B2 Chapter 50: The Royal Appointment

“I was wondering if you’d show up again,” I said as I followed the cat through a dark cave.

“I’ve been a little busy,” she replied tightly. “Several of the Queen’s planets were attacked in a simultaneous strike and thus far, finding the culprit has proved elusive.”

I wondered if she knew about the conversation I’d had with Samara in the Victory room and what her last words had been. I asked her about it and there was a moment of silence as she mulled over how to respond. Eventually she said, “I was made aware of the situation. We disagreed on how to handle the progression of your Class. I believed that you weren’t ready to consume so much blood, and while my Queen has much more experience than I with blood Classes, I felt she was pushing for you to drink out of impatience. She is in a precarious situation and a Scarlet Beast under her command would’ve helped solve some of her problems.”

Was she putting herself in a dangerous situation by helping me?

“So, what does that mean for you now?” I asked.

“The Queen said she will not aid you and will likely to stick to her word. At least for the foreseeable future. However, she did not specifically instruct me not to help you and since you are still my student, you are also my responsibility. The Officiator forbids me from fighting any of your battles, but there is nothing in the rules about helping lead you to them.”

“Thank you,” I said sincerely.

It was a relief to have someone of a much higher level not jerk me around or try to manipulate me. Sure, she might want me and the Queen to reconcile, but I believed she was being genuine now. 

We reached the hallway outside of the throne room. The doors to it were closed and two guards stood outside of it. These two wore full armor that covered them from head to toe and carried tridents.

“Looks like you’re up,” Persephone said.

Her voice caught their attention, and they lowered their tridents.

I drew my Dragonsteel sword. It was time to see what this thing can do.

The sharp points of a trident lunged at my face. I ducked under it and attacked with my sword. The blade cut through the Shrikon’s armor like butter.

The first one dies without realizing it while the second bled out on the ground, confused.

DING! You have slain [Shrikon Royal Guardsman (Uncommon)] Level 68 – Experience Points and Currency Acquired

DING! You have slain [Shrikon Royal Guardsman (Uncommon)] Level 68 – Experience Points and Currency Acquired

DING! Class: [Blood Reaver] has reached level 68 – Experience Acquired. 

“Now, this is a sword,” I grinned.

“Don’t get too cocky. They are nothing compared to the Sea King,” she warned me.

The cat telekinetically pushed the doors open and went first. Following a cat wasn’t exactly a heroic entrance, but I liked the idea of any surprise attack being triggered by her first.

Unfortunately, no such attack occurred. In fact, the throne room was practically barren. Only two individuals were inside having an animated conversation. The Sea King and Tanver Vhar.

The cat went very still. “You should not be here,” she hissed at Vhar.

The alien shrugged. “Technically, neither should you. What was the original mandate? To offer guidance and wisdom from afar using the shrines. This doesn’t look very afar to me.”

“What are you doing here?” I asked him.

Persephone whirled on me like I might attack her. “You know him?”

“I’m just here wrapping up a little business with the Sea King,” Vhar said. “Also, if he wins the fight and kills you, there is something that I’ll get out of it. On the other hand, if you win, there is something that I can offer you that would further both of our agendas.”

“Don’t listen to him!” Persephone spat. “He’s—”

Her words were cut off as a portal opened up behind her and an invisible force shoved her through before the portal winked out of existence.

The Sea King was faintly amused by the whole exchange. “There’s going to be a fight?” he asked the alien standing beside.

Tanver Vhar looked at the King like he was stupid. “Of course, there’s going to be a fight. The Officiator is nothing if not predictable.”

The Sea King smiled. He was interested in a fight. For too long, he had simply sat on his throne and watched as the others fought. Now it was finally time for him to get his claws dirty.

“What happened to Persephone?” I asked.

“Oh, she’s fine. Just taking a little break somewhere else.”

I felt the connection a moment before Tanver Vhar did and panicked, but there wasn’t time to stop him.

 Hugo flew into the throne room with excitement. “Hey, we got the control console!”

He landed on the floor and looked around, confused. “Did I miss something? Gah!” he yelped as Tanver Vhar had moved across the space and grabbed him faster than I could blink.

“This isn’t a team sport,” he said contemptuously.

“Wait!” I cried.

He looked like he was about to crush Hugo, so I dashed forward and brought my sword down on his arm. The blade bounced off his skin like it was made of stone.

He chastised me. “Save that energy for the fight.” The alien looked at Hugo strangely. “No, I see now that you have a deeper purpose. My apologies, little crow.”

He set Hugo gently down on the floor. The crow hopped away from him, furious at being manhandled. Archer and Norris appeared beside him, ready to fight.

“Hugo, don’t,” I said. “He’s not the fight today.”

The alien nodded. “Very wise, but I meant what I said earlier. This is between you and the King. Hugo is not allowed to interfere.”

