I stared at the menu in disbelief. Feeling some dread, I selected “Status Report”. Instead of it printing on my interface a holographic screen appeared in front of me with the requested information.

FACILITY: THE TOWER OF TRIALS

FACILITY RUNTIME: 534 YEARS, 7 MONTHS, 22 DAYS, 5 HOURS, 56 MINUTES

CURRENT AUTOMATION PROGRAMME RUNTIME: 534 YEARS, 7 MONTHS, 1 DAY, 2 HOURS, 10 MINUTES

FACILITY SUBSYSTEMS STATUS:

MAIN POWER: OFFLINE

EMERGENCY POWER: ONLINE (ESTIMATED REMAINING RUNTIME BASED ON CURRENT CONSUMPTION RATE: 10 MINUTES)

CONTROL ROOM: ONLINE

AUTOMATION PROTOCOLS: ONLINE - WARNING

INTERNAL SENSOR NETWORK: OFFLINE

MEMORY BANK (PRIMARY): OFFLINE

MEMORY BANK (SECONDARY): ONLINE - WARNING: SIGNIFICANT DATA CORRUPTION DETECTED

SUMMONING ALTAR (PRIMARY): OFFLINE - LAST SUBJECT SUMMONED

SUMMONING ALTAR (SECONDARY): OFFLINE - LAST SUBJECT SUMMONED - 8 HOURS, 41 MINUTES AGO

LIGHTS: OFFLINE (CATASTROPHIC FAILURE DETECTED)

CREATURE SUMMONING PROTOCOLS: OFFLINE - LAST CREATURE SUMMONED - 254 YEARS 11 MONTHS 5 DAYS 22 HOURS 1 MINUTE AGO

ITEM CREATION PROTOCOLS: OFFLINE - LAST ITEM CREATION: 8 HOURS, 21 MINUTES AGO

ITEMS REMAINING IN THE CREATION QUEUE:

SUBJECTS SUMMONED:

SUCCESSFUL SUBJECTS: 0

SUBJECTS STILL ALIVE: 1

ENTITIES CURRENTLY WITHIN THE DUNGEON:

ENTITY CATEGORIES DETECTED WITHIN THE DUNGEON (LAST UPDATED: ):

* HUMAN

* UNDEAD

* GOBLIN

* SANGUINE

* UNKNOWN

I sank to my knees as the reality of what I was reading hit me. I could feel tears flowing down my cheeks.

So Caeileera wasn’t joking. This place has really been summoning people to their deaths for five hundred years. FIVE HUNDRED FUCKING YEARS.

I started hitting the floor with my hands while screaming.

It couldn't be. No. It couldn't be.

All of the things I’ve been through. Me not being able to go back home. Me not being human anymore. Is it all because of some forgotten subroutines’ whim?

I don’t know how long I stayed there. Eventually, the lights of the room went out as the last of the power of this cursed place finally ran out. Eventually, Aki and Caeileera found me. There was obvious concern visible on their faces.

The last thing I remember was me whimpering:

‘Five hundred years…’

Then there was a green flash and I knew no more.

I woke up on a shining white disk suspended in the infinite void.

The Antechamber Between Life and Death,’ I realised. Am I dead?

I got up and examined myself. I looked to be in one piece. I was even fully clothed, and my garments were completely undamaged and unblemished. I almost forgot what that felt like. Mentally, I was also… better. I was still perturbed, but the issue now felt distant.

Maybe that is what happens to you after you die. Your issues become less important.

‘Hello, love,’ said a familiar voice. ‘I think we need to talk.’

Ereshkigal materialised in front of me. This time around, she was dressed in a magenta hoodie, black loose pyjama pants and fuzzy pink slippers looking like rabbit heads. She was holding two steaming cups with frolicking bunnies painted on them. It took me a moment to register that, but there were long floppy ears on the hood of her sweatshirt.

I could be imagining things, but I think there might be a theme here.

‘I apologise for the attire. I was heading to sleep when you arrived.’

Seeing my slack-jawed expression Ereshkigal quickly added.

‘What… We gods also need to get our beauty sleep too. I had a difficult day. As satisfying as it was to set up this particular punishment, it required a lot of work on a short deadline. But I won’t bore you with afterlife minutiae.’

They sounded pretty fascinating to me, but I didn’t press the issue.

Ereshkigal handed me one of the cups. The liquid inside smelled wonderfully. It was the smell of orange tea.

‘Your favourite, I believe?’ the goddess smiled.

I took a sip. You know how you sometimes manage to get a tea that has just the perfect temperature and infusion level? Yeah, it was just like that. The blend also had a very vibrant taste. I was in a tea drinker’s Antechamber Between Life and Death.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

‘Follow me,’ Ereshkigal said and gestured towards a shining path that started materialising. There was a metal gate now visible in the distance.

‘First, I owe you an apology,’ Ereshkigal began as we walked towards it.

‘If it is about the whole turning-me-to-a-slime thing, then there is no need to,’ I replied and sipped my tea. ‘I would be dead if that didn't happen. Unless I’m here because I died.’

‘Nope. You are still among the living, hon. It’s just your mind is on a little vacay.’

I nodded, unsure whether to be happy about this or not.

‘I know what you are going through is not easy, love. Which is why I think I apologise that I have violated your bodily autonomy, since, as you have probably realised by now, the change does have consequences.’

‘You mean, how there is a predatory side to me now?’

‘Yes. I have no idea what consequences this will have for your human psyche,’ Ereshkigal said sadly.

‘You mean I can go mad or become a monster?’

‘Yes,’ the goddess said with genuine regret in her voice. ‘I don’t think it will ever go this far, but I cannot rule out these completely. What I did to you… was never done before.’

