The first level of the steps was pretty simple to start out. Greed. I set my foot down on the first step and suddenly became hyperfocused on...wanting. I wanted the keys above people's heads (four pieces of gold and two pieces of silver manifested over me, but I was a bit distracted), I wanted their weapons, their money, and anything else I could see. Luckily it was a pretty mild want, so I took another step.

The need to take intensified slightly, but was still easy to ignore, I stepped up again toward Billy, only to almost get blindsided by a large purple fist. My Danger Sense warned me in time, but it was close. My staff flashed out, slamming into the instep of my attacker, then kicking him down the steps as I moved up again.

Much like Billy, once I got a few steps up, THAT'S when I started slowing down. This particular section was absolutely diabolical, because the greed in question was the greed for everything but victory. The more people mounted the steps, the more you had to focus on, and the more people who focused on you.

The really strong people were able to stay focused, people like Gabe and Adrian and Abel. But random people who weren't as disciplined had turned the extremely wide golden steps into a free for all. I was far enough towards the front that there were only a few people to contend with, but the others had lagged behind me as I ran and were embroiled in the mess.

I saw Benny going blow for blow with some transformed apelike creature, the steps cracking slightly under him enough to make me realize he was density shifting his whole body consistently. I hadn't asked about what benefits breaking his mind shackle had had, or even if he'd managed it (though it seemed like he had) but he'd clearly become much stronger since getting here, his soul allowing him to put all the new stats to good use.

Out of the corner of my eye I spotted a flash of silver, and it took me a second to realize it was Callie, using the shadows of the people on the glowing steps as weapons, slashes of dangerous dark energy from her Abyssal Path tearing through her enemies. I turned slightly, my diagonal path set to intersect with hers.

Based on my current count, there were a hundred steps in the greed section. Every one drove me more and more mad for external objects, desperate to loot, steal, and plunder. I would have given in, honestly, but I saw Callie, and I focused on her. I had her in my life, and that was worth more than any theft. I didn't want to take, I wanted to give. Both pieces of this silver key to go with the one she already had.

She also had a bronze fragment, and I didn't want Billy to attack her for it. After about fifteen steps, I finally caught up with her. Reaching up, I snagged both silver pieces and shoved them toward her. The floating piece above her head seemed to attract them like magnets and suddenly she had three floating over her, same as I did. Up ahead I saw Adrian with one gold, three silver, and one bronze.

I debated fighting him for them, but I saw Callie freeze when she hit step twenty. Her eyes began to flicker around, and I cursed internally. My loot goblin girlfriend was exactly the wrong person to get through this.

My hand snaked out and grabbed hers, startling her slightly. "What do you need?" I asked firmly. She looked confused. "I'll get it for you. Any of it. You don't need to take anything. I'm here, just fight it and tell me what you need and I'll make it happen." She stared at me blankly. I just shrugged. "It's not greed if its for someone else. I don't want to see you fail before we even get to the first platform."

We were stopped on step twenty. We'd pulled ahead, but the rest were starting to catch up as the weak were weeded out enough to thin the crowd. It helped that these stairs were ridiculously wide, but we'd all been pretty concentrated. Billy and Adrian were both far ahead, apparently when you're a serial killer who wants to watch the world burn, you're shockingly inured to material wants. Adrian I was pretty sure was just really disciplined.

Callie took a long, deep breath and exhaled through her nose. "I...I'm good. I promise. I'm with you. That's all I need." She squeezed my hand, smiling sweetly at me, and we took another step. The pressure redoubled, but somehow, it was barely noticeable. Not because of the bond, but because somehow, greed just felt...pointless. I was happy, she was happy, and we were together. What more could I want?"

Sadly our little moment outside time was interrupted by my danger sense and I swept her off her feet by her hand, spinning her out like we were dancing as a crackling ball of red lightning split the air where she'd just been. I turned and SPAT, using my Steam Arrow, and infusing it with Touch of Tears. It hit the tall woman with the braided hair who had thrown the orb and she screamed, toppling over and clutching her face.

Stolen novel; please report.

There was a slight scuffle as she tumbled down the steps and then she stopped making sounds, apparently crushed under the careless feet of the rioting masses. I saw a huge vine reach up and snag someone about to jump Benny from behind, drawing my gaze as Jessie bodily hurled them off the side of the steps to presumably their death.

"You alright?" I asked Callie, who had started getting squirrely again when we got distracted. I paused. "Actually. Do you feel different? Because I feel different." I glanced down at myself and noticed nothing until I got to my staff. The Stygian Branch was now...heavier. Conceptually. The Impact difference was fading as both the staff and I slowly became more real. It wasn't E-rank yet, but it was a stronger F.

