Prometheus walked down the gray and lifeless stairs, each step reminding him of the importance of this mission. For that reason, he did a check-up on every weapon he had at his disposal. The biomass in my inventory is ready to be used at a moment's notice, to get in my Goliath form. Then, the nitroglycerine bombs, and finally those thunder strikes, which I'm apparently immune to now. What else... The shapeshifter stopped for a moment to reflect, a hand on the railing. The stairs didn't seem to have an end, as he had already descended twelve floors worth of stairs.
The Major said that this place should be full of higher-tier people, so I really have to be careful... The walls around him were barren of decoration, reminding him of stairs going down to a basement. After all, such an ugly place wasn't meant to be pretty, showing Prometheus that the people who had made this building lacked any sense of style.
I bet some golden railings would look great with some white walls, to have some form of divine and mystical look. The shapeshifter thought of how boring the walls were while continuing down the stairs. Voices in the distance raised his hopes of finally escaping the torture that was ugly architecture. Reaching the base of the building, Theo stopped in his tracks, a doubt rising in his mind, Wait, didn't the Major say I have a unique soul shape? Wouldn't they recognize that my Soul looks weird immediately immediately? Before letting himself get stuck on doubts he couldn't verify, he moved to the hallway in front of him, which was tall and wide enough to accommodate the two older monsters.
Just before he could snap the rod given to him by the General, two figures walked around the corner, casually walking up to him. They were wearing the same clothes he was, with the one on the left being much shorter and stockier than Theo's current from. The short man had a '9' on his face, while the woman next to him had a '10'. Nine, as Prometheus should call him, waved at the shapeshifter amicably, running up to him. Like the others, he talked in English, "Good afternoon, mister five! How was the trip to the Fallen Skies?"
"Oh, well..." Might as well use the persona that I know best, He put his hands behind his back, straightening his posture and looking down at the short man. "That is none of your business, Nine. I have more important matters to attend to. I hope you'll make yourself more useful around here. Ten, you aren't different. Get back to being productive!" He finished while walking forward, turning at the corner. When the two people knew Five was out of earshot, they spoke, "What was that voice? Did you also hear how wrong it sounded, so monotone and... weird?" Asked the stocky man. The woman nodded, looking at where Five had just passed, "Yeah, that was strange, but it's probably some condition for some new ability he's developing, or maybe something else, I don't know. What surprised me is how different he acted... and how much he gained weight."
"Right? He usually avoids us at all costs to stay locked in his room, spending all his time like the loser he is, but this time, he looked..."
"Like he grew a spine and some muscles?" Suggested the woman, slightly taller than the man at her side.
"Yeah, that's it." Nine nodded.
---
Got out of that one, good. The two robed people had intense Souls, a bit brighter than the Examiners'. Tier six? Seven? I still don't have a complete point of reference to know. The hallways were the exact opposite of the stairs: Multiple paintings and small sculptures decorated its sides every twenty meters or so, adding some flavor to the otherwise monotone building. The floor, walls, and ceiling were all pearly white, shining from the lights installed on the ceiling. There are no electromagnetic fields coming from those lights, so they aren't electric. There is Influence flowing in and out of them, so they are... magical? Can I even use the term "magic" for things like this? He shook his head, walking forward to find an isolated place to place the portal in. Theo was sure that breaking the portal rod in front of Ten and Nine wouldn't have ended well, so he continued on. Another turn and he could see the hallway opening up into a massive structure, much larger than should be possible seeing the depth that he was at. Another mystery added to the list... I'm so tired of 'Influence' and whatever else being able to do fucking anything. It makes everything meaningless if you can just 'wave it away' and it appears. Fuck magic. I'll still use it for my goals, though. Would that make me a hypocrite? Eh, who cares.
Theo's steps got louder as his feet seemed to hit the ground harder, his fists clenched. The sounds echoed throughout the hallway, probably alerting the other weird priests. The shapeshifter walked out of the hallway, observing the massive, open area. Massive amounts of doors lined the sides of the chamber, each one holding a number from one to a thousand on its front, showing that there stood exactly a thousand doors. The first ten, one through ten, were different. Each of them seemed to be made of gleaming metals, such as the first one being covered in shining diamonds, with the next ones having gold and silver-like metals as engravings and decorations. If it hadn't been for his incredible vision, Prometheus wouldn't have been able to see the doors at such a distance. The overall area of the chamber was occupied by many objects of relevance, such as cages and areas of entertainment, he assumed.
