Chapter 20

1

“Well, it’s definitely bigger than Emerald base,” John said as they looked up at the massive walls encompassing the place.

The base his father found had been situated on the side of a mountain. It had taken hours of hasty flight to reach the mountain range, and another half hour to reach the right mountain. The area was overgrown and flora rich, making it easy to hide a substantial base. The shelter was built into the mountain like it was wearing an enormous pointy hat.

The amount of life in the area was something to behold. It was rich with beasts and exotic plants alike. John hoped to explore the area extensively soon, but his first priority was getting his father home safely.

The two of them flew cautiously into the base, on guard for any type of danger. By that point, the day had long since waned, the sun having already hidden behind the horizon. Dusk brought the onset of moonlight, which John gratefully welcomed to loosen his stiff muscles from the last couple days.

“That’s strange,” John said as they explored from above.

“What is?” His father asked.

“I’ve never seen a base completely empty. I wonder what happened here?”

“There isn’t any sign of fighting or struggle. Maybe everyone packed up and left?” Jack postulated.

“Unlikely. Bases can hold thousands, maybe millions of people for the bigger ones like this. What are the odds that everyone would choose to leave?”

“Hm. Good point. Any ideas?”

John surveyed the place with suspicion for several minutes. He tried to dissect the secrets it held using analysis. Based on his incomplete knowledge, and an absence of anyone to fill in those gaps, John couldn’t be certain of anything. He had one suspicion though.

“It looks like it’s always been empty. There is no sign of anyone ever living here in the first place. And the dust. Very interesting.”

“What makes you say that?”

“My eyes have improved more than yours, so I can see from here that nothing looks like it’s been neglected for long enough to gather dust or dirt.”

“How is that possible? Clearly people lived here pretty recently then, right?”

“I don’t think so. I don’t see any claimed rooms. They don’t even have numbers or defining marks.”

“Which means-“

“Which means that the base hasn’t been here for that long. We have no idea how this place works. Maybe bases are born, just like monsters.”

“A new base? So, what do we do?”

“Only one thing we can do. Let’s head down for a chat.”

The two of them descended into the heart of the base, landing near a temple similar in design but much smaller than the one Suné claimed. It was opulent, but not in great excess. The moment their feet touched the ground, the notifications started spilling in.

“You have discovered Obsidian Base!”

“Would you like to select this base to complete your shuffle?”

“Warning, this base is not claimed!”

“Warning, this base is restricted!”

“Warning, this base may not be inhabited until claimed!”

“Warning! Remaining in this base for longer than five minutes will trigger the Trail of Possession!”

“What the hell?” John asked as his father rocked back in surprise at the plethora of information.

“What is all this?” Jack asked.

“This is very bad,” John said, realizing.

“What is it?” His father asked.

“We have to go now. You have to go now.”

“John, what’s going on?”

“It’s a test. Nothing is free or easy in The Garden. You have to get out now or you’ll be stuck in here when the fighting begins.”

“The fighting? What fighting?”

“Dad, we don’t have time! You have to get out of here!”

Without waiting for a response, John sprouted wings and sailed off. He flew with great haste toward the edge of the base, knowing his father would follow. Sure enough, Jack’s figure rose above the buildings only a moment later.

John cursed as he realized they had flown to the very center of the base before initiating the system. His own wings could very likely carry him far from Obsidian Base with time to spare. The one tier lower wings his father possessed were slower by a considerable margin. John didn’t fly ahead, preferring to stay close to his dad.

As they sped toward the edge of the enclosure, John started to hear signs of trouble. The aggravated cries of more beasts than John could count or recognize filled the air. Moving his gaze upward, he also noticed a plethora of winged foes filling the air much more literally.

“You have to get out now! Our time is up! Go!” John shouted to his dad.

“No, John. It’s too late. Look,” he said, pointing.

Many of the aerial opponents winging their way toward the base were already taking shots at each other as they flew. More than one bird fell from the sky as others brutally savaged them. Watching the scene, John knew his dad was right. They were stuck.

