Chương 37: Chapter Thirty-Seven

"Higher purpose?" Adam asked, trying not to let the giant creature intimidate him. One of Sköll's arms slithered closer to him and he immediately summoned a barrier between them.

"Don't touch me," he said." My vision is not what it used to be. It is hard for me to get a taste of the world without my arms."

"Just keep your suction cups to yourself and answer the question," he told the octopus.

"You're a vendor, right? So, show me what you have for sale."" I am no mere merchant, Adam." What I offer is salvation." Adam noticed that the arm on the other side of the barrier was holding something. It looked like a sabre-tooth's upper canine, and it was as long as his forearm. Unlike a normal tooth, it was black and reflective like obsidian, with deep-blue lines running down its length and pulsing softly. He moved the barrier to the side and Sköll lifted the large tooth closer to him.

Adam looked to the cube for guidance, but realised it was nowhere to be seen. Where did it go??

"What is this thing?" he asked, apprehensive about accepting the offering and yet curious about what power it might hold." An Abyssal Tooth. All willing adherents who find this deep place are gifted this tool for their pilgrimage. It is to be the start of their journey towards the Dark Abyss."

"You've gotta explain it better than that," he said.

"Is it a weapon?"" It is a sacrificial relic that allows you to obtain a reward in exchange for an offering." Adam frowned at the way the octopus worded its explanation. But, despite his apprehension, he reached for the blue-veined black tooth. As soon as his fingers touched it, he felt a surge of energy flow into his right hand and the tooth disappeared from the octopus' grip.

Unique Relic Obtained Abyssal Tooth (Legendary) — Stab into the lifeless body of a suitable sacrifice to obtain a Soul Drop and curry favour with the Dweller in the Deep. Sacrifices are permanently removed from the Trials of Defiance No wonder Emelia didn't want me to use this… It sounds like it's made for player-killers. Since she's aiming to save as many people as possible, anyone actively using this would be an enemy to her.

"Do you know about the ' Self-Devouring Eye'?" Adam asked Sköll. Given the wording, he was unsure how it worked with time-loops." The Watcher's insidious little hooked bait? Lord Nwetrou is most displeased with it." It too knows it's a trap?

"Why?"" Lord Nwetrou finds it to be a mockery of their benevolence. Those who use the Self-Devouring Eye to return in time will often seek a new benevolence rather than honouring the Great One they worshipped before. The Watcher guards those traitorous adherents from their rightful retribution, but my Lord will have his vengeance on them. Take care that you do not displease Lord Nwetrou and become a target of his righteous ire."

Adam wasn't sure what the octopus meant by that, though he guessed it was something to do with the sacrifices perhaps.

"So, if I sacrifice someone with the abyssal tooth, that sacrifice is undone by looping back in time using the cube?" The octopus quivered." Lord Nwetrou would be most displeased if such were the case, but the Watcher was wise enough to know that undoing offerings would cause great harm."

"Are you saying that if I sacrifice another player and then go back in time, they won't return?"" They will remain in the embrace of the Dark Abyss and its Lord." Shit… So, the problem is way worse than this item just creating player-killers… I'm starting to think that this is what Mórrígan meant when she said she'd dealt with Haoyang, Emelia, and Arturo.

After all, if you are going through loop-after-loop and have people you want to get rid of, using the tooth instead of the challenge stone means you don't have to deal with them more than once. But the consequences must be dire… The reason why Emelia was so worried about me using this has to be because she knows it might fuck up her ability to control what happens in the loops. I wonder if she's ever used it. Adam looked at his right hand, turning it this and that way.

He was pretty sure the relic had attached itself to his arm, but he couldn't see any sign of it. Where did it go? But then he noticed. His thumb had a tiny obsidian-black scale poking out of the skin just below the nail. Adam focused on it and then the entire abyssal tooth emerged from his finger and into the palm of his hand. He winced at the sensation. It had felt like pulling out a fingernail, roots and all. He looked at the cruel object.

It was cold to the touch and vibrated gently with each pulse of the dark-blue veins, almost like the sensations of waves against a shore. I don't think its effect transcends universes like me, otherwise Emelia and Arturo probably wouldn't exist here, thanks to Mórrígan. So, even though I would definitely mess up this universe and Emelia's plans by using it, I would benefit from knowing how it works. And if the rewards I can get from Sköll are actually powerful, then… Adam shook his head.

I shouldn't get ahead of myself. And besides, I'm fairly sure the abyssal tooth is just a different kind of trap. Just because the octopus says his master doesn't like time-looping, it doesn't mean that he wouldn't himself do something to fuck over players and screw up their chances at beating the Trials. Plus, adherents and sacrifices are no doubt a way for this Dweller in the Deep to grow in power, so it would benefit him by having as many players use the tooth as possible.

I wonder if the All-Seeing System has a say in this? Perhaps putting this octopus down here is a way to limit the potential damage it might cause?

"If I were to use it, how exactly would I do it? And what defines a 'suitable' sacrifice?"" A suitable sacrifice must be a sapient creature slain by your hand."

