NOVEL WEB Chapter 60: Beyond… in General
Finally, Jake is gone and won't return in a little while, distracted with new shiny things as he is. None of those goodies aren't valuable mind you, and what Esstrey is planning certainly isn't that much higher in scale than importing guns or her ever-growing deals with The Infernal Host. Humanity has stagnated on this planet, maybe on the other planets belonging to [The Veil] as well. Overly reliant on private contractors called 'adventurers' to solve internal security problems, while at the same time the standing military rots under the lack of competition. The capitalists were right about one thing, competition breeds innovation, there were few moments where humanity learned as much as when it was very busy killing itself. The Romans were natural engineers, and better conquerors, the Thirty-years war cut a bloody swathe across Europe so badly it permanently severed the ties between politics and religion. The first world war saw a grown man dulled by war turned fearful as the ground shakes and a metal titan enclosed on his position, what Esstrey wouldn't do to see that...
If humanity can't unite, and if they can't compete, then what the hell are they doing? Trick question, they are being kept down. The gods, [The Central Governor], magic as a whole. It all provides the end of questions, humans are problem-solving creatures by nature, if these things end their questions, what will they have to ask? Nothing. For they now live in the destitute knowledge that beings beyond comprehension exist, and leave it all to 'greater powers far more qualified' to find the answers to their questions.
Esstrey doesn't know much... but the little she knows tells her that a civilization with thousands of years of recorded history shouldn't be this primitive. The answer to her question lies in the palm of her claw, a figurine of herself made of burning rock.
"Parasite, I need you to enchant this, I will compensate you, but I believe you aren't one for gold." There is a certain distaste in Esstrey's voice, not for having to work with the parasite, but for having to rely on magic she doesn't understand yet has to accept.
"The host bumbles and trips around in the presence of its fellow materials, but I see the trick you try to pull. There will be no deal until the host guarantees it will not use the results against me. A... contract written by blood should suffice for this if the host's memory serves this one correctly." The unnatural voice returns from within Esstrey's throat, it's much higher pitched than her own voice while still using her vocal cords to aid it.
"That is... acceptable, I'll write one up now." Contrary to popular belief, you don't need to actually write your entire name in a blood contract, for the contract is made through the blood. Only a sufficient amount of blood needs to be voluntarily applied to any writing aid, and the terms written there at the time will be enforced upon the being, with the punishment of failing to uphold the contract being death by boiled blood. Something that Esstrey can only survive for as long as she can stay awake, and the parasite can only survive it by all fleeing material space that has a concept of blood contracts. These contracts aren't used often, mainly because the punishment always being death by boiled blood.
"This is acceptable, but it is not payment I want... I want a name, materials make them so easy underestimating their power. I also want more biomatter, taking nutrients from one who controls blood is nerve-wrecking. I do not require a blood-contract for these things, I trust the word of the host on the supply of biomatter." The parasite applies it's blood print to the paper, confident that Esstrey hasn't hidden any clauses by grace of being connected to her nerves. It's price is cheap, but certainly the only thing the creature could be interested in when dealing with a shared body.
"A name? Hmmm... you are... Katerina. As for the meat I'll just occasionally shove some food at my back, if I make this gesture it means it's for you. Now little girl, you and me are gonna wreck this place." Esstrey watches in glee as Katerina fulfills her end of the bargain by enchanting the figurine to have a dimensional presence.
"Why am I a girl? I am not capable of sexual reproduction."
"Because you are in me, thus you are me. No complaints, no one gets to choose. Hush now, this next part requires concentration." Esstrey adjusts her Altyn helmet to make sure it's on properly, and powers up the figurine.
The figurine begins to glow, and somehow becomes more... pronounced. Some afterimages are next to the figurine, and it begins to pulse with power.
[Dimensional breach detected by beacon of locally made origin, containing source.]
It seems [The Central Governor] didn't like that, as the figurine begins to disintegrate under the weight of it's power, if the corrupted system was meant to stop the dimensional breach, it did a shitty job of it. A portal appears in the room near the beacon, one connected to a different dimension.
Out of the portal comes an eldritch monster of a high rank, it's flesh undulates as it get accustomed to the new dimension and faces a large mermaid with a helmet pointing a crossbow at her. The mermaid drops her crossbow, and charges at the creature which has taken on an odd shape for even its kind.
"Comrade Cathy! I fucking knew you would make it! So good to see you again!" Esstrey tackles the little maid of tar, begins rubbing her head and gives a big kiss. Her entire face becomes messed up in Esstrey's bear hug, but she manages to stay as standing as a shoggoth can.
"This one is also [liking/enjoying/good time] being with its fellow interdimensional, this one wonders how Esstrey is doing." Cathy seems as stoic as ever, even if her face did get a shade of purple darker after getting kissed.
"Good, better now. Soon I will be doing great, wanna mess up some bastards with me?" Esstrey just now realized how lonely she felt without someone that understands other dimensions, although Katerina did help some with this.
"This one is looking forward to [assisting/aiding/reinforcing] once again." Cathy wasn't exaggerating when she said she liked being with Esstrey either, for Cathy the mad mermaid is the only one who accepted the shoggoth's many peculiarities.