“There’s no flying through that tide,” he conceded.

“Not without getting pecked and taloned into ribbons like those,” Jack said, indicating the falling avians, “I’m not conceited enough to think I’m better at flying than a bunch of birds.”

“Shit,” John began, “Shit! I shouldn’t have had you bring me here. You don’t have the skills or tools for this. Damnit! Why did I think it would be as easy as walking in and claiming the place?”

“Hey, calm down. We can do this. I might not have all the traumatizing experience you do in this place, but don’t count me out yet, son.”

“It’s not going to be enough. Even if we were both prepared, it wouldn’t be a sure thing. We should have-”

“John,” Jack said.

He wasn’t loud or assertive. He didn’t speak with a tone that would have normally silenced anyone, let alone a teenager on the verge of a breakdown. But it was a tone John had heard a million times before. The calm certainty in his father’s voice choked the words in his throat like putting a kink in a water hose.

“Look at me,” he said, still in the same tone, “what is impossible?”

John looked into his father’s eyes. There, he saw the determination he had inherited as directly as the eyes themselves. He also recognized the expectation of John’s response. It was a question he had been asked innumerable times in his life.

“Impossible,” he began without confidence.

“Say it with conviction!” Jack demanded, as assertive as he had ever been with his son.

John flinched. He knew what was expected of him. After coming so close to bringing his father home safe, only to be strong armed into another dangerous situation at the last minute, John had started to lose his nerve. He couldn’t bear being the reason his father never made it home. With tears threatening to spill from his eyes, he clamped his mouth shut, shaking his head.

“What, is, impossible?” Jack asked again, his calm and reassuring voice once more on display.

“Impossible,” John started again with as much certainty as he could find, “is an excuse not to try.”

“And what happens when you don’t try?” Jack continued.

“You fail,” John answered.

“Do you want to fail?”

“No,” John said weakly.

“Then lose the excuses! There’s work to do.”

John nodded, unwilling to speak further. He knew his dad was right. He had always been right when this conversation came up. Every single time. And every time it was his oversimplification that pushed John to be or do something he would have never had the courage for otherwise.

“Now, I’m guessing we have less than a minute before it all goes south. What’s the plan?” Jack asked.

2

John retracted the wings from his back and settled himself on a substantial rooftop. Jack touched down next to him. They had decided on staying together rather than spreading out. Jack was much less prepared for a large confrontation than John, and neither was confident in his ability.

“Your job,” John began, “is to collect and absorb as many higher tier genes as you can. Preferably, your Advanced tally should reach at least thirty as soon as possible. Until then, you can’t provide the ranged support I’m going to need from you.”

“Ranged support?”

The Lunar Stag bow appeared in John’s hands, and he quickly offered it to his dad. Jack took the weapon with reverence that only a true bow hunter could muster. His eyes traveled over its length as if he were inspecting an ancient artifact that might fall apart if he so much as breathed on it.

“Pull the string,” John commanded.

Jack did as he was instructed, finding it near impossible to budge. He handed the bow back to John, who let it dissolve back into him. The two shared a moment of understanding before John continued the explanation.

“Until you’re beefed up, it’s going to be ground game and close quarters for you. Since we have no idea exactly what we’re going to face, the best we can do is play to your strengths.”

“And what-” Jack’s response was cut off as the system spoke once more.

“Grace period has ended.”

“Trial of Possession beginning.”

“Participants summoned based on the tier of Obsidian Base.”

“Base Tier: Wizened.”

“Participants summoned range in tier from Enhanced to Wizened.”

“1000/1000 participants remain.”

“All other participants must be eliminated or yield their position to claim possession of Obsidian Base.”

“You may yield your position at any time, either verbally, or by physically exiting the base.”

“If you choose to yield, you may not participate in any future Trial of Possession for one year.”

“Trial of Possession will commence in exactly ten seconds.”

“Good Luck!”

