SL: Chapter 714 – Day Unknown 3 – Hidden Base

As we got closer to New Kochi without seeing farmers or roads, we knew the worst had happened. The city had been reset as well and we set off for Clarissa’s main hidden base in silence. The speculation before was weighing down on us quite heavily.

“Its here,” Clarissa said as she pulled up a dirt covered tarp. I hadn’t even noticed.

“You really became a mole woman,” I joked. Clarissa just moved the metal lid beneath the cloth cover off the entrance. She was about to enter, but I stepped in front of her.

“Just in case there is something,” I said. While we might have had our disagreements, I wasn’t about let her enter a sketchy area on her own.

“Very well,” she replied with a head nod. I moved through the underground tunnel braced with carts. That brought a smirk to my face. The carts that didn’t disappear.

Everything was dark and there was no one here as far as I could sense. “This way to the command. If there was an emergency people would have hidden there. Also where there should be recorded information,” I nodded at this and noted that my airship was still present in the hanger. I pointed at it and Clarissa nodded.

“Wait,” I said. Air Burst. I laned on the deck of my airship. There was skeleton that was turning into dust. I stood looking at it. Clarissa soon landed next to me.

“Dylan?” she asked. I was impressed she had remembered his name.

“Most likely. There is no clothing or other markings. Surprised there is a skeleton,” I said.

“Let’s get to the command center,” she said quietly. I left the bones alone and followed Clarissa to the command center. There were bones and a lot more dust here.

Clarissa moved over to an open book on a table. “Our departure was recorded successfully. Unfortunately, after that the energy from the sphere kept increasing in the Systemic Lands. Many cities failed first. Last word from Purgatory was a complete and total breakdown of the government as panic gripped everyone. Nothing on if the shield was activated.” Clarissa flipped to another page.

“Contacts lost. Cities lost. It seems we were gone for around 12 days before the increased energy became too much. People began dying. Even with enchantments and devices to bleed off the energy, it was all too toxic. They held out for hope, but everyone died,” Clarissa said and closed the logbook.

“Anything on Michelle? Doctor Katz?” I asked.

“One the cities went, they wouldn’t have been able to keep track of their location. So, no. A small group took my airship in hopes of fleeing while it appears Dylan stayed behind with yours,” she said.

“A complete reset,” I muttered in shock.

“It appears that way,” Clarissa replied heavily. “There was hope that higher energy areas would resist the sphere’s influence. But with no one having returned here, it doesn’t look good.”

“Everyone, everything?” I asked in shock. I had realized it might be the case, but now that I was confronted by the situation it was shocking.

“This place has something with time happening to it. We were in the rainbow dimension for a long period of time. Longer than anyone has been in the past,” Clarissa said and I could work that out myself.

“Let’s give everyone a burial,” I said quietly and Clarissa nodded. The bones and ash were gathered up and buried in a small corner of the underground chamber. Clarissa purchased a headstone to make a memorial for what had happened.

Day 5,834 of the Purgatory Calendar
This grave marks the death of thousands of people. Many of whom were loyal comrades over the years. Michael, Clarissa, Gregor, and Conner entered the Rainbow Dimension on day Day 5,791. Defeated the source of the calamity, the Sphere, saving the Systemic Lands. Only Clarissa and Michael returned to a Systemic Lands that no longer remembered them or the Empire of Purgatory or its many triumphs over the great evils that threatened it and its people. The Ritualist, The Divine Empress, The Astrologer, The Monster, The Evil Child, and finally The Sphere.

For those who had fallen in pursuit of a goal, a dream, a hope.

May this marker last until the Systemic Lands are no more. May the Almighty System or whatever power is out there, watch over their souls forevermore.

“It is good,” I said as we stood in front of the large grave marker. “Really, evil child?” I asked.

“He had everything and resorted to terrorism. In my mind he is an evil child,” Clarissa replied and I shrugged.

“Fair enough.” Neither of us said anything and just stared at the marker. What could one say? Nothing, absolutely nothing. We were both numb to deaths, but it was the constant setbacks that were exhausting.

“Well, all that remains is the sword, out of crazy things left that could be a problem,” I finally said.

“You and that sword,” she replied.

“Hey, it is annoying and powerful. If anything could threaten us all it is that sword. Just have to figure how to wipe it out and be done with it,” I replied.

“You know, you might be thinking that this is annoying for me. And it is, don’t get me wrong. But I can’t help but smile and your soon to be misery,” Clarissa said while giving me a small grin.

“What? What misery?” I asked.

“No one knows you. All your reputation. Gone like the wind. The fear you inspire by your sheer presence as the most powerful person who melts others, no one knows. Those thugs, well that is going to repeat over and over again,” Clarissa said.