This place must be at least a kilometer squared or more than 100 football fields. Thousands of cages, some massive and others human-sized, stood in the chamber almost like objects of pride, being shown like things in a museum. A quick glance at each cage showed many creatures inside, most of them being humans. All of them had one trait in common: All of them are wearing Earth clothes. Prometheus could see a man and a woman wearing jeans and a simple t-shirt, white sneakers on their feet. A girl on another cage was wearing a kimono from ancient Japan, if Theo recognized it correctly. Another cage, one of the massive ones, held thousands of soldiers huddled together. Isn't that armor from the Roman Republic? Mmm.. Theo moved closer to the cage in the distance with the soldiers. All the cages seemed to be made similarly, with thick metal bars connecting the bottom plate and the top one. Other than the cages, there were only a handful of other things in the chamber, such as other weird priests. They weren't appearing too often, so Theo didn't worry too much. Many of them, being in the two-digit or three-digit numbers bowed deeply at him and stiffened up.
Getting closer to the Romans, Prometheus put his hands on the bars. They were all wearing the classic bronze armor and a Gladius short sword. Upon seeing him get closer, one of them shouted and they all got into a defensive position. Prometheus spoke in Latin, hoping they would understand. "Identify yourselves, soldiers," he ordered.
The one who had shouted staggered back, clearly surprised at hearing a familiar language, before composing himself. "I am the Legatus Legionis of the Legio IX Hispana." replied the commander, not divulging any unnecessary information. Prometheus nodded, continuing, "Rest easy. I am not an enemy. I'm actually here to rescue someone important to me. This is just a disguise." Explained the shapeshifter.
The man narrowed his eyes and asked, "What do you want from us?" Prometheus saw how skinny and disheveled they all looked, showing a lack of proper hygiene and nutrition. They weren't treated well by the priests. "Nothing much, just gathering information and passing the time. What can you tell me about those guys there?" He pointed with his thumb at the other priests in the distance. The man on the right of the commander tugged on his superior's armor and told him, "Legatus, we can't trust one of them! They culled our numbers like we were cattle!"
The commander nodded, putting a hand under his chin, thinking. They didn't know that Theo could hear them from that distance, so they discussed in a low whisper, "You are correct, my friend, but has any one of them ever spoken our language? The only thing they did is speak directly to our minds but never like this!" exclaimed the commander, continuing, "Furthermore, I remember the one with the same symbol as him," He pointed at Prometheus, "And it's not the same person. I can tell."
"But, sir, to trust them..."
"I agree. It probably is a mistake, but look at us!" He gestured to the thousands of soldiers behind him, relaxed compared to a moment ago, "They barely give us any food to survive, and did you notice how they didn't strip us of our armor and weapons? And also that they never give enough food to feed everyone? They want us to kill our own brothers, do you understand? If it is a mistake, then we have nothing to lose. The Ninth Legion is already dead, for all that it matters. But think of the possibility that this person," He then pointed at Prometheus, "Is who he says he is. If he is successful in rescuing whoever he needs to rescue, we might be able to take advantage of this. We could take this opportunity and get back to Rome, to our families. Please, my brother, I have a son and a wife waiting for me at home. I can't leave them alone, especially not if my death doesn't even happen on the battlefield!" The man's words clearly resonated with his companion, who seemed to nod shakily.
The commander walked up to the shapeshifter and kneeled down to meet him at the same level. The cages were standing on a raised platform, after all. "What do you want to know?"
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"Well, what can you tell me about this place and these people in general?" Asked Theo vaguely. I have no idea what I need to know.
"The robed people captured us after we were transported to a land of flying rivers and moving trees from our training routine back in Rome. We don't know who they are from, or what they want, just that they ask a lot of questions about the world in general that should be common sense, in my opinion. Our weapons and gear didn't interest them at all, as I can see that they work differently. One time, I saw one of them lift a giant elephant-like creature with a single hand, effortlessly. Sometimes I wonder if we are in hell, and these are demons designed to torture us to death. Now and then, they bring new captives to the cages, but most of them I don't recognize, such as that one with the weird hat and costume," He pointed to another man huddled in a different cage, wearing a World War One pilot's costume.
Prometheus nodded, glad to receive some semblance of information. "Believe me, you aren't in Hell. This place is much worse." Added Theo," Alright, I'll continue on my mission, I'll try to help you if I can later. Oh also, a giant snake and a tree monster are gonna appear here in a bit, so don't get too scared. Good luck," Waved the shapeshifter as he continued onwards. "Good luck to you too, brave warrior." Bowed the commander.
