Chapter 119

Book two is dropping tomorrow, I am very excited!

Basement, Champion’s Rest, Atlanta - 9:10 AM

The elevators took us to the basement of the hotel as requested, depositing us in a large, empty room. The fluorescent lights high above flickered and hummed, but that was just about it. Despite the fact that a hotel was situated above, there were no support pillars anywhere to be seen. The space was big, perfect for a large-scale fight, and it gave the room a suspicious aura.

Regardless, the women with me didn’t hesitate to step out of the elevator after me and start looking around. We continued walking forward, heading towards the far wall, but the lack of footsteps that should have echoed through the room was unnerving. My Heelies of Hermes had the Party Trick, Sneaky Soles, still attached while Kayla had her Boots of the Illusionists muffling her steps. Joanna must have had something similar.

“Wow, not exactly what I was expecting down here,“ Joanna said with a nervous whistle. “How’d you learn about this?“

“I am a man of much knowledge, Joanna,“ I answered. “But, if you must know, my Patron is a keeper of many secrets. Some I am shared, while others I need to find on my own. This is one of those two.“

“Oh, really? You were either told this or found it out and that’s supposed to mean something, is it?“ Kayla asked in a deadpan voice. “How helpful of you.“

“You’re a sassy one, aren’tcha? I really don’t mind that,“ I said. Looking back, I saw Joanna move over and wrap her arm around Kayla’s. Then she stuck her tongue out at me. I chuckled, shook my head, and gestured forward. “Tunnel’s coming up.“

The bare walls were made out of concrete just like the floor and ceiling. Ahead of us was a dark spot in the wall that was the tunnel in question, and we stopped at the threshold. Light barely touched it, illuminating only a few feet inside. I could see clearly with Dungeon Sight, and I knew that Joanna was good to go, so I looked to Kayla. “You have a way to see down there in the dark?“

She pointed to her glasses. “Magic transition lenses,“ Kayla said. “Helps protect against the sunlight and lets me see through darkness. So, yes, I can see perfectly fine in there. Can you?“

“Oh, yeah, you don’t have Tito’s Goblin Vision anymore, do you?“ Joanna asked. “You didn’t make a mistake or anything, did you?“

I snorted. “Yes, I can see just fine. Since the two of you can as well, let’s go.“

The tunnel in front of us started to slope downwards after about twenty feet. It was steep, but not unmanageable. It only took us about a hundred feet or so before the slope leveled out and we were face to face with a door similar to the one Joanna had mentioned.

It was less a security door and more like a spaceship airlock. It took up most of the wall and was made of a solid gray piece of metal. I reached out and tapped on it, but the sounds I heard were muted. There had been times where I attempted to break through to get inside, but it took way too much time and far too much effort.

Beside the airlock was a keypad. The keys were much bigger than normal, and they depressed directly into the wall instead of being on a box. I stood in front of it and was about to enter the code when I was prodded in the back.

I turned around to see Joanna shaking her head. “Don’t be that way, what’s the code?“ she asked. “We should know in case something happens to you.“

Rolling my eyes, I shrugged and made room for Kayla and Joanna to watch. I spoke the combination as I typed it in. “2-3-6-3-3-4-2-8-6-3-7-3-3-7-6-6-1.“

“That’s a long code,“ Kayla remarked.

“Yeah, but it’s really easy to guess as long as you’re thinking about it,“ I said, sighing. “Give it a minute and it’ll open.“

“You sure you don’t have to hit the pound key? Or star?“ Joanna asked. “You know, to make sure the code goes through?“

Instead of answering, I waved a hand towards the door. A few seconds passed before it showed any changes when a steady hissing noise came from it. Our feet were hit by a blast of compressed air as the whole thing started to rise. The smell of clean sterilization wafted out, and we were soon treated to the sight of another dark tunnel.

