Wyatt and Emma stood in front of what appeared to be a stone button set into the wall. It was large for a button, about the size of Wyatt’s palm. It blended in, but not that well.
“What do you think it does?” Emma asked.
Wyatt shrugged. “It’s probably the way out of here. Or it releases Quetzalcoatl.”
“You’re just a bundle of reassurance.”
Maybe I should take Analyzer. Having more information would be useful. Even if it’s permanent and I can’t get more slots, it seems worth it.
With no further deliberation, he accepted the new skill.
He felt… something. He wasn’t sure what. But he did know, even without looking at his status, that he had a new skill.
There was no screen for it like there was for Debuffer, though.
Is that because it’s not D-Grade yet?
He couldn’t tell, but he did know how to use it, which he did on the button, hoping the skill’s name was an accurate representation of its function.
A small amount of Energy drained away and a new message appeared.
“Did it just flash?” Emma asked.
It had, just like with Debuffer and Willbreaker. So much for secretly using skills. It appeared that both the target and the source lit up when a skill was used.
Though instead of his whole body, the only part of him that had lit up had been his head, or maybe just his eyes. And instead of reddish-black, it was more silverish.
Button
Triggers distant effect
Estimated Danger: minimal
Use ⦗Essence Orb⦘ for more information
Wow. That’s better than I was expecting, and almost as much as I was hoping for.
He wanted to try it on all of his items, but held off until they weren’t next to a level 99 monster. Instead he tried it on Emma, thinking very hard about how this was a friendly and not hostile action.
She lit up with a brief flash of light, but it was so quick she didn’t seem to notice.
Subject
Estimated Level: 0
Use ⦗Essence Orb⦘ for more information
That gives me a way to see a person’s level, at least. And it labeled her as subject, which matches the whole experiment and trial thing.
I wonder if I can use it on myself?
Wyatt Willaby Johnson (Subject)
Estimated Level: 0
I can, but no option to get more information. Why does it list my name, but not Emma’s?
It could be using my knowledge for things it’s not estimating, and her name isn’t actually Emma. Or maybe it’s showing me my name because I used it on myself.
I’ll need to test it on someone else to be sure. Not going to risk trying it on Quetzalcoatl.
“Why are you staring at me? I’m not going to press it.” She glanced at Quetzalcoatl again. “Is it acting different?”
Can I use an Essence Orb without a sacellum or delubrum now?
He checked the button again, this time attempting to use one of his orbs.
He wasn’t sure if it was because the suit was connected to his Energy and the orb was in his suit, but he didn’t have to take it from his belt to use it, it simply disappeared as the skill activated.
The accompanying flash of light was dimmer, but somehow more intense.
Button
Triggers elevating platform
Estimated Danger: none
What level orb did that use?
He thought back to which orb was in which pouch.
That was a level 2 orb. I wonder if that was random. I’ll be more directed next time.
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Wyatt pressed the button.
Emma shouted at him.
“It’s fine.”
There was a creaking followed by a deep grinding.
Rubble fell from the ceiling.
Is the estimation not accurate?
She glared at him. “It’s fine, is it?” She glanced at Quetzalcoatl. It was still where it had been, not paying them any attention.
The stone wall in front of them slid away to reveal a large circular platform just as it settled into place.
“Yes.” Wyatt stepped inside. He jumped once. It was stable. Mostly. “See. If it can support my shield, it can support you”
“I’m not that skinny.”
“It’s a heavy shield.
Her eyebrow quirked. “Are you calling me fat?”
Wyatt was pretty sure her tone indicated playfulness. Or flirtation. He’d long ago learned that didn’t necessarily indicate interest though. With how weird and mysterious Emma was, he simply ignored it.
She squinted at him, then the button. “Did you know that would happen?”
“It was an inference.” He looked up. High above was a faint source of light, but he couldn’t tell what it was from or how high above them it was. “Now get on.”
After another moment, she did, glancing up. “I really hope that’s sunlight and not fire.”
“Why would it be fire?” he asked absently, looking for the other button.
There. At around knee height was another button inside, which Wyatt scanned without using an Essence Orb.
Button
Triggers distant effect
Estimated Danger: minimal
Use ⦗Essence Orb⦘ for more information
“That definitely just flashed.” She frowned at him. “Are you trying to debuff a button?”
He pressed the button.
The door slid shut, a chunk of stone breaking off in the process, then the lift began its jerky way upward.
Wyatt realized Emma was talking to him.
“—my luck.” She sighed. “This seems dangerous.”
“You know, you’re still mysterious.”
“What?”
‘People can’t know how you view them or what you’re thinking Wyatt. Not unless you tell them.’
Oh, right. “You seemed mysterious. Now you still do. Just differently.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Okay. Thanks. I’ll take that over ‘nice ass’.”
He frowned. “How is nice ass an alternative?”
