Qing's Quest book 2, Chapter 27: Miss Molly

Darkness enveloped Qing as he hung in the familiarly endless void.

About bloody time I got another meeting.

He looked around for GG, but everything was dark.

Where is that bastard?

He tried turning, but no matter how frantically he waved his arms and legs, he couldn’t turn. He just hung there, weightless.

“Where are you?” he said, shouting into the blackness, but no answer came. Could GG simply have vanished? Maybe he hadn’t arrived here because GG had pulled him through, but simply because he’d stepped into the portal? He’d never asked if the portals were safe for him to use.

His grandmother’s neighbor had mentioned it only took a second for him to reappear after stepping through a portal, yet GG had held him there for what felt like hours after the second battle of the cemetery and said time moved differently in this place.

Qing began to sweat, panic breaking at his mind as he imagined floating here alone, staring into the abyss for hours before arriving wherever the princess had sent them.

“What if I’m stuck here forever? Will I starve and die? Do I feel hungry? Am I—”

Just then, a bright light appeared in front of him, and relief flooded through him.

“Thank God,” he said.

“Hello, Qing,” GG said.

“Where the hell have you been?”

“Things changed after you made it back to earth. Nobody expected that, so there was an investigation.”

“Are you back now, then?”

“Yes. Everything went according to my plan, and now the intense scrutiny on you has passed.”

“How come you gave me the quest in the desert?”

“If the sorcerer had summoned that demon, then Elrydisan would be doomed. It was worth the risk.”

“So, will I get more quests now?”

“I will do what I can.” GG seemed to…sigh. “Now that you have seen Earth and the many who require my attention, do you understand why I can’t help you too much?”

Qing nodded. “It’s annoying, but yeah. I do. You are splitting your risk.”

“Correct.”

“But you can tell me of Quaxinor’ay, right? Who the hell is he, and why is he doing this to us?”

“No. The investigation looked into whether you could have succeeded on your own, or whether you knew things you couldn’t have at the moment you were portalled from Earth. Therefore, I cannot risk telling you things you cannot have figured out by yourself. If you slip up and they catch it…if it is proven I am helping, then I will be gone forever. The most likely outcome of that is the total cleansing of Earth’s organic life.”

“Will you at least tell me why he’s doing it?”

“Why does that matter?”

“Maybe we can strike a deal with him.”

“With what? There is nothing you may offer except the collective suicide of your entire race.”

Qing took a deep breath.

Stay calm. Ask the right questions.

“How do I bring healing powers with me to Earth?”

“I cannot tell you.”

“Is it possible?”

“Yes.”

Hope blossomed in Qing’s chest, and he tightened his fist. “My divine light, can it cure cancer?”

“Yes.”

Qing breathed a sigh of relief. There was hope. All he had to do was save the world and figure out how to bring magic to Earth. Easy peasy.

“Why do they make people watch us?”

“It has been deemed humane for the planets’ populations to watch their fate unfold.”

“Isn’t it just cruel?”

“Would it be better to have you all disappear without your kin and friends knowing where you had gone? That is how it used to be. Many have fought hard and sacrificed much in order for entities to see their fate being determined.”

“How it used to be? This has happened before?”

“I…cannot answer that.”

That’s not a no.

“Is there life in the galaxy outside of Earth?”

“More than you can imagine.”

“What do you want? Why are you helping me?”

“I want you to win.”

“Why?”

“I can’t tell you.”

Qing’s eyebrows rose. “Can’t or won’t?”

“I won’t. My reasons must stay hidden.”

“That doesn’t exactly inspire me with a ton of trust.”

“Have I not led you well so far?”

“For all I know, you are Quaxinor’ay.”

“That is illogical. Why would I work to make you survive a challenge I set up in order to prove your worthlessness?”

So Quaxinor’ay set up the challenge to prove our worthlessness.

“Maybe you’re just sadistic and want to see us suffer.”

“I don’t have such feelings.”

Do you feel at all?

“Will you give me the power I need now? The monsters I am facing, they are too powerful, I am—”

“Underlevelled for this part of the world, yes. Solve it.”

“When you gave me the quest to kill the butchers, the amount of stat points I gained was tremendous. Can’t you do something similar?”

“I have limited power to spend. Like credits at the racetrack, I can only bet on so many. And in this case, the donkeys are not racing each other, where one is guaranteed to win. No. Here, each donkey has to make it through a maze littered with traps, chased by elephants, rabbits and other predators, without knowing where the finish line is. Even with my help, your chances are low. Too low for me to invest heavily.”

“Why give me such a big reward previously?”

“If you could defeat the butchers, then you were a donkey worth investing in. So I did, and here you are.”

“You are a terrible motivator.”

“I thought that was an apt metaphor.”

Definitely an alien.

“Why didn’t you talk to me when I went to Earth?”

“I tried. To remind you not to mention me. But the scrutiny started, and I could no longer risk disappearing for the split second it takes for us to converse. Fortunately, you good.”

“Can you tell me how humanity is doing now?”

“Will it affect your performance?”

“I…”

What if there’s barely any left? Wouldn’t he have told me if only a few had died?

“How many started?”

“Eight million.”

I need to know.

“How many left?”

“Five.”

“People?!”

“Million.”

“Jesus! Don’t scare me like that.” Qing put a hand on his chest, breath heaving. “Five million people aren’t too bad.”

“Three million humans have died in a just over a week. Worse than your battle of Stalingrad, which lasted for half a year.”

“That…” Qing shook his head.

Not thinking about that.

“What should I do now?”

“Find Rufus. Rescue Cleo. Stop the summoning of the Devil.”

“I already know that! Tell me something new!”

“Ask better questions.”

Think…He said that this has happened before. He seems to respond better to open-ended questions where he can choose how to reply. Maybe…

“What are the most common mistakes individuals in my position have made in the past, and how can I avoid repeating them?”

“You have grown. This is a useful question. Too many have failed because they overestimated their capabilities and took on too much. Simply look to your current level. To avoid this, assess your abilities and seek help where needed. Others have failed because they overlook the importance of building and maintaining strong relationships, so cultivate your alliances. And be careful in prioritising short-term gain over the long-term stability and success.”

“That…is sound advice. But…”

“What?”

“I was hoping for something more actionable and tactical?”

“Like always explore the entire cave before you sleep in it?”

“Well…”

“Two demons at half health hurt twice as much as one untouched demon and one dead demon.”

“True, but—”

“Master the art of ventriloquism. Confuse your enemies by having their weapons give them life advice.”

Qing rubbed the bridge of his nose.

“See? A joke to life your spirits, but also good advice.”

“Thanks,” Qing said, drily.

“Our time is up,” GG said, voice serious. “I leave you with one key tip. Do not treat this as an adventure on Earth. It is not. Remember to use the System.”

“That…is actually decent advice.” Qing smiled. “Thank you, GG. I’m glad to have you back. Oh, and don’t forget the quests, yeah? I expect some pretty sweet rewa—”

***

The void disappeared, and Qing stumbled into glaring light, the sun baking down from above. Princess Ghida stumbled forward, letting go of his arm to catch herself. The dress hiked up her legs as she fell flat, skidding to a halt. Qing turned his back to her in a flash.

Just in time to catch Morgana full on. He staggered backwards, holding her tight, trying not to step on the princess. Last through was Knut, who stepped immediately to the right and drew fletching to ear as his eyes roamed around them.

“Thanks, handsome,” Morgana said with a grin, and Qing let go of her leather clad waist as if he had touched a hot plate, stepping back. “Never thought I’d live to see the day a man drop a princess for little ‘ol me.”