Chapter 183 (End of Book 4)

The Pitt - 7:32 PM

Kayla and I left the Angel Express after I rejoined the guild. We emerged from the door Sara had me put deep in the Pitt. I was feeling clean and refreshed, my clothes were all in pristine condition, and I wasn’t worried about the team at all. With a gesture, we started walking towards the dungeon housing the Trial of the Silver Nightmare.

Snapping my fingers, I opened my menu and pulled out the manual I had been writing. It had been compiled into four different composition notebooks and would have been much, much longer if I hadn’t been brief. “These are for you,” I said, offering them to her.

Kayla took them and flipped open the one on top. “What are they?” she asked as she scanned the first page.

“The culmination of several hundred years of trial and error,” I answered as we navigated the tunnels. “It will tell you what you need to know about finishing up Pittsburgh and where to go from there for at least a month.”

“What?” Kayla asked after a few seconds of hesitation, looking up at me. “The last time you mentioned a trial you said you’d only be gone for a week or so. Why did you write something so extensive for that? Are we fighting the scenario boss before you get back?” Before I could answer, she started quickly flipping through the books as if trying to find the answer.

I laughed. “No, I don’t expect to be gone so long that you have to deal with Doneralego yourself,” I assured her.

“Doneralego?” she asked, brow furrowed as she flipped through the pages faster.

“He’s the scenario boss, a lich that’s holed up in the Cathedral of Learning” I explained. “Necromancer, casts very powerful spells, the works. His phylactery is indestructible at this stage, and he’s one of the scariest second scenario bosses in the world.”

Instead of answering me right away, Kayla ran her finger across a few lines in the second book. “You’re going to use a Relocation Grenade to move his phylactery into the Angel Express,” she stated. After a moment, she continued. “Oh, because liches regenerate after they’re killed, but monsters aren’t allowed in a safe zone. So if you move the indestructible phylactery into the train, then he can’t come back.”

“Got it in one, Kayla,” I said with a smile. “Donny shows up as a recurring boss through several scenarios, but he gets exponentially stronger each time. He, quite literally, becomes an apocalyptic enemy. Seriously, I left him alone a few times to research new routes and he turned the entirety of the eastern US into what Pittsburgh is now, minus the Pitt. Which then spreads through Canada as monsters are infected, and it just leads to a whole thing. That’s why I spend so much time here, aside from the guild perks.”

“Damn,” she swore. “Okay, I can see why we’re here, then. You don’t give us a lot of information, and it’s a little infuriating sometimes.”

“Sorry. I’m used to working with Ashley, who doesn’t care as long as she gets to make things, Jamie, who doesn’t care as long as she gets stronger, Mercury, who doesn’t care as long as he gets to do cool shit, and Bethany, who just wants to make sure her brother’s safe,” I said. “That’s not to say that they don’t ask questions, they just let me get away with saying I had a vision.”

“We would have, too, if you hadn’t told us your secret,” Kayla replied.

“How about you read through that while you follow me. I’ll let you know when there’s going to be hazards, and you can ask questions afterwards. Sound good?” I asked.

Taking a breath, the Double Agent nodded. “Yeah, sounds good.” Looking down at the notebooks again, Kayla adjusted her glasses and began reading from the beginning.

I hadn’t been idle when my clothes were in the wash. I added very specific instructions to the first book about what to do in Pittsburgh while I was gone. Greg Davis was living on borrowed time, that much was true, but the city would need a protector after we left. That left a new mission for Kayla and Jeff.

Essentially, I was telling them to get in touch with the other top rated guilds and offer to do joint dungeon quests with them. Guide them, train them, and make them better. Without Greg and Olivia, that crew would be lost to the leaderboard. They were decent, sure, but most of them were only in the crew because they were yes men or eye candy.

This wasn’t a perfect solution, but it would leave Pittsburgh with a stronger foundation than if it had been just Greg. The best part was, after I finished the Trial and emerged victorious, they could transition to doing that full time while Jamie, Mercury and I continued to clean up and eventually took out the lich.

As I promised, I guided Kayla through the tunnels. Despite the relatively low cost of the dungeon, 20 guild points, it was near the bottom of the Pitt. Close to the still sealed final boss of the scenario, even, which was absurd considering it put people out of commission for weeks at a time. It was just another trap to screw over people who thought they could do one quick dungeon run before finishing the scenario properly.

While we walked, I checked on my gear. Thanks to killing two versions of Pustibule and the random roaming boss, I was closer to upgrading both of my Warmongering Mystic items. The Gloves only needed 4 until they were temporarily maxed out, and the Breeches only had 3 to go.

My Heelies of Hermes, however, was ready to upgrade into its final form now. Thanks to the guild needing them to avoid Jeremiah, just in case, I would be passing them to Kayla before entering the Trial. It was only a temporary loan, unlike the Windbreaker of Warmth which I had mostly given up on at this point. That belonged to her now.

Navigating my menu, I brought up the Heelies.