I turned around and noted that both Kayla and Joanna had apprehensive looks on their faces. “You two sure about this?“

“Of course,“ Joanna said, standing a little straighter. “Not going to let you have all the fun.“

“We’re fine,“ Kayla stated before gesturing me forward with her arm. “We’ll be right behind you.“

“Great, then we’ll go in quiet. If you see anything worth mentioning, point it out, but quiet whispers only,“ I said. “Whatever’s down here might already know we’re coming.“ The two women nodded, and I turned around to lead the way.

The tunnel walls had changed from bare concrete to white metal, and was large enough across that the three of us could hold hands with outstretched arms and walk comfortably side by side. The ceiling was easily twice the height of a normal hallway, which made it obvious that this space was made for Benedict Merder and Frastina. There were still no lights, either.

Everything was pristine. There were no blemishes on the metal. No scratching, dirt, or even dust. The airlock wasn’t just for show; this place was locked down tight.

It didn’t take us long before we came to a junction in the road, leading left and right. I immediately started heading to the right, but Joanna prodded me in the back again.

“Why don’t we go left?“ she whispered, pointing the other way as I turned around.

I took her arm and pulled her onto the path, which she allowed. “Do you feel that?“

She paused, but shook her head. “No. Should I be feeling something?“

Frowning, I activated my Heelies and started to slowly travel backwards. Once I stopped, I showed her the wheels on the bottom. “This way is down,“ I said. “Barely, but it is. So this is the way forward.“

“Dude, you wear heelies?“ Joanna asked, snickering. “How do people actually take you seriously?“

“If you’re not going to take this seriously, then we’ll turn around now,“ I said sternly.

“What? No, be cool. We’re good, we can head right if you really want to,“ she said, putting her hands up as she backpedaled.

“Thank you for the permission,“ I muttered before glancing at Kayla, who was trying not to laugh. Rolling my eyes again, I started heading down the hallway.

It was subtle, but it became obvious that we were descending at a slow pace in a very large spiral. The tunnels spun around the center of the Merder Stadium safe zone and were accessible from many points. Not only did I choose to lead these two into the easiest to access tunnel, but in order to save some time exploring I had chosen the entrance that would be as close to the bottom as possible.

If we had chosen to head upwards, then we would have come across several more junctions leading all over the safe zone. Kayla may have been fine letting me lead, but Joanna would want to visit every one of them just to make sure they didn’t lead anywhere strange. She was fast in the darkness, but it would have wasted time.

“So you were serious about Manny becoming a Demon?“ Joanna asked.

“Back home, Jeff and I had a friend who also had a Demonic weapon,“ Kayla answered. “But he only used it for a short time and kept it in his inventory until he could safely get rid of it. Anthony was the one who figured it out. The Demonification thing, I mean.“

“That’s the guy you and Jeff showed up with, right?“ Joanna asked. “Still haven’t met him yet.“

“Yeah, he’s been gone for a while,“ Kayla said, and I could have sworn I heard an accusation in her voice. “But he does that from time to time. Runs off to who knows where, only to reappear when you least expect it.“ I grimaced at her words, but couldn’t refute them.

“Sounds like a handful.“

“He is, but he’s a good kid,“ she continued. “Well, I say kid but he’s not much younger than Jeff and I. And he told Manny he’d help with those Goblin vehicles, so I know he won’t be gone for long.“

I stopped myself from answering for myself. It was true that I had been slacking off when it came to helping with the Goblin vehicles, but it wasn’t because I had forgotten. There just hadn’t been time for it yet. And, now that these things were taking a dive with Frastina showing up, I likely wouldn’t have the time for another day or two.

“Sounds like a neat guy,“ Joanna said. “But Manny should be fine, right? That guy you knew got better?“

“He did, but that’s a question better directed towards the Warmonger’s Patron, I think,“ Kayla said hesitantly.

“As long as he keeps on the right track, he should be fine,“ I said, not bothering to look back. “It’ll be up to you, Ramona, Tito, and everyone else who’s interested in seeing him succeed to stay on his back. My Patron and I aren’t sure how much the Angelic influence will counteract what’s already built up in his system, but as long as he’s good, literally, he should be fine.“

Joanna released a breath of relief. “That’s great to hear. Thanks.“

“It’s also not going to be easy,“ I continued. “Demonic influence, once you’ve worked through the painful first steps, is addictive. You’ll need to second guess his intentions on the choices he makes until it’s clear he’s started making actual progress to the side of good.“

“Manny is on the side of good,“ Joanna said, her voice becoming heated.

