Chapter 294

Chapter 294

Chapter 294

Kara sat cross-legged, wide eyed and frightened, but also a little bit excited to be included in such a group. They’d all decided to take a breather after the events of the last floor, and she finally found herself clawing her way back up out of the pit of despair she’d flung herself into... after her original party from her homeland had left her to die or leave the descent altogether.

She’d thought she’d die down here. Returning back home without completing 40 floors was literally not an option for her. She’d be shunned and cast out by her family if she failed, her honor marred, and that in itself would be a death sentence as she’d lose the protection of her family name - leaving her a prime target for the one likely responsible for this entire situation to begin with. And if she wasn’t killed? She’d likely be enslaved, which would be even worse. No, going back without completing all 40 floors was no option at all, and getting the system’s official stamp of approval after turning out that accomplishment was the only path forward.

“Doing alright down there?” Riven asked as he and Fay walked by holding hands. They both gave her a pleasant smile and Fay even waved.

“U-uhm, yes. I’m fine! Thanks for asking.” Kara replied with a nervous nod. Her eyes found the succubus rather curious, as Fay’s large ram’s horns had disappeared. In place of them were smaller ones that allowed her to wear a purple witch’s hat that fit with the rest of her getup. “Did... did your horns change, Fay?”

Fay blinked, then nodded while bringing up her hands to touch the smaller pointed horns coming out of her forehead. “Oh these?! Yes. Much like Athela, but to a far lesser extent, I’m able to shape-shift parts of my body in various ways. I can completely retract my wings, tail, and horns without using my illusions - and if need be, can make them revert to their original forms. This is how I used to look before becoming an archdemon, but if I choose to keep them like this - or if I have them retracted entirely - then I don’t receive the benefits the larger horns would provide me. The thing is, I can’t wear this hat with my larger ram’s horns! It’s a pain.”

“You could just ditch the hat.” Riven winked and gave her a playful nudge with his hips. “Or you could have Athela modify it, stitching it up to fit your big head.”

“Heyyy! I don’t have a big head, you jerk!” Fay scowled back and jabbed him in the ribs to produce a yelp. “And no! You gave me this hat, it is sentimental now and I want to keep it.”

Kara watched the two flirt back and forth with one another for a solid minute as Riven teased the succubus while she pretended to get angry. For the first time in a while, Kara felt a genuine smile pulling at the corners of her lips.

She held the new bow she’d been gifted to her chest and took in a shallow breath. The enormous building-sized flame demon she’d come to know as Azmoth was kneeling over their group while the others slept, protective even despite Elysium’s promise to keep them and their belongings intact while on Floor 21. Genua and Athela were busy making baby clothes, with Athela teaching the elf thrall how to sew and being rather patient with the high elf even despite Genua’s absolute lack of talent. Fimrindle was meditating at the Death-attuned teal-colored sun across the room, but he was the only one having started to cultivate as the rest of this rather unorthodox mix of demons and undead were simply taking a break for the day and waiting for Narg the beholder demon to respawn.

Allie was in a deep conversation with Retesh, the angel of death and elder lich being two creatures that Kara would never have expected to meet - much less be party to while here in the descent. On her world they were creatures of legend, and even here in the abyss they were somewhat rare to see. Especially the angel. Fallen angels were hard enough to come by, but angels attuned to death were not only rarer - but also significantly more powerful on average as each of them were labeled ‘Heroes’ of Death, which added the title’s additional benefits whatever they may be. Kara would have asked, but out of everyone here it was Allie that seemed most stand-offish. The complete opposite of her vampire brother.

Nora was probably the one Kara had the least interest in getting to know though. She was creepy, to say the least, and she’d even reverted back to that sickly hive-mind demonic form she had - and was having conversations with herself; letting out giggles here or there and even growls. To Kara, it seemed like Nora had absolutely lost her mind - but according to Riven she was just getting to know her ‘Others’. Whatever those were.