‘Like I said, I would likely be dead by now without it happening. I’ll take living longer over being butchered alive by a hobgoblin.’

I shuddered.

‘At least that's the first definitely fatal encounter I had?’ I muttered to myself. ‘Or would it be the small goblins due to me suffering internal damage from the Revenant.’

Ereshkigal waved her hand in front of my face.

‘Hey,’ she said with what sounded to be genuine worry in her voice. ‘Focus on the now.’

I took a sip of my tea and tried to concentrate on the exquisite taste.

After a moment of processing this in awkward silence, I said:

‘I think there is not much point in dwelling on future what-ifs either. I have bigger worries right now. Like this Laachersain dude.’

‘I know this is a fight not of your choice. But I am glad you are willing to try.’

‘I couldn't look at myself in the mirror if I didn't. Ultimately, as much as I loathe to admit it, Dwynveia is my home now. Or at least the planet I live on. Speaking of… Was sending me to this Mevara place ever an actual thing?’

‘No,’ Ereshkigal admitted, ashamed.

She stopped walking and continued:

‘Let me start from the beginning. I have been trying to stop the Tower of Trials from claiming Earthlings for decades now. Usually, I failed to even detect them. Those few times I managed to grab someone they would immediately be grabbed by the Tower and end up there anyway. But I was becoming adept at intercepting people, I figured I should start trying new things. The first thing that occurred to me was to destroy the person’s body and remake it, hopefully making the Tower lose track. And I actually thought it worked. But I also had no idea what to do next. So the plan was to put you in a pocket dimension, have someone show you the ropes there until I was sure you were safe and then find you a place on Dwynveia. You know what happened next.’

The goddess hung her head in defeat.

I slowly sipped my tea while I listened to Ereshkigal’s explanation. I wanted to be mad at her… but I couldn’t. She was after all trying to save me. Not finding words, I hugged her, trying not to burn her with my mug, and simply said:

‘It’s all right. Thank you.’

Tears were flowing down her face.

‘I’m sorry…’ she muttered.

‘Don’t be. And thank you for the explanation. This gives me some… closure.’

She hugged me back, wiped the tears off her face and we continued in silence towards the gate. We were almost there.

Then a thought occurred to me. I stopped, brought up the quest log and browsed through it. Finding what I was looking for, I pulled up the quest instructions and frowned.

Declined Quest: The Lying Goddess

Type: Faction

Difficulty: Hard

Description: Ereshkigal has lied to you about the circumstances of your arrival. Confront her about it.

Objectives:

* Establish contact with Ereshkigal again

* Discover the reasons behind her actions

* (Optional) Break all ties with the Goddess

Rewards:

* Unknown

* Approval of ???

‘What’s wrong?’ Ereshkigal asked.

I told her about the quest and the other one I got after declining this one.

Completed Quest: Forgiveness

Description: You found a capacity within yourself to forgive Ereshkigal for her actions (or at least to give her the benefit of the doubt for now).

Rewards:

* 1 Perk point

Penalties:

* ??? Disapproves

This brought an expression of worry on her face.

‘Can you send them over to me?’ she asked and explained the process to me.

The scowl on her face deepened as she read those, and then she sighed and said:

‘The second one is easier to explain. It likely came from the “system” behind the interface.’

I thought about it for a moment.

‘Like the “achievements”?’

‘Yes. This is a slightly more complex version of one, I think, since it features the relationship malus. There being no benefit also points to the system, as I never knew this happened.’

‘The system is sentient?’ I asked.

‘No clue.’ Ereshkigal shrugged. ‘It doesn’t communicate directly with anyone. Though in case of “bigger” issues it tends to “favour” the side interested in preserving more lives.

That lit a lightbulb in my head and I sent the notification I got after Caeileera burned the Sarin bottle to Ereshkigal.

Notice: You have assisted in destroying a forbidden substance. You have received 1 perk point for this action. (Current Number of Perk Points: 2)

The goddess beamed at me seeing that notification.

‘Yes. Like this one. Though I don’t think those two events are related.’

‘So… Do you know who this three question marks thing is?’

‘No… It showed as ??? to me as well.’

‘God-fucking-dammit…’ I muttered.

‘Alas… even a Goddess does not know everything,’ Ereshkigal said defensively.

‘No…’ I raised my hands in a placating gesture. ‘When the dungeon half blew up I was hoping I was done with “saving the world” bullshit.’

Ereshkigal laughed at that.

‘Yeah. Turns out the Tower of Trials will come to some use after all. Come… we’re almost there. I have something to give you that might be able to help you with this.’

I sipped my tea dejectedly. It still being perfect helped my mood some.

‘Why is it named a “Tower” anyway?’ I asked. ‘The fucking hellhole is underground.’

‘They didn’t have a better idea,’ Ereshkigal chuckled.

‘That’s… surprisingly fitting.’

On the other side of the gate, there was a simple wooden room. The only thing there was a small red carpet on which stood a simple armour stand, with four items on it: a layered grey leather sleeveless jacket with a collar that reminded me of flak armour; a pair of grey bracers; an exquisite-looking fur-lined black coat attached to sculpted layered leather pauldrons that seamlessly matched the armour in design; and a dark leather scabbard. I made a move towards the dummy, but Ereshkigal stopped me.

‘Now, Lilyth,’ she began. ‘Please kneel before me.’

Unsure about what was happening I followed her instructions.

A black blade appeared in Ereshkigal’s hand. She touched me on both shoulders with it, while saying:

‘For the service you have rendered Dwynveia by stopping Maximilian Löwe, I name you Lilyth, my paladin. Go forth and fulfil my will.’