NOVEL WEB 21. Don't Gaze into the Abyss
Chapter 21 – Don’t Gaze into the Abyss
Vincent
Vincent balked at the veritable mountain of foul-smelling kill trophies staining his meticulously maintained office. If the situation was not what it was, he would have been upset at the callous disregard of his workspace. But the scene before him was anything but simple. When he got the report earlier of an unknown level zero beating a level 55 guard senseless, he had dismissed it as a rumor. But then he got a meeting request from the Adventurer Guild Leader.
Apparently, the goblin activity in the area had plummeted for no apparent reason. The village was rife with speculation of the cause. The guild leader suspected some hidden power pulling the strings, which reminded him of the earlier report. When he mentioned it, the guild leader was adamant that he wanted to meet this individual.
Vincent had known the guild leader, Blake Thomas, since childhood. They were two years apart in age and had grown up in the same village. Their own planet had integrated into the multiverse a few generations before they were born, by which time most planetary first Titles were already gained. Even though the two were opposites, they were practically inseparable as kids. Vincent was the studious admin type while Blake was brash and adventurous. But it was their friendship that set them apart. They relied on each other to grow in their respective fields until finally they reached where they were today. Vincent handled the politics, while Blake took care of the more violent endeavors.
Vincent knew what Blake wanted from this meeting. He wanted to get his hooks into another upcoming adventurer to boost his own position. And to be honest, so did Vincent. They had successfully navigated many political loopholes to gain fame at the cost of naïve little idiots who wanted to make a name for themselves. Many minor noble houses threw their younger generation to the wolves with little to no information in the hopes of gaining a powerhouse with rare Titles. Very few succeeded but desperation or internal politics meant that the practice never really died out. How they managed to blend in their kids with the Players from newly integrated worlds was a well-guarded secret.
The duo had never actively sabotaged any such individual. Merely riding on their coattails to improve their lot in life. A win-win situation in Vincent’s book. They provided background support and resources to the nascent powerhouses, while in return they got the recognition for nurturing said talent. When the individual finally did succeed, they received generous rewards from the noble house for their contribution, and should they fail, it was no skin off their back.
But in the 60 years of his life, Vincent had never faced a remotely similar situation. Usually, his oversensitive nose made him gag with as little as mild body odor. But he was so utterly perplexed at the implications of what he was seeing that he didn’t even register the smell. His entire focus was on the unassuming young boy sitting confidently before them. He had met geniuses before, but this kid was different.
Decades of political gymnastics had trained him well to pick up subtle body language clues. The kid before them had been an enigma from the moment he stepped through the door. Confident and cautious was a combo he rarely witnessed from younger nobles. But this kid had it in spades. Vincent had even picked up the shift in the kid’s demeanor when asked which noble house he was from. The kid was an amateur actor, trying to confuse them about his origins. Vincent could clearly see through the act, but not what it meant.
“So, do I qualify to join the guild?”, the kid asked confidently. That part was not fake at all, his confidence.
Vincent turned to his friend to gauge his reaction. It was exactly as predicted - jealousy. It was a bad habit of his. Even after years of successfully using their tactics to advance, his friend always felt jealous of the nobles. Coming from poor families, they had never had the resources the noble houses had. And it had always irked Blake. Vincent decided to step in before his partner did something stupid.
“Yes, of course. You have fulfilled the requirements and then some. Both the guild leader and I have received System notifications just now, and once we acknowledge them, you should be receiving the rewards promptly”, he added quickly while browsing his Village Head interface.
Thankfully his hotheaded friend snapped out of whatever dark tunnel he was going down and did the same. Vincent saw the kid’s eyes glaze over as he browsed his own notifications. He could not even fathom the kinds of rewards the brat must have received, but the kid barely showed any emotion as he callously dismissed the notification and turned back to meet his eyes.
“Is there anything else we need to discuss?”, the boy asked in a bored tone.
“I think that about concludes our visit. I will personally assign you a handmaiden or a steward to take care of mundane things for you. And your guild ID will be hand delivered to your accommodation. Speaking of which, you are welcome to pick a guest quarters of your liking, whose ownership will be transferred to you promptly. It will be in a remote location of the village, affording you some privacy.”
The boy thought about it for a while before simply nodding as he stood up. He marched out with the guard captain and the village admin in tow without a single word of thanks. Vincent took a deep breath of relief. This had gone better than expected, even if there were many surprises. His friend spoke up in a foul mood.
“I hate that brat. Look at him haughtily walking away like he owns the place”, Blake grumbled.
“Careful, Blake”, Vincent cautioned his best friend.
“I know, I know. He is our ticket to the big leagues. But it drives me crazy me, having to bow down to these snotty nosed brats. If we had half the resources these lowlifes waste, we would already have reached our third evolution. It has taken us 60 years to scrounge together enough scraps to barely make our first evolution”, his friend vented his frustration.
