Chapter 36

Diya's hands stung as he climbed back up the platform. He'd wiped his hands on moss and poured all of his whiskey-healing-brew concoction over them, but that didn't help. The last of the slime lord's digestive juices felt extra corrosive. Gwyneth assaulted his limbs with water and soap as soon as he got to the top. She didn't explain where it had come from. Her lamp's light turned golden, and a warming glow enveloped them.

"That wasn't a smart move," she told Diya. "I could've hit it with another spell."

"You're pale, and your hands are shaking," he replied. "I'd have to carry you out of here if you used another spell."

"Who did you train under?" Gwyneth asked. "I've never seen axe-play like that before."

"Sword Master Utpal Sen. I modified his talwar arts to work with the axe. The footwork is all his, though."

"It’s impressive.” Her eyes drifted down to the card sticking out of his pocket. "Is it any good?"

Diya nodded. He showed her the card. A big two sat in the top left corner. He couldn't tell whether the artwork was on the same level as Eirkh's or the shaman's cards. Slimes, in general, lacked detail. However, the three keywords on the card told him they'd found something potent: Slimeskin, Slimejuice, Mimic.

"This is more potent than I thought it would be," Gwyneth whispered, running her fingers over the card's surface. "People think slimes are weak creatures meant to keep Gaia's Ark clean, but they're so much more. Only a seasoned stealth hunter would earn an ability like Mimic."

Diya took a moment to wet his throat and glance over all the carvings on the walls. None of the messages appeared to be from Neer. After encountering the carvings on the ground floor, a small part of Diya had hoped Gaia was guiding him. She wanted him to find Explorer and figure out Neer’s fate. That would be too easy, though. It was just a coincidence, and he knew it. Diya found himself tempted to copy the carvings anyway. He wanted to know who had messed with the door. Unfortunately, his still stinging hands made that impossible.

The transition from the second to the third floor surprised Diya. He’d already gotten sweaty from the climb and fight. Now, the temperature and humidity squeezed his lungs, making it harder to breathe all of a sudden. Every footstep turned into labour, and the world swayed around him. The sudden wave of exhaustion didn’t surprise Diya. It was almost night-time on the floor, and he’d been on the move since dawn. He’d fought, run and done so much more on half a night of sleep and insufficient nourishment. One would need a tempered body to fare well in such conditions.

Diya didn’t pause. The sooner he checked the monster card's compatibility with his soul, the better. If it suited him, he’d absorb it immediately, and the initial tempering would fuel his body for a while. The upgrade station stood no more than ten feet from the gate. He raced over and pressed his hands against the stone monolith.

Preying on a poor slime?~

It makes sense. You’re Explorer’s pick, after all.

Diya’s eyes shot open, and he studied his surroundings. Gwyneth had collapsed against a boulder and had her eyes closed. It wasn’t her. Gaia had addressed him directly.

Centuries-year-old slimes aren’t particularly rare, but humans that challenge them are. Most use the creatures to punish their own or avoid them altogether. No one gives credit to the beasts that keep the ark clean and balanced.

Diya’s heart skipped a beat. He willed Gaia to hurry up and tell him what it had in store for him. Diya was sure that she was messing with him when she went off on a tangent regarding how they’re the purest of creatures. Eventually, she got to the good part: the possible upgrades to his body and spirit.

Absorbing the Uzeth’s Card shall temper your body to be more limber and agile. Landing a blow on you will get harder than it already is. Toxins and corrosives will be less effective, and you will recover quicker from them.

Age teaches slimes to contain more liquid in their surprisingly compact bodies. As a result, Living Inkwell's stores will be doubled. You’ll need it for increased ink usage.

Explorer wishes to know how you’d like to nurture his pen: empower it with Slimeskin or fill the inkwell with Slimejuice?

Diya couldn’t be more pleased with the body tempering, but the following words confused him. He opened his eyes again to ask Gwyneth for advice. He found himself standing in the ground floor ruins instead. Diya’s breath caught in his throat, and his hand jumped to his axe.

“In Gaia’s name?” He mumbled, looking around the fountain room where he’d earned his spirit. It looked mostly how he remembered it, except there was no fountain. The structure still stood, but there was no water in it. The hole at its centre was gone as well. A pair of stone pedestals stood in its place. An inkpot sat atop each of them.

Explorer wishes to know how you’d like to nurture his pen: empower it with Slimeskin or fill the inkwell with Slimejuice?

Diya hopped over the fountain’s edge, wearily approaching his obvious destination. He’d never heard about upgrade stations transporting people to different locations or cards giving Climbers options. It had to be a dreamscape. Diya was sure of it.

Gaia’s voice repeated the same words again, urging him to hurry up. As he got closer, Diya got a better look at the two inkpots. They’d looked identical from afar, but he could see the differences up close. Smoke rose from the one to his left. Its contents bubbled like hot tar, suggesting it wouldn’t be pleasant to touch. The other inkwell’s contents swelled, spilling over the container’s lip. It rippled and wobbled but didn’t make it all the way to the stone below it.

The Boleyn tutor’s lessons regarding the tower’s monsters had touched on slimes. Scholars had several theories regarding their physiology. Some claimed they were gelatinous blobs held together by their core’s magic. Scientists who studied lords and similarly over-sized specimens believed they were mostly compressed digestive fluid contained by magically-enhanced surface tension. Slimeskin suggested both theories were incorrect.

