Chapter 283 (Patreon)

Chapter 283

*I am considering rewriting a couple of the previous chapters so that he finishes the events in The Abyssal Descent before introducing other things: like his mother’s situation and/or the cracks forming on Elysium’s shell.  Those events would still happen, but just immediately after he finishes getting through with the descent.  I might also remove the part about Chalgathi seeing the cracks.  Let me know if you think this is a good idea or not, to reduce confusion and cluttering, or if it even matters to you.  I think I sometimes get carried away with various ideas I want to implement and often try to implement them too early before finishing other storylines.  It is a bad habit of mine that I need to fix.

*Am considering changing PRIDE to WRATH based on last chapter's comments. I was thinking Allie may be better fitted to Wrath anyways, and it appears many of you agreed with me before I'd even made mention of it. If it DOES come into play with her anyways, which is up in the air - but certainly a possibility. Lmk what you think

*Only 2 more months at this job until I am free to start writing more frequently :) August 30th cannot come sooner.

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Jarntus Bemule left the trading enclave with only a half-hearted smile and a word of thanks, with the other humans from the Idorac Federation trailing him.  He hadn’t gotten what he’d wanted, not exactly anyways, but Riven also wasn’t willing to promise him anything beyond an “I’ll look into it.”

“You could have been a bit more forthright in your interest.”  Allie stated absentmindedly, raising an eyebrow in her brother’s direction as the Earl left.  “I could tell that you wanted to know more.  I personally don’t think the Blood Moon Requiem would be very keen on me pulling the strings of our house now that I’ve forsaken the Blood God, but if it were you?  If what the man is saying rings true, I’m sure you could make it happen.”

Riven waved a hand dismissively as he saw the approaching undead merchants coming back from the secluded rows of boxes, barrels, and shelves of merchandise.  Standing up, he cleared his throat and approached the desk.  “I know too little about politics such as that to give a firm answer.  He’ll have to do with what I gave him and await an inquiry from General Viku.”

“The Deadman’s Featherfall Trading Guild is nothing if not resourceful!”  The ghoul merchant said, ignoring the humans who’d just taken there leave - and beaming at Riven with a wide smile as he was followed by a three other ghouls, two skresh, and a fleshy risen-demon that was constantly wreathed in cinders and deathly flame.  “May I present to you our wares!  I included some extra pieces than what was asked for, just in case you wanted all of it.”

He tipped his hood with a snake-like look in his dead eyes.  “Given that your church is paying for most of this with promissory notes.  Perhaps you could even grant some of them to your disciples back in your home world?  Not much of this can be found on an outer rim planet, if the rumors of your origins are true.”

Amused, but not disagreeing, Riven got up along with the others to approach the multiple trays of items that’d been set out along the counter of their stall.

And indeed, everything Riven had asked for was there.

Five sets of uniform amulets and rings had black crystals set in silver metal with protective enchantments on each of various sorts, of far higher grade than anything that could be bought on Panu.  Over three dozen abyssal sigils, which were enchantment plaques glowing a deep purple that could be stuck and fused into pieces of armor for quick upgrades, were stacked neatly next to each other in a line.  Dao treasures in the form of various herbs radiating unholy energies were in abundance, with varieties picked out for each pillar underneath the unholy umbrella.  A flower in a state of constant decay radiated necrotic death energy, a five-pointed leaf seemingly made from blood itself, a vine crackling and writhing in place with chaos energy, a burning cabbage-like plant, the list went on.  Numerous spiritual crystals were also in abundance, more reserved in their outward appearance than the dao treasures were - but each of them glowed with internal energies of a particular type one way or the other.

“If you notice…” The ghoul began, stopping Riven from continuing as he picked up the flaming cabbage in one hand - and the necrotic flower in the other.  “These plants are actually still intact, completely so.  You could even begin your own garden if the environment is right, though I will say that these fully intact specimens are far more expensive than the individual parts they otherwise come in.  Otherwise, the more processed versions of these dao treasures can be found in smaller pieces for bouts of cultivation in shorter bursts.  The crystals could also be used to form cultivation rooms if set correctly!  We also only brought the finest crystals available, greater soul crystals of pristine quality that may cost-”

“Price is irrelevant.”  Lillith confirmed with a downwards slice of her hand.  “Just be sure you don’t make it too outlandish, or this will be the last time the church does business here.”

