The trio looked just a touch guilty. Hans squeezed the bridge of his nose. “I think we are the wrong group to use as test subjects. Personally, I want to go back to my Guild, except that I have learned it does not exist in this version of the world. It’s disheartening to think of all the work it will take to put it back up, and I have no idea how the inner circle managed it. Henry, you have tried improving your kingdom how many times now?”
Henry shrugged. “I’m somewhere between forty and fifty, and honestly I’ve lost count. I don’t even know what I’m doing wrong, as many of the same problems keep cropping up. A few people in charge get the genius idea to oppress the rest to stay in power. Sometimes there is a gimmick. Mostly the behavior doesn’t go away regardless of how I change the rules, amend the law, change the city layout, or really do much of anything else. It’s very frustrating. It’s… I don’t know.”
Henry called it quits and just sat down cross-legged. “I feel like unless I actively lead, and try to keep my fingers in as many pies as possible, my human kingdom just runs itself into the ground. Even then, I miss so many things. There is always some plot, or organization, that does something within the rules that isn’t right. They get away with it in some way, and I have to just do my best to deal with it from that point. Every iteration, something has happened that Marie and I just didn’t catch until it was way too late.”
Tom held his shoulder in support, and Henry calmed as he kept talking. “Every time Cal adds something, there’s another thing they can exploit. No matter how many loops I do, there is always something else, or someone else to throw a wrench in the plan. I just can’t catch them all. I just can’t.”
Tom decided more was needed, and sat with his friend to keep a hand on his back, like Henry had earlier. Tom spoke. “You have been doing very well. When I made my adventurer’s hall, it was one of my greatest accomplishments. The friends and revelry I created there were matched only by the camaraderie from my original homeland. I miss it dearly. I, too, wish to return to that.”
The four sat, and continued their chat as a disembodied Cal popped in, having secretly listened in to the whole talk.
The unexpected line Cal ended up throwing them made for a pleasant surprise, and was certainly appreciated. They were glad for the suggested changes, and heard Cal out the whole way. The longer the dungeon spoke, the more those smiles on their faces grew.
Good tidings were afoot.
Chapter Twenty-Two
A month after the latest playtest fiasco, and more people falling through the floor, Cal called for a gathering in Niflheim. Though he was late for his own circle moot. People kept quiet. Not because the tension was awkward, but because a pint-sized Artorian stood on the inner circle table with his hands on his hips. Glaring daggers into the eyes of a completely stoic Brianna. They badly wanted to get a word in, but they had the distinct feeling a soul dagger would find their way into a kidney if they had a say before the assassin Queen did.
Cal grabbed his body and popped in as Cale, then prepared for a boisterous greeting. He saw the scene, turned on his heel, and popped back out. Nobody commented on how jealous they were of his ability to just escape like that. They wanted that option!
Dani wasn’t so spineless, and the glowing Wisp cleared her throat. “Children, please tell the other what you have to say instead of pretending to be two snide cats.”
Artorian nudged his chin over at Brianna. “I’m waiting on our dear Dark Elf Queen. Unless Madame Won’t-Cant-a-Lot doesn’t feel like talking about the hundred years she spent being a snoot because she didn’t want to give up her power.”
Dani turned her attention to the still silent one. “Brianna, do you have anything to say?”
Brianna squeezed her own hands, her eyes locked on the optical daggers still being aimed her way. “I am sorry. You were right.”
The moot participants blinked in disbelief, and Cale popped back into existence with a slack jaw. Just to relay very confused commentary. He just had to comment. “What? Did Brianna just apologize?”
Brianna pushed some of her curled locks behind her ear. “I can grow. I was just a cranky baby and needed to eat something and take a rest. I feel much better now. I wasn’t myself for a while. Consider the lesson drilled in.”
Artorian waited a moment further, but snappily turned to walk across the table. He dropped into his seat, laced his fingers, and cleared his throat. He squared up the documents before him by hitting the bottom of the stack on the table a few times. “I’d say we’re sorted.”
In truth, the gathering had expected a far more violent resolution to that old spat. Cale clapped his hands, having appeared in his seat with a smile. “Well, since things seem to be alright, on with the show! I have great news, that so far has made some of you happy. To begin, no more testing!”
Cheers and applause erupted from around the table. Even Brianna performed a soft clap, but the largest cheers easily came from Dawn and Tatum. They seemed relieved and elated about the entire mess being over.
Cale pressed his hands together, and smiled. “Instead, we’re going to have memory-wiped decanted start flooding the world in Eternium and do all that work instead. En masse. We’re going to do this after we have adjusted the soul world here to the exact configuration we want to import into Eternium. This includes the kingdoms, Guilds, and groups you’ve made. So if you want something in place before the big transfer, now is the time. If you want to remain in charge in Eternium after the fact, you are welcome to.”
Tatum’s hand rose. He had a concern. “We still have the goose problem.”
