Chapter 368 – Day 790 – Council Of Shadows

A golden orb appeared within the room above the table. We all suddenly backed away. “Really now Michael. Threatening helpless women.”

I clenched my jaw. “Avatar. You foul snake. While I might not be able to kill you, I will kill your people and put you in the deepest, darkest, and most miserable hole I can find and leave you there for all eternity.”

“Dramatics.”

“Who are you,” one of the women asked.

“That is the Avatar of the System. The biggest and most untrustworthy schemer. It took me a while, but that collision inside the Forbidden City and now bringing all the groups besides the Dragon Empire, to this city just as I arrived. Your timing reveals yourself.”

“Indeed. But the future is always in flux. The knowledge you seek, will not help you,” the glowing golden orb said. I was trying to block out the mental words but failing. I had been observing it, but wasn’t to make out anything. Whatever the System or the Avatar were doing was far beyond my current ability to comprehend.

“I don’t care. I don’t obey you. I will listen to your words and just do what I was planning to do originally. Acting on anything you say is a trap. The best option is to ignore you and allow you to try and spring your trap, but not fall or it or be sucked into your ploys Avatar,” I countered.

“It was necessary for me to leave the Forbidden City. But now you bring everything close to ruin. The Divine Empress moves. Your time is limited.” Always with the time pressure to have me make a hasty decision.

“Doom. Doom. Doom. Doom. Doom,” I began to chant. I could tell the women were giving me weird looks.

“That is-“

“Doom.”

“-annoying.”

“Doom. Doom. Doom. How do you like someone chanting that while you are trying to do things. Begone. I have no use for you Avatar and you have made me an enemy.”

“It is the only path to kill the Divine Empress.”

“I doubt it. I highly doubt it. Unless you are claiming you can see the future?” I asked and challenged her. She knew better than to claim she did, then I would ask her to pick out the phrase I was going to say. Which she couldn’t do since it would change based on what she did, proving her wrong regardless.

“Your tricks are pointless. You must make haste to free the Astrologer,” she replied and I shook my head.

“The information. Tell these women to give it up. Or he can remain tucked away. In fact, I will let the Divine Empress know where he is so she can pay him a visit,” I suggested.

“No!”

“No! Fine. You doom us all.”

“You doom us all with your meddling. The fact you had to act in person shows I did the right thing.”

“Aid him as you will.” The golden light then disappeared, and I grinned. Bugger off Avatar. Your long-distance communication shenanigans won’t work here. You used your one ploy already on me. One of the Mistresses ordered the books and maps brought up in a chest.

Soon a chest was set in front of me and I had one of the women open it. No explosion happened and I looked over the books. English and lots of wordy notes about energy and diagrams. I put everything back and closed the chest up.

“I would say it was a pleasure ladies, but I am off.” I turned to leave but one mistress was standing in front of me.

“I will be going with you to ensure the Astrologer is freed.” I gave her a look.

“Okay,” I replied with a grind.

“What, that’s it. Okay?” She asked surprised. I just nodded. I knew exactly what I was going to do. The first step was to secure the information. After that, well it would be quite fun for all the aggravation I was feeling right now.

The woman followed me out of the building and towards the South gate of the city. “The Chief Diviner had defected?” she asked.

“Yes, he had. He would have been useful in learning about the Divine Empress. You killed him and set that trap?” I asked.

“I did. I am the Mistress of Shadows,” she replied. What a pretentious name. This entire city was pretentious and over the top. This council, the dramatics. It was like the Avatar just couldn’t help herself and came here for maximum drama.

Well I had thought long and hard about how things would play out. The Astrologer couldn’t be allowed a power base to build off of once he got out. Better to nip threats in the bud before they became threats. The most important part was this knowledge and getting it back to Clarissa and Doctor Katz at all costs.

We needed to make the super weapon functional and use that to kill the Divine Empress. I wasn’t going to count on the Astrologer or the Avatar. The only path, which was the biggest load of garbage I had ever heard. And that is including telemarketer phone calls and a Nigerian Prince sending me an e-mail asking for help.

She was a scam artist through and through. That was why once the Divine Empress was killed and the Astrologer sorted out, I would be paying her nation a visit and killing everyone. Every single person. No half measures or last-minute rescues.

That had been the mistake I had made with the Ritualist and the Divine Empress had made with the Avatar. She should have just killed everyone regardless of any deal she made. Just kill everyone. That was the thing about death, it simplified the equation.