“Don’t get mad at me, I’m the one who provided a possible solution, remember? This is just advice because, obviously, the path forward isn’t as simple as this stupid spiraling hallway.“

“You’re… right. I’m sorry.“

“Apology accepted, and it’s no problem,“ I said with a wave of my hand. “Anyone with half a brain can see that you’re enamored with the dude, and I’m not about to argue with that.“

“What?“ Joanna asked loudly, obviously flustered by my sudden declaration. “No. That’s-“

“Not my business, and keep it down,“ I said with a scowl. “I don’t care about your relationship status, just that you keep your voice down and not alert anything that might be down here.“

“My bad,“ Joanna squeaked, and I heard Kayla rub her back.

We descended in silence after that. The spiral started to become more noticeable the further we got, becoming steeper and coiling more tightly. Even still, our pace was slow and the path was long. The longer we walked, the more the atmosphere seemed to push in on me. Every step felt like we were getting closer to a powerful boss monster.

I heard Joanna shudder as the feeling suddenly became palpable, and I stopped though I refused to look back. “You can head back, if you want,“ I told her. “I can handle it from here.“

“No, I’m fine,“ she said.

“Are you sure?“ Kayla asked, and I could hear the worry in her voice. The Double Agent would be fine, at least, thanks to her Moxie stat and the Mercurial Mind passive.

“Absolutely,“ Joanna replied, not sounding completely sure of herself.

“Good, because I think we’re almost there,“ I said before resuming.

Even though my statement was correct, it still took several minutes until we reached the center of the spiral. The pressure mounted with every step, which slowed Joanna and eventually even Kayla. Ahead, strobing lights of all colors cut through the darkness. I held up a hand, crouched down, and started inching towards the end of the tunnel.

The circular room at the end was large, tall, and the walls were completely covered in television. Videos from different parts of the various tournaments taking place played on every screen. I could see parts of the first two rounds of the Chaos Cup, as well as fights from the one on one and team tournaments that went on in the Safe Arm Arena.

Running along the outskirts of the room were various control panels. While it was hard to see from here, I knew that they controlled the televisions and the guardian of this room. Mentally reaching out, I Dropped the switch I knew would prevent it from activating when we walked in.

Once it was securely down, I entered the room. As I did, I looked upwards and pointed so the other two could get a good look at what we came here for.

High above us, floating in a tank of translucent green liquid, was the monster Benedict Merder was cultivating.

“What the heck-“ Joanna started, though Kayla stopped her from continuing.

It was humanoid in shape with black skin dotted in spiral patterns made of white circles. Those started at its face, which held none of the usual features one would expect. The only thing that remotely made sense was that it had a mouth, though that started at the nose. It was hard to see from here, but judging on the lips that traveled along the top of its head, it looked like its skull split in half in order to consume things.

“It’s an Uuska,“ I answered quietly. As I gazed upon the monster, I felt my Medallion get hotter against my chest. “It’s a powerful psychic creature that’s known to consume as much as it can. While it can eat people, what it’s most interested in is psychic brain waves. It gains knowledge through observing these, which I imagine the televisions must be able to put out, and mimics the things that it eats perfectly.“

“So Benedict Merder is feeding this thing the fights so it learns everyone’s styles?“ Kayla asked.

“That’s exactly it,“ I said, waving towards the televisions. “That’s his excuse for the tournaments, and why Frastina wants things to go so well. If it does, then the whole of Atlanta will need to band together to kill this one creature, likely in a future scenario. It’s smart. It doesn’t just learn everything, but it figures out what works and what doesn’t and acts accordingly.“

This was exactly what they planned on releasing as the boss for the second scenario, and its first act was to destroy several helpful buildings around the city in order to find its missing Medallions.

