Chapter 487 - In that guest’s favor

(There are three bodyguards you should worry about. One of them isn’t here—the most powerful man in the city and someone Archon himself “caught” when that man was much younger. Archon really lucked out with that man. The remaining two will be at dinner tonight. One of them is the bodyguard of a man called Namior. He is not here yet and it's likely he won't come. His bodyguard is a vyssari woman. She possesses primordial thermal energy, but there’s a rumor she has one more. The second bodyguard to watch out for is the man next to our host.)

Sophie gestures towards the gazebo where people are standing in a small circle, drinking from glasses. Each of these people has a presence that makes them stand out from the other groups.

Mostly, the woman with pastel pink skin and pink hair. Her eyes are a mix of blue and pink colors, seemingly moving like waves slowly crashing onto each other. Her face and skin are adorned with blindingly white dots reminiscent of freckles. She is wearing a pale green dress with similar white dots adorning it. Surprisingly, it doesn’t look as strange as I would think. Her pink skin and hair are of a pleasant pastel color, which complements it well.

Other than all of that, there is one more noticeable thing on her: a ring on the pointer finger of her right hand. The ring seems to be made of white light, constantly shivering and slightly changing its shape.

[Waveshaper - lvl 265]

Behind her stands a man. He is tall and handsome, wearing gray and white suit-style clothes. He has brown hair and a short well-kept beard. His eyes never stop scanning his surroundings.

[Breaker Sentinel - lvl 251]

Over his head floats a crown. It’s bigger than mine, and the design is different as well. The crown is transparent, and some transparent energy seems to swirl inside.

Sophie’s voice takes on a different tone. (The man with the crown serves as mutually assured destruction. They say his crown is either [Impact Crown], [Shock Crown], or [Momentum Crown]. The energy stored in it is enough to blow up the entire city ten times over, and his life is connected to the woman he protects.)

(Another man Archon picked up and later gifted to his daughter?)

(Yes. People say that after storing energy in that crown for so long, the man is incapable of using it normally, which reduces his capabilities. But it doesn't matter, the moment he tries to use that crown he will die, and the crown will release all of the stored energy.)

(That’s quite disappointing. You would expect some skill from such a guy. His level is also somewhat lacking.)

(My guess is that he was always supposed to serve as a threat so the Archon didn't bother "raising him". But let’s greet one of the more powerful mind mages; I want to see her face. She is one of Beatrice’s puppets and really didn’t like it when I got invited to Framework maintenance.)

“Pyke, you can go for now. Greet people and collect as much information as you can. You are allowed to use my name a bit for reassurances,” Sophie says out loud.

The second assistant just bows and heads towards a similar group of people, and Sophie moves towards the smaller circle of well dressed people. All combinations of human, thylarin and vyssari. I follow behind her, observing how many people turn their eyes to my crown or if anyone notices the sword on my waist.

So far, most people check the crown, but barely anyone does so with the sword. Just a few are curious why I would carry such a “sealed” and weak-feeling weapon with me.

Especially that pink woman’s bodyguard, who seems to be more curious about it and observes it longer than anyone else.

Sophie joins the circle with a big fake smile and greets everyone, starting with Beatrice’s puppet, to whom she even bows gently.

“So, you did have some people outside of the city, Sophie, my dear,” the woman smiles as fakely as Sophie did before. As she does so I notice Beatrice glancing our way. The blue and pink colors swirling in her eyes. The white freckles on her skin and face seem even more interesting. Their shape is a bit spiky.

“You could say that, Lady Kehsi. Nathaniel is someone I have shared a path with for a long time.”

“He seems indeed useful, especially his defenses… impressive.”

“It’s an arcane passive,” I join the conversation, not minding the looks I get for that. “I have it for when some cunts try to mess with my mind.”

Silence fills the room, and several expressions seem to ask if they heard right.

Sophie doesn’t say anything to stop me, but I can almost feel her amusement through our link as she watches the expressions of this small circle.

After a brief shock, Kehsi smiles, that smile even more fake but with a hint of interest and danger. "How rare it is," she begins, her tone both amused and cutting, "to encounter someone with such audacious disregard for propriety. I can hardly recall the last time anyone displayed such... impertinent candor. Perhaps I’ve grown accustomed to the practiced reverence of those who know their place." Her eyes gleam with a flicker of something unreadable. "Tell me, is this insolence your nature, or merely a fleeting lapse in judgment?”