Cale tried his best not to scrunch up his face; revealing how he actually felt about that topic. The effort put into the cover-up gave his displeasure away anyway. “It… it’ll be fine. I have finally finished the formulas on how to properly transfer people’s current power into Eternium. Using the same system you have all begrudgingly tested.
“Because Eternium is technically triple S-ranked, it should be fine. Transferring the goose should be as hard as making a portal for it to go through. It hates being stuck. A sudden portal will be too enticing to pass up. Even if it’s not a true improvement. As a bonus, if someone does defeat it in Eternium, it also counts as killed for my purposes. Plus, it will be stuck in Hel. Win win.”
Tatum slunk deep into his seat with great relief.
He mentally checked out of the meeting, needing a minute to take that revelation into himself. That blasted goose had been the bane of his existence. It was immune to any Essence or Mana-based abilities. Even when Spirit was used, it wasn’t affected by elemental facsimile effects. The original abyssed beastie had also evolved into a hydra-goose, with nine heads. Each of which was as friendly as the original. He had already figured out that they were all identical, but only damage to the original head would count for anything. Telling the heads apart was a headache, and he’d taken to burying the blasted thing under the ground with a graveyard ritual.
Cale continued with the main topic. “Once you have all given your thumbs up on being done with the aspects you want to implement, I need to talk to each of you individually. Since I do want you in Eternium to help, even if not all the time. Rather than being bottom-level testers, I want you all to do what you would have wanted to do here. The only difference being that you’re dealing with more numbers. Some of you have expressed that you really liked being in charge of an organization, but some of you I need for the more above-board mechanics that have to be looked at.”
To illustrate his point, Cale pulled up some holograms as examples. “Basically, this job is what I would need the ‘deities’ of Eternium to do. You’ll have an entirely different progress track on how to improve your deity level. It’s essentially the same as being a supervisor here, except that your authority reaches into Eternium. I know that if the shop had been easier or cheaper, you’d have enjoyed it more. So that’s being implemented.�
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Tom raised his hand, and Cale motioned for him. “Is this the position you told me about, that you wanted me to take? In truth, I would rather be a hall leader. Being a divine sounds detached from personal relations, and it is the joy of the people I relish.”
Cale considered this while rolling his thumbs across one another. He really did want Tom to go the deity route. “Tom. How would you feel about doing both? I need someone to test that out, now that I think about it, and I honestly don’t want to take you away from the part of the task you actually want to do. Would that be alright?”
Tom mulled it over, but that didn’t sound too bad at all. “I would be delighted.”
Hans playfully punched Tom in the shoulder to congratulate him. “Look at you! A divine adventurer. Now you have to make sure you perform deeds worthy of such a lofty title. I can’t wait for the stories.”
Tom’s smile fell. He didn’t know how to feel about stories. Not after he’d heard some of the things that had happened to Odin and the mead hall residents of Asgard. “I’ll… No. I will do wonderfully. My stories shall ring through the realms as tales of wonder, to be cherished and chased by all who feel the call of adventure! They shall be known as the Tales of Thud!”
The youth next to Tatum was scribbling furiously, busy penning the start of Tom’s tale since he didn’t have much else to do at the moment. Artorian knew where this was headed, and had already puzzled out the list of tasks he needed to attend. He did have a question first and stuck his quill into the air. “This world we’re copying to Eternium. Will it be stable, or is it going to change every ten years?”
Cale shook his head. “The landscape is essentially all done. Only things built on it are likely to change, and even then, we have refined the zoning over several hundred rounds and recursions of testing. I’ve got a solid grasp on where starting towns need to be, and where people are likely to branch out from there. While the world around these expansions still poses a consistent challenge. The world we are putting in Eternium is unlikely to be altered. Only if there are big problems, or a truly revolutionary improvement in my Soul Space, will we be dropping a new version to replace the old. Even if that happens, the people won’t be aware of it. Whole buildings and street outlines could change in the blink of an eye, and I can make sure nobody will notice.”
He waggled his hand with some uncertainty. “Now if you meant the nuances of the numbers, effects of titles, names of creatures, or balancing of effects, that’s different. Those will be updating fast, and often. Usually as soon as I notice something or find what I consider not quite right. Then I will be implementing a change. That change won’t be felt or noticed unless you’re actively using that part of the Pylon system. Though it will happen. The version of the world, as it currently is, is not the best way it could be. I need people roaming free to get the rest right. I want to send snarky messages!”
The gathering stifled their giggles at his outburst. He just wanted to have fun, like the rest of them. What a relief. Artorian finished his scribbles, and slid them over to Tom. Whose smile swiftly became toothy with excitement. While it didn’t have the impact of his older form, the youth cheekily tapped the side of his nose with a knowing smirk.
Cale asked for a tally. “Can I have a show of hands for the deity system?”
Artorian, Tatum, Dawn, and Brianna were up for it. Tom half-raised his hand, but was clearly still uncertain, regardless of his proud statement earlier. His hand joined the pile in the end. Chandra decided to join as well, albeit only after she saw that Tatum was in. If Cale was surprised at anyone, it was at Minya. Who wasn’t moving her hands at all. “That’s a surprise, I was certain you wanted to try it.”