Over the years this had happened many times, and Vincent knew from experience that it was better to let him vent than have him lash out in anger. He wasn’t wrong though. Blake was level 102, while he had been stuck at 99 for the last few months. When the opportunity to host a newly integrated world had presented itself, they had both jumped at the opportunity. Hoping to finally get out of the rut they had been in. They were both level 99 before coming here, but his friend, having a combat class was able to propel himself successfully. Vincent’s non-combat class required the village to prosper to gain levels.
“I mean, did you look at the artifact the kid was flaunting on his wrist. I couldn’t even identify the damn thing. Probably what he has been using to conceal his Titles and levels. I will eat my own shoe if that kid is level zero. Pretty sure he has more powerful artifacts or some hidden bodyguard to protect his sorry ass. The dungeon was probably handed to him on a silver platter.”
“And that hidden bodyguard is exactly why you should shut your mouth. Did you forget what happened the last time you badmouthed a noble brat, thinking we were alone”, Vincent spoke in a threatening whisper.
That finally shut his friend who looked around the room, expecting a knife held to his throat any second now. Vincent sighed in relief, now having time to finally plan their next steps. Whoever the kid’s backer was, had to be a big fish. They had to play this very carefully so as not to upset the unknown party. He started his mental calculations while his friend silently panicked.
………………..
Aenon
Aenon walked with purpose as he navigated his way out of the mansion. When he finally made his way out of the building, he turned back to the two following him in silence. The administrator stood meekly with her hands clasped in front of her, while the guard captain had a conflicted look on his face. Aenon pitied the man, but for his own safety, had to continue with the charade.
“So, where is this guest quarter the village head mentioned?”, he demanded.
“Yes, well, there are three options to choose from. I will prepare a carriage so that you can visit them all and take your pick. It might take a while to arrange though. Is there anything else you would like to do in the meantime?”, the village admin spoke up loudly.
“You can start by introducing yourself. Or would you like me to keep calling you admin.”
“My apologies, sir…”
“Aenon, not sir.”
“Oh of course. My apologies, Aenon. I am Village Administrator Wendy. Pleasure making your acquaintance.”
“Pleasure is all mine. Now could you please make the arrangements for the carriage while I visit the Training Hall? I have some business to attend to. Would you be willing to accompany me, captain?”, Aenon laid it on thick with the princely accent.
The captain stuttered for a few seconds before giving a bow and falling in line behind him. Aenon started walking as the admin scurried away in a rush. After walking for 5 minutes, Aenon finally turned to the captain.
“Something bothering you, captain?”, he asked with a smile.
“Uh, no s.. I mean Ae… I mean…”, the captain floundered for words.
“Relax, Kobal. You can address me casually when we are alone.”
“Ummm, that wouldn’t be proper”, the older man said sheepishly.
“Well, what would be a proper term for addressing me then?”
“Hmmm, how about young master?”
“Sure. Let’s go with that”, Aenon replied while sighing internally. He really liked the guy but couldn’t risk him blabbering the truth back to the Village Head. He noticed the man fidgeting.
“Anything you want to ask, captain?”
“Well… you see young master. I have a lie detection skill that comes with the guard captain class. Earlier when you said you were not rich…”, he trailed nervously. Aenon smiled before replying.
“You are wondering why it didn’t trigger the skill. It’s simple really. That’s because I didn’t lie”, Aenon replied nonchalantly.
“I don’t follow”, the captain asked with confusion.
“I said I am not rich. Is it really a lie?”
The captain’s eyebrows went up in understanding. Unbeknownst to him, now that he was aware of the skill, Aenon was testing to see if it would trigger the skill. It seemed that using partial truths or carefully wording his response could bypass the skill. He was glad he found about this skill before he got caught hiding something truly sensitive.
“Anyway, looks like we have reached the Training Hall. I wouldn’t want to hold you away from your duties. Although, I will hold you on your offer for a drink. I do not like the taste of this place’s alcohol, but I am sure I can find something. I look forward to your company.”
The captain bowed before promptly marching away. Aenon took a deep breath as the man left. Finally, he entered the Training Hall and proceeded to the same guy he met last time. Only this time, Aenon detected a mild disdain in the man’s tone.
“Here to get your class I assume? The door is that way”, the clerk pointed to a door to the side before burying his nose back in some book. Aenon shrugged and went in the direction of the door. Using his soul sense, Aenon detected the man look up from his book and scoff.
Aenon ignored the man and entered through the door into what looked like a tiny room. It appeared to be a storage room of sorts, with random items scattered about. He backtracked to the clerk to make sure he was in the right place which aggravated the man.
“Everyone has already chosen their class. So, the Class stone is in storage. I do not have the time to drag the humongous thing out for leeches. So go grab your class and proceed to the exit”, the annoyed man spoke without looking away from his book.
Aenon glared at the clerk before walking back to the room. After half an hour of moving boxes, and digging through random shelves, he found what he was looking for. He was covered with a thick layer of dust and grime by the time he was done. Since he was alone in the room, he didn’t even dust himself off and touched the stone. He was flung into his Soul Space instantly.
He heard the same whirring sound as last time, although a bit louder. With nothing better to do and finding no change to his Soul Space, he proceeded to check the notifications he had skipped back at the manor.