I shrug. “I don’t even know what half of these words mean. But I know that this man tried to get into my mind three times in a really nasty way. Then, when he failed, he tried to sneakily etch some orders into me.” I point at him. “I already remembered his mana signature and will find where he lives very soon. Then there’s that woman to your left who keeps trying to mess with my connection to my crown to make it explode when I fall asleep or something. Baldie in the corner tried to leave some tracking on Sophie, so I left my own mark on him.”

Kehsi raises an eyebrow, her smile widening, as though my words amuse her in some darkly satisfying way. "So, beneath that coarse exterior lies a vigilance I hadn’t anticipated," she replies. "You speak as though you understand the delicate intricacies of our world. And yet, here you are—bold, undeterred, and seemingly indifferent to the dangers such accusations carry."

Leaning in slightly, she lowers her voice, each word dripping with condescension yet laced with curiosity. "Tell me, do you truly grasp the consequences of such… insolence? Or are you merely testing the patience of those who could end such audacious endeavors with a mere whisper?"

I keep my tone flat. “I don’t care much for the ‘delicate intricacies’.”

Kehsi’s fake smile widens. “So, you mean to say you don’t understand—or simply don’t care about—the consequences of your actions here?” Her voice is almost mocking, like she’s daring me to slip up.

“Guess you’ll find out.”

For a moment, there’s silence. She tilts her head, almost intrigued, before finally speaking. “Bold words for someone standing alone,” she says, but her gaze shifts briefly to Sophie. “I’ll remember this… boldness. Let’s see if it lasts.”

Sophie just gives her a big smile and a short nod, after which the woman leaves, closely followed by her bodyguard.

The man I threatened to mark does the same and two more who tried the mess with us the most.

(These people would be amazing at playing villainous nobles in TV shows,) I note.

(Pff, more than you would think. Now watch how the others will react.)

I do as I am asked, and the rest of the circle, that had treated the departed duo so nicely before, now starts talking to Sophie. They praise her, they praise me, and they immediately trash-talk the ones who left.

Such shamelessness amazes me, but it becomes too much, so I let Sophie deal with it while I filter it out. My eyes move across the garden to some sort of mana-based fireworks that occasionally explode in the sky, creating beautiful shapes. Sometimes it’s a mystical animal, sometimes ornaments.

I think I should be capable of creating something similar, and the longer I watch it, the less difficult it seems.

Then my eyes slide to my right, meeting the gaze of the bodyguard with that transparent crown over his head.

His cold eyes meet mine, then he glances at my crown before looking away. After a while, he whispers something into Beatrice’s ear, and she nods in agreement. Both of them walk towards a different group of people.

(Not going to talk with that Beatrice woman?)

Sophie continues talking with these bootlickers but spares some of her attention and answers. (We mostly avoid each other, and until I’m sure we can deal with her bodyguard, I would prefer it to stay that way for now.)

(Sounds reasonable. Any idea what race she is? I haven’t seen anyone like her, even in Beyond so far.)

(She and her father are the only ones of that race I’ve met, and as you can imagine, they aren’t eager to share details.) She also looks towards Beatrice for a moment and sighs in my mind. (You would imagine her looking silly if someone told you there’s a person with pink hair and skin, but she is so beautiful.)

(Freckles like white dots do a lot of heavy lifting, along with those weird eyes. By the way, I think I should be able to take care of that bomb guy.)

(...Are you sure?)

(How can I be sure in this tutorial? In the worst case, I can teleport us all out.)

(That would destroy the Framework, so how about we leave it for later?)

(You keep mentioning the Framework, but isn’t it here for quite a long time without any success?)

(Yes, but I’m sure you’d also prefer if we do it on our "own" instead of freeing a being that could squish us like bugs.)

(If you put it that way… it makes me curious how the others will clear the floor.)

(As far as I know, no Hell group has cleared the 6th floor yet, so it seems to be one of the longest ones.)

(Theoretically, you could spend years on each floor. There might be people stuck on the 3rd, unable to finish off the saint, or who decided to spend the rest of the tutorial on the 4th. By the way, your shadow is creepy.)

(So you have noticed.)

(Right away.)

(I’ll tell you more later; I need to concentrate now and try to take over one of the mind mages.)

(Sure, good luck.)

With that, I disconnect from the conversation. While keeping an eye on Sophie, I continue to examine the bodyguards, leaving the mind mages to her.

