Chapter 38
Moe sits on the bed, her chin resting on her hands.
“I keep waiting to wake up and realize this is all a dream.”
“Me too.” I sigh and join her on the bed. “I wonder…”
She tilts her head toward me, listening. Weariness is etched into her features.
“Remember those rumors about Horan Forest? That those who go there never come back? I wonder if it’s tied to this.”
“You think they also fell into this realm?”
I nod. “It would make sense. But if they never came back, then the chances of us making it out of here are…”
“Slim.” She lets out a breath.
“Do you regret following me?” I ask quietly.
“No. It is what it is.” She shrugs. “I wanted an adventure, didn’t I? Well, I’m getting that and much more.” She chuckles.
“That’s a good way of thinking about it. But…” I press my lips together. “There is one thing that worries me.”
“What is it?”
“There is no energy in this realm. Nothing to feed on.”
Isn’t that quite the irony? My meridians are clear, but there is no energy for me to consume.
“What does that mean?”
“I won’t be able to level up without energy. I might be able to hone my fighting skills but there will not be any qualitative change in my strength. I think this must be purposefully by design. You must fight but you can only rely on your current level.”
“So the system is designed so participants fail.”
I nod. “Everything points to that. As you said, you earn points but you must spend them on subsistence. That already makes it harder to save up the points. If you cannot level up, that means you’re stuck at fighting against the same low-point opponents. It’s a vicious cycle.”
“There must be a way we can crack this. I keep thinking of the words the wraith used: system. It means someone designed this. By virtue of that alone it’s not infallible. We just need to find a loophole and exploit it,” Moe says thoughtfully.
“You’re right. We’ll be able to learn more tomorrow.”
“You plan to sign up for a fight in the morning?”
“Yes. I’ll look for a weak opponent so I can test the ground.” I pause, thinking about everything the wraith has explained to us so far. “In the beginning, I was surprised by how much information we were being given. But now I’m starting to wonder if it’s not a guise for...”
“For not asking more questions?” Moe completes my sentence.
I nod, smiling at how well we complement each other. “On the surface, it seems we’ve been given a thorough tutorial to be successful here. But the more we question each aspect of this realm, the more we find issues with it.”
“I agree. I think that’s why a wraith delivers the information instead of an actual being. With how coldly and logically the wraith spoke, it’s hard to find fault with anything he says.”
“Not only that, but the term ‘soul extinction’ doesn’t sit well with me.” I add thoughtfully. “I may not be the most knowledgeable when it comes to immortal affairs, but even I know the soul is the most potent source of energy in the world. It’s almost impossible to kill it completely.”
“Then how would they do it?” She frowns.
“The only way I know through which a soul is destroyed is consumption by a Son of Tenebreis, but even then, it’s not destroyed per se. The energy housed within it merely changes and becomes a source of power for that individual.”
“What you’re saying is that energy cannot be destroyed. It can only be redirected, no?”
“Yes. It’s a law of nature. You can’t just destroy something so strong.”
“And yet this realm is doing it,” she adds skeptically.
“I’m having a hard time believing that to be true,” I say hesitantly—mostly because I recognize my own shortcomings when it comes to such knowledge.
“Let’s assume it isn’t true. And let’s further assume, as you said, that energy isn’t destroyed but transformed instead.”
A glint appears in her eyes. My own chest fills with excitement as ideas run through my head.
“What you mean is that, if we assume that,” I speak slowly, “then the souls of the individuals who die aren’t immediately destroyed. They are instead transformed somehow. And if I can find a narrow window between the moment in which they are extracted from the body and transformed—”
“You may be able to siphon some of that energy. You can level up,” she says, her voice giddy.
“The only issue is to make sure I’m not found out.”
“Then tomorrow’s match is all that much more important.” She stands up and walks around the room. “You will need to pay attention to everything.”
“Uhm, Moe…”
She stops and glances at me, her brows raised.
“I’m a wretched fighter.”
“But you beat up Mr. Denos and all those guards,” she says with a frown.
“I was also pumped up on Zantrax. Not only did I have those awesome abilities, but it helped my confidence too.” I press my lips together. “I’ve never fought anyone without Zantrax.”
She stares at me. Then she stares some more. Coming over, she plops herself on the bed, exhaling loudly.