Regardless, she did not belong. Looking around at the group, she couldn’t identify any of them... but she could certainly feel their passive auras. She’d also seen what at least two of them could do, and Riven had spent billions of Elysium coins in order to add her to their party. A favor that she knew she’d literally never be able to repay as she probably wouldn’t see that amount of money in her lifetime, and a sum that would have bankrupted her family and possibly even her entire clan. What did that imply about his background? It was certainly no simple sum any F or E grade had a right to possess in any normal situation. Just who was he? HOW did he have three contracted ARCH-demons as familiars? And what were the strange archaic tattoos he had plastered in black ink along his otherwise white skin? Even his eyes were abnormal, being a deep black sclera with central brightly glowing crimson pupils - with most vampires not showing either of those traits.

Riven had also effortlessly smashed aside the relentless tidal wave of abyssal monsters like it was nothing for nearly an entire day without pause, making the other ‘champions’ of their individual teams look like toddlers, and Nora had taken out the central giant of her event to consume and absorb it. And Nora was supposed to be one of their weakest! Meanwhile Kara couldn’t even last a small amount of time in the Champions bracket and had nearly died, there’s no way she would have lasted the extended time period she’d received after come down here without a party. She was lucky enough to be alive even this far, and she’d resigned herself to death before Riven had gone out of his way to help her.

Whoever this Lillith person was, Kara was quite happy she’d been snatched away. Not that she wished ill on this stranger, but it’d certainly saved her life and Kara was pretty sure that out of all the parties she’d seen - this one had what it took to go all the way if anyone did.

Or perhaps she was just overestimating them, or maybe it was wishful thinking on her part that the people who’d taken her in would do well. Floor 50 was almost unattainable by most standards though, so she couldn’t help but worry. Even getting to Floor 40 was considered a near impossible task by most and that was why-

“Kara! Oh my, is that really you!?” A familiar feminine voice tinged with amusement and disbelief shouted out to her, and she froze rigidly in place.

It wasn’t Riven or Fay either, they’d walked off after realizing Kara had been lost in her own thoughts. She’d tuned them out when they’d started getting into dangerously flirtatious conversations that made her blush, when the jealousy had started setting in. To have someone as utterly rich and that ridiculously handsome as that was just not even fair. This voice however - was something entirely different. It pierced through her layers of distraction, like an electric bolt running through her body, and she even felt her heart clench at the sickly sweet voice.

“IT IS KARA! We’ve FOUND YOU Kara!!!” The voice echoed loudly with a high pitched laugh after the fact, creating somewhat of a scene as many of the other groups in meditation or at rest within the vicinity began to glare in their direction.

Wiping away a strand of white hair and bringing it up into a ponytail, Kara shakily got to her feet and lifted her eyes to find none other than the focal point of all her melancholy and sorrow as of late: the woman named Zafima Chinwa.

Zafima Chinwa was the fourth daughter of the Supreme Emperor’s favorite concubine in the Empire of Purturis; an enchantress wearing a long golden dress that hugged her body like a tight sleeve with long dangling gold earrings that hung down to her breasts. Another drow, like most of the people that weren’t slaves but who lived in the empire. Zafima was very pretty, with long legs and a slender build with a number of pristine white-gold ornaments decorating her hair as it came down into a braid behind her. An accomplished swordsman and battle priestess, she was well respected and held sway in the royal courts even despite not being an official princess - and she’d had it out for Kara for the past year; the reasons being unknown. Kara’s guess was that the other young woman was simply just cruel, as was a known thing amongst the younger generation of lords and ladies of the courts, and Kara was probably an easy target as she was only the 7th daughter of the Ashen Sage with little to no political sway. Zafima’s mother also didn’t like Kara’s family much, with a history that preceded Kara’s birth, and having Kara fail an impossible test or having her die in the attempt would be the equivalent to a backhanded slap to Kara’s father after everything that had happened. It was a long and complicated series of events, with Kara being the unwilling participant and eventual victim at the end of the day, a pawn in the piece of political maneuvering that would likely see her dead. Be it her disgraced father killing her for coming back empty handed and bringing him shame, or be it by losing her family’s name and protection should she fail - leaving her an easier target for Zafima who seemed to delight in tormenting her.

And Kara certainly hadn’t been the first to fall to the schemes of Zafima either. Rumor had it that there was still one man that she kept as a slave locked in her basement to tease and torture at will after her concubine-mother set her sights on another man to unleash her family’s furry on.

“Lady Zafima Chinwa.” Kara said with a tight expression and a stiff back. “I... Did not expect you to be here.”