One of which was in the CDC and the laboratory underneath, which made dealing with widespread virus and disease outbreaks later on nearly impossible without massive casualties. Removing the Uuska before its scenario started was a big win for humanity.

“Those bitches,“ Joanna muttered. “So we’ve got to kill it, right?“

Turning around, I shook my head. “No, not yet,“ I said. “I’ve been warned that if anything happens to the Uuska now, then it’ll only bring despair to the safe zone. Benedict and Frastina will have no reason to keep up the charade, and who knows what would happen then.“

“Okay, sure, but we can’t fight in the Chaos Cup anymore, right?“ she asked. “Because it’s going to get better with every fight.“

“Also not an option,“ I said with a shrug. “If we don’t fight, then the administrators will know something’s up. They could start the scenario early if they think we’re avoiding it.“

“Then what are we supposed to do?“ Joanna snapped, raising her voice slightly. “Go on like everything’s fine?“

“Yes,“ I answered. She looked taken aback by my simple response. “I have a plan and a trump card. It’s just not time yet.“

“And when is it going to be time? Huh?“

“Joanna, calm down,“ Kayla said, putting a hand on the Syndicate Shade’s shoulder. “You know the Warmonger doesn’t want this any more than you do.“

I didn’t confirm that. In a way, this thing feeding was exactly what I wanted. It needed to get stronger so I could get better rewards for defeating it. Under normal circumstances I would have killed it between the third and fourth round. That would have made it a hard, but reasonable, fight. With Break Free as a trump card that couldn’t be copied, however, I was very sure of myself.

“I want to fight it, but there’s a time and place for everything,“ I said. Reaching into my hoodie and shirt, I pulled out the Medallion of Uuska and held it up. It was starting to glow, and it would have been dangerous to hold if I didn’t have my Heat Resistance passive. I Lifted it and let it hang in midair.

The Uuska responded to the Medallion, filling the room with an intense psychic screech. Joanna fell to the ground, clutching her skull in pain, while Kayla fell to a knee. I felt a headache come on, but withstood it. The monster slammed its arm against the glass tube it was trapped inside, but couldn’t so much as crack it.

“Just you wait,“ I said. “You’ll get a piece of me soon enough. Remember this feeling, and seek me out above all others. This Medallion could be yours, help you evolve, and all you have to do is rip it from my cold, dead hands. Don’t you want the power of a Warmind all to yourself?“

Everything went quiet as the Uuska stopped its psychic onslaught. It tilted its head down at me, and I knew it was staring. I tucked away the Medallion and turned to the women. Kayla was able to stand on her own, but barely. That Moxie stat meant she was spared from the worst of it. Joanna had been knocked out cold, and I picked her up.

“We’re leaving,“ I said as I turned around and reentered the tunnel.

“That sounds like a good decision,“ Kayla said, following beside me and examining Joanna. “What was the point of coming down here again?“

“So that it goes after me, first,“ I said. “It can learn and grow all it wants, but it can’t learn class abilities from just watching. I’ve been feeding this Medallion of Uuska since day one, and that’s the mechanism for its evolution.“

“So you just painted a target on your back, great.“ Sighing, she shook her head and patted me on the arm. “What’s the plan now?“

“Once we’re safe, I’m going to leave Joanna with you. She shouldn’t have any lasting damage, but a psychic attack from an Uuska is bad news if you don’t have a mental stat to block with,“ I answered. “You and Jeff have everything covered at the CDC?“

“Exactly as you instructed, and even doing a bit better than you thought because we can devote so much time to it. But what about you, psychic boy? What’s your plan?“ she asked a little more sternly.

This time, it was my turn to sigh. “Frastina wants Howard and I to have dinner with her after the next round, which is a first,“ I told her. “Since I’m pulling another all nighter and I’m not sure what plans she has for us, I’m going to try to sleep.“

“Good, you need your rest,“ Kayla said, leaning against me as she walked. It seemed like she hadn’t taken the psychic attack as well as I had thought. “Don’t push yourself too hard, okay?“

“Sara says the same thing,“ I replied. “But you got it, Kay, I hear you.“