[[Equipped]]

Heelies of Hermes +4

(Growth Item (this item is ready to be upgraded); +16 Dexterity, +14 Constitution, Divine Messenger skill acquired, Air Step+ skill acquired, Broken Boundary+ skill acquired, Thief Of The Gates skill acquired)

Would you like to upgrade the Heelies of Hermes?

Yes

No

I hit Yes.

[[Equipped]]

Heelies of Hermes +5

(This item is fully upgraded; +20 Dexterity, +20 Constitution, Divine Messenger+ skill acquired, Air Step+ skill acquired, Broken Boundary+ skill acquired, Thief Of The Gates skill acquired)

A breath of relief slipped through my lips as I saw which skill got upgraded. Between Divine Messenger+ and Thief of the Gates+, I 100% preferred the former. There wasn’t a call for lockpicking now that I knew almost everything about my path forward, so movement speed was a better option.

Then again, I was passing the shoes off to Kayla, and she might find some use for it. Mulling that over, I pulled up the new skill screen.

[[Skill]]

Divine Messenger+

When traveling on the Heelies of Hermes' wheels, gain a boost up to 2.5 times your speed in accordance with how full your inventory is. You may also use the wheels indefinitely as long as you are on level ground or a downwards slope.

An increase from 2 times to 2.5 wasn’t really all that much, but it was still more useful to me than lockpicking slightly better. Especially now that the speeds we could reach were getting ridiculous. Plus, faster was more fun.

I mostly left Kayla to her task, and she was doing her best to walk and read at the same time. She didn’t ask any questions, instead trying to absorb as much of the manual as possible. I knew she was going to do great.

When we were on the final approach to the dungeon, I tapped her on the shoulder. She jerked, looking up at me, and I smiled down at her. “We’re almost there,” I said. “Do you have any questions, concerns, rude comments about my lineage?”

Kayla snorted in amusement at that last one. “How did you figure all of this out?” she asked before holding up the books. “There’s a lot of stuff in here, and it’s all presented really well. How did you survive some of these events?”

“By doing my due diligence,” I answered honestly. “For the same reason I wrote out the to-do list to include the next two months. I’m cautious and life can’t always be predictable.”

“Sure, Mr. Hit Points Are A Resource is cautious,” she said, and it almost sounded like an accusation. “What’s the process, though?”

I shrugged. “Most of the things I do I learned about long after they happened and I made a note to check them out. If they’re particularly dangerous, I’d join in with whatever group managed to succeed at the task. Once I got a good grasp on it, next time I’d find a group that went before the one I joined and see if I could save them. Then, I’d see if I could solo it.”

“That’s a lot more thoughtful than I thought you’d be,” Kayla admitted.

“You only see the end product, which is me soloing things,” I offered. “But I didn’t make it all the way to the end so many times by acting like I do now. I can only do this because I’m confident, but I believe in testing things so that I can be confident and not just arrogant.”

“You’ve got that in you, too.”

“Kind of have to. I’m saving the world, remember?” I asked, waggling my eyebrows. Kayla laughed, and I put my hands in my pockets. “I take risks, sure, but they’re all calculated. I know the odds. If I don’t know something for certain, then I know how to figure out the odds. I am old, and I am smart, and, while I may be a little mentally broken, I am wise. There’s a reason for everything, even deviations to my master plan.”

Kayla nodded as we came to a stop in front of the dungeon. Inside the cavern was a Mattress Firm, all lit up and looking just as out of place as every other stolen building. She turned to face me.

“I can tell how much care you put into these manuals,” she said. “You can count on us while you’re gone. We’ll make sure everything goes according to plan with minimal deviations.”

“I know. I appreciate you, Kayla,” I replied with a smile. Pulling my hands free, I took out the Guaranteed Strike Mitt and handed it to her. Afterwards, I gave her the Relocation Grenade, my Heelies of Hermes, Chainsawface, and a few door frames that I had in my inventory. “The Heelies are still keyed into the Angel Express. That’s a permanent thing for Broken Boundary, so you’ll be able to get back there with this really easy.”

Most of the things I handed her went into her inventory, but she left one of the door frames out and started removing her thigh-high Boots of the Illusionist to put on the Heelies. Once she did, she stared at the screen in front of her.

“These Heelies are surprisingly powerful,” she remarked.

“That’s a maxed out growth item, right there,” I laughed. “Did you think I chose to wear Heelies just because I thought they were cool or something? Nobody takes them seriously. They’re a part of my arsenal because they’re strong. At least, they are until I get a hold of a pair from my class set.”

“I can definitely see that now,” she said as took a few steps to get used to the new shoes. “They’re comfy, at least.”

“They are,” I agreed. “Anything else before I get in there and take a long nap?”

Grabbing me by the jacket, Kayla pulled me in for a tight hug. “I promise you, we’re going to follow your instructions to the letter,” she assured.

I returned the hug, resting my chin on her head. “I know you will. Thank you, Kayla, for following me all the way here to Pittsburgh.”