She glanced Riven’s way.  “I think the garden and cultivation room would be nice additions to your guild hall… considering that we’ll likely be needing to use the guild hall sooner than you’d think.”

Riven furrowed his brows, confused by the comment, but Lillith made no attempt to enlighten him further.  “Yeah… I’ll take all of it, I guess.  Now, let’s talk about those weapons…”

Smiling gleefully and rubbing his hands together, the ghoul merchant moved on to the next set of items on the countertop.  “As requested, we have a variety of staves for your lich companion to choose from - and for you to use as a melee weapon worthy of Gluttony… I present to you two options to choose from.  I could not find anything quite worthy of the Great Maw, nothing like that staff you’ve got there, but these two are some of the best close-range weapons we could find on short notice in the dimensions you requested.”

Again, the options available here in the descent were of a quality that surpassed anything from back on Panu.  And despite what the ghoul merchant said, they certainly weren’t bad.

There were five staves.  Each created from the stiffened, sculpted spine of some unknown creature, but each having a different crystal orb at the top of what could be considered a typical fantasy mage-staff.  They’d obviously been made by the same crafter and aside from their different affinities and perks, looked almost identical.

But Riven’s eyes were more for the two items that Gluttony would be using in his demonic form whenever the shift occurred.  Riven also knew that Gluttony had some obscure plans about creating a second melee class involving that shift, but details were scarce.  Regardless, it was akin to buying a new car or a new house back when Earth had been around.  It was… exciting, for lack of better words.

One was an enormous flanged mace, bigger than Riven’s vampire form was from head to foot - but it would fit proportionally into his hands whenever he shifted into his larger, winged, demonic form.  It was made from dark gray metal all down the shaft and up to where the mace split into numerous edges at the top.  Those dark neon-purple edges each sparked with unholy energy, and when Riven attempted to pick it up as he was - the weight of the weapon was at the point that he was struggling to lift it.  Also, for the first time in a long time, he felt the stinging burning sensation of an item indicative of him not meeting the stat requirements to wield it - and quickly put it back on the counter before the burning sensation became too much.  The mace didn’t have any major affects other than on-hit explosive sin damage, but it did have an incredibly high damage rating for F or E grade alike.

The other was a halberd, and its damage rating was almost equal to the mace.  And by halberd, Riven meant a halberd on steroids.  It was meant for a titan no less, and was even larger than the damned mace was by nearly twice over.  Reaching far beyond Riven’s body length and crafted out of what appeared to be a strange blue-green jade, it hissed audibly at a constant rate and lacked any obvious decorations.  Looking over it more carefully, Riven saw that the weapon was actually dissolving the very stone tray it’d been laid upon.  It obviously had an acidic effect to it.  

Both items were completely geared toward close combat fighting, packing a far harder punch than even Jackal did - but lacking Jackal’s other passives such as the massive mana regeneration boost or the casting range increase that made it so good for spellcasting.

[Mace of Shattering Storms (Awakened Weapon.  Sin Artifact.): 2903 average damage on strike, with strikes adding explosive sin damage no impact.  High chance for electric discharge and shattering effects to any worn armor on impact.  Requires a Sin affinity and 3400 Strength to wield.]

[Giant’s Jade Halberd of Dissolving (Awakened Weapon.  Unholy Artifact.): 2740 average damage on strike.  Applies acidic and unholy splash damage on impact that feeds on enemies to do damage over time.  Enemies eaten by the acid supplied by this weapon are used as fuel to extend and amplify any applied passive buffs.  Requires an Unholy affinity above 60% and a strength stat of over 2000 to wield.

• +350 Strength and +10% Strength

• Jade Tidal Wave: Swipe this weapon in a given direction to create a tidal wave of unholy jade acid.  The amount and potency of this acid is completely relavant to your affinity to the Unholy Foundational Pillar.]

“Gluttony, what’s our strength when we turn into our demonic form?”  Riven asked skeptically, disappointed that he couldn’t wield either of these weapons in his vampire form.  “Our strength in this form is only 1167.  I can’t pick up either of these things to use as I am now.”

