Chapter 170: He Who Fights With Monsters

In the heart of the city, a crowd of adventurers were gathered in the tower square as the sun dipped below the horizon. Clumped into teams, they formed a ring around the grand tower in the centre of the square. While the plain brickwork of the tower was uninspiring, its sheer height and width left it looming over everything else in the central city.

Jason’s party was now reformed, with the addition of Jory, whose own group had already escaped the trials. The teams of Keane, Valdis, Padma and Beth were all gathered around them, waiting with everyone else for the next stage of the trials.

Quest: [The Second Trial]

Objective complete: Reach the centre of the City of Fallen Echoes 1/1.                                           Quest complete.100 [Iron Spirit Coins] have been added to your inventory.[Ritualist’s Umbrella] has been added to your inventory.

The other members of Jason’s team also received items. Humphrey and Clive both had personal storage spaces for them to appear in, while Sophie, Neil and Jory’s rewards dropped out of the air. They started comparing items.

“Mine is a belt that accumulates power as I move,” Sophie said, already slipping it around her waist. “I can unleash the gathered power as one attack.”

“I got a wand that conjures and throws metal needles,” Jory said.

“Can you use wands?” Neil asked.

“Yes, I have the same power to use items that Clive has,” Jory said. “But I’m not high up in the Magic Society, so I can’t requisition magic vehicles whenever I like to go swanning about the delta.”

Clive gave the back of his head an embarrassed scratch.

“If you all got such good stuff, why did I get an umbrella?” Jason asked.

“An umbrella?” Humphrey asked.

“Yeah,” Jason said, pulling it out of his inventory. It did look high-quality, with a shaft and tines of a pale blue, lightweight metal. The cloth was thick and a much darker blue than the shaft. When Jason opened the umbrella, he discovered a magical diagram drawn onto it in silver.

Item: [Ritualist's Umbrella] (iron rank, epic)

An device made to improve the convenience of using the rituals in the field (tool, umbrella).

Effect: When open will float in the air and follow the person who opened it.Effect: Repels liquid while opened, while extracting breathable air from surrounding liquids. Can be used for underwater travel, but provides no means of propulsion.Effect: Harmonises nearby ambient magic while opened, sufficiently to make iron and bronze-rank rituals easier to enact. The use of nearby magic can disrupt this effect.

“I take it back,” Jason said. “This thing is awesome.”

“We might want to deal with this later,” Neil said. “We’re drawing a little bit of attention.”

As Neil said, the nearby adventurers were all looking in their direction.

“Good looking out, Neil,” Jason said as he put the umbrella away.

Not long after, the attention of the adventurers was diverted from Jason’s group to their actual purpose in being there as Shade appeared. Not just one of him, but one for each adventure team present

“Congratulations,” the Shades said. They spoke quietly but their voices carried through the square, eerily layering the words. “You have survived the second trial and the time has come for rewards.”

The Shades handed out black awakening stones, one for each adventurer. There was almost no sensation of pressure from it in their hands, as if it wasn’t really there. The black of the stone wasn’t as much a colour as an absence, the same light–devouring darkness Jason’s cloak could achieve.

Item: [Awakening Stone of the Reaper] (unranked, legendary)

An awakening stone sharing affinity with the Reaper. (consumable, awakening stone).

Requirements: Unawakened essence ability.Effect: Awakens an essence ability.You have 3 unawakened essence abilities.

“Highest rarity,” Clive said with excitement. “That means the list of abilities it could awaken is much smaller than normal, usually restricted to just one or two types.”

Jason and Clive were not the only adventurers with the power to identify items and a susurrus moved over the crowd as word spread that they had all received a legendary awakening stone.

“You seem excited for someone who can’t actually use his,” Neil said to Clive.

“Clive’s more interested in new knowledge than new power,” Jason.

“Exactly,” Clive said. “Do you know how rare this opportunity is? Information about the rarest essences and awakening stones is incredibly limited because only so many people ever get to use them, and those people might have no interest in helping the Magic Society fill out their records. But look at how many people we have here! We’ll get so much information on who got what power, across different races and essences. This is going to be great.”

“What will you do with your stone, then?” Humphrey asked.

