Chapter 156 - Bad Plans and Goodbyes
“I must warn you, I’m not sure it’s entirely possible. This could all be for nothing and honestly might get you killed. In fact, it’s about as likely that you’ll die trying to get your core back as you would on the suicide mission I was already sending you on,” Mortimaxx said, as if Jack’s death were a matter of fact, not possibility.
“So, you agree it was a suicide mission,” Jack said, squinting at the lich. He had returned to his gnomish form at this point, draped in a light blue robe.
“What’s so dangerous about the lab?” Hannah asked.
“Crawling with defense mechanisms. A type of golem. Plus, the place is wrecked beyond measure, making it difficult to navigate.”
“I’ve been meaning to ask about that,” Karlisle said. “I remember the moon being more intact last time I was here. What is that giant crack about?”
“From one of my forays into the lab well after Andurian disappeared. That’s another thing—it’s trapped with rather powerful explosives. I’ll be going with you to ensure you don’t get yourself killed.”
“We’re going, too,” Hannah said.
“Not if you want to make the auction,” Mortimaxx countered. “Getting to the lab itself is relatively straightforward, but we are going to have to spend some time inside.”
“Why?” Jack asked. He really didn’t want to miss the action at the auction house.
“I don’t have a good answer for you, I’m afraid. I quit going to the place regularly after I blew half of it up the first time. I’ve been working with limited information, trying to piece together what I can from the remains.”
“But the Omni-Core is there, right?” Jack asked, pulling out the core module Mortimaxx had given him prior.
Lightning Core Module
Type: Core Module
Tier: Rare
A lightning module designed for use with an Omni-Core.
*****
Product of Andurian.
“Yes. I do know where it is located. Although, I haven’t the faintest idea how to use it. I imagine we will have to do some more searching to figure out how to use it.”
“This might be a bad idea. Jack and puzzles never go well together. It might be better if we stick together as a group and conquer the auction house first. Then we can help you,” Hannah offered.
Jack glanced around the table, slightly annoyed. Their reasoning made sense, but he couldn’t think past getting his core back.
“It’ll be fine,” Jack said. “As much as I hate to admit it, I’ll be dead weight at the auction, anyways. How many powerhouses are going to be in attendance?” He glanced at Elera, who was filing her nails.
“Several. While it would be amusing to watch you fight them without any mana, throwing yourself into the mix of the auction is likely to get you killed, no matter how special you may be.”
“Aww, you think I’m special?”
“What I don’t like is you not being there so I can sneak you into Cassius’s fortress,” she continued, ignoring Jack completely. “Remember, I need you to kill him, and you won’t have many opportunities after the auction house, if any at all. He plans to leave for the first floor, and at that point, my life will become very difficult if he is still alive.”
“I’ll handle the Twilight Lord,” Devin said, stepping up.
Elera glanced at him. “Not good enough, pretty boy.”
Jack glanced at Devin. His eyes were hard. “He can do it,” Jack said, giving him an approving nod.
Elera raised her eyebrow at him. “You think? I haven’t even told you what the Twilight Lord is capable of.”
“And you don’t know what Devin is capable of. In case you forgot, he also survived alongside me this entire time.”
“And obviously, I’m going to help,” Hannah added.
“You won’t be able to make the auction—” Elera started.
“Devin, you don’t mind missing the auction, right?” Hannah interrupted.
“Not if I get to kill the man who got my mercenaries killed.”
“Sneak Devin into the manor. All hell is supposed to break loose at the auction. I’ll ensure that he is appropriately weakened, if not outright injured. Once he’s inside his fortress, he should let his guard down, making it easy killing for Devin.”
“Hmm. I’m starting to feel like everyone here might be overestimating their abilities,” Elera said bluntly.
“You’re forgetting one key component in all of this,” came a relaxed voice. Everyone turned to look at Karlisle. He grinned. “Me.”
“Morty, Jack, I’ll be going with you to the lab,” he said. “I imagine you’ve had so much trouble figuring anything out because you can’t read Godscript, no?”
“True,” Mortimaxx said. “There hasn’t been anyone capable of deciphering that nonsense in a long time.”
“Godscript?” Hannah asked.