Riven and Fay had turned to look, while the others of their group simply glanced over and resumed their original activities. And from behind Zafima while crossing the distance between a larger group of thirty or so people, another two dark elves and a vampire; all men. While Zafima wore a form fitting golden dress with a wand at her side and pretty ornaments in her hair, the two drow men had their hair cropped short and wore hoods over stylized green scale armor with obsidian trimming. The armor looked sturdy, but light and flexible, and it was intermixed with various leather pieces such as their boots or hard leather scabbards over the scimitars at their sides. One was younger than the other with a short cropped white beard, while the older man had a long scar running down across his jaw and neck. She recognized the older scarred man as her old party leader, Numin, and he’d been the man who’d been paid off to leave her behind.

Paid to leave by the vampire standing next to him, who was likely an agent of Zafima if they were all standing together.

The vampire was handsome and young - probably 19 or so by the looks of him, but then again vampires were a hard call on age even by the standards of elves. He had black hair styled into a flat mohawk, with red eyes that weren’t quite as bright as Riven’s - but gave off a dull crimson glow nonetheless. A long red cape was draped over one shoulder, with satin pants and a plain white vest; while a long rune-inscribed chain with a strangely rounded blade at the end was rolled up at his other side and attached to his waist. He wore a self-satisfied smirk while maintaining eye contact with Zafima, and crossed his arms to look her up and down before standing a foot away from her as she trembled in embarrassment, anger, and a mixture of other emotions that rapidly came and went.

“I’m surprised you made it this far.” The vampire’s silky smooth voice said, his fangs on display as his smile widened. “We all are. We were taking bets on whether or not you’d die or leave, but our sources say your tracker is still active and in the abyss... so we’ve been waiting here for nearly five weeks.”

[Floor 21, The Unholy Throne, is now open to you. As promised, by passing Floor 20, you are now permitted insight into one of your paths. You may mentally connect with The Unholy Throne whenever you deem yourself ready, choosing any single sun of those available here for a free insight; and when all of your party members are done - you may pick another team for a joint operation for Floor 22: Ocean of Wrath. Merely notify Elysium when you are ready to proceed to Floor 22. Elysium will protect you while on this floor, and no harm may come to you or your possessions while here - so as to not disturb your meditation. The majority of identification information will continue to be unavailable until Floor 40.]

Athela came over to pat Kara on the back, and then helped the silently sobbing dark elf to her feet with a grunt. “If you’d attacked or stolen from them, you’d be banished from the descent. Maybe killed.”

“My guess is banishment, based on what I’ve seen so far. You said you’d rather die than fail?” Riven asked, turning his gaze away from Kara to eye the unsettled drow and the vampire. Others from the collection of groups they’d left in coming over here to talk were now paying attention to the confrontation with increasing curiosity. “Which is probably why they’ve been waiting for you here. They wanted to make sure you failed and were sent back. Regardless, I paid good money for you to live. I can’t have the newest member of our team be bested so easily.”

Riven gave Kara a kind smile, and whispered in Athela’s ear as the enchantress Zafima began to giggle again. “Take her away. I will handle this.”

“So you found us out! Much smarter than this brutish bitch.” Zafima remarked, giving Kara a scathing look as she was led away. “Who are you? And what is this nonsense about paying for her to live? She’s on your team now? Why would you take on someone so useless? Did you buy her? Or did she just happen to seduce another vampire? Which is it?”

Riven stared back with a blank expression, glanced at the few dozen drow in the background where Zafima had come from, and then snorted. “Are you all from the same place?”

Zafima frowned, not liking being ignored, but regained her composure with a confident straightening a second later. “Yes. The esteemed Purturis Empire. Universe 70.”

Riven’s black and red eyes shifted over the lot of them, and then settled back onto the vampire - who was likely a greater vampire rather than a lesser, but he was still enjoying the deep-set anger imprinted on the man’s face after the insult. “I see. Zafima, was it?”

“A lady of the court at your service!” Zafima purred, stepping forward to get a better look at him with squinted eyes. “You’re rather handsome. What are those markings on your face for? I really wish the system restrictions on identification weren’t gone. It’d make things a lot easier.”

“Easier, how?” Riven asked.

