And that was my greatest success… and greatest mistake… Thinking I hit the jackpot with this kid; thinking I could control him…
-The Old Man, Count of Pride
71
Mutual Benefit (III)
“Well, well, well, as I live and burn, Young Master Wei, is it? Mulver warned me that you might be checking in soon, let me take a good look at you.”
Wei's senses slowly began to return to him as he found himself consumed within a realm of blinding light. More than the overwhelming brightness, however, was the crushing essence rolling over him. The young master barely managed to stifle a grunt. As he shifted in place, it felt like he was sitting on the plushest sheet he'd ever known. But the relief he felt was nullified as the weight of a mountain pressed down on his spirit.
He only realized someone was speaking to him after the fact. And just then, a System notification expanded before his very eyes:
Scry attempt resisted by Aspect of (Intent)
That sobered the young master up completely. In an instant, everything returned to him—how he'd signed the contract, wondering why he still remained in the Moongrave, unclaimed. Then, all of a sudden, he was teleported and placed here…
Wherever "here" was.
Wei chided himself for not placing down a Liminal Anchor. That esoteric Sourcery would have cost him a substantial amount of Source, but it was perfect for situations such as this. Or so Wei assumed. Considering the sheer power arrayed against him right now, he might have just dipped himself in salt and entered a lion’s den.
“Hmm, quite the Aspect of Will you have. Incredible, really. I can't even get a glimpse of its actual value. Your spirit must be stronger than most Counts I know. But that's not much of a compliment, I suppose.”
The brightness blinding Wei dimmed, and his Omniscience, once overwhelmed by the searing resplendence, glimpsed the true shape of his surroundings. The young master found himself seated on a large, opulent throne carved from gold and decorated with intricate patterns of enamel, sticking to the theme of serpents and demons. A portrait of snakes erupting from men, burrowing into other men, then hatching as men again from desiccated bodies… Mepheleon really, really liked bloody snakes, it seemed.
The throne itself rested on a pristine white dais, barely a hundred meters wide, and beyond there, there was but a dark veil. But it wasn’t true darkness. It was like a tangible substance shifting through the air. Wei strained his Omniscience, but peering into the black was getting to give him a headache. A small star burned above the young master. He felt the powers of fire, heat, and light emanating from the orb and knew it to be a puissant Skill.
Then, without warning, another star burst into being a mere two hundred meters away from. It was like a lantern suddenly igniting, casting a cone-shaped glow down upon another dais, another throne, another person in grand theater of darkness. There, on the other dais, sat an Old Man clad in intricate armor. But captured Wei’s attention were the Old Man’s eyes, gleaming like cold blue gems within wrinkled hollows. It was hard to gauge the man’s age. His skin was pale and withered, while his hair drifted in wisps, but his bones looked strong and his teeth remained pearly bright.
The armor he wore consisted of a mixed alloy, his chest plate being that of gleaming gold, while his left arm burned with a white-hot flame while his right emitted a dark aura from between the crenelations of his plates. His pauldrons were shaped like torches, with pale and dark flames rising in accordance to the corresponding limb.
“The Old Man”: Count of Pride Lv. ???
Wei couldn’t perceive this man's level. He thought back to the Riftblade, and a brief pulse of anxiety passed through the young master. He was likely facing a threat he couldn't overcome with force alone. But seeing how he hadn't been snuffed out yet, the Old Man clearly wanted to talk and had no ill intentions. The young master's paranoia was slightly assuaged, at least for now.
Bringing fist and palm together, Wei stood from his throne and offered a customary greeting. “Young Master Wei, Patriarch of the Drowned Sky Sect greets you, oh esteemed elder.” He did his best to keep his voice dry of apprehension. But as the Old Man threw his head back and simply chuckled, Wei couldn't hide a twitching sneer that passed across his face. He hated being laughed at, especially by these demonic bastards.
“Headstrong and polite, my, my, what a delicious combination you are, boy. So, tell me, have you read through the contract, or did you just sign in a moment of desperation?”