Gluttony chuckled inside his head.  “We grow to five times your current height in our demonic form.  What do you think it is?”

“I don’t know.  3000?”

“More.”

“4000?”

“More.”

Riven paused.  “Just tell me.”

“We gain an additional 5000 strength with a 30% boost to strength, along with other bonuses, when in my ultimate form.”

Riven whistled in appreciation, ignoring the odd looks he got while conversing silently with his partner.  “Wow.  I suppose I should probably already know that, huh?”

Gluttony internally grunted in agreement.  “It is likely I will have to modify it to extend the time we can spend using our transformation, which will decrease the bonus stats.  But that is to be determined by our soul lattice construct when we get to E-grade, and when I am able to craft our second class.  Either way, we should have more than enough strength to use either of these weapons.  That said, I want the halberd.”

“Why the-”

“You get to outfit us for our mage class.”  Gluttony interrupted.  “I control our other half.  That is the deal.  Remember?”

Briefly pooching his lips, Riven shrugged.  “Alright then.  We’ll take the halberd.  And all this other stuff too, but you can take the mace back.”

Retesh had already picked out one of the spine-crafted staves with a nod of thanks to Riven - and was thoroughly inspecting the large green crystal ball set at the top of the shaft.  The others had started equipping their defense-boosting rings and amulets in turn.  Each ring gave a bonus that absorbed any critical strike in its entirety one time, with a passive recharge rate of a single day, while the amulets each gave a large percentage boost to endurance and a buffer to any physical damage.

“Very well!  Though I’d bind the halberd quickly so it doesn’t try to eat away your flesh.  We had an accident earlier involving - eh, nevermind.  I’m happy to see you’re happy!” The ghoul merchant said eagerly, having two of the skresh workers lift the large sparking mace to carry it away.  “I’ll send the invoice directly to your church.  Is that alright?”

“Certainly.”  Lillith said with a nod.  “I’ve already informed them that the purchase would be made.  They’ll be expecting you.  Now, for the last thing we required…”

“Ah yes!”  The merchant exclaimed, pulling out a scroll and handing it over to the shadowy demoness.  “Here it is.  Information on this year’s optional floor 2 boss.  It’s a good one, but rather dangerous even for you.  The Abyssal Descent adapts this year based on who you are and what your weaknesses are, and scales based on the individual.  So although you may be formidable, I would not take this lightly.”

Lillith began to smile, eyebrows raised and pale white eyes suddenly flaring brightly.  “Interesting and exciting!  I assume the reward for completing it will be good?”

The merchant nodded enthusiastically.  “Oh yes!  We’ve had more of our fare share of deaths, but if you manage to beat it - you’ll be given a one way portal ticket to the 20th abyssal floor.  The reward is a shortcut this year, and it’ll save you a lot of time on your trek if you manage to do it.”

***

With the enormous halberd stored inside his spatial sack along with a copious amount of dao treasures and spiritual crystals for use later, they began making their way down through the tunnels towards where Lillith said the optional floor boss was located.  Twists and turns and entire caves filled with bustling activity were present.  There were high end succubi brothels, gambling dens, groups of muggers picking out marks, a few scattered bodies from the aftermaths of fights, and building crowds the deeper they went.

“The optional floor boss usually gives buffs, guides, or other means of passing through to the lower levels more easily.”  Lillith said while she walked at the front of the group in the twisting cave systems, leading them through the rabble that parted before them like the red sea.  Those who didn’t move in time, she violently flung aside with effortless ease - and only the stupid tried to get in her way or tried to retaliate for any perceived slights.  “I’m surprised it’s an actual shortcut though.  Back when I did it in my youth, all I got for beating the 2nd floor boss was an enchanted compass.  The deeper you go the harder the fights get and the more energy you can absorb for your soul lattice though, so this is far better a reward than what is usual.”

“Sounds like the floor boss is also harder to beat this year…” Nora commented with a head bob side to side.  “Not sure what to think about that.  I was counting on being carried by the rest of you absolute monsters, I’m the weak link here and am not sure how I can compare to something that is adjusted to your…”

Nora motioned to Riven, then Allie, then Retesh, and finally Lillith.  “Adjusted to your potency, I suppose.  I mean come on.  That’s just not fair.”