“Shit,” John cursed.

“It’s okay. We can do this. And if I get overwhelmed, I can fly out of the base. All the danger will be inside by then.”

“Three seconds,” John said.

Then the pair went to work. The birds that had been circling at the borders of the base suddenly surged forward. The cacophony of hooves also grew to a fevered pitch as dozens of beasts streamed in through the gates. Other, more thumb possessed beasts swarmed up the walls to spill into the once deserted streets below.

From their vantage near one of the three gates, the two humans were surprised to see so few adversaries. The birds alone seemed to blot out the stars in the darkening sky. Even with two other gates to divide between, they had expected a thicker tide.

Not that either of them complained at the dozens of foes now spreading through the streets. That number alone was more than enough to prove fatal. John began launching Lunar arrows at any target he could hit, which proved to be a lot less than he had hoped.

The immense base gave ample opportunity for cover. Undeterred, the bow launched arrow after arrow, fueled by the abundance of moonlight spilling down from above as well as some of John’s own stores. Beasts soon cried out in pain from scrapes with each other and John’s attacks alike.

Below, Jane ran amongst the fracas, finishing any foes she could find. A surprising number of beasts fell to each other, leaving genes free and unclaimed. John was pleasantly surprised at how quickly the beasts spread out. Instead of a horde of assailants converging on them all at once, they only had sparse fights while each creature attempted to gain distance from its many jealous peers.

“Wait here. If fliers start to box you in, pick a new roof before they can get too close. I’ll be right back,” John said.

Then he flew off on a circuit to collect the genes he and Jane had left laying. Working as fast as he could, John freed and stored each abandoned gene before moving on to the next. It was mostly Enhanced beasts, but two had been Advanced. As of yet, no Wizened creatures had been killed or even identified.

John returned to his father in decent time, landing next to him just as Jack skewered an ape of some sort that had been climbing the building. With impossible dexterity, he lifted the beast over the edge and threw it from his javelin onto the roof next to them. John was impressed by his father’s capability.

“Here,” he said, throwing the small sack of genes down for his father to take.

“Thanks. Cover me while I get through them. And break those fangs loose while you’re at it,” Jack said, indicating the dead ape.

“On it.”

John quickly harvested the fangs and added them to the pile, switching back to his bow just in time to shoot a diving bird from the sky. That too was added to the pile. For the next several seconds after that, John took out any threat that ventured too close. As he let the two Advanced genes flow into him, Jack gained the same euphoric look on his face that John had experienced upon claiming his first high tier gene.

“What’s your total?” John asked when he had finished.

“Thirty-seven Enhanced. Eleven Advanced,” Jack responded, sounding dazed.

“Alright. Not enough yet. We need to relocate. The fighting is already too far into the city to do any damage from here. We’re only getting stragglers.”

“Lead the way,” Jack said.

The two flew from rooftop to rooftop, not wishing to draw the concerted attention of the many birds still circling higher in the sky. In this way, the slowly delved deeper into the base as Jane continued to mop up any easy targets along the way. As such, by the time they had picked a new position, Jack was already loaded down with fresh genes, John having collected them as they moved.

While Jack absorbed the newest batch, John was already scouting for the best spot to get ahead of the crowd. When his father had finished, John once again urged them to move on. This time, the tide was much more aggressive, and John made no attempt to collect any genes.

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“The temple,” he told Jack.

“What about it?”

“We need to get there before all these guys do. If we land at the top of the stairs near the entrance, it’ll have better defense from above. Plus everything on the ground will need to come up to get at us.”

“We probably should have stayed there in the first place,” Jack bemoaned.

“Probably.”

They made their way back through the city, John taking shots at whatever he could while Jack just focused on flying safely. When the two finally touched down back at the temple, they had already heard an update from the system.

“500/1000 participants remain.”

“Here,” John said.

He foisted the bow into his father’s hands along with the Drowsy Muckray arrow. Jack took them both with an awe and excitement that John smiled at seeing it on the man’s face. Without another word, Jack drew the string.