“It’s an enchanted script Andurian developed so he could experiment with magics in secret, away from the prying eyes of gods. It’s ironically named, as the gods themselves are incapable of reading what it says. Even the Tower can’t translate it. I’m honestly surprised it’s fallen out of style; I suspect some meddling gods have gone through great lengths to ensure no one can read it anymore.”
“Exactly. I imagine, with my assistance, we can secure Jack’s core and make it to the auction in time to back you up. And, if we miss it… well, try not to die.” Karlisle shrugged.
“Lot of moving parts and shaky timelines. I don’t like it, Jack. We’re rushing this. Are you sure you can’t—”
“Gideon is going to be there,” Jack growled, slamming his fist on the table. “I can feel it. I can’t bury a knife in his skull if I’m not at my strongest. I won’t let this opportunity pass me by.” Jack gritted his teeth in frustration. He felt dumb lashing out like that, but watching Mortimaxx fold on his supervillain revenge plan so easily had put him in a bad mood. How long would it take before Jack just gave up? He didn’t want to think about it. He had to stay focused.
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“Alright,” Hannah finally said, looking at Elera. “Devin, Nutt, and I will go with Elera and prepare as best we can for the auction. You two go with Mortimaxx and get your core fixed. Mortimaxx, we’ll need access to the causeway and any additional help you can provide.”
“My arbiters will be showing up in full force to the auction house to… maintain order,” he said with a devious smile. “You can stay here to prepare as long as you need. I’ll have my arbiters assist you with anything, although I don’t keep many supplies on hand. Still, this will serve as a fine enough base of operations while you ready yourselves.”
Mortimaxx glanced at Jack. “You should say your goodbyes now. We leave within the hour.”
“Where are we going?” Nutt popped up from under the table.
“You’re coming with me,” Elera said, scooping up the goblin and causing him to shriek.
Jack stood up and stared at Hannah, who had him pinned with an annoyed stare of her own. “I think you might be losing the plot there a little bit there.”
“I cause the chaos, and you control. That’s how it’s always been, no?” Jack smirked.
She smiled back at him. “Be careful up there. Don’t dick around too much. If Gideon shows up, I’ll try to keep him pinned down.”
“About that,” Elera said, stepping in between them. “I haven’t heard any rumors of Gideon showing up. Last I heard, he was well on his way to the seventeenth floor.”
“Oh, he’ll be there,” both Jack and Hannah said.
“I’d heard Gideon was on the first floor of humanity, but I didn’t think it was true…” Elera said, narrowing her eyes at the two of them. “Bad blood? I always heard he was supposed to be noble. Kind, even. There was even the Golden Scale saying he’s offering to protect humanity.”
“It’s a long story. Killing him going to be a problem for you?” Jack asked, his eyes going hard.
“Nope.” She grinned. “You can tell me about that story once this is all done, yeah?”
Jack glanced at Hannah, who wore a curious smile of her own. “I’ll fill you in over the next few days,” she said.
“Hey! It’s my tragic story to tell,” Jack complained.
“Ooooh. You’re telling me the coreless wonder of the second floor has a tragic backstory? How exciting!” Elera mocked.
Hannah let out a small chuckle.
Jack narrowed his eyes at the two women. “I do not like where this is going. Devin? Make sure these two stay separated. They’re plotting.”
“I know what’s good for my well-being. I will do nothing of the sort,” he said.
“Jack,” Karlisle called. “We’re going to get ready to head there. It’s time to say your goodbyes.”
Jack turned to his friends and gave them a confident thumbs up. “This is going to be a clusterfuck.”
“I’m learning to accept that about you,” Devin said, shaking his hand.
Hannah gave him a small nod. “Have fun.”
He looked for Nutt, but the goblin had gotten the cauldron stuck on his head again and had returned to his new favorite pastime of bumping into random furniture.
“See ya, Nutt,” Jack called out.
“Who said that!?” the goblin yelped.
He turned to Elera. He still wasn’t sure about her at all, and it took him a minute to figure out what his problem was with her. She had the same sort of relaxed nature that Gideon had on the first floor. He had almost trusted the dragon, and now he was leaving his friends with the same kind of person. “I don’t want to part on a bad note, but if anything happens to them, I’m killing you first. I don’t care if I have to let Gideon get away in order to do it, either.”