Most of the cages were much smaller than the soldiers' one, fitting only a handful of people at a time. Everyone present inside the cages was from Earth, Prometheus could bet his life on it. Why do they capture people from Earth? Surely it's not to steal technology, almost no one would be able to recreate modern technology from nothing. Also, they have techniques and abilities, which sound like they could do anything, or at least I'll believe so until proven otherwise.
Prometheus ran into the first 'entertainment area', as he called them because of the gladiator-like area where many priests were spectating a duel between an office worker from the twenty-first century and a lion-like monster with blades around its mane. Other areas included a swimming pool, where the priests swam completely clothed, and a large area with many smaller, cut-off areas, from which he could see many of them exit with half-naked prisoners, some of them being too young for his opinion. They dare capture and use children? His fists clenched loudly enough to dislocate his fingers from his knuckles. He didn't care. Theo's algorithm to protect any and all children came into action, manifesting into rage and willingness to protect them. I'll make sure every single one of them gets safe and sound. As for these freaks... He glanced at the robed pieces of shit, They'll get what's coming to them.
At the center of the massive chamber, a raised platform was present for announcements, along with a large table to the side for discussions. One of them was explaining some new rules and regulations, this one having the number '2'.
"As I was saying, you will now need to send a form detailing the acquisition of a prisoner for personal use, including the reason for acquisition and payment of a fee relative to the status of the said prisoner. Not doing so will result in a penalty to your Points, scaling with the status of the prisoner once again. Moving onto the next point, I've received many complaints about high-ranking officials from the Republic, stating how we weren't able to provide good customer service, and that is utterly unacceptable. Let me ask you this question, fellow Chosen ones: Who are we?"
The various priests in the crowd answered in unison, "God's Chosen ones!" The speaker nodded, continuing, "That's right, and what do we do?"
"Seek God's gifts!"
"That's right once again. The Great God gifts us these presents," Pointed the man at the various cages around the chamber, "And it is our duty to take them and share them with our trusted ones! Only that way will the Great God recognize us!" The crowd cheered at the man's words, clearly excited about being part of a bigger group. The speaker, Number Two, glanced in Theo's direction and exclaimed, "Look who it is, Mister Five finally came out of isolation in the Fallen Skies, and is joining us once again! Come here, old friend, let me hug you." Prometheus couldn't see a way out of that one, so he moved forward, each one of his steps crashing against the ground at the sight of children being used as playthings. He would not tolerate such a thing happening near him.
Upon climbing the few steps up the platform, Number Two hugged him tightly, using so much strength as to break Theo's skeleton. Thankfully, he repaired it quickly enough not to get spotted.
"So, I was just instructing our fellow brothers here on new rules and giving out some general advice about helping our customers with whatever they need. Tell us about your trip of self-reflection, maybe these students will learn something new from it."
Prometheus moved his head to look at the crowd, around thirty large, listening intently to his next words. Reverence and anticipation were clear in their bodies. "Hello everyone, my name is Number Five, and I am who I say I am." Theo's first words confused the crowd, but upon hearing Number Two's quiet laughter, they joined in the joviality as well. Two added, "Such a jester you are. You and your weird jokes. Also, what happened to your voice? A new experiment of yours? Did you finally start eating properly and training your body?" Theo simply nodded to move on.
Theo put his right hand in his robe pocket where he had put the portal rod in. He clutched it tightly debating whether to use it or not. I want to cause some chaos before that. "During my trip, I discovered an ancient and powerful set of artifacts. For my demonstration, I would like the assistance of my fellow 'Chosen ones', preferably high-tier ones. Only they can activate the artifacts." The various priests looked to themselves, three coming up at the platform. They were number six, seven, and eight. All of them were males with standard-looking bodies and a bored attitude, showing how much they wanted to be somewhere else.
"Everyone, including you, Mister Two, please grab a single Sphere. Don't shake or break them until I tell you to" He then handed each one of them a nitroglycerin ball, which was around thirty liters of the substance. "Now, I will explain how they work. They will only achieve the desired effect if you break them all at the same time, and you will do so at my signal. Is that clear?"
"Why is my Danger Sense skill going off?" Asked one of the unfortunate priests holding a bomb. Danger sense? It probably means they can sense danger, how do I go around it? "That's right. Your danger sense is activating because if you don't break them all at the same time, they will explode."
The other people staggered for a moment before regaining their composure. One of them asked, "There is no Influence in this! How the hell is it supposed to work?" Prometheus looked at the person who spoke, and shook his head, adding, "I was always of the opinion that you weren't the brightest among us, Eight, but even you must understand that not everything revolves around Influence, am I correct?"