Having claimed three more Advanced genes had given him a total of twenty-three. It was less than John had hoped for, but more than he feared. His father wouldn’t be unable to use the bow, but it would tire him out much more quickly than the javelin could.

A screech of pain marked his first successful shot. Much more experienced than John, his father’s relationship with a bow was much like that of riding a bike. The sheer number of hours he had watched his father practice with the bow became all too evident as a massive bird fell from the sky, an arrow through its neck.

“Awe man this thing is awesome!” He shouted in clear glee.

John watched for a moment as Jack drew the bow three more times. With each release, a new foe fell from the sky. He set Jane to defend Jack against anything that came to close as he focused on ranged foes.

Satisfied that his father would be okay, John turned and launched himself from on high to land amidst the crowd of beasts. They had just started to gather at the base of the steps when he arrived like a mortar. With a little help from Lunar Radiance, an Enhanced blade he had picked up was honed far beyond its limitations to impale an Advanced elk-like creature that reminded John of his first hunting trip into The Garden.

The beast was pinned to the ground by its neck, though not for long given its size and musculature. It didn’t matter, by then John had moved on to the group at large. With his Tail of the Kitsune, John quickly wove a stream of death through the gather crowd of berserk monsters. Kill notifications spammed through his mind quicker than he could process them as his ten tailed whip carved destruction in every direction.

3

“250/1000 participants remain.”

John grunted in acknowledgement as he leapt back into the air. He had carved an absolute mess of carnage through the rampaging beasts. His father had dutifully thinned the many flying mobs above them.

Even with all of the damage they had been doing, John knew only a fraction of the deaths could be claimed by one of them. Most of the dead were from the beasts fighting each other. He had also witnessed several of the lesser foes fleeing for the gates.

That number rose steadily in the later stages of the Trial. With many Enhanced foes and even a couple less sturdy Advanced variants choosing life over the certain death handed out by John, his father, and more than a few of the more capable creatures. John was happy to let them go. The less he had to overcome, the better.

“John!” Jack suddenly shouted.

John turned just in time to see a massive, scaled bird descending on him with outstretched talons, poised to pluck him from the ground. An arrow already protruded from its neck, seeming to cause no discomfort for the bird. John flicked his wrist to put slack in his Tail of the Kitsune before turning it on the diving foe.

All ten segments of the bladed whip converged to make a thick, barbed cord. It rippled through the air at the bird, but just before impact, the sly creature did a barrel roll to one side. John’s attack sunk only into cobblestone as the bird veered off. Luckily, that also stopped its attempt to grapple with John.

He turned to reengage the beast, but it was already gaining altitude, seeming to rethink John’s threat level. He let it go, well aware that he was in plenty of danger besides the bird. As if on cue, an ape, this one Advanced leapt at him.

Before John could bring his weapon to bear, an arrow sunk firmly into the beast’s head. It crashed to the ground, already dead as John turned to see his father reloading the string. They shared a quick smile as he refocused his attention on the ground fighting.

John’s use of Third Eye of Callysta proved to be something akin to cheating. Never before had his brain been so capable of categorizing and manipulating the many facets and variables of a fight. It was almost like seeing the future.

When one beast moved to attack him, John’s positioning caused another to take the strike. When his attacks appeared to be aimless, one of the many warring monsters would inexplicably step into it at the last minute. It was like an expertly choreographed routine where the steps could never be predicted. Except by John.

His legs carried him in unconventional patterns and directions. Often, he would stop moving just in time to miss an incoming swipe from a paw or tusk or antler. Others, he would sprint forward into certain death only to pass through the fracas unscathed. He felt alive and unstoppable as enemy after enemy fell to him or his manipulations.

By this point, John could tell that only the capable and determined remained. His efforts at Analyzation were still imperfect, gaining him more than one bruised rib or dazed head as one thing or another impacted his armor. It was quickly becoming clear that those that still fought were not so easily maneuvered.