Minya just shook her head. “No. I have done enough high-level mechanics. If anything, I want to start an odds-and-ends shop. A step above peddling. I know I’m going to get called in for moon-related problems, so I want something normal. Something grounding and mundane. I want to feel like a part of a community after so many eons on my own. I’m spent. I can’t anymore.”
There was no pushback; Cale just accepted her decision. “We will find you a nice spot in Midgard, where most of the people will be. Snug in the thick of it.”
Minya smiled, and appreciated that.
Marie leaned forward. “Cale. Are you alright? You’re being both very lenient, and rather accepting. I don’t know about the others, but I am very used to you just throwing your will around and expecting us to rush and fall in line. Are you well? You’ve been… dare I say, gentle, this entire meeting.”
Nods of agreement did the rounds. Cale just shrugged. “My Law is… It requires a lot, and the part I have the most problems with is how to properly exemplify it. When it comes to the best way things can work, they often work best without some overdeity poking his nose in all the time. I’m a control freak. I like my fingers in every level, and in control of every button. To grow, that’s not an option. I am working on myself, and my Law, by addressing how I handle those situations. So rather than place the burden on you all, I should do what works best. That’s simply letting you do the things you would rather be doing anyway. Only Deverash really loves the Pylons, and lives in the numbers with me, so we are going to do that part, because that’s what we want to do.”
Dani leaned on his shoulder, very proud. Cale smiled up at her, and just nodded. “Listen. I’m going to wrap this moot up, and start individual meetings. I would do it as a group, but individual attention is just better. You appreciate it more. I appreciate it more. It doesn’t feel like I’m just some overlord yelling commands at you. Like Marie said, that’s just not how I want things to go, and I’m the only one that can really change it. As I am the one that’s been a major part of the problem. So this is me, trying my best. Artorian, would you mind having a chat with me first? There’s some other issues I’d like to run by you.”
The youth smiled, and provided a thumbs up. “Sure thing, buddy. The usual table?”
Cale liked the thought of that. “The usual table. See you there!”
Cale and Dani vanished, leaving only the inner and outer circle present in the congregation. Hans still had his hand up for the deity option. “What, do I not get a mention? Was my hand not high enough? I’m being picked on, Cale is going to make me cry.”
Rose pinched his side, and he jumped with a yelp. “You behave! Look me in the eye and tell me you wouldn’t much rather be the master of the rogue’s hall.”
“Fii~i~i~ine. It does have a nice ring to it. I understand why Tatum was so enamored by it.” Hans pouted dramatically, but knew his sweetheart wasn’t wrong. He sent a playful wink in the man’s direction, and Artorian thought that was a great moment to call it. He reached over to give Dawn’s hand a shared squeeze, and *fuffed*.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Artorian teleported into his mostly unused abode within the sun, wondering why it all looked so much larger. No. He recalled his current stature. This was normal. Facing the wall of memory Cores, he slid his hands into his robe pockets. “It’s time. I’ve been so looking forward to this. It’s finally time. Gotta admit, it’s going to be very awkward while I look like this.”
Cale snickered at the table, freely downing strawberry beer from an oversized stein. “I figured you would want to decant them right away. I unfortunately have to disagree; they’re going to be very confused to see you like that. Do you think they’ll take well to Eternium?”
Artorian paused, raising an eyebrow as his lips adopted a tiny smirk. “Eternium? Oh, you sweet dungeon. You think I’m decanting them in Eternium?”
Cale cautiously put his stein on the table. “Yes? Where else would you decant them? My Soul Space is going to be pretty dang empty.”
Artorian nodded. “Perfect.”
Cale wasn’t sure what was going on here, but he didn’t think he liked this plan. “Why would you want to decant your closest relatives, adopted family, and favorite people, in a set of realms that are going to stay empty?”
The youth was all smiles, his voice awash with elation. “It’s everything I needed! No natural threats, no silly numbers for them to get tangled up in. They all get to live their lives and explore the lands at leisure, with minimal risk and maximum freedom. Their own little paradise. It will be… enough. Enough for me to ask them the hard questions.”
The dungeon considered raising some objections, but more problems than met the eye were at play here. “I’m not following, Artorian, walk me through this.”
The Administrator nodded slowly, very interested in his feet for a few seconds. He made his way to the table and pulled out a chair with both hands before climbing into it. “Do you remember pulling one of my Dwarven family members out long ago? You used him to relay a message. He asked me to hold off on decanting them, because all the changes in the world would not go over well. I held to that tighter than I admit I should have.”
He used telekinesis to bring some water and a cup over, and Artorian enjoyed a fresh drink. “When you mentioned the land would go through no further major changes, I considered that a big checkmark. I don’t want to subject them to the game, because I want to give them what they never had. A normal life. One not marred by raiders, or scheming Choir members, or the like. Then, as they live that normal life, I want to ask them the same question I asked my chosen.”
Anima: A Divine Dungeon Series (Artorian's Archives Book 6) Page 18
