Chapter 377. Break-in

Normally, there would be no way for anyone to enter the research facility while it was locked down. Euryphel was quite clear on that fact, given the insider intelligence provided by Orion Iucorsu. With the lockdown in place, the facility was completely closed off. It had extremely thick walls, so much so that even a peak Dark practitioner would be unable to pierce through. A peak fire elementalist, often considered the apex of destructive capacity with the right equipment, would also falter, Lake Adrian serving as a potent barrier.

Really, the only way through was with ascendant energy. It was the one thing the mortal scientists and engineers couldn’t prepare against. How could they, when the energy twisted reality itself?

Still, Death wasn’t the best vessel for ascendant energy for this purpose. Ian’s puppet constructs, the ones specially built to go against Achemiss, were powerful, but they weren’t exactly built to drill through twenty feet of highly-reinforced wall. Maria’s fire elementalism was also less effective due to the watery environment, even with ascendant energy empowering it.

Euryphel made Maria test that in a scenario, just to be sure, only to have his suspicion confirmed. He didn’t fully understand the breadth of what ascendant energy could do. He thought that maybe with time to practice, Maria could find a reliable way to prevent her flames from being smothered by water, but that was time they didn’t have.

It was fortunate, then, that they had another solution. If only he wasn’t so profoundly annoying to communicate with.

Seer: You need to get to the place you entered from! You keep going the wrong way.

Deathflame: This place is built like a maze. Not my fault qAq

The ascendant even had the gaul to send emoticons, like he was a teenager rather than the millennia-old monster he really was. All this would’ve been infinitely easier if the man had accepted a quantum channel, but like many of the powerful people under the Darkseers umbrella, he’d refused.

Euryphel had half a mind to pull Kaiwen or Iucorsu away to escort Deathflame, but they’d already scattered in different directions as part of the original plan. They’d have to do significant backtracking, and with the facility locked down, they’d have a hard time evading notice while doing so.

Seer: You know what...

He ran two scenarios quickly, just to make sure what he was thinking would work. It was aggravating work–he was mostly reliant on asking Kaiwen and Ian for what they were observing since communicating by text was so inefficient. Still, it had to be done.

At least this time, Euryphel liked what he heard.

Seer: Just blow up the wall where you are now. Cut a path outside. Just be careful about the water that’ll gush in.

Deathflame: Really?

Seer: The Ancient is waiting to enter the facility. There’s no time to waste, so yes, really. The time for stealth is over, at least where you and him are concerned. Support him to the best of your ability. He also has Beginning and Remorse affinities, so communicating with him will be much easier than with me.

Eury didn’t know why they even bothered with a code name for Ian when it was going to be such an obvious one, but he supposed only other ascendants would understand its meaning and significance.

Deathflame: Yes yes I know.

“Ian,” Euryphel began, “watch for a breach any moment now. Enter as swiftly as you can. Hint: use the fire cape.”

“Ready.”

“Just... one note.”

“What?”

“He’s very eccentric,” Euryphel said.

“Hah. I would expect nothing less.”

Euryphel knew why Ian said that, given what he’d seen in Eternity, but still. Eccentricity was a scale, and Deathflame fell at a peculiar place on it. Bizarrely competent, yet not at the same time. “Just so long as you’re aware.”

“Oh, there it goes,” Ian said. “Going in. Thanks, Eury.”

Euryphel had already said good luck today–it felt so trite to say it again. So pointless. Besides, Ian didn’t need luck. “I believe in you.”

Quantum channels only conveyed thoughts distilled into words, dropping all emotion and sentiment. But Euryphel could have sworn he felt something akin to warmth in Ian’s response.

“And I, you. Always.”

Euryphel inhaled sharply, deeply, and closed his eyes. He opened them and stared at the window, one of a never ending summer day, the golden, blinding glow covering him in a soft, warm light.

It was almost enough that he could ignore the warmth in his cheeks.

If Ian succeeded here—and if the Darkseers completed their objective, too—then he would probably leave soon after. The thought was more painful than Euryphel cared to think about.

He also knew separation was probably for the best.