John didn’t let the shift in effectiveness cloud his enthusiasm. Instead, it was the fire he needed to push himself forward. Only with superior adversaries would he be able to truly advance his abilities. A smile spread across his face as he successfully evaded the prodding tusk of a mountain boar.

“100/1000 participants remain.”

John spun in a circle, letting his ten-pronged whip spread out around him like a flower opening in spring. This gave him space as the remaining grounded creatures fled to escape its biting attacks. With the space to breathe, John pulled in the Tail of the Kitsune, but he didn’t stop the continuous motion.

Few remaining beasts wished to confront him directly, but more than a few were willing to try deception. He had effectively made himself the center of the remaining foes, with every land-based assailant circling him in an uneasy stalemate.

The furious monsters would only take shots at him when his back was to them; when they thought he was oblivious. More than one learned differently when his barbed whip came bending around him to bite into their flesh. This caused the beasts to grow ever more restless in their desire to maim him.

Occasionally two of the creatures would come close enough to attack each other, but John had earned the attention of them all, and none were willing to disregard him to fight another. That didn’t stop Jack from dropping them steadily with well placed arrows to their vitals. John was incredibly impressed to see how well his father had acquitted himself.

Sparing a glance at the sky, John found that only a few avians remained. That meant his father had been hard at work while John indulged his mental cultivation. It was astounding to see how quickly the numbers had withered.

Soon there was less of an effort to kill and more of a desperate attempt to escape the true elites of the Trial. As one of those elites, John was happy to let any beast throw in the towel. He didn’t have the stamina to keep the fight going indefinitely.

With almost no pressure on Jack, Jane had happily leapt into the larger fracas. Not that her presence had been needed, being a full tier above the greatest of foes they would face. But the little soul construct was as bloodthirsty as her red speckled fur seemed to imply.

The three of them worked steadily through the last century of participants as the late evening gave way to full darkness. With the base still unclaimed, there wasn’t a light in sight. Only the rays of moonlight that John so readily utilized provided any visibility.

John had never felt more alive. He reveled in the near-death experience that he was immersed in, feeling for all the world like he had never been more at ease. As he flung an Advanced ape by the stomach with his barbed whip, his father’s voice reached his ears.

“John! I need you!” he shouted over the clamor.

His wings were launching him into the air before the phrase finished leaving his father’s mouth. In less than three seconds, John was falling upon a Wizened Saber Cat that had correctly picked Jack as the easiest target. Having no leverage in the air to use his Tail of the Kitsune, John did the one thing he could think of.

Letting the whip return to him, John tucked his wings to his sides. He may as well have been a missile launched from on high. He crashed down on the massive cat, disrupting it just before it leapt for his father’s throat.

John and the saber cat tumbled into a pile of flesh and fur. They rolled back down the expansive stairs as the cat screamed in surprise. Clearly it was unused to being the one ambushed in the dark.

John locked his right arm around its neck from behind to stop it from rolling into the dominant position. They came to a stop on the nearest landing, stopping their momentum just before plummeting down the next set of stairs. With the beast effectively locked in a sleeper hold, he groaned in desperation for Jack to intervene.

No sooner than he thought to ask, an arrow buried itself into the exposed chest of the beast. A strangled yowl was all the protestation it was able to give before it grew very still. It wasn’t an instant kill, but the sedative nature of the arrow, as spent as it no doubt was by then, still had enough potency to drop the cat when lodged so near to its heart. The brown fur of the beast quickly darkened with blood.

John rolled the cat from on top of him and stood to face his father. There, he saw how utterly spent the man was. He had nowhere near the fitness John had acquired in the course of his many gene enhancements. He had held out for much longer than most could have in his position. Nevertheless, he was at his limit.

“You’ve done well,” John said as he approached.

“Me? Have you seen the pile of carnage you left down there?”

