Hell Difficulty Tutorial Chapter 811 - How are you?

“So, how are you, really?” I inquire of Dennis.

“You aren’t going to ask about Aaron?”

He scratches the back of his head, as if recalling the sixth floor and the time spent there with the twins, Lily, and Biscuit.

“I believe I wish to journey to Beyond. Sophie possessed some intel regarding that, and I surmise I can initiate a personalized quest and reach it,” he states.

“Why?”

“So I can genuinely feel like I’m making a difference in the present predicament? Aaron shares this sentiment. Dennis continues to smile and look upward. “Do you realize the strangeness? It doesn’t even feel drastically different from the norm. Even prior, we maintained this connection and conversed extensively. It’s merely that I can no longer behold his unsightly visages.”

“It possesses a certain logic,” I concede.

“Precisely? We have already embarked on crafting our illusions. I suspect with sufficient effort, I can fashion an illusion of Aaron and permit him to direct it.”

“You could likely render him even more repulsive than yourself.”

“Was that a jest, Nat? Damn,” he chuckles, then heaves a sigh. “Indeed, it’s an immense hardship, and we both harbor fear, but… considering all the peculiar phenomena we’ve witnessed, why should it prove irreparable? Yes, not even Kindness nor that individual everyone desires to eliminate could successfully reconstruct a Mana Heart, but why couldn’t we simply pilfer one? Your mentor Lissandra achieved just that. And I wager you’d dispatch a person for my sake if I implored you to secure one.”

“I would.”

“It’s disconcerting when you articulate it with such a solemn expression, and without even a hint of hesitation.”

I merely offer a shrug, and Dennis shakes his head, releasing a prolonged exhalation. “The sole concern occupying my thoughts is the possibility of him vanishing, or undergoing transformation now that he is disembodied, or some similar eventuality,” he taps the gem adorning his forehead. “This aids, yet it simultaneously introduces a new predicament of needing to conceal it. Aren’t lesser Pristine artifacts typically held by nascent Champions?”

“Something along those lines.”

“Well, I shall need to proceed with caution then, and perhaps I must ascertain the extent of my current augmented strength.”

This ignites a flicker of curiosity within even me as I observe him. “How does this differ from your customary stat amalgamation?”

He appears to be actively listening to something and then chuckles. “Aaron posits the possibility that I experienced genuine demise, and I, unable to cope, have fractured, now succumbing to hallucinations and fabricating internal dialogues.”

“Well, damn, if that isn’t profoundly bleak.”

“Right?” He pauses, then gives a decisive nod. “He also conveys his regret concerning the fate of Biscuit.”

“It’s acceptable; we shall retrieve him sooner or later. Is there any further assistance I can provide you?”

“Administer a bit of rough treatment to the others. Some among them feign fortitude, yet confound it, I needn’t possess Izzy’s acumen to discern their inner turmoil. It casts a pall of melancholy over me. Oh, and that libation you acquired. Emitting verdant and golden sparks, all effervescent. Do you perchance have additional quantities?”

“Merely that solitary flask. Have you already consumed its entirety?”

“The greater portion was imbibed by me,” he chuckles. “It imparted a strangely tranquil sensation, inducing a state of numbness, and it appeared to influence Aaron favorably as well. Was it costly?”

“According to the most avaricious individual documented, approximately ten million shards for a single bottle.”

“Nat… is she, by any remote chance, your patron…”

“Sufficient with the inane prattle.” I interject curtly.

“I am indebted for your magnanimous sacrifice.”

“Begone with you.”

Taking another draught from my water bottle, I approach Tess, who is currently situated near the entryway, her gaze fixed upon the heavens. Lily has already concluded her ministrations, and despite Tess still being deficient in approximately half the musculature of her left arm, the condition is improved from its prior state. That appendage is now encased in what resembles dark bandages.

Upon settling beside her, I extend my hand to grasp hers while examining her arm, gently probing the bandage. I offer several affirmative nods, maintaining a serious demeanor, before commencing to trace patterns upon it with my fingertip. Where my digits traverse, faint azure lines of mana manifest. None of these intricate lines form any discernible inscription, nor do they possess tangible efficacy; they are purely for aesthetic embellishment.

“We must fortify the seal to ensure the Black Dragon remains contained,” I murmur, then glance toward her with an expectant look.

Tess emits a snort, but then a faint smile graces her lips and she inclines her head. “Indeed.”

“Nay, Tess. Your response should be, ‘Aye.’”

“Nat.”

“Yes?”

“You bear the semblance of a rather vexing imp at times.”

“Aye.”

She playfully prods my side, prompting me to release her arm as we jointly direct our gazes toward the celestial expanse. “Left arms are decidedly overrated.”

“You have likely spent more time devoid of one than in its presence, thus your assertion is quite predictable,” Tess remarks.

“And behold, what a fine specimen of a young man I have evolved into.”

“You are approaching twenty-five years, Nat. Your youth is no longer as pronounced.”

“Indeed, as if. It is common knowledge that years accumulated within the tutorial hold no temporal significance.”

“Is that, in fact, how the system operates?”

“I gleaned this information from one of the esteemed Rulers. Diligence. It must, therefore, hold verity.”

“The Ancient Armory Destroyer?”

“Precisely, that very individual.”

“Then it must assuredly be true,” she concurs.

“Aye, aye.”

She delivers a gentle strike to my shoulder, her eyes remaining fixed on the sky above. “You know, I observed your recent engagement in combat.”

