Chapter 33

Chapter 33

The highest-level Jabob demon had even acquired a class title of cultist. What was the difference between his own novice warlock class title and the cultist class? Damn it, he should have done more research on this stuff when he’d had the chance. All of them were likely much, much stronger than Riven, too. Even before identifying the largest creature, he knew that trying to fight that enormous lurker demon alone would immediately result in his death.

No way he was getting into a fight with that thing and coming out alive.

However, he obviously wasn’t about to let his minion die here. He was going to save that batshit crazy spider if it was literally the last thing he did. She’d saved his life in the Chalgathi trial, and he wasn’t going to let her become lurker food.

His chest swelled, and a surge of determination flooded through his veins. Even if he died trying, he’d give his best shot in trying to get Athela out... He just needed to wait for the opportune time, if there was any to be had. The others, though their plight tugged at his heartstrings, would only be bonuses if he succeeded.

Though even just getting her out alone was looking rather unlikely.

One of the short, lanky, Jabob demons who’d had enough of the blonde girl’s pleading turned around and raised a hand. The beard swayed, and the three eyes narrowed. Its voice was snakelike, with a hoarse hiss to it, and it almost sounded like the creature had smoked far too many cigarettes over the course of its life. “Shut your ugly mouth, mortal wench! I’ve had enough of your sniveling!”

Blue fire flared to life from the small demon’s hand, and in an instant the woman’s face exploded with flame.

She screamed even louder, reeling back and rolling around on the ground to try and put out the fire as the other two demons laughed. It made Riven want to rush in, to save her and kill all the creatures participating in her torment. He wanted to play the hero, to save the day and come out victorious. But real life was not like those fairy tales where the knight in shining armor battled against all odds to win. Real life was brutal and cruel, even before this multiverse had swallowed Earth. The strongest made the rules, oftentimes taking advantage of those weaker or less fortunate. This was no fairy tale; if he walked out there without any kind of advantage and tried to fight them in a full-on confrontation, he’d no doubt die a quick death as nothing but a fool.

So, no, despite his internal struggles concerning this unknown woman’s situation, he would not rush out to save her. Not when Athela’s life was on the line, and dying meant Athela would die, too. No, he would wait until he either had an advantage or opportunity of some sort presented itself, or until he was forced out of hiding when Athela herself was targeted.

“You are spoiling my meal.” The unusually deep voice of the fleshy lurker echoed throughout the large room, putting the laughter to silence immediately. “I told you, I want my sacrifices fresh...not charred.”

The Jabobs simultaneously bowed to the much larger demon they served, and the one who’d attacked the girl spoke up while stroking his beard anxiously underneath his hood. “I’m sorry, Master Rhemvish. I will correct my mistake at once.”

With a snap of his fingers, the girl’s face stopped burning...though the charred and smoking skin, the burned-out eyes, and the violent weeping-shaking combination were all testaments to the damage that’d been done.

And yet...while he watched the cultists continued to talk with one another jovially, as they completely ignored the scared, bawling young woman, a ball seemed to drop into the pit of Riven’s stomach. This was just cruel. These creatures were downright evil.

[Optional Quest: Save the Prisoners. You have stumbled across a small cult of demons sacrificing people to their master. If you are able to save either of the remaining prisoners aside from Athela and stay out of harm’s way for eight consecutive hours, you will be rewarded. Time remaining: Unknown.]

“If you do not like it... For something so small and insignificant, you have the power to change it...”

*THUMP*

An unfamiliar voice whispered into his mind. Riven’s heartbeat literally stopped in his chest, and ice began to flow through his veins. His eyes dilated again and began to turn a bright-crimson hue, his breathing slowed to a crawl, and he found himself back just two minutes prior. The girl was still in the hands of the monster, head intact, though she was about to be eaten again.

“PLEASE...GODS! GODS, PLEASE HELP ME! PLEASE, I DON’T WANT TO DIE!”

The blinded, naked young woman continued shrieking, struggling, and began to hyperventilate as the large, clawed hand of the monster wrapped around her torso. The cultists let go just as the lurker abomination picked her up and held her ten feet off the ground, and it eyed her with meager amounts of interest for a time as it held her there.

Riven blinked rapidly, not entirely understanding what was going on—but he was reliving these moments. This time, however, the world was no longer in shades of black, red, and gray. They were normal hues and felt far more real to him.

Had he experienced a vision? Thinking back to the crystal ball in the tutorial, he couldn’t come up with any other explanation.

“Please...I’ll do anything...I promise... My dad will bring more sacrifices...” The young woman sobbed, shaking and shuddering in the firm grip of the predator. “Daddy... Daddy, help me... Don’t eat me... I—I want my dad...”

The world froze, right before the lurker abomination was to crush her body. Everything around him came to a standstill, and his soul apparatus quivered violently.

[Malignant Prophecy has activated; previously unrecognized heir has been found. Qualifications have been met, link established, royal lineage recognized despite tampering and suppression measures. Imperial system has officially recognized Riven Thane as a prince of the empire, thirty-seventh in line for the throne. All citizens, nobility, clergy, and leadership of the empire have been informed.

Desired Action: low-tier manipulation of fate. Current Willpower stat: 33. Barely sufficient Willpower to perform desired action. Performing this act will put your Malignant Prophecy on cooldown for significant amounts of time. Do you wish to proceed?]

What the fuck was this about being a prince? And what empire?! A manipulation of fate? Goddamn it, he hated this place. If Riven could have furrowed his brows, he would have looked like an enraged orangutan. But he couldn’t—he was frozen in time and space, so he mentally just shouted out, What desired action?!

[Desired action: save unknown woman from death. Malignant Prophecy’s only available option for this pathway is as follows:

Influence the lurker demon into taking the young woman up on her offer and letting the young woman go.]