The Rise of the Winter Wolf - Book 5 - Chapter 14.2 - Conjunction Part II (Patreon)

                                                            Wolf

If I had to guess, then he probably means Fenrir. Although only a progenitor would ever call another progenitor ‘a certain annoying dog’. Even if I doubt Fenrir would care too much about it if he really is similar to me in mentality and personality.

I glance down at the Competitors – which is weird to think of them like that without including myself anymore – to find them all staring up at The Reaper. Or should I call him Grim from now on? Since that’s apparently his name?

Yeah, I think I’ll just call him Grim, since The Reaper is more of a mouthful.

Whether or not he’s still listening in on my thoughts is unclear as Grim slowly floats down beneath the platform with his voice soon echoing throughout the conjunction, “Competitors of my dungeon and greatest form of entertainment, rejoice as I will not be requiring you to participate in the war against the fae while you’re in my dungeon!”

My eyes widen in surprise at both his manner of starting that statement, and his announcement. Both of which are extremely unexpected.

Did he really just call us all his greatest form of entertainment? I mean, I know that his ‘drive’ is towards chaos and entertainment, but to be that blunt?

The people down below don’t seem to like his way of speaking either considering their faces, but none of them speak up for obvious reasons. In fact, I notice a couple of them shivering with fear at the pure level of power wafting off of Grim in spades.

“And I’ll give you a reward for claiming the top ten spots of the dungeon run,” Grim continues while spreading his arms out and floating upwards. “Those of you who manage to do this will be cleared of all voided karma and will never be required to join the war! While those who don’t will be forced into it should you leave the dungeon alive after the first ten!”

This time his words do send a wave of contempt through the Competitors, but still, no one says a word. After all, everyone who’s made it to this point in the dungeon knows better than to smart off to someone who is practically a god in a sense. A literal sense if we’re in the void.

“You’re exempt from this as you are immune to voided karma on account of being my own descendant,” The Reaper’s voice echoes in my mind again, repeating something he had already mentioned before. “But do keep in mind that there are benefits to helping me should you choose to do so yourself, child.”

Then both the voice in my head, and his figure floating above us just vanishes without a trace.

Silence fills the conjunction for several seconds before several conversations break out below. Meanwhile I’m left standing up here looking down at them through the invisible platform I’m standing on.

I glance towards Sapphire before asking, “So, do you wanna go down there?”

She shakes her head immediately.

Well darn.

I look down again, completely unsure of what to make of this situation.

On the one hand, I don’t really know if any of the Competitors might push the blame onto me for Grim’s actions. But on the other, I’ve never seen that happen on the forums before, so who knows.

Also, when asked about me in their little interviews while visiting other viewing rooms – which happens a lot apparently – most of the other Competitors have mentioned that they respected me. Although some were also rather jealous for one reason or another.

My eyes narrow in on one Competitor in particular who used to want to take Sapphire for himself. But from what I’ve heard, he seems to have given up. Mostly because of Sapphire gaining sapience.

So should I head down there, or not? Sapphire doesn’t sound like she’s… yeah, she’s already walking into the portable store. So she’s not gonna head down with me.

I alternate my gaze between the store in the form of my parent’s house and the people below for a few seconds before eventually shrugging and following after her into the store. But almost immediately after I sit down on the couch with a sigh, I get a notification about several people trying to enter.

Oh. Guess my choice didn’t matter after all.

The people wanting in are the usual group of Crystal, Ariana, and Norbert. But I can’t help but raise a brow as I notice the two addons that don’t usually interact with me much.

Leo’s apprentice, Ruth – who by all accounts shouldn’t be up here with Crystal considering their history – and Alaric, otherwise known as Techral. Both people who usually avoid me for some reason.

If I had to guess, Ruth probably avoids me because of Leo for some reason. Since the man seems to support me almost as much as he supports her, purely to help Diane – who he seems to be getting closer and closer with every time I see the two of them. Which makes me wonder if he’ll eventually marry her?

And would that make him my ‘adoptive father’?

Kind of a weird thought to have an undead as a member of the family, but whatever. He’s helped me a lot and is generally a cool guy, so it doesn’t matter. Besides. Undead are cool. Just never thought I’d have a dead but still alive family member.

Anyways, I focus on the notification before giving them all permission, following which they all just suddenly appear around my totem, making me blink in surprise.

“Uh, there’s a door you know…” I mutter, only to trail off when I see them all looking rather confused.

Guess they didn’t realize they’d be entering through teleportation?

The five look rather confused for several seconds before Ruth and Crystal make eye contact and both immediately begin to scowl, backing up slightly while reaching for their weapons.

“Yeah, none of that,” I say while waving my hand at them and lightly freezing both of their hands to their weapons to stop them from doing anything. Which draws their ire to me instead. “You all came here likely to see me, and I’m really not in the mood to deal with squabbles right now. So do what you wanted to do then take your fight outside please.”

After seeing both of them reluctantly nod their heads, I snap my fingers, dissipating the ice on their hands.

“Now then,” I mutter while leaning forward in my couch and glancing at Sapphire for a second to find her lounging on a couch without a care in the world about them, only to turn back to them again, “what brings you all here?”

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