“Until we have better records,” Clive said, “I can only assume that an awakening stone of the Reaper will best fit Jason.”

Clive lightly tossed his stone to Jason.

“Thanks, Clive,” Jason said brightly.

“Well, I know you’ve been holding off on new awakening stones for a while,” Clive said. “Also, an extra sample of what an outworlder gets from it would be very appreciated.”

“Now your motivations become clear,” Jason said. “I suppose next you’ll be asking for chunks of flesh, to compare outworlder flesh with regular peoples.”

“That’s not a bad idea, now you say it,” Clive said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “Something out of the torso would be best, maybe slice a bit off the internal organs.”

“Not a chance,” Jason said.

“We could heal you right back up.,” Clive said. “Right, Neil?”

“As long as I get to watch you cut the bits off, I’m willing to participate.”

“I said no.”

“We could put you into a magical sleep,” Clive said.

“You so much as try it and I’ll do you to the Adventure Society for necromancy.”

“I’m in the same position of having awakened all my abilities,” Jory said, pulling the conversation back on track. “I think I’ll give my stone to Belinda, since she’s going to be getting her own essences, soon.”

“Thank you,” Sophie said.

“The next trial,” the Shades said arresting everyone’s attention, “will test wisdom or courage. For those who chose the path courage in the beginning, your boldness shall be rewarded now. The test of wisdom is now before you and you may take it without fear. Should your judgement be insufficient to the task, there is no danger in failure. You shall simply be led from the trial grounds in full safety.”

The tower the adventurers were surrounding was blank brickwork, but with a loud grinding of stone, that began to change. Bricks pushed out from the walls or retreated back, forming a series of rectangular doorways. Every second doorway opened, retracting slowly up into the ceiling to reveal dark passages beyond. The others remained closed, the brickwork marking their positions.

“Those who selected courage,” the Shades said, “choose a door and step through. Each must face their trial individually and you must each choose a door for yourself, and yourself alone.”

“Is it just me, or does the weird voice thing make it all the more portentous?” Jason asked. “Don’t get me wrong, the ancient tower of trials in a ruined interdimensional city has portent enough to be going on with, but it really seems to cap it off.”

“Is he always like this?” Sigrid asked.

“Pretty much,” Humphrey told her.

Sigrid looked from Jason to Valdis, letting out a light shudder.

Shade’s words had brought up a buzz from the adventurers who, having just reunited their teams, were required to split up again. It was not long before the first person stepped forward to accept the challenge. Predictably enough, it was Valdis, with others quickly following. They only made up a fraction of the gathered adventurers, with only one in five or six having chosen the path of courage from the start.

The adventurers picked their doors and passed through, the stone sliding slowly back down behind them. In one case, however, the door slammed back down, not behind the adventurer but on top of him, easily crushing him to death.

“The test of wisdom is for those who have already chosen courage,” the Shades announced. “Those unwilling to take the test of courage will be allowed to leave in safety. Those who seek to move forward without proving their courage will see that choice also demonstrates a failure of wisdom.”

A number of other adventurers moving forward scurried back to the main group.

When the last of the adventurers to move had chosen a door or returned to the group, the remaining doors closed and the alternate doors opened.

“The trial of courage is not for the uncertain,” Shade warned. “You will each encounter an entity known as a nightmare hag. These are diamond-rank entities from the astral that have no physical existence in this place and cannot harm you directly. What they can do is warp the reality around you, manifesting that which you fear most. If you are unable to face this fear, it will most certainly kill you.”

Short lines of dark energy appeared on the ground, all around the tower. Rising up from the lines were a series of archways, each made from a single piece of glossy obsidian. The dark lines from which they emerged rose up to fill the archways with consuming darkness, making each archway identical to the ones that first brought the adventurers into the city.

“These shadow gates will return you to the archway towers,” the Shades announced. “If you do not wish to face the next trial, these gates will return you to the archway towers. You may then use the tower gates to leave the city. If you so wish, you may take this final day to further explore the city, but know that if you remain here when the sun sets tomorrow, then here you will stay.”

“I’m out,” Neil said as soon as Shade stopped talking. “I’m not foolish enough to think I can beat out all these other adventurers and I’m not going to die trying. Also, getting killed by your own fears is literally the worst way to die I can imagine.”