Wei considered the Old Man's question. The Count was clearly trying to probe him for information, unable to pierce his mind. They were using direct means of manipulation instead, trying to get him to betray himself.
“Hardly,” Wei laughed, putting on a show of his own. If the Old Man desired theater, he would play with them. “I think it would be an insult to you and me if I came crawling, unable to defend my own life, my own disciples and property.”
“No,” the Old Man replied, shaking his head casually. “I find it best not to judge. The Claimed Hells… It's a difficult place. Why, I remember my own crawl up the Moongraves like it was yesterday. I barely made it. I was terrified then. Oh, I begged and swore and prayed to every god I could think of. But in the end, it was just fortune that saved me. Fortune and a little bit of Arrogance.”
The Old Man's grin grew wider. “But you're not so arrogant, are you, boy? I heard Mulver say that you're more the Scornful type. Tell me, did his suicide suit the needs of your Class Divergence?”
“Most assuredly,” Wei answered.
“Good, good,” the Old Man nodded.
“Please convey my thanks to the Knight.” Wei added, “It was only thanks to his efforts that...”
“No, no, no,” the Old Man replied. “His efforts failed him. But that is for the best. Otherwise, we might have missed out on a promising new recruit. Which is what I'm assuming you're here for—to participate in the interview and see yourself become part of something greater.” The Old Man smirked, “And also to guarantee a certain level of insurance while you're passing through the Hearted Realm.”
“Not quite so,” Wei replied. And in an instant, the Old Man's expression went from joyful to curious. The shadows around his eyes only grew, but the piercing blue remained, and pauldron-torches burned with new intensity.
“Oh, do go on. You shouldn't keep an old man in suspense. Time is not our ally.”
“I did not come here today to beg of you favors, or ask you for a stay of execution,” Wei said. He clasped his hand behind himself as he projected as much confidence as he could. “This is not about what you can do for me, but rather what I can do for you.”
“What you can do for me?” The Old Man's voice was bordering on incredulity. “The audacity, the boldness, I like it. I like it a lot.” He nodded slowly, reached up, flicked the flames of his left shoulder. An entire section of the world burned as a tide of devouring white ignited an expanse as wide as a mountain. At once, Wei felt the heat, felt sheer destructive potential within those flames. Simply bearing witness was infusing his Concept Core of Destruction with more investiture. “Go on, go on.”
“Do you know that the Inheritors have hijacked some of your contracts?”
The Old Man went still. His eyes didn't blink at all. “That is quite the accusation, boy.”
“It is not an accusation,” Wei replied. “It is a fact. I have an witness.”
“Oh, do you now?” The Old Man leaned in, and the small suns above both them grew even brighter. Wei felt the searing sensation burrow down upon his skin, and the young master's Fortification triggered, slowly adapting to the Count's Skill. But Wei was under no pretense that he could resist annhilation should the Count will it.
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“Well then, illuminate me on this situation. I would like to hear all about how those Trespasser bastards have broken the blackest laws of the Claimed Hells.”
And so, Wei gave his recounting, elaborating about Ser Angeleous’s role in the whole thing while neglecting to mention anything about his System. There was a risk here, one that could see him exposed. Considering the Inheritors held back such information, the Circles seemed relatively ignorant. The young master was happy to skirt between the lines.
“I see. So, they're using our contracts and intercepting our potential recruits to further their own means. What an outrage.”
“Quite so,” Wei concurred. He played up his sympathy as he shook his head. “I see that there is a way about doing things here, an order. And being individuals of power and structure, I assumed those who govern this order would like to see it enforced. As I am intending to become a part of these Claimed Hells, I wish to know if these laws are laws or merely predilections for the strong to follow and the meek to suffer.”
“Predilections,” the Old Man grunted. “Quite the apt word. They're only predilections for one man, I suppose—Mepheleon, the Harbinger.”
“But our esteemed master is currently indisposed,” Wei finished on the Count's behalf.
The Old Man narrowed his eyes. “Please don't interrupt, boy. You're charming, but I've known of many charming boys.”