Callie shook her head sharply. "I do. It's not helping. This is the realification process huh?"

"I'm positive that isn't a word." I chuckled. "But yes, I think the conversion has- whoa!" I yanked her hand again, another spin whirling her out of the way of a charging figure shrouded in clouds of dark red smoke. My Danger Sense tipped me off early enough to plant my staff in front of his feet. He hit the staff, tripped, and slammed his face into the step in front of us. I brought the staff around like a bat and smashed it into his damaged face as he wobbled to his feet, sending him tumbling into the crowd.

Callie winced. "Ok, I think our plan to do the platforms in shifts will need reworking. We're together so we can take turns, but the group got separated, so the others will have to fend for themselves."

"At least they won't have too much trouble." I chuckled, glancing back down. "The extra soul strength is clearly making Benny hell on wheels, and her spiking Might stat has Jessie in a good place too. Those vines are durable and strong as hell. When we get up there, you can absorb the energy from the platform, I'll do the next one." She opened her mouth to argue and I cut her off. "No buts!" I said firmly. "You gave me the last flag. It's your turn."

She beamed at me, taking a long, slow breath. "Alright, I'm good to start moving again. Thanks for distracting me."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." I said with dignity. "But stay focused on me. We're a quarter of the way up." I squeezed her hand tighter and we started to climb. It was a terrible sensation. My teeth were chattering, my skin was tingling, I felt a compulsive need to take, take, take. The only thing that kept me grounded was Callie's hand in mine as we walked.

I could feel through the bond that she was doing just as badly. We'd passed the point where we could just focus through it halfway up. I was pretty sure rushing was making it worse, but we needed to get to the top fast enough to catch Billy. The bond kept us both grounded, and by the time we hit step seventy five, we were basically leaning into the sensations as hard as we could to avoid the draw of the steps.

By the time we finished the last step, I collapsed to the ground in pain, heaving an gasping, Callie beside me doing the same. The constant twitch and cramp and jerk of muscles as we fought our own bodies was agonizing. I wished I had enough heal bursts to use but I was low. The energy from the platform helped, we were still mostly soul, and it poured into me for a minute, knitting my injuries together until I could focus enough to stand.

Callie was still shuddering, and I left her to absorb the soul refinement energy. I'd only taken enough to set me right, but I'd said I'd guard her and I would. The second we stepped off the stairs I felt the blare of my Danger Sense. I'd expected to be attacked, but nothing had happened yet, so I glanced around and was relatively unsurprised to find Adrian standing there, waiting for me.

"You know, Billy is getting away." I gestured over his shoulder where the murderous lunatic we'd been chasing had mounted the next set of steps.

He smiled placidly. "I don't care. I'm not here for him. I'm here for that key. You can give it to me or I can take it. I'll even trade you the silver, your girl has most of it already. You can come in second place. No reason to get you both booted out of here early."

I laughed at that. "You know, I don't care too much either. I'm a bit worried, but honestly, I'm not going to fight you because I need to catch him. That's a problem for future Shane. No, I just want to see if I can beat you. Everyone has been talking you up, so afraid of big bad Adrian from the Fist God Temple."

This was going to need to happen eventually, and I didn't feel like running. One on one, me vs him. I wanted that. Wanted to win, and I wanted to test out my new single combat Goetia form. So I did. I reached down into my DS Mastery. I triggered Consecration of Flames, Afterburner, and Mercy Kill. Flames infused my body, filling me up, not transforming me, but boosting and enhancing me as those skills all merged together.

My hair was flame, my eyes were flame, and my breath came out as puffs of steam as my muscles tensed and flexed. For the final touch, I triggered Marked for Death, imbuing the ability to destroy defenses into the fire, and the bright flickering flames turned dark and ominous as the energy became geared toward destruction.

I spun up my staff, the dark wood blazing on both ends with black flames as I prepared to fight. Adrian raised an eyebrow. "I heard your schtick was green magma. This seems different."

Baring my teeth at him, I triggered State of Grace, Flurry of Blows, and Ripple Running, readying myself to attack as I adjusted to the previously theoretical melding of my fire skills. "Yeah, this is new. Hope you like it, you're the first person I'm showing it to." Stepping off the ground, I blurred forward, thrusting out with the staff and concentrating all my force into a sharp brutal jab at his foot. He dodged and the platform groaned as the impact blew a hole in it. "Goetia staff art: second form." I intoned with a grin. "Mephistopheles."