“Easier to tell just how fucked you were after interfering with empire business.” She replied, a coldness setting into her tone. She took another step forward, getting within his personal space and sneering up at him as he calmly stared back down. “If you are smart, you will leave that bitch out in the cold. All those drow behind me? My mother paid for them to follow me here, or paid them to switch sides once they got here. Those that refused are now dead, just like you will be if you keep Kara Blackbow in your party exiting this floor. It is true we can’t attack you here, but the moment you leave - you’ll be a target for nine different groups. Is that what you’d like?”

Riven raised one eyebrow, an amused smile playing at one corner of his lips. “Consider me... intimidated.”

Zafima’s eyebrow twitched, and she was about to reply when another shout sounded out with Riven’s name on the air.

“Is that the great and esteemed Riven Thane I see!?”

Riven turned, and in doing so - the drow and unknown vampire who’d been antagonizing Kara all turned with him.

There, coming across the space between them and the closest sun, was none other than the quite obnoxious Prince Narzkal Rantali. This particular prince was also a vampire and had been the man trying and failing to get into the Firebrand Trading Company - in order to acquire a black phoenix pendant as a gift for his sick fiance. Riven had taken pity and a slight liking to the man by the end of their short encounter with one another, despite his obnoxiousness.

“THAT IS YOU! I DEMAND AN AUDIENCE WITH THE ESTEEMED ONE!” The vampire prince was well dressed with an extravagant longsword hanging at his side, handsome, with slicked blonde hair and fangs on display as he grinned. Meanwhile he made animated gestures back and forth to get Riven’s attention while approaching - even hopping up and down in a very unbecoming way considering the man was a prince. Behind Prince Narzkal Rantali was his entourage of three other vampires, and a bald human man in rags and shackles was being dragged along as well.

For Zafima’s part, her eyes widened in shock - and her threatening intent vanished immediately. She quickly made sure her hair was neatly done and that her dress had no wrinkles while stepping forward to intercept the prince. “Esteemed one!? Surely you’re not speaking about me, your majesty! What are the chances that you were HERE of all places!? Surely it is fate!”

Riven’s eyebrow raised higher.

And as for Prince Narzkal Rantali, of The Kingdom of Garth - he seemed to stumble to a halt before frowning down at Zafima who was beaming back at him with wide-eyed adoration. The vampire prince glanced between Riven, then her. “Zafima Chinwa? How are you here? And no, I’m afraid I was not speaking to you. I was speaking to that man over there. Riven Thane is a great man, as I’m sure you were finding out for yourself since you were in such close proximity just a moment ago!”

Prince Rantali gave Riven a wink. “Getting around are you? Your tastes are broadening! Zafima is quite a charmer at the yearly balls my family throws in Garth! Perhaps you’d be willing to come if she was your date?”

The prince came up with a hardy laugh, slapping Riven’s shoulder and smiling widely. “Ah, who am I kidding! For the man who saved my fiance’s life, I might as well give you a hug!”

Laughing and throwing his arms around Riven, whose eyelids were drooping in a very unamused way while he let the other prince cackle with delight upon having found him so unexpectedly, he couldn’t help but sigh.

“I would appreciate a little personal space, buddy. But it’s good to see you too.”

“Oh! Of course! Of course.” Prince Rantali immediately let go with a sheepish smile, scratching the back of his neck with another almost nervous laugh as Zafima, Kara’s ex team-mate Numin, and the unknown vampire seducer all gawked at the interaction.

Zafima’s expression did backflips all on its own, registering confusion, startled apprehension, disbelief, and then finally - horror. It was very obvious to Riven that she somehow knew Prince Narzkal Rantali, and if he remembered correctly - The Kingdom of Garth was in Universe 70 just like the drow Empire of Purturis. For all he knew, the two factions were likely neighbors, and he was pretty certain given her demeanor that she’d realized she’d fucked up. How badly she’d fucked up was still in the air, as he was seriously considering following her out of this place when she left the floor in order to kill her and everyone else enlisted in this little scheme of hers against Kara. Not that he really even knew Kara that well, but based on what he’d seen so far - he felt like he had sufficient enough evidence to slaughter that entire group of dark elves immediately out of the gate come Floor 22.