“Really, you find that funny?” I told her in a deadpan voice while she chuckled.

“A bit. After you have become more powerful than ever, the only one who truly knows what that means is me. It just tickles me something funny,” she said. It was easy to get annoyed, but she had point and I chuckled as well.

“You are right. There will be lots of fresh idiots to kill,” I replied. “So, you are staying down here as a mole woman?” I asked.

“It is prime real estate while things sort themselves out in the cities. I can grind up slowly and in peace with the portable store. So, I don’t have to deal with the idiots,” she said.

“Don’t look nervous. I won’t take it. Keep it with my blessing for all time. The meta-point is more than enough. I like the Almighty System sent it to spare our friendship,” I said.

“Perhaps. Perhaps. Would have been nice if it sent two meta-points. I would take one over a portable store,” she countered.

“I know, right?!” I replied. “A bit stingy as always, but it is what it is. I guess I am going tower hunting. Then grind up. Do you want me coming back to visit and cashing in?” I asked Clarissa. She seemed to consider that and nodded.

“I might not be here. But if you want to hole up here, that isn’t a problem. I might check out the nearby cities and steer things in a direction I prefer. Or you can just go in and murderize everyone and everything,” she said.

“Fair enough. Well, you can always ask for my help. Going to clear the towers and then work on getting more skills points. Grinding without someone on crystal pick up duty is very annoying. I don’t suppose you are interested in just a job?” I asked. She gave me a look that would have killed a lesser person. I just smiled.

“I will take that as a no.”

“That is a no Michael. You are welcome to visit and share information, but I don’t need more headaches and I am not working with you unless the Systemic Lands is about to get wiped out again,” she replied.

“Fair enough. Well, I…there is someone approaching. No a small, group. With me,” I said, and we moved towards the entrance the group was entering.

Clarissa and I hid in the shadows as the group entered. “It looks like they didn’t make it.”

“After that massive wave of energy, I am surprised we made it. At least there is an airship here and the place is stocked up with supplies.”

“You think Clarissa and Michael made it?” I looked at Clarissa who just shook her head while we remained hiding listening in as the group passed us.

“Michael, maybe. Clarissa, well, I haven’t heard how she is in a fight.” They had gone a ways past us.

“Quite good actually,” Clarissa said and the group of five people spun. Four men and a woman.

“Clarissa!” they all said in shock.

“I just got back to the Systemic Lands a few days ago. It is Day 5,834?”

“Yes,” one of the men said. “We chose to evacuate as the energy levels spiked hoping to flee to a level zone with more system energy. Unfortunately, there was a massive pulse of sphere energy. The airship was disabled and crashed. Out of the original 23 only us 5 made it back through the monsters and terrain.”

“That long?” Clarissa asked.

“We didn’t have any maps, our memories weren’t the best. And everything had reset. No roads, no clear signs what city was what. When the wave of energy hit, the airship went tumbling wildly and many of us blacked out,” the man explained. “Um, did you get it?”

“Yes. We destroyed the sphere. Conner and Gregor didn’t make it unfortunately and it appears the entire Systemic Lands has reset,” Clarissa said.

“Well, it looks like you aren’t going to be alone,” I said.

“It is still a complete mess. We will have to rebuild from the ground up. I was thinking of a taking a vacation,” Clarissa said. With minions under her control once more, she would be scheming in no time.

“If they survived, then it is likely Michelle did as well. She would be grinding in a higher level area. The priority should be locating her. I doubt Doctor Katz made it, since he would have probably been in a city tending to the damned,” I replied.

“It will take time to rebuild an information network. New governments, new cultures, new everything is going to spring up,” Clarissa said.

“Well, you can be the Divine Empress this time around and I can be the Astrologer,” I replied.

“It is nice to be starting from a position of strength and not trying to catch up for once. Even if we do have to redo everything,” Clarissa said while her people quietly listened in.

“Well, this doesn’t change anything for me. I am going to clear towers. I will probably come back around day 6,000.” That seemed like a good time return and figure out the general situation. Hopefully there would be more news. “I will also show the airship in cities. Hopefully there are other survivors who poke their heads out. And if they choose not to, well they will know I am still around.”

Clarissa nodded at this. “And the governments, you going to try to do anything?” she asked.

“Not really unless they make trouble for me. No other person can threaten me. So, it doesn’t really matter,” I replied. Clarissa just shook her head at that statement. Clearly knowing what I meant but didn’t want to keep talking. I turned away to head towards my airship.

Trying to climb the towers without an airship would be a good training experience and would let me know where I stood in terms of combat.