Scott started intently at the mechanical creature, a torrent of questions swirling in his mind. The android humanoid remained stoic, maintaining its bowing posture while Scott hesitated in silence. The stillness stretched on, punctuated only by the deafening roar of the winds. Finally, Scott took a tentative step forward, his voice carried away by the gusts.
“Will you answer my questions?” he inquired, halting in front of the bowing figure.
Raising its head, the robotic humanoid met the eldritch knight's unsettling stare. “I will do my best to answer all inquiries, but first, we should return,” the robot urged, gesturing towards the churning darkness beyond the parted door.
Scott's gaze shifted towards the entrance, his brow furrowing. “What awaits me in there?” he questioned.
Turning towards Scott, the robot replied, “Your kingdom. And there, you shall uncover the nature and truth of your existence. Please, come with me, great one,” it said with another courteous bow.
Scott's eyes remained fixed on the parted door, the yellow sign flickering incessantly within his left eye.
“Lead the way,” he finally conceded after a moment's hesitation.
The robot straightened itself before proceeding towards the door in deliberate steps, with Scott following closely behind. The eldritch knight scanned his surroundings meticulously, searching for any signs of danger, but found none. Nonetheless, he maintained his vigilant demeanor as they approached the door.
As they drew nearer to the door, Scott's features twisted in surprise, his eyes blinking rapidly. Peering through the darkness, he beheld an expansive space, with countless galaxies spread out beyond imagination. A shimmering pathway akin to flowing mercury stretched into the unknown expanse, battered by icy winds.
“Why does this place feel familiar?” Scott wondered aloud, unable to shake off the sense of déjà vu. “What is this place?” Scott asked out loud.
“This is merely a small map meant to depict your galactic conquest,” the android explained without turning, its right-hand gesturing towards the distant galaxies.
In an instant, the distant clusters rushed towards them, revealing dozens of planets, swirling dust clouds, myriad asteroids, stars, and moons. Within this cosmic tapestry lay an array of unimaginable life forms living in harmony. Yet, amidst the diversity, Scott spotted towers akin to the one in the nameless valley, scattered throughout the expanse.
The android flicked its right hand once more, and the clusters returned to their original position. Then it continued walking. Lost in his thoughts, Scott paused for a moment before following the creature. A moment later, his voice echoed again. “Who are you?” he asked.
The android stopped once more, turning toward Scott with a subservient bow. “Great one, please call me Wuta-345. I was chosen among the previous council to manage this tower until your appointed time of arrival,” it revealed.
Wuta-345? What does that even mean? Scott thought, frowning behind his mask.
“So, what purpose does this tower serve?” Scott asked impatiently, his gaze focused on the android.
The android raised its head, its eyes beaming with an ominous gleam. “It’s a beacon to call forth your armies for the fateful battle,” it said.
Scott’s brows creased even further. He had never been more confused. As he prepared to speak, a rogue thought suddenly filled his mind, and his eyes widened as if clarity had dawned on him. He stared intently at Wuta-345. “Does Hastur intend to wage war against the gods and lesser gods of the Tower of Champions?”
“Yes,” Wuta-345 answered solemnly and without delay. “All of Carcosa has gathered for the sole purpose of fulfilling this desire,” it continued, staring intently at Scott. “And you have been chosen as Lord Hastur’s vessel to bring forth this task,” it said, pointing toward Scott.
“Wait, you mean Hastur isn’t here to accomplish this task himself?” Scott queried.
“The gods and rulers of this plane are indeed powerful, but the Great One will never descend to such a low plane of existence. His mere presence alone would shatter the very fabric of known reality in this dimension. Even his—”
“You’re lying,” Scott interjected, forcing the android to sharply meet his gaze. The eldritch knight continued, his voice steady, “An existence on that level would not care about a plane of existence as trivial as this. It’s just too much work.”
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
Wuta-345 prepared to speak, but a portal opened right next to it, ripping the mechanical creature to shreds. Instantly, another android with remarkable similarity to Wuta-345 appeared from an adjacent portal.
It bowed as soon as it arrived, “I greet thee who was chosen by the Unspeakable One. I’m Wuta-346,” it said.
Scott stared at the remains of Wuta-345, which weightlessly drifted through the void, then turned his attention toward its successor. “Tell me the truth. The reason your master hasn’t descended into this plane of existence isn’t because he doesn’t want to; rather, it’s because he can’t, right?”
The android nodded in its bowing position, seemingly scared to utter a word. Scott’s eyes lit up, but even more questions plagued his mind.
Scott pondered, if it’s impossible for him to appear here, then how and why did he choose me?
