets failed to assuage his fatigue.

As the water pelted his skin, he reflected on the battle, his mistakes, his ingenuity, his strokes of luck, and the Prince's advice.

As he internalized all this information drop by drop, he realized so many things he could've done differently. So many opportunities he could've taken to neutralize the Shepherd captain pre-emptively or ways to avoid being forced into the cage.

Soon, however, his mind protested, and he decided to move on.

On another note, I won't have to worry about getting killed in the hotel for a while. Prince Akira clearly wasn't joking when he said this was a war. Vern was sure the man had set some kind of trap here.

Nonetheless, he was thankful for it. The last hour or so was stressful. Too stressful, even. While he'd come out a winner in his first real battle of perspectives, it had given him one too many shocks and brought him a bit too close to death for comfort.

Fortunately or unfortunately, every battle gave him a better understanding of Observation. He couldn't be sure just yet, but he believed this battle had sharpened his understanding of structure by a great degree.

He'd used structure in creative ways that clued him into the nuance of the subject. Something he hadn't done much of until now. Wonder if it'll be enough to push me across to the precipice of the next shade.

But that reminded him. Hmm, if my own experience alone won't be enough, surely, the cage would do it.

Prince said that the cage could act as a resonance catalyst. This was to say, it would give him another big boost in his insights if he managed to assimilate the artifact properly.

Hah… he rested his hands on the wall and grinned. Glad I didn't imprint Instability Inducement in my Thought Space already.

Otherwise, he would have had to wait until he found another vision of structure fundamental before being able to make use of the cage as a catalyst. Who knew how long that would've taken, given he wasn't going to aggressively pursue the path of structure for future shades?

It is literally two birds with one stone.

Soon, he walked out of the shower and dried himself, slipping into something comfortable. The bed was calling, but so was the doctor waiting for him.

I should ask for their name. It was weird calling them doctor in his mind repeatedly.

That's when—

"OKAY!"

"OKAY!"

"OKAY!"

Came a repeated siren from outside his door, and he rushed to open it before his ears decided to commit suicide.

It was indeed the doctor, their gait impatient. Unfortunately, he couldn't see their face, so it was hard to judge the level of their annoyance.

"Please come in," Vern welcomed.

He wanted to start by asking their name, but it seemed like a bad idea now that he actually thought about it. What if they don't have a device to say it out loud? Not just that, they looked impatient. So, he shut up and silently laid down on the bed when they motioned him to do so.

Before long, the green lantern suffused its warmth on his skin, and he felt prickles all over his body. Small nicks and bruises that he intentionally didn't heal began to close, and aches he didn't even know existed eased out.

His mind, which was already fatigued beyond measure, grabbed onto the serenity with desperation, and before he knew it, the world disappeared from his senses.

----------------------------------------

A bright light shone right on his eyes, and he subconsciously tried to wave it away. Alas, no matter what he did, be that hiding under the sheets or cowering behind the pillow, it didn't stop shining.

"…who forgot…curtains…" he mumbled, his words as low as a whisper.

Seconds turned into minutes, and when all his tactics to avoid the light failed, he sighed to himself, "I…could've slept for another hour…"

Maybe I still can, he thought, hoping that using his perception instead of opening his eyes would keep him sleepy enough.

Not having the mind to think of anything better, he did just that.

.

.

.

"Agh, fuck! Why is it so bright!?" he cried, jolting upright as his eyes snapped open.

.

.

.

"Huh?" he turned towards the window to his left and scowled at the closed curtains in puzzlement. There was no sunlight seeping in from the windows.

Rubbing his eyes, he slid back to the backrest and slouched. Was it a dream, then?

But that's when he noticed something in his peripheral vision.

"Oh?"

That cage that the captain promised was sitting on the desk, but that wasn't what caught his eye.

It was his notepad next to it, which was glowing with golden runes. His sleepy eyes instantly became alert, and he muttered, "Interesting."