“Says who?!” asked Hugo.

He smiled, showing all his teeth. “Says me, if you want my reward.”

I was too tired to ask and play games, but Hugo wasn’t.

“What reward?”

“I’ll give you a hint and say that it’s better than the release code for the collars that I’ll hand over once you win.”

The Sea King’s claws scraped along armrests of his throne as he stood up. He was no longer amused. “You think he’ll win?”

Tanver Vhar shrugged. “Eh, I think it’s fifty fifty.”

Before anything more could be said, he snatched Hugo back up off the ground and moved to the far side of the room so neither of them would be in the way. Hugo wriggled uncomfortably in his hand. “Really, this is unnecessary!” he moaned, but the alien ignored him and kept his eyes on me.

The King took a step forward with a loud thud. He was fifteen feet tall but did not procure a weapon nor don any armor. All he needed was his claws and teeth. I had noticed before because I’d only seen him sitting down, but he also had a thick tail that swished behind him.

It was some sort of dominance display, but I wasn’t worried. I had handled the Captain well and his boss couldn’t be much more above him.

The Sea King bolted forward and swung his tail. The speed caught me by surprise and the tail hit like a truck. I went flying back and crashed into one of the pillars.

Beast identified [The Sea King of the Shrikon, Grade: E] Level 110.

Oh fuck.

I got to my feet and backed away. Think. There has to be a weakness. The System wouldn’t put a creature in here that couldn’t be beaten. There had to be something.

The King had not moved since his first attack. “Tell me, how long are you going to scurry around my throne room?”

I threw a shadow at his face to blind him and then moved in with my sword. He did not react to the shadow in any way, but when I attacked with my sword, he swatted the blade aside.

A casual swipe from him was enough to knock the sword out of my hand and across the room.

“Shield your aura,” Tanver Vhar said to me.

Right, my aura. I focused on my core and clamped down hard on any excess signals that were leaking out. This time, when the king attacked with his claws, he was a fraction off. Frustrated at missing me, he reached up and tore the shadow surrounding his head apart.

As he did this, I pulled out my knife and used Blade Weaver to strengthen it before plunging it into his chest. The knife sank in and then stopped like there was some internal armor beneath his scales. The King’s eyes glowed with fire.

A burning agony tore through chest. I looked down to see his claws pierce all the way through my torso and out of my back. He swiped down, casually ripping open my stomach. I fell to my knees in shock.

Somewhere in my mind, I was aware of my feeble attempt to hold on to my intestines to prevent them from falling out.

The king made an irritated sound and strolled back to sit on his throne. “And you told me that this would be a challenge. It hardly seemed worth the effort at all.”

I reached for my blood to heal myself. A trickle of it makes it to me before I run empty.

It is not enough.

I turn to the Shrikon blood I’ve accumulated. It does even less to heal me, but the enhanced toughness of it kept my mind clear. Clear enough to see a piece of white fabric get thrown on the floor. I frown at it until I realize that it is a towel that Tanver Vhar has thrown.

At first the King is offended that someone would litter in his presence, but Tanver Vhar quickly explains the cultural significance of the act before hurrying over to me. Perhaps out of boredom, the King allows this.

A health potion is forced into my mouth, and then another and another. Nine health potions later and I am restored to perfect health.

“Apologies. I could not risk giving you anything stronger than a grade F potion without potentially harming you further,” said Vhar.

“All you’ve done is prolong my death,” I said. This fight was hopeless. He massively out levels me.

“Not true. Do you wish to die here now on your knees, or will you do whatever it takes to win?”

I looked at Hugo, who had been uncharacteristically quiet until now. “Don’t give up,” he said in a low voice.

I nodded. “I’ll do whatever it takes.”

“Good.”

Tanver Vhar’s hand wraps around my throat and another bottle is brought to my lips. His grip is like a vice and despite my panic, I cannot move. As the liquid reaches my tongue, I notice that it’s thicker than the health potions. Then it dawns on me and my eyes widen in horror.

Oh god. Please no.

Vhar forces me to drink the blood.

DING! Class: [Blood Reaver] has reached level 69 – Experience Acquired. 

DING! Class: [Blood Reaver] has reached level 70 – Experience Acquired. 

DING! Class: [Blood Reaver] has reached level 71 – Experience Acquired. 

The messages keep coming until they become a blur, and then a red haze covered my vision.

[Transition period to Scarlet Beast active]

All I felt now was rage and hate and more hunger. I wanted to tear this white alien apart and steal his magic for myself.

Gotta keep growing. Get stronger. Always stronger.

The White alien releases me. I try attacking it multiple times but I cannot break its skin. Too tough. Must come back later when stronger.

There’s a whistle sound and I turn.