A sudden spike in temperature and luminous intensity made Wei begrudgingly bow his head. “Of course, I overstepped, Elder. My apologies.”
“Apology accepted,” the Old Man said, and immediately the discomfort pervading this realm vanished, replaced by a soothing balm as sun turned to moon and heat turned to pleasant coolness. The torch rising from the Old Man’s left shoulder dimmed, while the black flames of his right climbed higher. No longer were things all that hot. Instead, they were getting unbearably cold.
Wei continued, doing his best to ignore the discomfort. The old bastard was clearly playing mind games. “As the Inheritors are harassing and hunting those I consider under my charge, I have taken offense and they have furthermore offended you. I intend to do something about this. I intend to turn their ambush in on itself as I pass through the Hearted Realm. An exact, righteous recompense for the offense I have suffered.”
“And you want us to be part of this little revenge tour?” The Count grinned. “Why, boy, this interview was supposed to be for you. When this simulacrum of mine returns to the actual Count, he's going to double over laughing.”
“Simulacrum?” Wei couldn't help himself. He had to ask.
“Oh, do you think I was going to meet with you personally? No, no, you misunderstand. I am a very busy man. I am not the Old Man. I am not a Count of Pride. I am merely a shadow, a thin sliver of the Count’s essence imbued with temporary consciousness, cast out like a crawling wave and destined to crash back into my original progenitor. Soon he will know all I know.”
Wei stared on as he considered the implications of that. He was talking to an echo? Nothing more than a fraction of the man’s true power? Just how potent was the actual Counts? The power this… this clone projected was greater than almost anything Wei had seen thus far. Aside from the Harbinger themselves.
“Oh, don't be like that, my son. Close your mouth. Still, consider this a great honor. Most do not even get a clone. They would have to deal with a marquise under me. Besides, if I weren't a simulacrum, my twin suns would have seen you incinerated. You're powerful for a Knight, but alas, what is the difference between a bug and a boot?”
And with that, Wei's mood soured. He thought himself so powerful, capable of resisting the might of another two Class Ascensions above. Come to find out, he was dealing with someone that was a fraction of a fraction of what a true Count was capable of. It was still quite a climb Wei had to surmount.
“Please confer my appreciation to your original self.”
“Oh, I most certainly will. Now, no need to be so formal, Wei. Everything I say, the Old Man himself would have said. So, what is the rest of your little pitch?”
“I want to see if we can establish a mutually beneficial relationship. The Inheritors have offended you. They have made their attempts on me. And so, perhaps we can form a foundation of cooperation atop the corpses of common enemies.”
“I like your words. Keep going.”
“As I intend to face the Inheritors in the Hearted Realm, I would ask that the Circle of Pride dispatch champions of their own to partake at this moment of just retribution.”
“Oh, so you're casting this as a joint venture?” The Old Man threw his head back and laughed gleefully. “And here, I was wondering what you were doing. You bold, arrogant little prick. And here I was trying to figure out your angle. You're using us to murder someone you don't like.”
“Someone we don't like,” Wei said, trying to match the Old Man's mood. Honestly, he couldn't quite tell if he was actually amusing the old fool or if he was about to be turned to cinders by the pulsating sphere of fire that oscillated between blindingly bright and bleakly dark.
“Yes, yes, you are right. We. We indeed,” the Old Man sank back against his throne. “They did alter our contracts, didn't they? And they did steal recruits from us. And I do have a few people to spare…”
“So,” the Old Man's eyes were locked on Wei, and he met them without difficulty. By now, he knew he was talking to something that was little more than an effigy. But even this effigy could reduce him to nothingness. But brief though this conversation was, the young master thought he had a measure of his adversary. They were both beasts of Pride, and to falter now would be to show his throat. The Old Man would certainly bite then.
So, Wei had to be bold.
“So, let us make their ambush our own,” Wei said. “I ask that you lend me whatever forces you can… preferably a Marquise to counter the greatest of the Inheritors.Though I would relish the opportunity to test myself in the claiming of their life, I am arrogant, and not delusional.”