"Can I sacrifice the enemies I encounter in the stages?"" They are not sapient. They are but facsimiles created by the Watcher for the Trials." There are facsimiles that are allowed greater freedom. These may be worthy offerings, although they do not grant Soul Drops in return." Does that refer to the denizens like Yenna? But what would be the point of sacrificing them if there's nothing to be gained in return except for 'Nwetrou's Favour'?

"What happens if I try to sacrifice someone unworthy?"" The offering will be rejected."

"What if I try to sacrifice someone who worships your Lord as well? Would I be punished?" After all, if there's a protection in place, it would be hard to deal with those who use the abyssal tooth… The octopus quivered." Adherents of Lord Nwetrou are not exempt from the maw of the Dark Abyss." This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Adam instinctively took a step back." Fret not, Adam. As an Envoy of the Dark Abyss, I would not devour his adherents."

Sounds like that's the only thing stopping him…

"So, these ' Soul Drops', what can I use them for?" A different tentacle arm moved in front of him and then five small holograms appeared in the air: a suit of obsidian plate armour that looked to be covered in barnacles and seaweed; a strange-looking sword like the talon of a giant beast; a rusty shield with what looked like a shark's mouth engraved into the front; a staff with a blue tear-drop-shaped gem at the top; and lastly an orb-shaped relic with a similar appearance to the abyssal tooth.

Abyssal Gifts Abyssal Raiment — 10 Soul Drops Dweller's Claw — 15 Soul Drops Maw of the Deep — 15 Soul Drops Call of the Devourer — 20 Soul Drops Eye of Lord Nwetrou — 40 Soul Drops That's a lot of sacrifices to unlock it all… That last one has to be powerful. Anything with eye-based symbolism in the Trials is always super strong or significant somehow.

"Can you explain what each of these 'gifts' are?"" An adherent must have faith in the benevolence of Lord Nwetrou."

"Is that a 'no'?"" Pledge yourself to my Lord and I will share his secrets."

"And how do I do that?" The giant octopus paused.

"What?" he asked." I am not allowed to tell you. The Watcher has forbidden it." Adam almost burst out laughing at the irony. For all the things the octopus said, it is as beholden to the System and its rules as everyone else! That probably means that this Nwetrou doesn't have as much power as the All-Seeing System, or 'the Watcher' as Sköll calls it. Adam looked past the green-ringed octopus to the doors set into the cavern wall where it'd been waiting when he entered the chamber.

"Where do those lead?"" I am not allowed to tell you."

"Frustrating, isn't it?"" Unfortunately, even as an Envoy of my Lord, I am considered beholden to the Trials and their rules." Adam moved around the side of the octopus, and it dutifully gave him enough space to inspect the recessed doorways in the wall. To call them doors was perhaps a bit too generous. They were simply rectangular shapes engraved into the perfectly-flat cave wall. Each door had round holes in the middle. Looks like I could fit an elemental core inside those.

He moved a bit closer and looked into one of the holes, but because of the darkness it was impossible to tell if there was anything special inside, like a keyhole or something. Cautiously, Adam poked his index finger inside one. The round recess was perfectly smooth, except for the back where something protruded slightly, almost like a symbol. I wonder what that is. Adam turned back to face the giant octopus, which was over by the jet-black pond and had a tentacle dipped into its water.

"Do you have a light?"" To an adherent of Lord Nwetrou, this darkness would be no challenge to overcome." Adam sighed. Guess I could just bring a torch or something. Anyway, I've spent enough time here. I should go to the market. He walked towards the exit but paused to look back at the doors. There are more secrets down here to discover, but I'll have to explore later. Perhaps Gladwyn and Beck found out more in their own search.

The giant octopus used its arms to follow him across the chamber as he left, pausing just before the threshold into the tunnel leading to freedom. Part of him was glad that it did not leave its cave, but knowing how octopuses were capable of manoeuvring through tiny gaps made it clear that the tunnel wouldn't actually stop it from leaving if it wanted to." I will await your return, Adam," Sköll said, the floor quivering under Adam from its voice.

He almost ran out of the tunnel, as though scared the octopus might suddenly change its mind and pull him back into the darkness. Somehow he kept his cool. That was definitely not what I expected to find… I wonder if there are other weird Envoys like Sköll hidden on the island. Maybe once the houses are fully formed, they can be accessed to find more secrets? But that would require a lot more people to die… As he made it out of the tunnel and onto the protruding platform, he found the cube awaiting him.

"You scared of octopuses?" he asked it. [As per the covenant between the All-Seeing System and The Devourer of Suns, I am not allowed to enter its domain.]"So, the cave is like their embassy?" [In a manner of speaking.] Adam eyed the rope. Thank God, it's still here… His eyes ran up the cliff wall. Eight metres looked a lot worse from below than from above he thought. Well, best get going.

The trip back up the rope was way scarier than going down, even though he kept his eyes fixed on the cliff-side the entire way up. As predicted, it also took him way longer, and he felt his arms and shoulders burn with fatigue when he finally pulled himself back up onto the surface. The sun was preparing the final leg of its daily journey to the horizon. I've gotta hurry. Adam came to a halt in front of Thea's stall.