Almost instantly, a hand shot out from the mask, hurtling toward the abyssal void. The sentient appendage tore through the fabric of space and time, unveiling a massive mirror that projected a series of chaotic images before retracting back into the mask, leaving Scott staring at the colossal projection.
“Is that me?” Scott muttered, his gaze fixed on a chaotic event he couldn't recall, mirrored before him.
He witnessed a version of himself lying battered and beaten in the desert, his ashen face besieged by a tumult of emotions. Bitterness, confusion, and hatred etched into his eyes, threatening to consume him. Yet, Scott couldn't tear his gaze from the tumultuous skies above, where the heavens churned and twisted, revealing a portal to the void. Massive, writhing tendrils, each capable of engulfing the Earth; coiled and thrashed within the primordial abyss. They seemed to consume ancient, burning stars with ease, shattering them into oblivion.
The once vast and awe-inspiring universe now seemed minuscule compared to the monstrous tentacles.
Scott watched as the version of himself on the ground bled from both eyes, the writhing appendages unlike anything he had ever seen. Eldritch in nature, they exuded an otherworldly aura. Fascinated, he couldn't look away as the ambiguous monstrosity devoured star after star, its insatiable hunger seemingly unquenchable.
The eldritch horror morphed into an even more unfathomable form, a writhing mass of flesh, bone, and sinew pulsating with an ungodly energy that threatened to tear reality asunder. Scott trembled, his mind recoiling, yet a strange sense of familiarity filled his heart.
Why does this look familiar? Scott pondered silently. The image shifted again, several versions of himself floating in the abyss, all gazing at the eldritch horror. One by one, they disappeared, their existence judged invalid and mundane.
The eldritch abomination continued its rampage, reshaping the fabric of the universe at will. The tiny spectators vanished, leaving only one version of Scott remaining.
Then, a new image emerged. In the vast emptiness of the void, the variant faced a figure in flashing yellow. Though non-humanoid, it felt oddly familiar to him.
Scott couldn’t tear his eyes from the mirror, his chest throbbing with fury, breath quickening in anticipation. The figure in yellow turned towards him, ignoring the variant within the projection. At that moment, Wuta-346 imploded, the frigid winds dissipating.
The figure in yellow knocked on the mirror, a deafening echo resounding within the void. Scott locked gazes with the otherworldly being, an eternity seeming to pass. The figure averted its gaze, and the projection resumed. Another portal opened, Wuta-347 emerging, but Scott paid it no heed. He couldn't tear his eyes from the screen.
He watched as the figure in yellow extracted the consciousness of his variant, tearing a hole through space and sending the consciousness through it. The images disappeared, the crack in space healing.
Scott stood there, lost in his thoughts, before turning toward the new android, preparing to speak. However, a fresh burst of memories assaulted the mind of the eldritch knight, causing him to wince as he staggered to his knees. His misery lasted only a moment before clarity returned to his eyes.
“I finally understand. So, that’s how I ended up in the nameless tower,” Scott muttered, rising from his kneeling position and focusing on the android.
“When will the war begin?” Scott suddenly asked.
“Once you cross the point of no return, great one,” the android declared solemnly.
Scott's brows creased. This was the second time he had heard about it. “When will I cross it?”
“I have no authority to speak on that matter, great one,” the android responded.
Unknown to Scott, the outline of another hand formed around his mask as soon as he asked the question, but it retreated after the android gave its response.
“Fine. I’ll find out soon enough,” Scott muttered softly. “So, where exactly are you taking me, and how long will I be here exactly?”
“We’re going to see the elders, great one. After that, you’re free to leave whenever you like,” the android responded. It hesitated for a moment before continuing, “It’s likely you won’t be able to proceed to the next floor either way, so—”
“Why is that?” Scott interjected.
“From the data we have collected, they’re all sanctuaries of various lesser gods and gods. They won’t permit unauthorized entry,” the android explained.
Scott took a step forward, his passionate eyes lingering on the bowing android. “You have data on all the floors, yes?”
“Yes, great one,” the android replied instantly, sensing an ominous chill in Scott’s words.
A wicked smile graced Scott’s lips as he continued, “I’d like to see them before I leave. Stand up. I’m eager to meet the elders you spoke about.”
Wuta-347 quickly stood up and resumed leading Scott further down the mercury road. Meanwhile, the eldritch knight had a myriad of thoughts plaguing his mind.
If the next floor is exclusively for those with sponsors, then it’s likely that I’ll be sent to the fifteenth floor. Hopefully, Zara and the others will already have arrived. No matter what, we must all join the blood cult if we want to make it out of the ranking games, Scott thought.