Murmurs rippled through the hall as the territorial lords whispered among themselves. Some debated the implications of Trix’s words, while others exchanged heated arguments about what the vote might mean for their domains.
Trix, however, made no effort to quell the noise. The examiner’s emoji face shifted once more—this time to an amused grin—as it stood silently, seemingly relishing the chaos it had stirred.
Scott, reclining slightly in his chair, observed the scene with a measured expression. His gaze briefly lingered on Trix. Look at this asshole… he thought, his lips curling into a faint smirk. The examiner’s apparent enjoyment at their expense was irritating, though not entirely unexpected.
“Excuse me,” a voice called out, cutting through the din.
The murmurs died down, and all eyes turned toward a short creature with reflective, metallic skin. “What do you mean by ‘the fate of the Endless Bridge rests on the vote’?”
Scott’s eyes shifted to Trix, silently joining the others in awaiting the examiner’s clarification.
Trix’s emoji changed again, this time to one of laughter, as visceral giggles escaped its screen-like head. “It’s simple, really,” Trix began, its tone as casual as if discussing the weather. “If the majority of all lords vote against the gods’ proposal, their armies will be barred from entry. However…” Trix paused, the laughter emoji replaced with a sly grin, “…if the majority agrees, the gods’ armies will flood into the Endless Bridge in their numbers.”
The examiner leaned forward slightly; its hands clasped in mock sincerity. “Of course, like all things in life, there will be… consequences, no matter what choice you make. Please keep that in mind when casting your votes.”
The hall fell into tense silence as the lords absorbed the examiner’s words.
“What sort of consequences might arise from refusing them entry?” a territorial lord finally asked, their voice tinged with apprehension.
Trix’s emoji turned to a mischievous wink. “A lot, really,” it giggled. “But if I were in your shoes, I’d be most concerned about one thing: refusing their request would make you instant enemies of the gods—and all their allies.”
The tension in the hall deepened as somber silence gripped the lords. Scott’s eyes narrowed, his thoughts churning. Of course. A vote against them is a declaration of war…
“And what about the benefits?” another lord pressed, breaking the quiet.
Trix adopted a pensive emoji, fingers drumming against its head. “Hmm… That’s hard to say,” it mused. “I can’t speak on behalf of the gods or their allies, but I imagine they’d offer generous concessions to those who align with their cause.”
The emoji shifted again to one of enlightenment as Trix continued, “Oh! One thing you should all know, though: if you allow them entry, their forces will automatically gain the right to be ranked on the Territorial Rankings—so long they meet the requirements of course.”
Gasps rippled through the hall, and the murmurs erupted once more.
Scott’s eyes darkened. Not even I thought of that possibility. Of course, they’d use this as an opportunity to sneak some of their elites into the rankings. While they might not care about the Endless Bridge itself, this is a rare chance for some of their forces to gain some of the Administrator’s authority.
His thoughts churned as he weighed the ramifications. If they establish a foothold, even minor concessions could spiral into greater influence. And once they’re entrenched...
Absorbed in his musings, Scott barely noticed the tap on his shoulder until it came again, pulling him back to reality.
He turned to find Meelat staring at him, her anxious gaze flickering between his direction and the dais below.
“What are you going to vote for?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Scott studied her for a moment before answering. “My choice doesn’t matter unless it aligns with the collective majority,” he replied evenly. “What about you?”
Meelat hesitated, her hands wringing nervously. “To be honest… I don’t want them to come here,” she admitted softly, glancing around as if fearing someone might overhear her.
Scott raised a brow, intrigued by her unexpected stance. “Oh? That’s surprising. Why not?”
Meelat’s expression darkened, her voice dropping even lower. “Because they’ll turn this place upside down in their search for whoever they’re after,” she began, her tone filled with worry. “And there’s no telling what else they might be planning.”
Scott’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean by that?”
Meelat took a deep breath, her gaze fixed on the floor. “Think about it,” she said. “It might start with allowing them entry to hunt their fugitives, but can anyone guarantee that’s all they’ll do? What if they have greater ambitions—ones they haven’t shared?”
Scott stared at her intently, his mind racing. She’s not as simpleminded as I thought… interesting. It’s a shame I can’t access her status interface.
He leaned back slightly, readjusting his posture. “You’re right. No one can predict what might happen if they’re let in,” he admitted. Then, after a brief pause, he asked, “By the way, how did you become a lord?”
Meelat froze, her body stiffening as her face turned an awkward shade of pink. She avoided his gaze, fidgeting with her fur.