Diya didn’t need to sniff at the bubbling ink to recognise it as Slimejuice. He was sure it would burn his lungs and induce a coughing fit. However, he couldn’t resist poking the second inkwell’s wobbly contents. Recalling the slime lord’s powerful tentacles, he knew it was the one for him. As soon as the thought registered in his mind, Diya felt a slight weight in his right hand. It was Explorer’s Fountain Pen. Instinct drove him as he dipped the soul into the inkpot and the black Slimeskin left its container, disappearing into the pen’s nib.

“I was hoping you’d pick that.” The words made Diya jump. He spun around, recognising the voice.

“Neer!” He exclaimed, eyes widening at the sight of his brother. His mouth moved, but it took several attempts to get words to flow out of them. “I thought you were—”

“I’m not your brother,” they said, raising their hand. “This is only an apparition. You’re not ready for my true form yet.”

Diya’s heart dropped. It felt like a giant hand was squeezing his ribcage as the moment of elation faded. “You should’ve picked another face then,” he said. “Whoever you are, picking Neer was just cruel.”

“He was dear to me too,” the apparition said. “I understand and apologise.”

“Who are you then?” A shiver ran down Diya’s spine when the apparition smiled. “I see,” he said as realisation dawned. He looked between the pen and them. “You’re Explorer.”

They nodded. “I’m glad you were patient with my gift. That’s perhaps the best starter card you could’ve used before the fifth floor. Defeating the Aquafeen Queen would’ve been much harder, though. Despite your charm and business acumen, I doubt you’d manage to find a team that can put her down. Slimeskin is going to help you enjoy what we do best.”

“And what’s that?” Diya asked.

“Explore, of course. How about I guide you through the basics? I picked this form thinking you’d enjoy playing with Neer after so long. He loved telling me about—”

“Please. Don’t.”

Their shoulders drooped. “Fine.” Explorer extended his left hand, and the fountain pen teleported to it. They swung it to the side, and inky black vines shot out of the nib. They appeared almost identical to the ones he usually summoned. However, it featured a strange sheen like that of a slime's body. “It’s not a bad base for constructs, is it?"

"It's not a big change," Diya commented.

“It’s versatile, though,” Explorer remarked, waving around like a weightless piece of string. When Diya summoned his soul, it returned to his hand with the vines still hanging from it. Fortunately, there was a little weightiness to it. It wasn’t so heavy that he needed both hands to hold it, but enough so it felt good when swung around. “Will it to stick."

Diya swung the vines towards the ceiling. "Stick," he said. The vines stuck to the flat surface without needing to wrap around a pillar or beam. With his free hand, Diya tugged the vine and struck it. It didn't break or explode. The construct's durability had considerably increased.

“Verbal commands are unnecessary, but I suppose they’ll suffice for now. It’ll probably be a while until you learn to focus your will, anyway.”

Spell Thief has absorbed Uzeth's Mimic ability. You're no longer limited to stealing spells and monster attacks. Copy objects and recreate them out of Slimeskin. Or, you may construct them from scratch if your artwork is up to the mark.

Living Inkwell can now store two inanimate summons made of ink and Slimeskin.

“Stiffen,” Explorer said, and the inky length obeyed. It no longer swayed but turned solid and like a long shiny rock. Diya poked the Slimeskin. It had adopted the same texture as the slime lord when it disguised itself as the wall. “Relax.” The appendage regained its wobbliness.

“The applications are endless.” Diya gasped. “This is so much better than a weapon or an attack spell. More importantly, I won’t have to carry rope, hooks or clamps ever again."

"Why stop there?" Explorer laughed. "You have runes and Cardsmith. Make armour, weapons, or whatever your heart desires. Just keep an eye on the inkwell's stores, and don't forget the soul's essence. Gaia might've given you the ability to steal others' powers, but a pen is a tool for creativity and chronicling."

“I suppose that’s where the Inkwell’s summons come in. That makes the soul card a lot more useful.”

“Gaia rewards patience. Individually, neither half of your soul will stand up to a soul of equal tier—given the wielder used a decently compatible monster card, of course. However, your creativity might help bridge that gap.”

“Not all souls are made equal, I suppose,” Diya commented, watching Neer’s face. Now that he paid attention, the apparition’s face didn’t resemble the brother he remembered. It appeared to mature with time and adventure. Scars marked the chin and brow, and the smile looked different, too.

“They’re not. Gaia’s rewards are based on the individual and their actions. It’s the card you feed your soul that shapes it, though. Some focus on chasing powerful monsters, while others settle for tool and spell cards. Sometimes the latter decision isn’t the worst. The ark creates some wondrous tools for climbers.”

“Thank you,” Diya said. He retracted the vines and cast Frozen Ink Lance. The resulting spearhead appeared smoother and brighter. He tested the weapon by stabbing at the wall. The frozen tip didn't shatter. "I'll need to figure out Mimic and the summons, but this is amazing." He paused, glancing at Neer's smiling face. "Can you tell me what happened to my brother?"

"Wouldn't you rather find that out yourself?" Explorer asked. "Your pursuit of knowledge and information won you my pen and the journal."

"There's a lot that I want to learn. Gaia's secrets, its reason for coming to our world, and so much more." Diya sighed. "Whatever happened to Neer almost broke my father and kept me up at night. Please, if you know—"

"My time here was limited, and I’ve used most of it, ensuring you understand my gift to you. It’s probably best if we meet face to face for such a discussion.”

“Where will I find you?” Diya asked.

“You’re not ready for that yet, but chances are we’ll bump into each other after you cross the thirtieth floor.”