John chuckled as the two shared an embrace. It had been such a long day. More than a day, John conceded. They had overcome more adversity than either could have expected or hoped for. But this was as far as Jack could go.

“Jane,” John said.

The fox was at his side in an instant. Her muzzle was painted in gore. She tilted her head expectantly at John, reminding him of nothing so much as a curious dog.

“Protect,” he said.

Jane gave a happy yip of confirmation before positioning herself defensively beside Jack. The man let out a tired sigh before sitting himself down on the top step of the temple. Then he fell back to pant in exhaustion, staring up at the dark sky.

10/1000 participants remain.”

4

“Congratulations participants!”

“Top 1% has been determined!”

“All surviving participants will be rewarded at the conclusion of the Trial!”

“Any participant may now choose to yield in order to collect rewards!”

“Exact positioning will be determined by the order in which remaining participants die or yield.”

“Final Brawl begins now!”

Jack shared a grateful glance with his son as they digested the information. John sighed in relief at the idea that the ordeal was soon to end. Even before he returned his attention to the fight, more notifications streamed in.

“Gurin has yielded and will be given the final position of ‘10’!”

“Callax has yielded and will be given the final position of ‘9’!”

“Tyrasami has yielded and will be given the final position of ‘8’!”

“Alimar has yielded and will be given the final position of ‘7’!”

“Dargizt has yielded and will be given the final position of ‘6’!”

“5/1000 participants remain.”

John was surprised at the number of participants that chose to quit while they were ahead. He hadn’t expected humility from any of the beasts powerful or skilled enough to reach the top one percent. But just as he hoped they would all yield, the notifications stopped coming.

“Well shit,” he said.

“It’s okay. Jane has my back. There’s only three left. You can do this,” Jack said.

John nodded acknowledgment for his father’s confidence in him. He hadn’t expected to be embroiled in the free for all, but he couldn’t deny that they had both done exceptionally well. Now it was the last leg of the race, and John would be damned if he lost it now.

“Here,” Jack said, holding out a hand.

John took it and was surprised to receive all the souls he had given his father save for the wings he didn’t need. John started to protest, but his father cut him off.

“I’m dead on my… well not my feet, clearly. I’m dead on my back. If one of those things gets past Jane, I’m dead anyway. It’s better that you have every tool possible than for me to hold on to them.”

John grudgingly nodded his acceptance. He still turned a pleading eye on Jane. With intelligent fox soul licked at his hand comfortingly, as if to reassure him. With a nod, John turned away.

“Let’s do this,” he said as he descended the stairs.

His biggest weakness was the low visibility. He couldn’t be sure, but none of the beasts they had been fighting seemed at all hindered by the lack of light. That meant they all had that advantage over him. What they didn’t have was his critical thinking skills.

John descended the stairs cautiously, watching for trouble with strained eyes. With every step he took, John used the scant moonlight to inspect for his remaining foes. Near the middle of the great incline, he spotted the first.

It was another ape. This one was clearly the alpha of whatever pack The Garden had summoned to take part in the Trial. It wasn’t overly large, in fact appearing smaller than its Advanced counterparts. That only told John how close it must have been to Divine. It had already greatly condensed its essence, possibly on the very cusp of Divinity. It’s determined eyes met John’s, glistening in the moonlight.

The second remaining foe made itself known with a high-pitched shriek from above. It was all but impossible to see by then, but John knew it came from the huge, scaled bird that had dove for him before. Without a way to properly see it, the bird would have to wait.

John couldn’t find the last of his foes, but as he returned his attention to the simian, he caught the last second indication that something was wrong from its eyes. They were not focused on him, but rather behind and above him. John thought it had caught sight of the massive, winged beast, but the prickle of danger than ran up his spine disillusioned him.

Working on equal parts instinct and panic, John ducked forward. At the same time, the newly returned javelin popped into his hands, pointing back over his shoulder. John felt the massive weight of something larger than a human impacting the spear.