There was too much nonsense happening right now. Too many factions, too many agendas. There should only be one agenda, my agenda. Everyone else could get in line. “How is he doing, the Astrologer?” the woman asked interrupting my thoughts.

“He is alive, I don’t know more than that.”

“And where is he, you offered to tell us,” she demanded and I noted there were other women following me as well.

“In a tower on the forty ninth floor.” She let out a gasp.

“That…that makes sense. He had been talking about wanting to see what was at the top. He was so hopeful as well about what he would find.” A meta-point, but I didn’t say anything. I didn’t want to have a conversation with this woman. I just wanted to get the information out and then take care of all the loose ends.

We reached the gate and exited the city. “So, you are heading directly there next?” she asked.

“Something like that,” I replied. There was still much left to do.

“Something like that, what does that even mean?” the woman asked.

“It means what it means. There are some minor things I need to take care of first. Some skills, and other things,” I replied.

“I do not know what your beef is with that golden orb, but it was clearly a sign of the power that controls this world. The Astrologer knew so much. It will be good to have him back.” She was a fan girl. I was dealing with a fan girl.

“It will be good to speak with him in person. I have much to discuss with him,” I replied. Specifically, about that bomb he had placed inside of me. I felt a bit ill thinking about it. The worry was really getting to be lately. Well, I had time and the stats.

We reached my group of soldiers who appeared surprised to see me and without violence so soon. “This chest is more valuable than your life,” I told Commander Abdullah who nodded. “Get it back to Chief Administrator Clarissa at all costs,” I told him.

“I understand,” he replied and everyone got ready to depart.

“Not even resting,” the Mistress of Whatever asked me. I didn’t respond as they left and I just stood there. I watched them go, there were no hidden figures I could see trailing them.

“Why are we waiting here, we should get going,” she demanded.

“I am just thinking,” I finally replied.

“Thinking, what is there to think about?” she asked.

“A lot of things. You see. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results. I am very rational. And I can see myself defeating the Divine Empress eventually. It is a matter of will, resources, and leverage. I would say we are matched in will or she might edge me out. Resources, well she had more, but now I have more. But leverage, I have leverage. Things are swinging in my favor.”

“What does that have to do with waiting around?” she asked.

“Hold on, I am explaining. So, you see. I got to asking myself, what will the post Divine Empress Systemic Lands look like. There is an Avatar, multiple factions and a lot of headache. I believe I will win, so I need to start thinking long term,” I replied.

“Okay, so getting the Astrologer, right?” she asked.

“Indeed. I do need to see him. But that is not the issue at hand. The issue at hand is the shape of everything when he returns, and the Divine Empress is killed. I have no doubt he will wiggle his way out of any threat or danger like he has in the past. But then the question is one of resources.” I paused to look up the night sky and take a deep breath.

I just stood there. “Resources, you mean skills?” she asked. I nodded slowly stretching out the time for my forces to get as far away as possible. That was why I was talking to a dead woman. While these words held no meaning, they were a delaying tactic.

“The Avatar should never have revealed herself, and it was foolish,” I said.

“Because a trap. Well just free the Astrologer and he will sort everything out.” I nodded at this.

“Yes, freeing the Astrologer will sort everything out. Thank you for explaining that to me. I guess I was confused thinking about other things.”

“I understand, but he is a great leader. You already have spoken with him so you know.”

“I know exactly how great he is.” He was also a schemer. I actually had to give respects the Divine Empress just a bit. She might be many things, but she was true to her evil and rotten self. I had to admit I wasn’t any better. But if the Astrologer returned, it would incite a second great war between the Empire of Purgatory and everyone else.

I could not allow that to happen. These women had also contributed nothing to the fight against the Divine Empress. The Avatar at least had put her forces to work fighting. So, she could wait until after the Divine Empress was killed off.

But I could not allow him to come back to an entire power base ready to serve him. I had now idea of his strength, power, or what would happen in that tower. But I knew if he left it with this city and these women here, it would be a disaster of epic proportions waiting to happen.

The knowledge was the priority, but now that was safe. “Sorry for the delay, I was just thinking over this choice I had to make and it was a tough one. But I think it is the best decision long term.”

“Oh, what decision is that?”

“That freeing the Astrologer is going to happen. I feel it in my soul. He is quite clever and will escape with my help in some way. The question is what kind of world will be the Systemic Lands be when he escapes,” I kept putting things off to get more and more time. The soldiers were already beyond my sight.

“You really are dram-“

Acid Shot x20 x20 x20 x20 x20.