“To the end,” she corrected. “You’re welcome for following you all the way to the end.”

The Double Agent seemed reluctant to let me go, and I was fine with that. I wasn’t in any real hurry to finish Sara’s quest. If she needed an extra long hug, then I was more than willing to oblige. Eventually, she pulled away and, appearing conflicted, took another deep breath.

“No crisis of confidence, okay?” I asked, having seen that look on her face. “You’re going to do fine. You have a lot of people to help you out.”

“I know. Just not used to the fate of the world on my shoulders,” she admitted before giving me a sad smile. “I can’t imagine feeling like this all the time. You’re phenomenal.”

“I know,” I said smugly. “Just don’t keep saying it; it’ll go to my head.”

Kayla laughed. “Okay. I should be getting back. You stay safe, okay?” she requested. “Despite not knowing everything, and worrying sick about you, and tolerating your secret keeping, and-“

“There’s more ands?” I asked, laughing.

She shook her head. “Despite how much of a pain you are, Jeff and I have come to love you as a friend, Anthony. We don’t want anything bad to happen to you.”

“Aww, well I love y’all, too,” I replied with a grin. “Now go on, get out of here before you make me cry.”

Nodding, Kayla turned to the door she had left out. It took her a moment to figure out how to activate Broken Boundary, but when she pulled it open, a golden portal was on the other side. With only a moment of hesitation, she stepped into it.

“And then there was just you and me,” I told the ceiling before taking a step into the dungeon.

[[Second Scenario Quest: Liberate the Dreamer’s Palace!]]

The Dreamer’s Palace is one of the few places in the world where the edges of the real world and the world of dreams fray and mix together. Oracles, prophets, and seers have built their homes atop such places in order to better hone their craft.

This particular palace is close to an area called the Silver Nightmare, and its unknown proprietor has a test for all those who dare to slumber here.

As one might suspect as part of the description, any who sleep here enter the Trial of the Silver Nightmare, forced to relive the most traumatic events of their past, the terrible realities of their present, and the worst futures yet to come.

However, with such a tribulation comes a prize sought after by Patrons world wide. One that can elevate you to the greatest heights a player could ask for, should you manage success.

Objective: Complete the Trial of the Silver Nightmare.

Reward: 2,500 points, 20 Guild Points, Mattress Firm Shadyside will be liberated.

I swiped away the quest. The placement of this dungeon had seemed odd to me when I first came across it. It didn’t lean into the necromancy and undead angle as the rest of it, so it confused me.

Talking with some treasure hunters had given me the knowledge that Dreamer’s Palaces were a great honor for the administrators. Having one within their region was a matter of pride to them because they gave out such amazing prizes, there were always Patrons willing to watch and see if someone succeeded or not.

 Walking into the Mattress Firm, I stopped dead in my tracks as a familiar warning appeared in front of me.

[[Warning!]]

An unknown entity is blocking administrator access.

“Hello, Unknown Entity,” I said, looking around. The inside of the building didn’t show anything out of the ordinary, a bunch of unmade beds and a couple of desks. There certainly wasn’t anyone around. Cautiously, I walked to the center of the room. “It’s been a long time. How’ve you been?”

[[Warning!]]

An unknown entity laughs at your casual response.

[[Warning!]]

Your Administrator Black-out [intermediate] has been extended by an unknown entity.

[[Warning!]]

An unknown entity wants to remind you how easily the system bends to their desires.

“Yes, you’re very impressive,” I said aloud. “But, also, why?”

[[Warning!]]

An unknown entity declares that the world is full of several mysteries that not even you know about.

[[Warning!]]

An unknown entity reminds you that you didn’t even know about the Demon Lord of Invention.

[[Warning!]]

An unknown entity wants to even the playing field.

[[Warning!]]

An unknown entity is looking forward to pitting his champion against you.

I paused and put my hands on my hips as I read through the rapid-fire messages the unknown entity was sending. It spoke like a Patron did, but they didn’t have enough control over the system to block administrator access. The more I thought about it, the clearer the answer became.

“Sara, I have a theory. Can you confi-” Before I could say it out loud, though, a pounding migraine overtook me.

Nearly collapsing, I caught myself on the bed. My head felt like it was going to split open, and I clutched at it with both hands. It was like I was having every Mental Point withdrawal headache I’d ever had at once. The only thing keeping my eyes open was the will not to lose to whatever this thing was.

[[Warning!]]

An unknown entity says, for now, go the fuck to sleep.

“Sar… ra…” I croaked, my voice feeble as my eyes fluttered.

A series of messages appeared, and I tried to hold on for as long as I could.

[[Notice]]

You are now entering the Trial of the Silver Nightmare.

[[Warning!]]

The Trial of the Silver Nightmare has been altered by an unknown entity.

[[Notice]]

You are now entering the Trial of the Golden Dream.

“Son… of a…” I tried to curse before I fell over backwards onto the floor, consciousness finally slipping away.

Then, I was asleep, dreaming a glorious dream the likes of which I had never seen before.