Chương 33: 32. The Choice

Dagger blades dug into me as the serpent made a U-turn, smashing through another wall. I felt as if it had taken me through the entire ship twice. It didn't appear that the monster was slowing down, yet I was certain that it was weakening. Creatures didn't drastically change their behavior unless driven to it. Another minute or so and the monster would visibly weaken. Unfortunately, it was going to become a lot more chaotic until then.

"Is this what you wanted?" I shouted as I used the Two of Chalice to heal my wounds. Miraculously, the tears in my clothes were removed as well. Apparently, there was something divine about my gift after all. A nice touch, some might say. A goddess, I thought. Chances were that my mysterious supporter was a non-combat goddess. War deities would either make the outfit invulnerable or simply offer a new one once it was damaged. The serpent twisted its entire body as if going down a spiral.

In the process, the gooey bond keeping my blades attached to its head weakened. That wasn't good. While it gave me an opportunity to properly attack, it also meant that I'd be cast off. Up until now, I had managed to achieve what I had by clinging to the creature like a tick. Still singing, I focused all my strength on pulling out the right blade. The good attempted to offer some resistance before tearing like semi-hard clay. Immediately, I performed another thrust, sticking it deeper.

A new burst of goo followed, though a lot less energetic than before. If I had the opportunity to grit my teeth, I would have. Yet, I couldn't risk it. The song threads, weak as they were, kept the beast from targeting me with its scales. Blades show off, flying in all directions. The walls, floors, and ceilings of the rooms we went through were instantly transformed into pin cushions as the monster desperately tried to get rid of its irritant. I watched as daggers grew, replacing the blades that had been shed.

The last time I had seen that was back when a group had used several summon cards to call forth an army. Everyone had been so confident in their victory, myself included. A moment later, only the snake had been left. We had lost half the group that trial. And when it was over, Harlequin had just merged us with another group as if nothing of significance had happened.

"Break out of the ship," I changed the lyrics of my song. If I could steer the monster into the sea, my victory was all but assured. The blade serpent wasn't a sea-creature and as such all its strengths would be negated underwater. Also, I had obtained a ring to breathe in water, so I didn't risk dying in the process. Another of my blades, pulled loose. As before, I thrust it back in again, but it was obvious that this was a temporary solution. Not only was the substance less, but it was a lot thinner than before.

Some splashed onto my wrist and leg, burning like molten lava. All the time, I kept steering the monster forward. It didn't matter which direction we were going. Unless it turned, sooner or later we'd always leave the confines of the ship. We broke into a wide ballroom. Larger, though less expensive, that the room I'd fought the siren, it was filled with tables and twice as many undead minions. From the corner of my eye, I noticed at least half a dozen flaming skeletons, including a Crimson Captain.

If I had ended up fighting that alone, I would have been in serious trouble. It took a group to defeat a captain, especially one that could summon reinforcements. The Blade Serpent didn't give him or his small army a chance, mowing through the mass of undead like a meat grinder. Part of me regretted seeing so many good cards, and potential booster spheres, going to waste, but I kept my eyes on the prize. The goo coming from the creature was barely sticky.

With the consistency of sludge, it held on to the blades for a few seconds before letting go. Ten of Swords! I thought, unleashing my multi-attack. This was it—the final attack. After this, I would have no choice but to leap off the serpent and hope that the amassed damage was enough to win me the rest of the fight. Orange splattered everywhere, burning everything it came into contact with. The Two of Chalice helped reduce the damage somewhat, but there was no antidote for the pain.

Glancing ahead, I could see the next wall approaching. Currently, only inertia kept me from falling off. I braced myself for impact. The moment the metal barrier exploded into fragments, I jumped off. Unlike all the times before, the whiff of seawater filled my nostrils along with the sensation of sun. We were no longer on the ship. The pain I had inflicted, possibly along with the stacked-up effects of paralysis, had prevented the serpent from taking a turn, diving straight into the endless ocean.

My singing stopped. I twisted around mid-air, aiming to keep the creature in sight. Blades flew at me at tremendous speeds. At that point, my hands moved on their own. Reactions passed down from my past run took over, deflecting as many of the threads as possible. One blade pierced through my leg, bringing with it an enhanced sensation of pain. As the metal pierced through my flesh, I could feel its edges growing and turning serrated in the effort to inflict as much damage as possible.

If this wasn't an early trial, they would also drain my blood in the process. Other than having the right cards, the only way to protect oneself from such a wound was to cut the entire limb off before the blade could spread to the vital organs. I used the Five of Rings to strengthen my bones. Barely a second later, the impact followed. Both I and the serpent slammed into the water. My vision blurred, then sharpened, then blurred again as my body adjusted to the new environment.

Having underwater sight would have been tremendously appreciated right about now. Thankfully, the aether vision was almost as good. The mass of a serpent looked like one giant X-ray of blades and vertebrae, assembled with immaculate precision. Blades kept flying in my direction, their speed greatly reduced by the surrounding water. When I struck back, though, I didn't feel any resistance. I have you. I thought. It wasn't a glamorous way of winning a fight.

By any objective measure, one could call it pathetic: a combination of gambles, lucky coincidences, and divine help had gone into throwing the monster into the water. Even now, its "weakness" was merely a result of minor paralysis. The only spot that had suffered actual damage was the swordless patch on the head. Still, it didn't matter. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Such were the rules of the Grand Arcana. There was no right or wrong.

The outcome determined the nature of an event. The killed was seen as the loser, regardless of circumstances. The ones that remained were the winners. Five seconds were necessary for me to suppress the fear of not breathing. Part of me expected to gulp down water and choke as a result. Nothing of the sort happened. The water felt like air, with a slight taste of salt.