He stopped cold, his mind blanking. Then he started laughing, more to himself. He had literally just been mad at Mortimaxx for giving up on his revenge, and here he was, saying he would do the very same thing. He glanced once more at Hannah, Devin, and even Nutt. He had a team again. He had friends again. He had done nothing but lose since coming to the second floor.
That stopped now.
Elera just gave him a curious look, a small smile dancing on her lips. “I hope you survive. I would hate for this to be the end of our story.” She gave him a wink then turned and left to talk plan with Hannah and Devin. Jack joined Karlisle and Mortimaxx, following them out of the room.
As he followed, he took a look at his status page.
Statistics / Quests / Tower Store / Achievements / Blessings
Name: Jack Atlas
Race: Human Ascendent [Rare] [+4 SP per level]
Floor: 2nd Floor
Level: 17
Class: Executioner [Epic] [+5 Str, +3 End, +3 Vit, +3 Dex per level]
Core Type: [Error: No Core detected]
----------------------------------------
Stats —
Strength: 44 - [Adept - High]
Endurance: 29 - [Adept - High]
Vitality: 24 - [Adept - High]
Dexterity: 112 – [Journeyman - Low]
Focus: 23- [Adept - High]
Willpower: 53 - [Novice - Low]
Free Skill Points: 12
Achievement Points [AP]: 732,435
----------------------------------------
Abilities [5/5] —
Lightning Centipede’s Bite [Uncommon, Novice - Low] [Error: No Core detected]
Storm Step [Rare, Novice - Low] [Error: No Core detected]
Lightning Engine [Legendary Epic, Journeyman - Low] [Error: No Core detected]
Chain Lightning [Rare, Novice – Low] [Error: No Core detected]
Final Strike [Epic, Novice – Low] [Error: No Core Detected]
----------------------------------------
Passives —
Multiverse Common Tongue [Non-Upgradable]
Storm Stance of the Lightning Executioner [Rare, Journeyman - Low]
Sneak [Uncommon, Novice-Low]
Mana Condenser [Rare] [Incomplete]
Mana Channels of the Transcendent Berserker [Epic]
Throwing Weapons [Common, Adept – High]
Mortal Wounds [Passive, Rare]
Blood Scent [Passive, Rare]
Jack took a moment to appreciate his Epic class. One of the goals for this floor quest was to reach level twenty before advancing. He honestly hadn’t gotten much time to do any honest-to-goodness questing and leveling and was only level seventeen after the chaos of the past few days. Still, though, he didn’t feel weak, and a large part of that was thanks to his Epic class, so he was getting pumped full of stats every level. He looked at his free points: twelve even.
He put six into Strength, bringing him to 50, and the other six into Vitality, which brought him up to 30. He was starting to feel like a well-rounded adventurer, which meant it was probably time to start dumping points into Dexterity again. Can’t have people getting faster than me, he thought with an amused grin.
Satisfied, Jack closed his status menu and chased after his tour guide.
Mortimaxx led them to a set of stairs that led down deeper into the cathedral. With each step, it gradually darkened from majestic cathedral to the creepy lich dungeon he had originally expected the place to be.
“A long time ago, a strange man visited me,” Mortimaxx started, leading Jack through the ancient, maze-like crypt lined with stone coffins. “To my shock, he showed up with my phylactery that I thought was well hidden deep in the desert, buried in a city lost to the sands of time. Andurian had found it with surprising ease,” he complained.
“His offer was simple. He wanted to use my cathedral as his base of operations, and in turn, he would hide my phylactery somewhere no one would find it. He was quite charming and hard to refuse, because he kept killing me over and over again until I agreed to his demands. That is how I ended up with a portal to the moon in the depths of my cathedral,” Mortimaxx finished, stepping up to a nondescript tomb set upright into the wall. He tilted a nearby sconce, and the wall rumbled as the tomb door slid to the side. The hidden away room was bare aside from a large circular stone embedded in the middle of the floor. It was raised slightly as though a platform. It looked like the waypoints, but the spell circle engraved across the top was entirely different from anything he had seen before. The runes hummed with the faint blue power of mana, and Mortimaxx approached it with some degree of reverence.
“I hope you’re ready for this,” Mortimaxx said.