Chapter 70
Chapter 70
Everyone shifted in their seats as they sat around another one of the stolen Faction tables inside Max’s dimensional space.
“This place always feels weird,” Sog sighed.
Ignoring his demon friend’s complaint, Max focused on Jazzjak. “This is about as safe a place as can be to talk? Right?”
“Yes and no,” their helper shrugged. “You know that we’re basically inside a space of the one we won’t mention. Provided we don’t say that name, we’re probably in the best spot for keeping other listeners from hearing.”
Nodding, Max plopped down in the chair he had placed next to Tanila and sighed. “Tell me about traveling to other realms.”
Jazzjak stretched and groaned, a thin smile appearing on the vorpal rabbit’s lips. “Finally… Specifically or—”
“Whatever you think we need to know,” Max said. “How do I travel to other realms? Why would I travel to other realms? What is the point of—”
“Slow down,” Jazzjak said, holding up a paw. “You’re going to ask too many things, and I’ll be struggling to keep up. Let me answer the first one, and then I’ll go from there.”
Their helper hopped off his seat and approached Max. “Can I have some rope? Three pieces long enough to cross the tables?” “I’d offer some,” Batrire said, “but I can’t access my dimensional space.”
Max began summoning rope and cut three equal pieces, handing them to their helper.
Jazzjak took them and handed one end to Max and then tossed the other to Rakonath across the table. He then gave Cordellia and Tanila an end of the second. Finally, Sog and Batrire were each holding an end.
“What about me?” Fowl asked.
“You don’t need one,” Jazzjak replied. “Besides, you don’t sit still long enough to do what I need.”
The dwarf didn’t protest, and their helper continued.
“Each of you pull your ropes taut,” Jazzjak said. “It doesn’t matter that your pieces touch another.”
As the six pulled their pieces tight, each rope intercepted another at two points.
“So, if you’ll notice, there are multiple points at which these threads, as many would call them, are touching. I could have you all trade seats so that the ropes didn’t touch like that, but the truth is that this is typically the easiest way to understand it. However… let’s talk about Max for a moment. If you would, please follow me.”
Jazzjak led them away from the table and laid the ropes on the ground in a small section of the dimensional space. He created a single point of contact where all three ropes met.
“Max, if you would, please stand at that point,” Jazzjak said. Once Max was there, he continued. “The threads don’t always align, and for each god, it’s different. They can also change the path they travel. But for one like our black skill holder here, they will probably stay like this forever.”
“And is that because he is a black skill holder?” Fowl asked.
“It is,” Jazzjak replied. “What happens is you can’t just travel to another realm once you reach Godbound. You still need a way to do so, and that requires having a transporter.”
“Which is something we don’t have yet,” Sog stated.
“That is true, and that is also because most gods don’t reach that rank until after the three hundred years of protection,” Jazzjak said. “So there are very few gods who run into this predicament before their first three hundred years expire.”
“And that’s not a big deal?” Max asked. “What’s the point of being able to cross between realms?”
“It’s all part of the game ,” their helper said slowly. “All I can tell you is that realms provide you with other opportunities to search for other gods to work with or to fight against. Out there are more gods than you can imagine. Each of them is playing the game differently and for different reasons. You are playing the game to keep your family and friends safe. They may or may not be. Some… are playing for revenge.”
“Revenge on who?” Cordellia asked.
Jazzjak pointed at their ranger. “Would you like to kill Thuyja if you had the chance?”
Cordellia grunted and frowned. “Maybe… I mean… I’d at least like to punch her in the face.”
“And based on the little information I know, she’s probably easily tier ten or higher. Tell me… how would that go as a tier four god?”
Their ranger sighed. “Not well.”
“Not well at all,” Jazzjak replied. “But what if you could find other gods who were upset with her or willing to help your cause? Would you be willing to enter into agreements or other pacts to gain their favor or aid to achieve that goal? What are you willing to trade to—” Their rabbit coughed, gasping for air. He swallowed and massaged his throat. “And thus ends that line of discussion.”
“Seriously?” Sog asked. “You can’t just stop there!”
“I wish I didn’t have to,” Jazzjak said. “You take it up with the Archons and the system when you reach the Intermediate God rank and can visit with them. I’m sure they’ll change the rules just because you ask.”
“No need to get all moody.” The demon grunted. “You’re like Rakonath when Cordellia’s being…” Sog stopped talking when a cough from their archer reached his hearing. “And, let’s just move on.”
“Okay, I’ll ask a question,” Tanila said. “What does it mean when someone has a portal pad and they’re only tier one? Was Igarra really that strong?”
“Without knowing everything about her but based on her entity type and what I’ve been told… yes. A dragon is a dangerous god. Just like a void god or some of the others. Just because you can attack someone doesn’t mean it’s the best decision. Has anyone here spoken with Shale Spark and asked her what her stats are right now?”
Everyone turned to look at Rakonath, who shifted slightly on his feet. “Uh… no. Dragons don’t go around asking those questions, and very few offer those numbers outside of the wyrmling time.”
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“How strong would you say she is?” Jazzjak asked. “Roughly?”
“Oh… she’s probably not at the third tier on every stat, but I’d say she’s probably getting close. Besides, you do seem to forget they’re almost to the 90th floor of the tower.”
“I haven’t forgotten what floor they’re approaching, trust me,” Tanila said. “Are those stats good for a dragon?”
“Very good,” Rakonath replied. “Don’t forget she’s barely a hundred years old. And based upon what you all told me, and what I read in the book Max wrote, they should all get some extra stats in the coming time when they reach that one floor.”
“So she’s what? Above average,” Fowl asked. “What are we really asking? If a dragon is stronger and more dangerous than the rest of us? We know that.”