Number Eight clenched his fist and nodded shakily, almost like he had to control himself not to explode in rage. Theo hoped they wouldn't resort to that, as judging by their Souls they could make the shapeshifter vanish from this world in seconds. Theo walked to the center of the small gathering of priests, holding a nitroglycerin ball of his own between two hands, "First, hold it like this. Remember, do not use any techniques or abilities, as they might interfere with their intended purpose. Put it close to your face like this," He put the leathery container just in front of his face, his portal rod waiting patiently in his pocket. Theo grew a small appendage inside the pocket, ready to reak it.
"At my signal, we'll all squeeze them at the same time, as strongly as possible. Everyone ready?" Asked the shapeshifter while looking around the group. Number two tilted his head to the side, asking, "I hope this isn't one of your usual pranks, my brother. But sure, I'll only follow because you have proved yourself as a high-ranking member of our society. Everyone, do as he says" Instructed number two. All of the priests on the platform held their nitroglycerin balls in front of their faces, ready to pop them at a moment's notice. Theo was surprised by how easily they followed his instruction to hold a foreign and very dangerous object near their faces. Maybe the fact that they saw him handle the round containers so casually near his own face made them trust him more.
"Perfect, at my three.." started Theo. "One..." The crow stiffened up, looking closely at him. Number two held the object very casually, not seeming worried at all. Perhaps it spoke of their strength, to not be afraid of an unknown factor, or maybe it simply represented their lack of care. Either way, Theo jittered with excitement. I will blow you away to pieces! He screamed internally. "Two..." Heartbeats sped up near him, distracting Theo for a fraction of a second. He put the rod in a tight grip with the grown appendage inside the pocket, ready to break it. Prometheus stretched his back, ready to lose his physical body, having already made it as explosion-proof as possible. He intensified the grip on the nitroglycerin balls, shouting the last number, "THREE". He broke the rod.
At once, every priest squished the weapons, releasing the devastating power inside created by Earth's chemists. Given that each container contained thirty liters of nitroglycerin, the effect was catastrophic. Many *booms* sounded from the gathering, sending the massive chamber into hell. Prometheus flew back dozens of meters, weighed down by his enhanced, and heavy, body. His body was reduced to scraps, held together only by the roots made of the same material as his Core. He had made sure that his body parts wouldn't scatter, so he could repair them easily. Fire surrounded him at all sides, smoke blocking his sight. A whirring sound appeared behind him. The portal was opening.
His normal visual cortex couldn't see through the smoke, so he used UV sight. With that, he saw around half of the prests, the ones with the lowest numbers, had fallen to the ground, superficial injuries adorning their bodies. The higher-ranked ones, as he assumed, had received no damage from the explosion. Specifically, Number Two had barely even budged. Most of the damage was felt by the spectators, who were shredded to pieces. None of them had survived. If I remember correctly, none of the spectators were in the double digits. Perfect.
"What the hell happened here, kid?" Asked the Major who had just walked through the portal analyzing the situation. He was the first to pass through the portal, and Theo could see dozens of fiery puppets run around to intercept the enemy, led by their summoner. The snake itself seemed to be covered by an armor made of lava, flowing around his body like water.
Number two scoffed, not seeming bothered at all, "So, you aren't number Five. Managed to trick us for a second. Do you think a mere tier nine will threaten us? Fool!" The robed man flew at incomprehensible speeds at Theo, ready to take the blow. Guess I'm done here. Major, General, please rescue my owners, and take care of them. Before getting squished into atoms, another figure stepped through the portal. It made the flying priest stop in his tracks.
"W-what?" Asked the man uncertainly.
"Well done, Private. Leave the rest to us. As for you," The General pointed at Number two, creating a mental connection with the enemy, "The Emperor has tolerated your presence until now, because you created a nice and concentrated source of chaos for the kingdom, but you made the mistake of taking something that wasn't yours. Goodbye." The tree monster appeared right behind the stunned man, hitting his side with a massive wooden hammer, making the much smaller man fly hundreds of meters in the air.
"Major, take care of this small fry, I'll keep the strong ones busy. After that, look for the Doctor and his children. Got it?"
The snake nodded, excitement entering his body and voice, "Yes, sir!"
"For you, Private, try to survive and support the Major however you can. See ya later." With that, the tree monster disappeared in a blur and true chaos began.
Congratulations! For entering the base of a secret society and exploding bombs in their faces, you obtained a new skill!
Skill: Low-rank Chemistry!