“You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to—” Scott started.
“It’s not that,” Meelat interrupted, scratching the back of her head. “I’ll tell you, but... promise you won’t laugh, okay?”
Scott tilted his head, bemused. What could she possibly say that warrants that?
Still, he nodded. “Alright. I promise.”
Meelat exhaled deeply, her shoulders relaxing slightly. “I know it’s not the conventional way most people climbed the rankings, but I just stayed true to my class.”
Scott’s brows furrowed. “What’s that supposed to mean? Explain it properly so I can understand.”
Meelat hesitated, her cheeks flushing again as she fiddled nervously with her ears. Finally, she sighed. “I used to be a tamer before I ended up here. As fate would have it, the link sent me to a region teeming with all sorts of exotic beasts when I first arrived. Unlike most people, it was paradise for me. There’s nothing I love more than befriending unfamiliar creatures—well, maybe apart from drinking, but you get the point.”
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Scott’s gaze lingered on her, his features softening slightly. Is she saying she became a lord by simply befriending the beasts in her territory? he mused, intrigued by the simplicity of her story.
“Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?” Meelat asked, fidgeting nervously under his piercing gaze.
Scott chuckled. “Let me guess—you befriended those creatures, and somehow, you ended up as a lord, correct?”
Meelat’s mouth parted in shock, her eyes widening. “How did you know?” she asked, leaning forward slightly. “Did it happen to you too?”
Scott shook his head, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. “I wish. Unfortunately, no.”
Before he could pose another question, Meelat’s voice interrupted. “Oh, that’s a shame. You should visit sometime—I’m certain you’d find them as fascinating as I did.” She paused mid-sentence, her ears perking up as if struck by a sudden thought. “Come to think of it… are you human?”
Scott’s brow arched. “Why do you ask?”
Meelat hesitated, as though carefully weighing her next words. Finally, she continued, “I’ve seen several humans over the years. Their personalities vary—some are kind, others… let’s just say, less so. But no matter how different they are, they always retain a shred of their humanity.” She paused, locking eyes with Scott. “I don’t see that in you. So… are you?”
Scott’s expression didn’t change. His answer came cold and flat. “Not anymore.”
Meelat blinked, momentarily taken aback. “Oh,” she murmured, falling silent as she processed his response.
Seconds later, her expression brightened with a strange excitement Scott couldn’t quite place. “If you were once human, you might know about the creatures in my territory!”
“What are you talking about?” Scott interjected.
“They say their ancestors came from a world once dominated by humans,” Meelat explained, her words spilling out in a rush. “From their stories, it was a place of endless blue skies and deep oceans, with trees and flowers teeming with life. They say—”
Scott stopped listening. His thoughts churned as he stared at her. Could the creatures she’s talking about be descendants of animals that escaped from Earth into the Tower? he wondered, his mind racing. How in the hell did they end up on the Endless Bridge instead of a normal timeline?
No matter how hard he thought, no answers came. Lost in his musings, he was jolted back to reality by a new voice cutting through the room’s murmurs.
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The speaker was a slender, feminine champion of a humanoid arthropod-like race, her glistening carapace catching the light as she rose from her seat.
“Instead of granting the gods and their allies permission, can’t they reward us for eliminating the fugitives in their stead?” she asked, her tone sharp and deliberate.
All eyes shifted to her, and the whispers faded as the room’s attention turned back to the dais.
Trix’s emoji shifted to one of surprise, then to a thoughtful nod, and finally, a cunning grin spread across its digital face.
“Excellent question!” the examiner praised, clapping theatrically. “I was hoping someone would ask that. Truly, an excellent question.”
“Answer the damn question already!” a deep voice bellowed from the back.
Trix’s emoji morphed into a mockingly serious face, and it coughed exaggeratedly before continuing. “Alright, alright—no need to shout,” it said. “The gods did anticipate this line of thinking, and here’s what they’ve declared: They won’t stand in your way if you choose to hunt down the fugitives yourselves. In fact, anyone who succeeds in eliminating them will be handsomely rewarded.”
The room buzzed with renewed whispers.
“However,” Trix’s voice rose, cutting through the noise, “there’s a catch. If you go down this route and fail to hunt down all the fugitives within a set timeframe, the gods’ forces will be allowed to enter the Endless Bridge—with or without your approval.”
Scott’s eyes narrowed, his thoughts churning. A fail-safe… of course. They want to force our hands one way or another.