“You’ll be fine!”  Allie said, swinging an arm around Nora’s neck and playfully nudging her side.  “We’ll keep the big baddies away from you!”

Nora rolled her eyes.  “I’m being serious.”

They continued walking through the darkness, and the faint echoes of chanting were soon heard the further they went.  The chants became louder, the ruckus more obvious with the tunnels becoming more and more packed.  And eventually, nearly an hour after having left the trading guild’s commune, they arrived at their destination.

[Welcome to The Abyssal Descent’s optional event: The Floor 2 Boss.  Observers are picked at random from the stands by Elysium for a chance at fighting their version of the Floor 2 Boss.  This year’s challenge adapts to the challenging group, making it something of a challenge for each group despite composition.  Current death rates this year are as follows: 39.8% of groups lose 1-4 members, while 22.2% of groups are wiped out entirely.  Current prize for beating this challenge:  a portal for the victorious group straight to Floor 20 of The Abyssal Descent - cutting past all other mandatory floor bosses and challenges.  Enter the arena to await your chance at being picked at your own peril.  For those waiting and watching, your chance at being picked - though randomized - is increased the longer you stay.  Violence against one another while waiting is not permitted while in the arena.]

Riven had thought that the arena in Gluttony’s underground church was large, he’d thought that there were a lot of people for the games and public fights during his training sessions over the past months spent here, but this…

This was on an entirely different level.

The arena itself was built into a vast cavern system spanning well over five miles across, and if not for his ascended body and eyesight since integration had begun - he’d not have been able to see the other end of the arena in his old human form.  Hundreds of thousands of spectators, possibly more, were lined up along various platforms all around the arena’s perimeter where a spectral barrier enclosed the interior.

And looking down at the absolutely massive beast of a creature that was currently curb stomping the challenger team far down below, Riven couldn’t help but be just a little bit intimidated.  Because if THAT kind of custom-made floor boss was based on just a few ELITE class participants, what was it going to look like when two mythics, two legendaries, and a couple of elites walked into the arena later on?

The thought was not encouraging.

“Is this wise?” Riven asked, skeptically glancing Lillith’s way.

The shadow demoness nodded, not looking back - but staring down at the massive behemoth ripping the enemies apart.  “Yes, for two reasons.  First is that we’ll be bypassing a lot of other treacherous enemies by doing so.  Arguably doing this is safer, if your goal is to reach beyond all the other participants now here.  Your Chalgathi quest demands you succeed here, does it not?  To reach beyond any other and leave with a score that beat the last cycle’s first place contender?”

This time, she did turn to him with a sad smile.  “Secondly, we don’t have much time.  And I don’t mean that just because of your world quest.”

There was a pause between them while the others and their entourage of minions all stared down at the unfolding fight in the distance.

“What exactly is that supposed to mean, Lillith?  You’ve been a bit cryptic today already.”  Riven asked bluntly.  “What’s the deal?”

Lillith’s features wavered, then fell, as the ancient demoness folded her arms.  “Let’s just say that The Church of Gluttony won’t be around to help us out for much longer.”

That comment caught Riven off guard.  There were many implications of what she’d just said, and he scrutinized her thoroughly.  Internally nudging Gluttony, he didn’t get a response from the sin either - even despite knowing Gluttony was very aware of their current conversation.

“As I said before.”  Lillith eventually said with a dramatic groan that was very unlike her, pinching the bridge of her nose with one hand as if to ward off a headache.  “It is a conversation for after we complete the descent.  Until then, let us just focus on the here and now.  After that, we’ll have to have a very serious conversation about the greater events unfolding on our planet and in Elysium’s greater multiverse as a whole.  Things are changing, Riven.  They’re changing fast, in ways we don’t yet understand, and no one really knows what to expect or when to expect it.  But whatever it is, it isn’t good - and there will likely be very long-lasting consequences in the power dynamics of our entire multiverse as we now know it.  Long story short, we need to finish and get out of here as fast as possible, and then need to attempt to finish all of the world quests while conquering Panu as fast as possible.  If we do that, we may be able to open the planet up to allies for immigration purposes. If we can’t claim the planet by Elysium’s standards by the time it all snaps into place, well… I’m not really sure what will happen.”