Ian must know how Eury felt. He’d have to be willfully blind not to with his affinities. Beginning, Remorse, and Death—truly a damning combo for unearthing people’s true thoughts and intentions. Moreover, the necromancer had seen Euryphel’s own soul just a few months ago, at least from Eury’s perspective. He had to know that Eury couldn’t just... magically move on in such a short period of time.

Maria had told him just weeks ago that he shouldn’t try to define his relationship with Ian in normal terms. That he should just accept it for what it was—something that transcended friendship, but fell short of what Euryphel wanted.

That was so easy for her to say when she had Ian the way Eury desired him.

Euryphel exhaled all his breath out, and with it all his unhelpful ruminations.

He had a job to do. One with much higher stakes than his personal happiness.

He’d save the damned world, even if it broke his heart.

—

Ian hadn’t exactly known what to expect when Eury told him the only independent ascendant to join the Darkseers would blow a hole into the research facility from the inside. Ascendant Deathflame.

He certainly hadn’t anticipated flames infused with Death energy carving a precise oval in the base’s exterior. Ian hadn’t even thought such flames were possible. Death energy could seep into matter, like solids and liquids. Ian hadn’t ever bothered with trying to disperse raw Death energy through gas, but theoretically it could be done. Fire was a plasma–the final state of matter, and just about the antithesis of solids, as far as decemancy was concerned.

And yet, here were flames that burned hot and decayed that which had never been alive–solid enforced walls. Death flames felt like a paradox, but then again, this was the power of an ascendant. Paradox was par for the course. Ian had just gotten used to more normal limitations while back home.

Remembering Euryphel’s advice, Ian activated the fiery ability of his regalia cape. Gouts of flame burst out behind him, propelling him forward in a hiss of steam and bubbles.

Harder to control than usual, Ian thought. A lot worse than in the air or void.

He heard Maria’s mental snort. You’re controlling the fire just fine. Is this nervousness I hear?

Obviously, Ian thought back.

I’m with you, Maria replied. Euryphel is with you. You may not think of Ancient Black persona as yourself, but you are him. And speaking frankly, he’s terrifying. Channel that energy now and we’ll be fine.

He would have snickered if not for the water rushing past. Ian slipped into the hole, his constructs at his back. Six had arrived in time to accompany him. Even if they couldn’t help him against Achemiss, they’d each be able to fend off a peak practitioner.

Hole was also not the most accurate term. The Death flames had carved what could only be described as a tunnel, and they certainly hadn’t abated just because Ian and his constructs had entered the passage. Ian considered it Ascendant Deathflame’s first... playful... test of his abilities.

It was harmless, all things considered–the flames weren’t a threat to him, more of a curiosity. He studied them intently as he flew through them, coming to a stop only when he found himself in a chamber the size of a typical bedroom. Inside was a youthful man in dark purple robes with subtle whorling patterns, unbuttoned and draping over fashionable gray slacks and a white shirt stained with flecks of blood. He wore half-moon spectacles and looked down his nose at Ian as he appeared. They had to be for aesthetics only–Ian refused to believe an ascendant Death practitioner couldn’t attain perfect vision, especially a practitioner who so obviously appeared younger than he would have been upon ascending.

Ascendant Deathflame pushed his glasses up. “Ancient... Skai’aren?”

Ian barked a laugh. “I’m still working on the name. For now, you can just call me Ancient Dunai.”

While speaking, he inspected the other ascendant’s ethereal body. It was much more extensive than Ian’s own, like tiny vessels all over his body. That stood in stark contrast to Achemiss, whose ethereal body had been heavily concentrated in his chest, and then like thick girders throughout, more skeletal than vessel-like. Ian’s was closer to Achemiss’s in that respect.

Actually, the unfamiliar ascendant’s ethereal body most reminded Ian of Soolemar’s.

Deathflame nodded, then broke into a lackadaisical smile. “You know, I wasn’t sure about you.”

Ian raised an eyebrow.

“I was here when you ascended,” he continued. “While it was impressive you killed Ari, you had help. Ironic help, given the current circumstances. But you weren’t all that impressive.”

“Is this really the time?” Ian said.