“As am I,” Clive said. “For exactly the same reasons.”

“Me too,” Jory said. “Between the recipe I found and enough plant quintessence to fill a wheelbarrow, I’ve gotten everything I could want and more from this place.”

“I’m not going either,” Sophie said. “I’ve managed to avoid some unpleasant fates over the last year and I have no interest in some magic ghost lady throwing me into everything I fought so hard to escape.”

“That’s fair,” Jason said. “Just you and me, Humphrey?”

“Yes,” Humphrey said. “My family has sheltered me from a lot. I’ve never been confronted with the kinds of challenges you faced, Sophie. If I’m going to be a good adventurer, I need to face up to my fears, whatever form they take.”

Quest: [The Third Trial]

The trial of courage will put you face to face with your greatest fear. Resolve will see you through, while a lack of will shall see you dead.

Objective: Successfully confront your greatest fear.Reward: Random magic item.

“I know what my greatest fear is already,” Jason said. “It isn’t a threat to me.”

“That suggests it isn’t actually your greatest fear,” Neil said.

“No,” Jason said, “it is. See you all on the other side.”

With that, he marched off for the open doors. Humphrey nodded a farewell and did the same. Along with many other adventurers, they each picked a doorway and walked through. The doors closed behind them with finality.

Humphrey regained consciousness sprawled in soft earth. His head rung and his body ached. The air was full of noise and thick with the taste of blood. Shrieks of fear and pain were punctuated by the screeches and roars of monsters.

He scrambled to his feet, casting his gaze around. He didn’t know where he was at first, then realised he hadn’t recognised his home because it was half-collapsed and on fire. He was outside the main building, surrounded by the corpses of people he recognised. Some were burned, others savaged by monsters, all laying dead where they fell.

He could see a half-dozen monsters just from where he stood, and heard many more beyond. He started moving, calling his sword into his hands. He began a slaughter, one monster after the other but there was no end to them. As he fought his way through the grounds he found only the monsters and the dead. His team, his friends, his family. Finally he found his mother, clinging to the last vestiges of life.

“You were supposed to be the best of us!” she accused with a ragged dying breathe. “You weren’t strong enough! You failed us…”

As he watched her die, monsters were charging in on him. Instead of fighting, he let his sword drop from his hands, casting his gaze around at the monsters lunging at him.

“No,” he said flatly, his face stony and eyes sharp. “I won’t let this happen. I will be strong enough.”

The world around him shimmered like a mirage and vanished, leaving him in the dark. He took out a glow stone, revealing his location as a circular room made from the same brickwork as the tower. Shade was standing nearby, as was a cage with silver bars etched with gold runes. Inside was a figure that looked a lot like Jason in his shadow cloak, although this creature’s cloak of darkness seemed ragged and torn. There were two ways out of the room, both stairwells alcoved into the walls. One led up, the other down.

“Congratulations on passing the third trial,” Shade told him.

Jason followed the stairs up into a dark, circular, empty room. There was another stairwell, alcoved like the one he stepped out of. Down the stairs and into the room came a person, Jason himself, but different. His features were more handsome, with a greater resemblance to his brother. His combat robes were more elaborate and in shades of dark purple and gold, instead of grey. At his hip was a sword, matching the one on Jason’s own. On his head was a simple crown of dark gold.

The two Jason’s moved closer, sizing each other up.

“My humble beginnings,” the other Jason said. “Fancy meeting me here. But you knew you would, just like you know that one day, you’ll be me.”

“You aren’t inevitable.”

“Aren’t I? Maybe if you gave it all away and led a quiet life, but we both know you won’t. You’ve got that hero complex. That need to feel important.”

Other Jason laughed.

“You can’t hide it from me,” he continued. “You’ll follow this life and you know you’ll have to make the hard choices. You’ll keep making them because deep down, you like them. You like how important it makes you that you’re the one in the middle of everything. And sooner or later, that leads you to me. What’s the saying? He who fights with monsters should look to it that he does not become a monster?”

“Don’t pretend you’ve read Nietzsche,” Jason told his double. “You got that from a video game.”