“I could fight in your stead? Since I do have some strength and speed from that mythical beast and—”
“Stop right there!” I burst out. “What?? Allow you to fight for me? Who do you take me for, Moe?”
“Well, you can’t fight so—”
“And you can?”
She shakes her head. “But my strength and speed—”
“No. That will not happen. You are mine to protect. I won’t send you to the battleground for me. By the Seven! That’s the most preposterous thing I’ve ever heard.”
“It was just a suggestion,” she mumbles.
“Delete that from your head. It will not happen.”
“But—”
“No buts. I may not know how to fight but I will learn. And I will not die,” I vow.
She smiles. “All right. Then I’ll help you as much as I can without fighting.”
I chuckle. “You’re the brains, Moe. I fight, you command.”
“Fine, fine. You do your manly stuff and I’ll do the intelligence gathering,” she says with a wink.
Once we have a plan for tomorrow, we spend some time looking around and sifting through the various items left behind by the ‘terminated individuals.’ All of them will be useful.
There plates, cutlery and pans—though I don’t know if there’s a kitchen around to cook our own food or if we’ll have to buy everything.
There are various clothes left behind, and luckily, there’s something for both Moe and I. The feminine clothing is too big for her, however, so she has to find a way to make them fit. The male ones, however, are perfect for me if not a bit worn.
“More things we’re going to have to spend points on,” she grumbles under her breath when she sees some holes in my new shirts.
“Consumerism at its finest,” I joke.
There are four blankets and two pillows.
For Moe’s comfort, I place the most worn blanket between us and give her the softest one to cover herself.
She shakes her head at me but doesn’t refuse.
Sleep comes easy even when it shouldn’t. We’re too worn and we end up falling asleep within minutes of getting in bed.
Sleeping in isn’t an issue when a horn blares loudly in the air, signaling the start of the day.
A little disoriented, Moe and I look at each other as if confirming that everything we’ve been through was real and not a dream.
“Damn it,” we both mutter at the same time.
My lips tip up as she giggles at our well timed outbursts. The more time we spend together the more our minds seem to be in alignment.
“It’s time,” I say solemnly and walk toward the exit.
She takes my hand in hers as we leave the room.
The doorless exit is eerie. Once moment we’re inside the room, the next we’re outside.
The sky is still that endless, suffocating crimson. The ruins still stretch in every direction, more proof that none of it was a dream.
We’re in Aimaxion for better and for worse, and from now on we can only do our best to survive.
Far in the distance, there are barely visible figures moving between the ruins. They’re too far to make out anything specific, yet the implication is clear. They’re other fighters. My potential future opponents.
The realization sharpens something in my chest.
Is it fear? Excitement? Something in between?
We only take a few steps before I notice movement from behind. Other people exit their cubicle accommodation, rushing past us without sparing us a glance.
I pull Moe closer to my side. It feels as though we’re in slow motion while the rest of the world is accelerating.
Everyone runs forward at full speed. Some almost bump into us in their hurry.
“There,” Moe points forward.
I follow her gaze.
The obelisk stands a short distance away, its dark surface cutting sharply against the fractured terrain. I frown and narrow my eyes. Was it always there? Why was I under the impression that it was much farther away from our accommodation?
“I think it just appeared,” Moe mentions. “It definitely wasn’t there before.”
“Definitely,” I echo.
A crowd of people is already forming around it. Each person steps forward, seemingly choosing their opponent before walking away.
“That doesn’t seem too hard.”
As we get closer, the obelisk appears even more unsettling than it looked from afar. The stone isn’t still. It ripples faintly, as though it’s alive. Faint lines of light move across it in patterns that refuse to settle.
We approach cautiously, stepping through the throng of people. Already, small groups have formed to the side, with everyone animatedly discussing their upcoming match.
To my surprise, these people don’t seem scared. On the contrary. They’re excited and looking forward to their fight.
As if it wasn’t a life or death match.
Why?
The question doesn’t go unanswered.
Moe’s augmented senses come in handy as she whispers.
“I think they’re mid-level fighters. They’re talking about the points they will gain from their fights.” She pauses and scrunches her nose. “One is saying his opponent is worth ten points. Another mentioned eight.”
“If that’s mid-level then what’s entry level?” I grumble.
“Only one way to find out,” she says as she lightly pushes me toward the obelisk.
The moment I step within reach, the surface reacts.