“We’re waiting for the door to disarm, which will probably take another half minute.” He nodded to an iris-shaped door off to the right side of the room. Above it, a bright, red light flashed. “We could blast it open, but that’s a lot of trouble for little gain. So yes, it’s the time for a monologue.”

“I’m a lot older than you’d think,” Ian pointed out.

“Aren’t you, like, mentally forty?”

Ian frowned. “Not that old.”

I’m not sure if I should be offended by your reaction, Maria thought.

Y’jeni, Maria, Ian replied. You’re literally ageless.

Deathflame scratched the back of his head. “Okay, that’s proving my point. You’re a rounding number. So how the fuck are you like this?” He gestured from Ian’s feet to his shoulders. “What the fuck kind of treatment did you get up there?”

Just then, the light over the door stopped blinking, turning a solid red. Ian could sense three bodies on the other side. He gave Ascendant Deathflame a questioning look. “Should I...?”

“You handle this one, but wait until they open the door first.”

Ian stared at the door apathetically. Three constructs peeled off, surrounding the exit. The instant the door cracked open, one of them plunged its arm through the expanding hole, ensuring that it couldn’t fully close. At the same time, the bodies beyond the threshold froze in place. Not dead—just completely immobilized in body and mind. Ian’s control over Remorse was pretty lackluster, but the shock of a decemantic takeover combined with lack of blood flow to the brain softened his targets up.

Such tricks wouldn’t work on those who most rigorously trained their mental defenses, which these people almost certainly were. Ascendant energy might have factored into Ian’s successful incapacitation.

Regardless, they wouldn’t be sending any messages out, whether through quantum channel, friendly Remorse, or otherwise. They weren’t aware of their current circumstances. Someone would notice something amiss eventually, but Ian had bought them time.

He passed through the opened door and entered a long passageway which had an even lower ceiling than the previous room. He stared intently at the closest individual, a peak Moon-affinity water elementalist with cold, brown eyes and perfectly manicured pink nails. She was dressed in the same unisex suit as the others. It looked like something an ascendant from a more futuristic world might wear, all curves and shiny dark gray. She also wore a helmet that was thin, but wrapped snugly around her full head. Ian was pretty sure it was supposed to help protect against Remorse attacks, which was why he’d forced the woman’s head to rapidly grow bone spurs the second he’d taken over her body, pushing the helmet off and ruining the protective seal.

Oops.

He’d given the woman’s male companions the same treatment, though for now he only focused on her. His Beginning indicated she’d been the one in charge of their little detachment.

Ian was very aware of how bad he was at reading memories without a host’s consent, so he decided to blitz it and gather as much as he could, starting with the surface thoughts and clawing at whatever else he could snag beneath.

Carlin Ketry was afraid–sector eight was under lockdown again, the first time since the disturbance a little over a month ago. Last time, over fifty personnel had vanished, and the facility had been wrecked by a combination of Dark and Death magic, entire swaths of it rendered hazard areas and cordoned off.

Whoever had performed the kidnapping had also stolen a few items of interest, not that Carlin knew what they were.

She’d jumped at the opportunity to investigate a disturbance detected in sector two, which butted up against the outer wall. Anything to get her away from another possible disaster.

Suddenly, the woman’s mind shifted. Ian could feel it destabilizing. If her mind had been a pool before, now it was the ocean on a stormy day, the waves churning and impassable.

Ian withdrew.

Thanks to Beginning, he’d handled all that in the span of a second. He blinked and turned to Deathflame. “Where is sector eight?”

“No idea,” he said, expression pensive, “but there’s only one way to go.”

Ian looked down the long tunnel. The whole thing was studded with thick walls, checkpoints with more iris doors. Extremely annoying to deal with since the strategically-placed obstacles made it nearly impossible to see all the way through with vital vision.

No sign of what Ian suspected might be Achemiss’s phylactery, either.

With a soft sigh, Ian glided forward, levitating slightly with decemancy. The incapacitated bodies bobbed along with him, flanked by the puppets.

He wondered how many more would join their number before they found Achemiss.

From the vitality he sensed racing through the tunnel as more rushed to the compound’s defense... probably a lot.