“I’m you from the future,” the double said. “I’ve done all kinds of things you haven’t.”

“But you haven’t read Nietzsche,” Jason said. “Turning evil didn’t change me that much.”

The double laughed. “Fair enough. But I’m not evil, you know. I’ve just lost my illusions.”

“There’s nothing wrong with illusions. Justice is an illusion. Civilisation, morality. They’re illusions we all agree to share because they make us better.”

“Do they really? You think people won’t disappoint you? They always fall short. I have the power to fix that and you will too.”

“Is that what the crown’s about? You’re some kind of tin-pot dictator?”

“Something like that,” Other Jason said. “Democracy is a pack of gullible idiots being exploited by the selfish and immoral. When you have the power to take control, you can fix things.”

“Can I?” Jason asked. “You were right about people always falling short and that includes us. I’ve fallen short plenty, but you’ve clearly fallen all the way down.”

“So you think now. How many bad days are you from becoming me?”

“That’s from Batman,” Jason said. “Not even good Batman.”

“You don’t like The Killing Joke? I forgot what a social justice wanker I used to be.”

“Alright, we’re done,” Jason said, “I’m definitely not turning into you.”

“Are you sure?” Other Jason asked, moving closer with a  sinister grin. He stopped as they each realised the duplicate was taller, then Other Jason gave off a smirk.

“Looks like I’m better than original recipe in every way. Do you want to measure…”

“Don’t even,” Jason said. “You know Kaito’s still taller than us.”

“Oh, I dealt with our dear, older brother. The man married the love of our life.”

“How are you not over that when I am? Also, if you break up when you’re nineteen, it wasn’t the love of your life. It was the love of your adolescence.”

“You keep telling yourself that because you’re too weak to do anything about it,” Other Jason said. “You’ll get stronger, never fear.”

“Really? Never fear, during a fear trial? Evil me has some weak jokes.”

“Hey, I’m just a physical manifestation of your fears,” Other Jason said. “Anything I do is on you.”

“Aren’t you meant to be menacing me?”

“Would it work?”

“No. It’s good that I seem to have gotten over that chuuni phase.”

“Yeah, it got pretty bad there,” Other Jason conceded.

“If you’re the future me, did I ever get home?”

“I’m not actually from the future,” Other Jason said.

“Right. You’re a manifestation of my potential future self.”

A third figure shimmered into place. It was a figure made of darkness in a ragged cloak.

“Kill him!” it hissed at the duplicate Jason.

“Ooh, Mum’s not happy,” Other Jason said.

“That’s the.. what was it called?” Jason asked.

“Nightmare hag. Yeah, that’s her. She doesn’t really have control of what she conjures up and she’s not very bright. Why would I kill you before you’ve had the chance to turn into me. That’s like your fears vanquishing themselves.”

“KILL HIM!” the hag hissed again, the sound filling the chamber. The duplicate’s hand twitched in the direction of the sword at his hip, his face twisted with sudden fury. His hand finished the movement to the sword, which he drew, turning a furious gaze on the hag.

“NO ONE TELLS ME WHAT TO DO!” he roared, lashing out with the sword. It slashed through the ephemeral hag and both she and the duplicate vanished. In their place were shade and an empty cage.

Quest: [The Third Trial]

Objective complete: Successfully confront your greatest fear 1/1.                                           Quest complete.100 [Iron Spirit Coins] have been added to your inventory.[True Light] has been added to your inventory.

“Congratulations on passing the third trial,” Shade said as Jason took out his new item to examine. It was a fist-sized lump of golden crystal.

Item: [True Light] (diamond rank, rare)

True light of the sun, trapped in a single moment (consumable, crystallised light).

Effect: Consume to release the true light of the Sun.

Jason raised an eyebrow at the rank of the items, although he wasn’t sure how useful it would be. Maybe it produced some kind of powerful, burning light, but he couldn’t use it to tell.

“Was the test meant to go like that?” Jason asked, putting the item away again.

“It is what it is and goes how it goes,” Shade said. “Assassins adapt to their situation.”

“I’m not an assassin.”

“Yet here you are, taking an assassin’s trials.”

“That’s true. I’ve been thinking something was off about this whole thing for a while.”