There, sitting in a big chair, was a scaled body pulsing with power. I could hear its blood pumping. It was a like a drum beat thundering in my ears. I had to have it. It was mine. It must be mine.

Dimly, I see a message telling me Cardinal Arm has been activated. I pay this no attention. All I know is that my hands have become blood claws.

I take a step and am instantly in front of the blood source. It says something but words worthless things and are thus ignored.

My claws sink through its scales and past its internal armor. The thing bashes its horns against me and tries to rise from its big chair, but I hold it in place. The blood rushes to me and I do not even need to use my mouth. My hands are absorbing it. Drinking it in. God, what an incredible feeling.

DING! Class: [Blood Reaver] has reached level 97 – Experience Acquired. 

DING! Class: [Blood Reaver] has reached level 98 – Experience Acquired. 

The messages buzz around me like gnats. Irritating little things. Still, the blood is spectacular. The thing in front of me grows weaker and slower. I hear its heartbeat slow and decide that I want it for myself.

I reach up and pull it right out of its chest. Some blood splashes on my face and I laugh. How delightful. Now everyone can see the wonderful meal I’ve just had.

As the magic from the heart fades into me, I crush what is left and toss it aside. Nothing but useless meat now.

I must have more blood. I scan the room. The white stone thing that talks has nothing to offer, so I keep looking. There! Atop a pillar in the corner of the room. Something black and feathery.

I sink my claws into the pillar and climb up it, only to be disappointed. It is only a tiny morsel. One that barely even qualifies as a bite.

Still, I reach for it.

“Lucas!” the thing shouts at me.

I stay my hand. The sound it's making is odd but familiar. I command the thing to make the sound again and the tiny morsel does. He repeats it over and over again.

The sound is hammering me. Hurting me, but not my body.

No, I don’t like this.

I leap away to the far side of the room, but the sound follows me. It’s digging into my skin. Burrowing into my brain. It can’t stop. It won’t stop. Why won’t it leave?

I beg with it. Plead with it. Threaten it.

Nothing works, so I ask, “what does it want?”

A whisper that says that it wants to be understood.

I stop mentally running away from it and run toward it. I turn the sound over in my mind, trying to remember.

Then it hits me like a bolt of lightning.

My name.

It’s my name.

[Scarlet Beast Transition halted]

[Do you wish to revert to Blood Reaver? Y/N]

I select yes and my vision clears. Suddenly, all the rage and hatred is gone and I feel myself again. I look over and see Hugo crying. A brief vision of what happened before flashes through my mind. It is vague and distorted, but still I shudder in disgust. For a small amount of time, I experienced what it was like to be a Scarlet Beast. An animal. No worse than an animal. It was nothing but predatory hunger and malice.

I stand up and take a step towards Hugo. My movements feel awkward and stiff. Everything feels so much clunkier physically now that I am no longer a Scarlet Beast. But I would get used to it again, because my mind was sharper than ever and that is the thing I value about myself more than anything else.

I reach Hugo, unsure of what to do.

“I’m sorry,” I say.

“It’s okay,” he sniffed. “You never hurt me.”

I pick him up, and he unfurls his wings and wraps them around my neck in a hug. We stay like this for a minute until both of us calm down.

“So… we should probably get a move on,” said Tanver Vhar.

I set Hugo down and angrily turned to him. I wanted to yell at him about what he did to me and about what he nearly turned me into. But the words wouldn’t come. I would’ve died without his health potions and the King would’ve killed me a second time had I kept fighting as I was. Drinking the blood had likely not just saved my life, but also Hugo’s. Still, I was furious about what he’d turned me into.

“I’m not thanking you,” I glared at him.

“That’s perfectly fine. In case you hadn’t noticed, I took the liberty of taking the control console from Hugo and deactivating all of your collars.” A portal appeared behind him. “Now if you’ll follow me, we can get this whole Golden Door quest business finished.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you. You may have helped me, but it wasn’t out of altruism. Until I know your motives, I think we’ll go our own way in searching for the Door.”

Vhar looked at me like I was crazy. “Lucas, the Golden Door closes in five minutes, and you’re the only one with the key.”

I checked and sure enough, the key was in my inventory. But then there was that part about the door. Five minutes? No, that couldn’t be right. I had way more time left than that.

“Lucas, how long do you think we’ve been in this room for?” he asked.

“I dunno, maybe ten minutes,” I replied.

“It’s been hours. Most of your time as a Scarlet Beast is likely a blur, but regardless, this portal will take you directly to the Door. If you want to save your friends in the Tower, then you have to use it.”

I looked down at Hugo and asked him what he thought. Since we’d been here for hours, out of the two of us, he was the one who’d spent the most time with the alien.

“I think we should use the portal,” he said after considering it.

I nodded and went to retrieve my sword.

“Okay, let’s go.”

Hugo hopped onto my shoulder and together we walked through the portal.