"This is strange," I said. The sound didn't reach my ears. Apparently, breathing was the only thing that the ring allowed me. Still, it was much better than the serpent. Sinking further down, it wriggled like a dying word. I could almost hear its gasps. Then, there was a sudden implosion. A space of void formed where the massive form had been, pulling in all the surrounding water. In the very center, a single card glittered in a bright purple—a Grand Arcana card.

Pain, fatigue, and hesitation vanished at the sight of the prize. In my previous run, years had been necessary for me to glimpse one such card. Avon had claimed it, of course. Being the person he was, he had shown it to me in secret. The card had been the Phoenix, granting its owner the ability to ignore one death or mortal wound per trial.

It was only in my seventh year that I had finally obtained one of my own: the Divine Page, granting me the ability to talk freely with deities and perform favors outside of the standard Grand Arcana rules. It had been a rather useful card, though even that hadn't saved me in the end. Returning the swords to my inventory, I swam towards the card as quickly as my arms would let me. Time seemed to stretch to infinity, yet with every stroke the card kept on getting closer and closer, until I finally grabbed it.

SERPENT BLADE (Grand Arcana) (Rarity – Epic) Skills: LIVING WEAPON: A child of the BLADE SERPENT, the SERPENT BLADE has sentience and intelligence similar to that of a standard human. Similar to a divine weapon, it is unbreakable and can be Awakened for further abilities. A living weapon? I wondered. This wasn't a card I had seen before. Without being able to see what the other abilities were, it was difficult to determine whether I could use the card or not.

It was said that all Grand Arcana cards were worthwhile, but details mattered. Right now, I had no intention of looking a gift horse in the mouth. I had defeated the Blade Serpent, and according to Harlequin's latest rules, that meant that the trial was over for me. On cue, a shimmering blue portal appeared right in front of me. I reached out and touched it with my fingers. Bright light surrounded me from all sides. Still, I couldn't help but notice that the wet sensation of partial weightlessness hadn't left me.

"You are too good for your own good." Rey and yellow blotches of color appeared a short distance away. Like a pair of sharks, they circled one another until forming the shape of Harlequin. He looked no different underwater than he did in the preparation hall. The jester's cap moved completely unrestricted; even the tiny bells let off a sound.

"This is the third challenge during which you have shown far better performance than anyone else," he said, circling around me like a massive jellyfish. Is that why you increased the difficulty?

"I used what was provided," I said, trying to find the middle ground between determined and defiant.

"And yet you always seem to find more than was provided." Once against the porcelain mask came inches from my face.

"No one told you how to awaken a weapon, and yet you did."

"Someone must have told me, or I wouldn't know how to do it," I replied. That was the rule-master's only weakness. No matter what happened, he couldn't go against the deities, or accuse one of unfair play.

"True, and that is precisely what has brought you to this predicament." Predicament? Shit!

"Although assisted, you completed my requirement for ending the trial. By my rules, you are to return to the preparation hall to rest and prepare for the games to come." Yes, and? I waited.

"Yet, if I am to do that, I will be preventing you from fulfilling a deity's request," he continued.

"You were asked to obtain two Grand Arcana cards, after all. Defeating the Blade Serpent has only brought you one." For several seconds I just floated there, incapable of rational thought. Had Harlequin just painted himself into a corner? The monster had never expected anyone to kill off the serpent; it had all been a ploy to get participants moving from place to place on the ship, dying in the process. Now that I had managed, he was in a tight spot. Serves you right! I grinned internally.

"I therefore will offer you two options. You can choose to end the trial now according to the current rules. In doing so, you shall forfeit your sponsor's request." Nice try! In addition to letting Harlequin off the hook, I'd seriously piss off a deity. There was nothing that annoyed them more than watching their playthings give up. It would have been different if I had died. Then, they'd just be disappointed at my weakness and move on to another participant.

"What is the other choice?" I asked.

"If you refuse that, I shall return you to the trial and allow you the chance to obtain your second Grand Arcana card." For a split second, the mask shook as he spoke.

"In that case, the previous rules will apply. If you die, you will lose everything that you have obtained, including the Grand Arcana card you now have."

"Isn't that against the rules?" I asked.

"No," he said briefly.

"When given a choice, the responsibility and consequences of your actions will fall on you alone. If you think it is preferable to end things here, you are free to tell me. If you want to try and obtain everything, then say that is what you want." The jester remained the piece of shit I remembered him to be, but he was right. By offering me a choice, he had cleaned his hands of anything down the line. It was all up to me now. The question was which would be preferable?

"If I continue the trial, will you put me back on the ship?"

"No," he said in a firm tone.

"You're putting me at a disadvantage," I argued.

"The reason I steered the serpent into the water was because of your rules."

"I see how things could be interpreted in that fashion, but you are wrong. You can breathe." He moved slightly back, only to raise a giant index finger in front of my face.

"You can fight," he raised another finger.

"Therefore, you will suffer no disadvantage." So, that was it? Time was also not an issue, since the trial wasn't going to end anytime soon. As long as I had a theoretical way of winning, it could be considered that everything fell within the rules. Quitting would have been the easiest thing to do. I had gained too much to regret it, and even annoying a deity wouldn't be the end of the world. And still, something didn't feel right. The choice was tilted in one direction.

If Harlequin wanted a fair game, he would have offered something to balance the scales: a temporary ability to swim, an additional reward upon success, or even a hint on how I could get back on the ship. The fact that he didn't suggested that he feared I stood a chance of completing it.

"I'll continue," I said, putting my theory to the test.

"Is that your final decision?" Harlequin's head tilted to the left. Got you!

"Yes," I smiled.

"It is."