Chapter 1.2 – The End
Several retainers quickly entered and assembled a waist-high war table, bowing but never turning their backs to those assembled as they stealthily made for the exits.
Finnian unfurled a one metre by one metre light brown map onto the war table carefully placing a polished rock as a paperweight at each corner. Reaching into his bag of holding Finnian withdraw an ornately embossed mahogany box, flipping the latch revealing thirty medallions stamped and decorated in very distinct styles.
He withdrew twelve and placed them on the map to represent the current positions of the twelve tribes. The remaining medallions reflecting the light from the mahogany box were a stark reminder of how many of humanities tribes had been lost.
Every member had an equal say in these leadership meetings on the surface, however in reality secret pacts and allegiances had formed between the Pacts members. Finnian’s blood brothers and four of the other tribes held the most sway, together they accounted for over half of humanity troops and Expert level fighters.
The negotiations had dragged on late into the night with every leader jockeying for position and had only intensified when the System notifications went live.
11.00 pm Attention due to an **unidentified**error** it is no longer safe to travel through portals with groups of more than twenty-four.
11.59 p.m. Attention please note that the portal to the final floor will open at 7.00 a.m. If the final floor is not defeated within twenty-four hours all previously defeated enemies will respawn on this floor and all safe zones will be removed.
The jaws of the Pack collectively dropped, not only would they not get to challenge the final floor with their full might but if they tarried this floor would become humanities tomb. It had taken the concerted effort of 10 years scouting, probing, planning, and effectively guerrilla warfare to defeat this floor. The losses almost 80% of our fighting forces… there would be no second chances.
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Morgan stood up, he couldn’t take the bureaucracy any longer. Enough!!, he bellowed. On behalf of the emerald raiders I demand the Pact mobilise its armies now, each Pact member will take their most powerful lieutenant and be at the portal for 7.00 a.m. with the remaining army and civilians following swiftly behind us he said. It is clear we cant leave our civilians behind as we have in the past, even if we were successful what would be the point we cannot guarantee victory let alone victory in such a short time frame, Morgan said.
Nods of assent and grumbles of indignation followed within the hour the army and civilians had formed up. As the timer counted down the portal’s image solidified. Four thick rows of steps about two feet in height each led up to a floating circular portal of blue light ringed in gold and silver symbols which slowly rotated as if lining up to fit the levers of a lock.
In front of the circle a short gnome like man in beige robs say cross legged. As the Pact and their lieutenants approached his eye lids opened revealing brown eyes with streaks of silver.
Welcome challengers, you may call me Sebastian, however, I fear you may be too late to reap the rewards of defeating the floors final level. However I may be able to bend the rules, after all, I am the Architect, the strange gnome man said as he grinned widely.
I can lower the difficulty of the final floor by a factor of the number of those who do not enter up to a limit. Looking at the assembled forces he pointed towards the Pact you twelve should do. A blue and grey light hovered in front of its leaders.
Sirus the leader of the silent blades stepped forward if we twelve go will we have a chance of defeating what lies beyond that portal? he said.
Hmm, let me put it to you this way in the worst-case scenario if every member of humanity, all 110,000, went the difficulty would be, say one chance in a twenty million. If the twelve of you go let's say at best your chances are one in fifty Sebastian said.
All eleven leaders stepped forward and beside Sirus without any further words they thanked the strange gnome.
This is and will remain the only time I help humanity “directly” Sebastian said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.