This statement captures my full attention, and I pivot to face her as she continues to gaze upward. “I was capable of perceiving the ethereal conduit linking us, whereupon I traced its path, which ultimately led towards the heavens. Subsequently, upon exerting sufficient concentration, I discovered my ability to visually extend my perception to such a distance.”

“Your observational skills are becoming quite bothersome, Tess.”

“Why would you even keep it? Your eye should be perfectly fine.”

She states it with an air of calm simplicity, then elaborates, “More and more, these skills and traits are altering our very bodies, and we push this transformation even further, often marking ourselves in the process.”

“While I find the eyepatch suits your aesthetic, I urge you to keep the eye for now. Do not discard it so readily.”

Tess averts her gaze from the sky and lets out a soft chuckle. “Aye.”

“That’s the spirit.”

“Yes, yes. Are you planning to return to Beyond soon?”

“It appears likely. Morwag and Weslin are nearing the end of their tutorials, so perhaps we could undertake something while our guild boasts three S-ranks. I also intend to visit the Doc and, if circumstances permit, see Lochi and Duncan. It would also be quite entertaining to reconnect with Spark and Marble. Furthermore, that enigma concerning the center of the 1st floor and the surface of Beyond still piques my interest.”

“You certainly have a comprehensive itinerary.”

“I’ve dedicated significant thought to my future endeavors. However, I will likely need to consolidate these plans into a span of a few days, or perhaps a week at most, to ensure I am not absent for an extended period.”

“And what of the subsequent floor of Beyond?”

“Hmm, that can wait. I’ll likely divest myself of the key and focus on acquiring another through my own efforts.”

“How unexpectedly pragmatic, and how nonchalantly you propose such a radical course of action. Yet, would you be surprised if I admitted I anticipated this very outcome?”

“Indeed. You likely foresaw it before I did,” I retort with a jest, glancing at my right forearm where the key to the 6th floor resides. “Would you care to have it?” I inquire, offering it to her.

Her eyes follow mine to the key, her expression pausing for a beat before she gently shakes her head. “I am accompanying Lyraen and his chosen contingent to the fifth floor. With adequate support and meticulous preparation, he should be capable of defeating the Champion, though he professes little interest in the Key itself. By the way, I believe you are overlooking a simpler solution. You could utilize the key to explore the floor alongside Nyssa. This would not preclude you from pursuing the Champion independently at a later time. If you were so inclined, you could even hunt them all down and sell the keys. Their market value is rumored to be astronomical.”

“Perhaps you are, in truth, a genius, Tess. I shall give it serious consideration. But what of Lyraen? Does he harbor no ambition to ascend to the next floor?”

“I suspect his primary motivation stemmed from a desire to compete with Nyssa. Once she accomplished it solo and descended to the sixth floor, he simply let the matter rest. He can exhibit surprising maturity and sound reasoning. He is not as unsavory as your perception suggests.”

“That vyssari, however, is a different matter, Tess. He likely maintains a cordial demeanor towards you owing to your gender. His reputation as a notorious womanizer precedes him. I’ve heard accounts of him having no fewer than fifty wives. Do you perhaps entertain the notion that he might bequeath the key to you?”

“I doubt he would go to such lengths. However, I do not believe anyone within his immediate circle possesses the drive to venture to the next floor. They all recognize their inability to even challenge a Champion without his direct involvement. Consequently, it is plausible they might opt to sell it and distribute the resulting shards. It is conceivable I could infiltrate their ranks surreptitiously.”

“Well, you still possess the five million shards I acquired as my compensation for serving as Guild Master.”

“And I still maintain that you could have secured a more substantial sum had your negotiation tactics been more assertive.”

“Should the need arise, I shall simply raid the treasury. And, to be entirely candid, I experienced a pang of guilt pilfering from them, given my lack of concrete plans for its utilization. They strike me as rather naive, Tess, akin to children.”

“Naturally. How could one possibly refrain from referring to the demons as ‘children’?” She sighs, a faint smile gracing her lips as she shakes her head. My attention is drawn to a Low Pristine ring she is idly manipulating on her right hand as she speaks. “Following my encounter with the Champion, I intend to establish our own dedicated group to undertake another attempt at defeating one. I have already managed to gather fragmented intelligence and will likely need to expend a considerable amount of shards to acquire more, but I believe success is within reach.”

“An ambitious undertaking. Is this pursuit driven by the acquisition of the key or the ‘achievement’ itself?”

“Primarily the achievement, for the enhanced 3rd trait and, at a later juncture, for a superior primary class at level 450. Obviously, the core members would be myself, Lily, Sophie, and likely Dennis, provided his strength is sufficient for the task. We still need to ascertain that. Victoria would almost certainly agree to join. Then, I believe Lily could persuade Tacita to participate, and I might be able to broker an arrangement with Savant, followed by a significant investment of time in preventing those two from engaging in mutual annihilation.”

She thoughtfully taps her lip with her fingertip.

“Furthermore, there are Jean, Lucien, Leticia, and Luna, all of whom I know would readily lend their support. When you consider the matter, do individuals hailing from Earth not tend to possess considerable power, Nat?”

“Hmm. In a manner of speaking?”

Tess shakes her head emphatically. “Not merely ‘in a manner of speaking.’ They are excessively potent. Victoria, Tacita, Savant – the trio of them are virtually guaranteed to attain S-rank status, and likely in the very near future. Not to mention that several others harbor a strong probability of achieving the same distinction. Jean and Lily, for instance.”

“That is certainly not insignificant.”