The constant barrage of attempts at manipulation is extremely irritating, but I can control myself and hold it back, my eyes ticking between attendees I consider interesting.

Weird crown guy is the most interesting one. Low level and who knows how long he has been storing stuff in that crown. Then there’s some weird guy with two slim swords that seem to vibrate constantly at low frequency. A thylarin with a ring made of fire, a vyssari with a mantle made of ice.

Six months ago, I might have been cautious around them, but now they feel weak—far too weak. With all my training and breakthroughs, I could take them all on at once.

Even down in the mines, I didn’t get a chance to use my full strength because of the situation and that cursed weapon of mine. But I can be patient when I choose. I’m sure soon enough I’ll be able to go all out, to test myself against someone strong, and feel the satisfaction of seeing my own progress.

I cut my thoughts short, stepping back and glancing to my left, where a woman sits with a creature perched on her shoulder—a monster resembling a crow, its eyes an irisless blue.

[Phantom Beak - lvl 241]

Damned abomination.

Sophie and some other mind mages separate from their bodyguards, moving towards higher parts of the garden, leaving us behind.

The same as with their “owners,” the bodyguards also split into groups, and I use the opportunity to reach the comfy-looking bench I saw a few minutes ago. On my way there, I take a plate from one servant and a glass of rainbow-colored drink, then plop down.

Like that I get a few minutes of relative quiet.

While I keep an eye on Sophie in the distance, a woman comes closer and sits next to me. She is dressed like the other servants but seems very different in the way she holds herself and smiles.

She looks very ordinary—the kind of person you’d pass by without a second glance, neither beautiful nor plain, weak nor powerful. Just perfectly average. But the way she looks at me is anything but ordinary, and it sends a shiver down my spine.

Hello, Nathaniel,” she says, her smile carrying an unsettling warmth. “I hope you don’t mind me speaking to you like this.”

There’s a brief pause before blood begins to trickle from her nose. She dabs it away with the edge of her white sleeve, almost amused. “This body… it’s proving more fragile than I anticipated. I’m no expert at this sort of interference, so we’ve only got a few minutes before it wears out.”

“Okay?”

She raises an eyebrow, giving a faint, knowing smile. “So rude. I would’ve thought you’d remember me, but I suppose that’s too much to ask; the version you knew was very… unlike this.” Her expression softens, almost fond. "Simply put, I'm also one of those who helped make that challenge possible—and, indirectly, allowed that guest to settle in your mind."

“I still don’t get what you mean, but you’re giving me the same feeling I got from that Envy dickhead. Are you one of the Rulers?”

She is nodding in a way that feels strangely genuine. “Envy can be a bit much, can’t he? This time, he managed to pull a fast one on both me and Greed. Greed only wanted a light touch of interference, and Envy lent a hand. But in the end, the system twisted things just enough to work more in that guest’s favor.”

“Are you restricted in what you can say, or do you just like being mysterious?”

“Maybe a little of both? I have to admit, I’m glad I took an interest in this particular run of the tutorial. You’re all so unexpectedly delightful! Your sister especially—she’s got a rare spark. And that man in Beyond… he’s a treasure, so strange and fascinating. But I can see you’re eager for more. Greed likes a more hands-off approach, but I think it will be much more kind to give you at least some information.”

She leans in closer, gesturing for me to do the same as blood trails from her nose again. One of her eyes bulges, then bursts, spraying my face with blood. Her neck jerks, twisting unnaturally.

Yet she continues in a whisper, her voice now rough and rasping. “If you’re not careful, your guest might begin weaving his memories into yours, slowly replacing you. It’s possible he’s already started. That’s how the system decided to handle this little challenge, much to Envy’s satisfaction. Greed should have known the system wouldn’t take kindly to our interference—or maybe she did.”

She pauses, a strange look passing over her face. “It seems my time has run out. Until next time, Nathaniel...”

With that, her body contorts sharply, limbs twisting at unnatural angles as the sickening crack of snapping bones echoes through the air. Her face twists in a grotesque grimace, eyes wide but empty, as her frame collapses in on itself, her skin splitting under the strain. Her body crumples into a heap—a tangled, broken mess.

The servant’s remains lie there, twisted and lifeless, a bloody reminder of the cost of her presence, leaving an unsettling stillness in the air as if even the world itself recoiled from her departure.

Looking at it, I stand up, wipe the blood from my face, and move to a different bench to keep an eye on Sophie.

***

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