System Notification
For clearing an overflowing dungeon, thereby ensuring the safety and prosperity of your settlement, Gold and SP has been awarded. Additionally, completing the task solo grants additional SP. +80 SP, +500G
System Notification
Contract Fulfilled
Reward for info: 200G
Reward for kills: 719G 92S 24C
Guild Points: 500
Guild Rank: Pending
Unfortunately, he didn’t get any new Titles but at least his net gold balance looked pretty good. He had 1419G, 176S, and 316C. This included the random loot drops he sometimes found. The first thing on his shopping list was the 500G information crystal for this planet. He also decided not to spend the SP for combining Skills anymore unless necessary.
As he dismissed the notification, he noticed the scan was still ongoing. So, he decided to check up on the crystal. It was still inert except the data browsing function. Since he was not in a mood to watch any Earth movies, he randomly moved about his Soul Space. When he reached the spot where his injury was, he found the wall completely spotless and smooth. He controlled his avatar and tried running his hand across the surface but found no cracks or mana leaks.
Satisfied, he was about to turn away when he did notice something. A very tiny, almost imperceptible pin hole existed. He realized that it was the location where the corrupted thread from the ring had pierced through. Whatever it was had completely corroded the wall and left behind the tiny thread wide hole and Aenon doubted it would heal. He left his avatar behind and tried pushing his consciousness through the hole.
After some struggle he managed to push through and found himself back in the empty void. But just as quickly he regretted his decision. Because this time, he was not alone. There were uncountable floating eyeballs with varying pupil shapes and colors staring down at him. He felt a sharp pain in his soul that was infinitely worse than the soul attack he had endured. He felt his consciousness shatter and reform again and again as he heard billions of voices talking over each other.
After an eternity of torment, an eye appeared that was inconceivably bigger than the rest. Aenon was like a fleck of dirt facing the galaxy spanning entity. As his soul broke apart and reformed for the trillionth time, he heard a voice. But he was beyond reason, beyond consciousness by this point. He merely existed. He was pushed back into his Soul Space, and the last words he heard which he was able to understand were…
Foolish child
………………..
Wendy
Wendy was in a panic. It had been 4 hours since the supposed noble boy had left the mansion. But he never returned. After a lot of running around they were able to find his last known location. Some incompetent clerk had let the boy access the class crystal unsupervised. And that is where he was last seen. No one had seen him leave the storage room and the only trace that he ever existed was the black bracelet right next to the crystal.
The moron who pointed the boy to the room had even tried to pocket the bracelet in his greed. Which is what had brought down this hell on them all. She was gathered here along with every single department head and their assistants. As they all stood in a line like meek children, the young elf stomped back and forth. The Arbiter was clutching onto the bracelet while she stared daggers at the village head.
“So, let me summarize this for you. You and the Adventurer guild leader invite a new Player to your place. He is seen being escorted here by 4 guards and your guard captain. You claim to have questions about the recent goblin disappearance because of a scuffle with a guard, who by your admission had wronged this Player. He then submits a whole goblin horde worth of kill trophies, before you allow him to leave. But then, he is again seen being escorted to the Training Hall by your guard captain by at least a dozen witnesses. You claim that he entered the building of his own free will. And supposedly a clerk sent him alone to the storage closet to access the class stone, unsupervised. And just like that he disappears”, the Arbiter fumed.
Wendy stared at the ground, hoping it would just swallow her up right now. She did not want to be in the Village Head’s shoes and was hoping with all her will that she wasn’t asked a question. The poor old man stammered a bit but was unable to form a coherent response. And so, the Arbiter continued.
“Oh, and did I forget to mention the bracelet that this independently acting clerk tried to sell on the multiversal auction? I’d like you to venture a guess as to who gave him this bracelet.”
“Honorable Arbiter, I was unaware that bracelet came from you. I merely thought someone must have dropped it. I would never have tried selling it otherwise. Please, you must believe me”, the guilty clerk begged from the ground. He was bleeding all over and had burns on half his body. Wendy would have pitied the man, if she was not in this mess because of him.
“Well, I guess it is your lucky day then. It was not I who gave him the bracelet.”
The clerk visibly relaxed at that before the Arbiter scowled viciously and continued.
“It was given to him by an Overseer. And not just any Overseer, it was my grandfather, Overseer Velcodirust.”
It felt as though the temperature of the room had dropped by several hundred degrees, as every person in the room felt their very souls freeze at that statement. Wendy knew that Overseers were existences not to be trifled with. They could end their pitiable lives with just a passing thought. But the name the name the Arbiter dropped, there wasn’t a living soul in the multiverse who didn’t know it. He was at the very pinnacle, far beyond the other Overseers. And he was also the most ruthless.
The man had erased galaxies from existence at the smallest slight caused by one arrogant individual. If they had truly crossed him, then this entire planet could be doomed. Everyone fell to their knees, begging for mercy from the Arbiter.
“The only way you get out of this alive, is if he is unharmed. Get out of my sight and go find him”, the Arbiter cut them all off and declared menacingly.
Everyone ran the next instant, like the devil was after them. For it was, and they needed to find this boy to appease it.