“True, true,” the Old Man nodded. “But let's get ahead of ourselves for a moment. If we do this, if we do ambush these Inheritors in the Hearted Realm, in the very origin of all Gluttony, how are we to divide our spoils? The question of greed is a most pressing one, and I think it’s wise to assume our victory all bue assured.”
Wei considered the question for a moment, and a grin slowly materialized on his face. “Easily,” he replied. “You may take all their valuables, their artifacts, their treasures. You may take even their survivors as prisoners or slaves. My desire is more fundamental. I seek the death of those who wanted to engineer mine. This is a matter of business for you, if I am not mistaken. But it is a matter of pride for me. I wish to send a message, and their deaths will prove the greatest statement of all.”
And with that, he glimpsed a look of pleasure on the Old Man's face, and knew he had the Count of Pride hooked.
“You know something, kid? You're wrong. We are a little greedy, but that's not our foundational sin. It's a matter of pride for us, too. But I'll take your deal. Hell, I'm proud to take your deal. After all, it's not every day that a potential Knight of the Circle of Pride ducks themselves through an act of offered service. This kind of proactive thinking, it's a rare thing indeed.”
“Let us not assume anything before conditions are finalized,” Wei replied, hiding his discomfort with a smirk. It was clear the Old Man was trying to corner him, bring him into the Circle of Pride. “For now, let us see what I can do for you. Other business should be settled after I arrive in the Claimed Hells. I would like to offer my personal thanks that this endeavor of ours proves successful.”
“Personal thanks?” The Count chuckled. “Oh, Mepheleon’s gonna love you if he hasn't already noticed you.”
The Old Man looked Wei up and down and waved a hand. “Fine, seeing as Mulver got you on a radar–”
Wei frowned. “What?”
“It's a—agh, it’s a Trespasser thing. You’ll learn. Anyway, seeing as Mulver got you into this, I'm going to be putting him back in touch with you. Consider him your official liaison on this matter. I’ll leave our little ambush between you two. I’ll also have him prepare something special just for the Inheritors.”
“Something special?” Wei asked.
“Oh, it'll be a surprise,” the Old Man said. “You'll see.”
Wei didn't quite like surprises, but he didn't feel like arguing with the Count any further would net him any gains. The Old Man clearly wanted to keep this item close to their chest.
“Unlike the Inheritors, I intend to play by the rules. We will not be dispatching any Marquises into the domain of the Black Tower. That black mark will be the Inheritors to bear alone once the Harbinger returns. But that doesn't mean we won't have means of castrating someone who really shouldn't be there. Do you know that being too powerful is a curse? And that sometimes, you don’t want to leak so much Essence?”
The Old Man snorted and waved a dismissive hand. “When you return to where you came, the conditions of your contract will be updated. New pages should be added. Sign it again once you wish to speak with Mulver. It’ll bring him back over to you.”
Wei let out a breath that he didn't even know he was holding. “A thousand thanks, esteemed elder.”
“Ah!” the Old Man said, standing up. “I'm not done yet. For bringing this matter to attend our attention, I think you deserve something special. After all, a token of appreciation on your part should not be met by a cold shoulder on ours. Let it never be said that the Circle of Pride was stingy.”
And then, from the flaming sun glistening over Wei's head, an object fell, slamming down right next to the young master. As it crashed against the ground, Wei's Omniscience felt the power radiating from it first. Clashing sets of essences spilled free from the artifact. Wei felt fire, felt shadow, felt stone, felt metal. As he studied the artifact, he saw that it was a suit of armor. Plates of black were separated by golden bones, a skeleton overlaid upon slabs of interconnected obsidian. From its back flapped a cape composed of fire. With each passing second, Wei felt a crushing strength emanating within its shell.
“I see what you're wearing right now, boy. And I gotta be honest… it's garbage. You look like dogshit, son. If we're gonna be working together, I can't have you sporting that kind of trash next to my guys. We have a reputation to keep here. Consider this, uh, an early installment.”
And suddenly, Wei found that he was, in fact, not devoid of the sin of greed. And working closely with the Circle of Pride suddenly became much more appealing.