The momentum of the attack naturally carried the panicked beast over his now crouched body. With a cursory effort to assist the trajectory, John flung the Javelin forward like a massive paintbrush, as if to fling gobs of paint on his canvas. What he flung instead was yet another massive cat.

This one was solid black, what Americans would call a panther. John knew there was actually a fair amount of debate surrounding the term, with experts insisting that panthers were simply cougars with black fur.

Whatever the truth may have been, the black cat tumbled off the point of his javelin like it had never been airborne in its life. It crashed to the ground and rolled almost perfectly to the feet of the ape. John met the eyes of the beast once more as it stepped forward and mercilessly crushed the head of the great cat.

“Moritar has succumbed and will be given the final position of ‘5’!”

“4/1000 participants remain.”

“Jesus,” John said as he watched the blood press from under the ape’s foot.

Before he could compartmentalize the scene, his spine began tingling again. John ditched the javelin for his Tail of the Kitsune and once more began waving it around to build momentum. It was only a second before the instinct he had for danger told him he had to act.

Spinning around, he launched all ten tails of the weapon back over his left shoulder. He felt the barbs sink into flesh even as the diving bird screamed in alarm and pain. With the leverage of his continued spin, John pulled hard on the tether, forcing the great avian to crash down between himself and the formidable ape.

Not even a second passed before the simian was on the bird. This time it used disgustingly dirty clawed hands to gouge at the flesh of the bird. Before the aerial expert could defend itself, great gobs of flesh were being torn away. It flapped its wings meekly, but John refused to release it from the barbed tails of his weapon. In seconds, it grew still.

“Yaris has succumbed and will be given the final position of ‘4’!”

John shared another glare with the intelligent ape. After delivering it the only other combatants on the field, he was unsure what the next move should be. It was glaringly obvious that the beast was above him in terms of power. Only John’s many formidable tools could allow him to match it. And only his ability to fly gave him the confidence to continue.

As John took a hesitant step forward, the ape held up a hand. It was a halting gesture, like any human would use. John narrowed his eyes at the beast. With cautious hands, John tossed a communication orb between them.

“What do you want?” He asked when the orb was ready.

The ape didn’t seem surprised or concerned with John’s ability to speak with it. Moreover, it had a response prepared. John was startled to hear how normal, if bass toned, the simian’s words came across.

“You are strong. I am strong. Neither of us will win without great loss. I know that you will also not yield to me. My terms as as follows. I will yield to you, but only after the other human does.”

John considered the ape’s words, glancing at his dad, where he still laid, exhausted but aware. He had hoped to win the second spot for his father. But now it was between Jack accepting the third space, and potentially having to kill the ape.

It wasn’t that John doubted he could do it. If nothing else, he could fly into the sky and pepper the beast with arrows until it died. But John got the same feeling from talking to it as he did from talking to Suné. It felt wrong, and a little insane to consider killing it.

“Very well,” he finally said, “wait here.”

John turned and walked back up the many steps to reunite with his father. He was as weary as the other man, only able to continue at all through use of Lunar Radiance. Without the stamina boost it gave, he probably would have fallen sooner than Jack had.

“Hey,” he said when he had reached the man.

“Is it over?” Jack asked in a longing voice.

“Almost. I need you to yield to me. If you accept the third position, the monkey says he will accept the second one.”

“The monkey talked to you?” Jack asked incredulously.

“I’ve got my ways. What do you think? I can probably take him down if you really want the second position.”

Jack waved his hand dismissively. His arm fell to his side with no resistance. Clearly the man was tired beyond words.

“Jack Greene has yielded and will be given the final position of ‘3’!”

Before John could even approach the ape again, the whole Trial was over. True to its word, it stepped down for the second position. John just smiled and sat down next to his father as the notifications streamed in.

“Gogojira has yielded and will be given the final position of ‘2’!”

Congratulations! You have been given the final position of ‘1’!”

“Congratulations! You have been named the victor in Trial of Possession!”

“Trial of Possession has ended!”