"Good timing," she said.

"I have just completed the repair." The beetle smith handed him the crown. It was now a matte dark-grey colour and returned to a normal shape, rather than the bent and twisted form it'd taken upon the hobgoblin's brow.

Secret Relic Obtained Dented Crown (Rare) — A regent must repel all invaders tainted with the lust for power, lest his kingdom fall to ruin | Subordinate allies gain 10% more Health | Subordinate allies gain Last Stand's Fervour upon death, extending their lives by 10 seconds and increasing Damage & Speed by 25% Adam grinned as he slipped the crown on his head. This is way stronger than any rare relic I've encountered before! I wonder if the text is a hint about stage four.

Seems it's still possible to make this relic even stronger. He summoned his barrier. It still looked the same as when he'd evolved to Shaper, a white slightly-translucent colour. Wanting to test out the new effect, he left the stalls and went over to the trees near the northern edge of the island. With four aggressive chops against one of the trees, a large crack formed in the barrier and the whole thing turned red, while steam of the same colour evaporated off its surface.

He swung the barrier against the tree again and it was noticeably faster now. Not to mention, it didn't break. After three additional strikes, the tree, which was about as wide as Adam's torso, was chopped 70% through. It bent and broke under its own weight, before falling off the edge. Holy shit! The real benefit of the last stand's fervour isn't the speed and damage, but rather the ten second invulnerability. I've gotta pick the Summoner as my secondary Class!

Then the barrier exploded like a grenade made of glass. Fortunately, it was positioned in a way that most of the shrapnel flew over the edge of the island and the rest plinked harmlessly against the cobblestones. Woops. Forgot about the gauntlets' effect… The insects manning the stalls all looked a bit worried as he returned from destroying the scenery.

"Adam, the target dummy in your player house is meant for practice, not our beautiful trees!" Thea scolded him as he went over to the silverfish's stall.

"Sorry!" he shouted back. Nelly looked at him intently.

"That was quite the display!"

"Thank you."

"A shame you destroyed my favourite tree." Adam paused.

"Sorry…" he said again.

"Would you like to see what weapons I have for sale again?"

"Absolutely." Nelly gestured to the stone block next to her.

"Here you go!" Classes For Sale Duellist (Uncommon) Spellcaster (Uncommon) Brawler (Uncommon) Summoner (Rare) Adam took a deep breath. It's a lot of points, but I've got a good feeling about this. But first I should make sure of something.

"The wraith lantern relic included with the Summoner, does it function when I'm using my spell-tome?" Predictably, the cube was the one to answer. [It functions like any Relic would. However, unequipping or discarding the Summoner Class will remove the associated Relic. It is also not possible to sell or store the Relic.]"But I can trigger the effect with my other weapon?" [Yes.]"Awesome. I'd like to buy the Summoner then."

Class Purchased Summoner (Rare) 2, 705 Points Remaining Not gonna lie, spending that many points really hurts… The wand appeared attached to Adam's right hip, hanging from his belt. It looked like two pieces of long and thin bleached wood that'd been coiled together, almost giving it the appearance of a unicorn horn. A string of red lace was tied around the bottom, just above the grip. Along with the wand came the wraith lantern.

It was quite small, only as long as his hand, and was a black metal cage with glass walls and a floating pale-blue flame inside. With the new weapon came new knowledge. Patterns for three types of wand-based spells appeared in his mind, but not the innate muscle memory associated with performing them. This was different from how most other weapons worked, though similar to the Warder. After all, he had needed to experiment a lot to figure out how to use the barrier, even though he'd known the commands.

I can see why this would cause a lot of people to die in stage one. If you are cast into the Trials, having no clue what the fuck is going on, and then get handed this weapon, you'd probably be completely lost… He doubted that he would have been able to beat stage one if he'd gotten this on his first loop. Second Sheath Activated Would you like to swap to the 'Summoner' Class?

"Show me the stats." Summoner Level 0 Stats Health — 50 Stamina — 50 Mana — 100 Damage — 100% Defence — 75% Speed — 100% Luck — 0 This is without my general upgrades it seems. Makes it a bit hard to compare.

"Can you show me the stats, with all my upgrades applied, compared to what I have right now?" [Understood.]'Summoner' compared to 'Shaper' Level 15 Stats Health — 50 Stamina — 50 (-25) Mana — 100 (-100) Damage — 115% (+50%) Defence — 75% (-25%) Dodge — 10% Speed — 100% (+25%) Luck — 5 (-5) Okay, that makes it much easier to decide. The only boosts are damage and speed… Getting less mana, stamina, defence, and luck makes it a terrible trade-off. I wonder why its stats are so terrible.

"I'm sticking with the Shaper Class." Second Sheath Class set to 'Shaper' Adam looked to the sun. He still had maybe forty minutes left before Luvicidix would leave. He moved on to Lucca's stall.