“Ask a teenager.”
“I just did.”
She snorted. “Touché.”
The elevator ground upward.
It jolted and she bumped into him.
“Jesus Christ you’re like a fucking rock.”
Must be my shield increasing my mass. So it somehow transfers to my body, even though I don’t feel any heavier. Could I have punched the wall apart? Would it make any weapon I wield more massive? Something to test later.
Wyatt saw that Emma was rolling her eyes at him for some reason.
She glanced up. “Slow elevator.”
He considered her and her new bodysuit. “Did you get any other items? Besides your armor.”
She looked him up and down. “I wasn’t as lucky as you appear to be. Fucking hell, you die and get rewarded. What kind of bullshit is that?”
“You’ve been swearing a lot recently.”
“Relieves stress. You should try it.”
“I’m not stressed.”
“You don’t say,” she muttered.
“Did you?”
She frowned at him. “Did I… say?”
“No. Get items. You didn’t answer me.”
“Yeah it’s not so fun, is it?”
He was about to answer literally, but stopped himself, realizing she was just venting. He waited.
Emma sighed. “I only got Essence Orbs. Three of em. Can’t use them yet. Need to find a… something.”
“A sacellum or delubrum. You know what those are?”
She shrugged.
He studied her skintight bodysuit. “Where are the orbs?”
She considered him a moment before patting her stomach.
“You ate them? I didn’t feel the need to.” He frowned. “I guess I should have tried.”
“Not like that. Eating them didn’t do anything. I just didn’t have anywhere else to put them.” Her eyebrows drew together. “That I was willing to. I was naked for the first two, and I wasn’t going to leave them behind.”
“How are you going to get them out?”
She mimed sticking her finger down her throat, then chuckled. “Or maybe you can use your skill on me.”
“I could do that. I think it creates the vomit though, so not sure it would make you throw them up.”
She tilted her head back and pointed. “Almost there. Finally.”
As the platform raised above the ground and lurched into place, Emma rocked into Wyatt again, but she was smiling.
Wyatt might have been as well.
They were out.
They now stood atop the pyramid they’d died in front of.
There were discarded bags of snacks and empty water bottles in the area, but no people.
Emma pointed, her smile fading. “That looks like blood. You think they’re okay?”
“How would I know? I died before you did.”
He spotted a single bloody ripped shoe and tried inspecting it.
[Damaged Footwear, Level 0]
Then he used Analyzer on it, seeing if maybe it would tell him who it belonged to.
Footwear
Estimated Level: 0
Use ⦗Essence Orb⦘ for more information
He pointed it out to her.
She bit her lip. “There were no more cipactli left when I died. One of them got me with its claw, but it died before I did. I guess there could have been more.”
“There are almost certainly more. How did you kill it? Was it your skill?”
“After you got your head bit off, I took the knife from you. Went around killing the rest with it. Then one of them stopped puking and lashed out at me just as I stabbed it in the eye.” She shook her head. “Should have stayed away. That’s when it got me.” She ran a finger across her throat. “Right in the jugular, like it was aiming for it. It— What are you doing?”
Wyatt was walking around the top of the pyramid, looking down. “Want to see if I left a body.”
“You disappeared after getting your head bit off. Head and body both.”
Indeed, the area around the temple had nothing but what might have been blood stains. There weren’t even monster corpses.
Do they dissolve, or did the others take them away? Or maybe other monsters came and ate them.
Even the ahuitzotl corpse he’d cut open for his first orb that Faith had dragged here was gone.
Emma came up beside him. “So, you have a plan?”
Why are people always asking me that?
He nodded. “We should find the others. At least Camila. Her skill seems useful. Still daytime.” He checked the message. “And still the same number of days left. So it’s the same day.”
“I was down there for a few hours total, it felt like. It was morning when we got here, sun doesn’t set till what, seven or eight?”
“A little before seven. Twilight is around seven. At least civil, actual twilight is not till eight.”
“Why do you know that?”
“There’s an app on my phone. Shows the weather and sunset. You have an iPhone. It should be the same app.”
“It’s weird you remember that.”
“Only Brandon doesn’t have an iPhone. Not hard to remember.”
“I mean the sunset time.”
Wyatt shrugged. “It’s only been a few hours since I checked. Unless it took longer than it felt like to come back to life. But we can’t assume we’re in Mexico still. Or on Earth.”
She looked around. “I think it’s probably safe to say it’s based on where we were.” She looked up at the sky. “If only a few hours have passed, then the sun seems to be in the right position. I’m not saying it’s Earth, but it does seem like it’s modeled after it.” She shivered for some reason. “I don’t think it’s going to be a good idea to be out at night.”
“It’s not a good idea at any time.” He sighed and began walking down the steps.
“What are you doing?”
He pointed without looking back. “There’s a blood trail. I’m going to follow it.”