”Positioning Rewards for all surviving participants will be available to claim in one week!”

“Enter Obsidian Temple to claim Obsidian Base!”

John looked back down at the form of the ape, Gogojira, he supposed. The great beast pounded a fist to its chest before turning away. It quickly faded into the dark night.

“Well, let’s see what owning a Wizened Base feels like. Come on, up ya get,” he said, hoisting his father to his feet.

5

“Congratulations! You have claimed Obsidian Base!”

“Congratulations! Your triumph has added Obsidian Base to the list of accessible Bases!”

“As claimant of this base, you may restrict or limit access by others via the transition pad.”

“Attention! There are unclaimed spoils within your base!”

“Would you like to set Obsidian Base to auto collect?”

“This base is no longer restricted!”

“Would you like to complete your Shuffle?”

“Yes!” John and Jack said simultaneously, both answering the last question.

John also confirmed ‘auto collect’, suspecting it had something to do with the many dead beasts strewn throughout the place. Upon his confirmation of the shuffle completion, John was bombarded with even more notifications.

“Congratulations! You have completed your Shuffle!”

“Calculating rewards!”

Congratulations! For completing your Shuffle using a Wizened Base, you may choose one of the following: Divine Soul or Divine Cultivation!”

John had been thinking about which option he would pick ever since learning that Obsidian Base was Wizened. Part of him really wanted to get another Divine Soul. Jane was unmatched in the field, and his Tail of the Kitsune could cut even the toughest hide.

But what he had really been looking forward to was his third cultivation. He had the chance to select another Divine Tier Cultivation. He didn’t know when or if he would get the chance again. He knew he was leagues away from besting a Divine foe in combat.

“Cultivation Scroll,” John said to the air.

“Congratulations! You have received Divine Cultivation Token!”

“Attention! All Tokens are redeemable only from your Personal Transition Pad!”

“Claim a house?” Jack was saying, “We already claimed this big ass temple! Why can’t I choose it as my residence?”

“Attention! Jack Greene has asked for residence within Obsidian Temple. Grant/Deny?”

“Granted,” John said with a laugh.

“It still says I have to pick a room,” Jack complained after a few seconds.

“Well then let’s get to it,” John said, stepping forward.

The two of them had barely walked through the front doors. They hadn’t even passed through the second set of doors to the temple proper. Neither had any idea of the opulence they had been in store for.

Upon thrusting the interior doors wide, both men grew speechless. The temple was a wonder of architecture and splendor. Equal parts extravagance and genius were on display. The most notable feature of the place, however, was the thick obsidian walls and ceiling, sparsely decorated with what appeared to be slowly running magma. Each indication of lava gave a dull red glow, casting the entire place in a dim crimson light.

“It’s too dark to even appreciate it. I wish there was more light,” John complained.

As if his contentment was paramount, the walls and ceiling immediately sprouted hundreds of brighter lights. They emerged from every side and segment of the place, immediately bathing the dark walls in an illumination so complete that the black material glistened brilliantly.

“Now that’s what I’m talking about!” John shouted excitedly.

The two of them continued to admire what was ostensibly their new home within The Garden as they moved through the place to find private quarters for themselves. Jack settled for a large room not far from the entrance, wanting nothing more than to bring his journey to an end. John got a different message.

“Attention! As leader of Obsidian Base, you may treat all vacant rooms within the base as your private quarters without claiming them!”

“Well that’s pretty sick,” John said.

John came out of his room a moment after entering with a token in his hand. John saw by the token that he had chosen Divine Soul as his reward. He nodded his approval.

“That’s a good choice. You probably wouldn’t have the means to soak in a Divine Cultivation. I’m still not sure I can either.”

“That was my thought. I don’t even know what ‘Divine Cultivation’ means. Figured this would be a better choice.”

“Good thinking. I’m just glad it’s finally over.”

“Me too. So, what do we do now?”

“Now,” John said with a smile, “you gotta get your ass home. You’re a couple months late for dinner.”