Trix tilted its head, its emoji shifting to one of mock contemplation. “But none of you have to decide right now—”
“What are you talking about? Didn’t you say we’d be voting?” a lord interjected, their voice brimming with frustration.
“I did,” Trix affirmed, flashing a thumbs-up emoji. “But I never said when, did I?”
Silence followed as the lords processed this revelation.
“For those who’ve forgotten,” Trix continued, its tone dripping with faux patience, “I said, ‘a vote will be taking place across the different rankings on whether to grant the requests of the gods or not.’”
“So when will the voting happen?” another lord asked, their tone edged with irritation.
“During the next conference,” Trix replied smoothly. “You’ll all have ample time to contemplate your decisions.”
Before Trix could continue, a new voice rang out.
“Hold on,” said the number one ranked lord among the Ascendants, a woman with an aura of cold authority. She rose from her seat, her piercing gaze fixed on Trix.
“What happens if we eliminate the fugitives before the next conference?”
The question hung in the air, and the tension in the room thickened. Even Scott’s gaze shifted to the woman, intrigued by her line of thought.
Trix’s emoji shifted once again, settling into a devilish grin that seemed to stretch across its entire screen. The examiner’s voice echoed with mock cheerfulness. “Oh, you’d be handsomely rewarded by the gods, of course! There’d be no need for a vote either. A neat solution, don’t you think?”
It paused dramatically, savoring the palpable frustration brewing in the hall. Lords exchanged tense glances, but Trix wasn’t finished.
“However…” It drew the word out, its tone dripping with mischief. “Good luck finding them on the Endless Bridge. I don’t think I need to remind you how ridiculously large this place is. Tracking fugitives here? It’s like finding a single grain of sand in an endless desert.”
A low murmur rippled through the crowd, lords whispering their discontent and doubt.
Trix’s screen suddenly glitched, and its emoji shifted to a conspiratorial smirk. “And here’s the kicker,” it continued. “The bounty notifications won’t work on fugitives who’ve managed to become territorial lords or are sharing a lord’s authority. Basically…” It paused, leaning forward as though sharing a secret. “…you wouldn’t even know them if you stumbled right into them.”
The hall fell into a tense silence as the weight of Trix’s words sank in. Some lords sat frozen, while others exchanged hurried whispers.
“Wait,” a voice called out, breaking the stillness. A stout lord with burnished scales stood, his brow furrowed. “Are you saying some of them have already become lords?”
Trix’s screen flashed to a laughing emoji, the sound of its laughter distorted and grating. “What if I told you…” it began, drawing out the suspense, “…that they already know about the gods’ decision?”
The murmurs rose again, louder and more frantic this time.
“How is that possible?” demanded a slender, cloaked woman, her voice sharp with disbelief.
The examiner cackled louder, its screen flashing erratically as it reveled in the chaos it was causing. “Oh, by the time this conference is over, they’ll know about the vote too!” It paused, switching to a mischievous smile emoji. “In fact… who’s to say they’re not listening right now?”
Several lords shot to their feet simultaneously, their faces a mixture of outrage and suspicion.
One of them, a towering figure clad in crimson armor, pointed an accusatory finger toward the dais. “Are you saying one of them is already a lord?”
Trix’s laughter erupted once more, echoing across the vast hall like nails on a chalkboard. “You know,” it began, its voice brimming with glee, “instead of worrying about who might be a lord, perhaps you should be wondering if they’re right here, right now…”
The room went silent, all eyes locking on the eccentric examiner as it delivered its final blow.
“…in this very room, with us.”
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Scott, who had been quietly watching the chaos unfold, couldn’t help but smirk. His gaze lingered on Trix, who was clearly reveling in the tension it had stoked.
This bastard’s an elite shit-stirrer, Scott thought, his amusement growing as he watched the lords’ reactions. Some fidgeted nervously, others glared suspiciously at their neighbors, and a few looked as though they were ready to erupt into violence.
Scott leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms as his mind churned. Look at him, having the time of his life. But there’s more to this, isn’t there? Why would Trix go out of its way to plant doubt like this?
His gaze flicked around the room. He did give me a solution to that annoying wanted notification problem, though. But was it intentional, or is it a part of this asshole’s scheme?
Scott shifted in his chair, his gaze locked on Trix, though his thoughts strayed elsewhere. Amid the growing chaos in the room, a faint smirk tugged at his lips. Now more than ever, I’m glad I decided to join this conference, he mused. I can’t wait to see what else this wacko has up its sleeve.