“Correct, but dragons are typically solo hunters,” Jazzjak replied. “The tower floors they face are unique for them. I believe we’ve already discussed how a few of the floors they faced were easier than they would have been for others because the team can attack from the back of a dragon. Similar to what you all told me about Max’s ability to fly or store you in places like this. A dragon is not an easy foe to bring down for a lot of reasons.”
“And she has multiple skills that grow on their own,” Rakonath added. “Don’t forget she doesn’t operate under the same rules as you all do. The advantage your races bring is numbers and parties.”
Which always brings me back to an old question I could never get answered… what was it that made Ezreal and Igarra share a world? I still think it had to be one she acquired from an arena fight and moved to. The history was always off. And she didn’t have a herald there.
Which means she most likely killed it… for whatever reason.
“Something you want to share?” Tanila asked after hip-checking Max. “You get that look when you two talk.”
“They’re just talking about Igarra,” Rakonath said. “Working out the idea of a dragon being partnered with another.”
“He’s right,” Max said. “When Miranna and the rest do defeat the tower, they’ll have a chance to form a world similar to ours.”
“Three hundred years without getting to see our daughter,” Tanila sighed. “Maybe more…”
Max could feel the way some of the others shifted at the tone in his wife’s voice. “Time goes by fast when you’re immortal, right? But let me ask this question then. When should we create a portal pad?”
“After everyone is tier five,” Jazzjak replied. “You could do it sooner, but you’re asking for the risk of gods who are a tier higher coming and attacking. Does it happen? Sometimes. Do I believe you could protect this world against them? Sure, but you’d be alone in that fight. What you really don’t want to face is two, three, or say seven gods on a world, each with a domain, and all of them using it on you at the same time.”
“Holy dwarf…” Fowl paused, coughed and shook his head. “You can do that?”
“Yes!” Jazzjak exclaimed. “I’ve tried to hint at it for so long, and I can only now start to speak on it because you’re asking the right questions and are high enough level. Remember, you seven have a chance to do something most don’t. As long as you’re past that one rank and out of danger of the arena, this group is a danger to any god who invades.”
“So we’re back to just waiting for time to pass,” Cordellia said. “Nothing like racing to beat the tower, just so we can wait to earn DP.”
“You haven’t even really begun to wait yet,” Jazzjak stated. “You’re still in the early stage. We’ll talk after ten thousand or, say, fifty thousand years. Then you can mention to me how great the old days were when we only had to wait fifty or a hundred years between big decisions.”
“Ten thousand years,” Fowl muttered. “Maybe by then I’ll be able to reproduce the stuff Ockrim gave Max.”
“I doubt it,” Batrire said. “You drank it all… how are we supposed to recreate something we can’t taste test against?”
“Bah, I can remember every note and flavor,” their warrior replied. “Right here… on my tongue!”
“Please don’t show it,” Cordellia pleaded.
“Bah, you’d love me to show you the magical tongue of Fowl Hamm—”
A kick to his leg from Batrire cut him off. “No one sees it but me… got it?”
“And it’s time to go,” Tanila said, pointing at the closed pair of doors. “I know where this is going to lead, and I did want to eat today.”
Laughter echoed around the room as the group made their way toward the opening doors.
Max called back at Fowl and Batrire, who were drawing close to each other. “If you take too long, I’m going to shut the two of you in here for a few months.”
***
“You seem… contemplative,” Rakonath said as he stood next to Max.
Rubbing his palm against the obelisk before him, Max nodded. “Just thinking… Bob and I have been doing that a lot, as you know.”
“Oh, I do. Sometimes it’s almost comical when I hear you both discussing something, and I’m trying to have a conversation with another. I could remind you what it’s like wanting to listen in to both of you while also not invading those moments.”
“It’s not spying on us,” Max replied. “Bob and I know you can hear us. You’re welcome anytime to offer insight.”
That’s because you’re usually better than Max at figuring out certain things.
“Thank you, Bob,” Rakonath said, smiling. “I think you’re going to struggle with this next part. Even if you don’t reach tier six, we’ll be in a better spot than most others. Don’t push yourself so hard that it kills you. Literally.”
Sighing, Max nodded. He could feel the gentle pulse that occasionally went out from the pair of obelisks and the reply that came from the other five on their world.
“I’m not trying to be foolish. It’s just a race… like the tower.”
“And yet when you reach that point of the race , then what? How fast do you hope to blaze through tiers that have taken other gods five hundred thousand or a million years or more to reach? Do you truly believe yourself and the others are that different?”
Max nodded. “You forget… when was the last time someone remembers or discusses the black skills being released? Forty thousand years ago? Maybe fifty thousand? No one talks about how strong they were or what tier they were… just that they caused chaos.”
And we don’t know when they were actually released upon the system. Which means we’re not sure how long it took for them to defeat the tower, or what rank they reached before whatever fight took place between the three of them. All we can assume is that they were at least tier six.
“And you two think that one of them will reach it before you?” Rakonath asked.
“Perhaps… the question is… does it matter?” Max asked. “Something forces the three skills to fight. The question is, when must they fight? Is there a set point or power level? What happens if we can delay that time or push deeper into the god tiers before that moment?”
Rakonath grunted. Max could see those silver eyes glowing.
You two mean not to die… I mean… You’ve always planned on that, or hoped for it, but you’re trying to change the game and how it’s been played, even before you know the rules of it.
I’m not sure what the rules are, but you know me. I love to break them.
As do I. For now, we’ll have to play by the rules to avoid drawing too much attention. But when the time comes, we’ll cheat if we can.
Laughter filled the area near the obelisks as Rakonath moved and placed his hand near Max’s on the obsidian.
“I’ll gladly be there to help you cheat,” his dragon said.
A dragon, a black skill, and a broken god. I wonder what kind of mischief we’ll get into when all three of us start to break the rules.