Chapter 15

Eleonor

She spent one or two hours training under the tutelage of Fürssähfen, the dragon giving her sporadic advice to facilitate the use of her newly acquired strength or the point her the traps to avoid.

fOr ExaMpLe, INCREAseD stRENGTh DoESn’T meaN YOU’re heavIer. IF YOU GraSp SoMeTHinG MASsiVE aND HoLD It FaR fRoM YOU With yoUR ArmS, YoUr Center OF gravITy WIll ShiFt towArd iT aNd, VerY StRonG oR NOT, YoU Will Fall. iF yOu haVE to, trY As mUCH AS pOSSiBLe TO KEeP ThE MAss RigHt above YouR Legs. AlSo Be CaREFuL WITH yoUR gRIP On ThE gRouND, if YOu’rE nOT wEll anChoRed YoU’ll sLip, EVEN If yoU’re SupposEd To BE able to hAnDLE iT.

Understood !

Good.

What pushed her to stop was not her exhaustion or her boredom, but her curiosity. She went to sit at the edge of the basin and dipped her legs in it. The feeling was less soothing than with Genesis, but already pleasant.

Fürssähfen ?

YeS ? He answered, looking at Eleanor with curiosity.

I’ve had a question looming in my head for a while now. You see, I don’t understand why you’re helping me.

The dragon made a sort of smirk, as if he expected the question.

oh, there ARe MANy aNSwers tO THis qUEstioN, bUt i THiNk oNE Of thE MaiN ONEs woULd Be thaT You’rE THe fIRSt creatUrE TO Ever ANSWEr oNE of my REQueSts foR hELP iN aNoThER wAy ThaN tryINg tO tAKE aDvANTaGe OF it to eaT mE. ANd YOU also KNOw hOw TO MAKe ConvErSatioN. iT’s alReaDy A Lot ArOUNd HeRE, WHere LONeLINEss Is THe nOrm.

And so you saved me, took me here and taught me because...because you feel lonely? She asked to confirm.

Is THAt so IncreDIBLe ? tRy to SURviVE In THiS EnvironMenT FOr FIvE HUndREd yeARS wiThOuT Going crazy.

...Yes, okay. I see what you mean. She ended up saying, thinking what it could be if she was alone here, without even Genesis to speak.

The silence took place as Eleanor made her legs wade in the clear, green water, testing the limits of her new vision. It disoriented her because every object present in her sphere of perception was entirely visible. It almost made her think of cubism art, being able to see something from all its faces at the same time, and her unsuitable mind to do it was struggling to give meaning to what her new sens was bringing her as information.

And now, what do I do. Just thought Eleanor, not saying it as question nor an affirmation, having just stated this thought that was spinning in her head.

...WhAt ? The dragon replied, surprised by the young woman.

I’m just wondering what I’m gonna do now. I mean, the situation I find myself in is both unknown and full of potential. A freedom so great that it hinders itself, and a strangeness just as great that makes us doubt everything.

I don’t KnOw, FoR Me It SEeMs prEtTy siMPLE. SUrvive, figHt, KILl, EAT And GEt StRonger. it’S ALREady pRETTy goOD. He simply replied

Of course I’m gonna do that, the system, Genesis, this place, everything is way too exciting not to fight and evolve. But it’s not an end in itself. I wonder what I’m going to do with that, to do more than survive, to be able to live.

Ah YES, seEinG aS HoW it is, It’s TruE tHAt You arE nOt OBLigED TO coNfinE YourSElF TO FiGhtInG aND GaINiNG lEVeLS, YOU ArE Freer THAN Me AfTeR ALl, wHo AM cHaINeD to thIs pLacE To PRoTect iT.

She nodded without really listening to her answer, too lost in her own thoughts, of which she left a few minutes later.

Chained here ? You’re some kind of guardian, aren’t you ?

YES. FoLLOw ME, I’LL SHoW YOU. He replied by inviting her to come with him and, noticing her inability to follow him, asked her to climb on his head, the girl still not accustomed to her new strength, at least not yet enough to run after a dragon.

***

The structure was composed of a concentric and metallic circle, placed in such a way as to create a staircase leading to a well in the center of them. The central hole was so dark that it was supernatural, and made Eleanor uneasy because her spatial vision was sendig her a strange sensation, not as if she could not see anything, no, rather as if the shadow simply devoured her perception. She clung more forcefully to one of the horns that punctuated the dragon’s head, having the impression that she would be caught by the abyss otherwise.

hoHo, YOU CAN FeEl it, it SeEMs. Did he notice when he felt the young woman’s disarray.

Is that the gate ?

yEAH, iTS DOrmaNt fOr tHE TiMe Being, pUre nOthiNGneSS iN tHiS sTatE, AnY CreATuRE faLling iNsiDE woUlD bE pulVeRiZED iNto a tHiN clouD OF dusT THAT woULD tHEN bE scaTtErEd INtO the StruCtUrE OF ThE laBYriNth. luckIlY… He said as he advances a leg into the void, stopped by an invisible force.

....AS lONG as tHE PoRtAL Is nOT ACTiVaTeD, A proTECTIVe ShIELd coVers iT, to AVOiD AccIDENtS.

In a rather funny way, Eleonor had tried to close her eyes by reflex, remembering a second later that she was not capable of it, and that her spherical vision seemed not to be able to be turned off.

YOU Know, TheRE’S nO risK Of the sHiElD BReaKIng. I mYSelF TrIed To DAMaGe It WITh All tHAT I had WIThouT EVEn sUCcEEdiNG tO puT a DEnT In it. He added, reassuring.

The dragon placed her on the highest of the metal circles, the one at the centre of which the portal rested asleep, and then laid down, putting his head beside the young woman.

AND HEre IS ThE THIng thAt ConNEcts tHIs WOrLd to OThErS. IN AnY cASE, ONE OF ThEm. If i ReMeMBeR cOrREctlY, ThEre shOUlD be twO OTheR iDeNTICaL PoRTaLS HiddeN SoMEwhErE on thIS pLAnEt, eaCh GUardEd bY an eXtraORdInAry beInG, bUT I do NOt kNOw wHERe THEY ARe.

Where does it lead ? She asked, curious.

RigHt NoW, nOWHeRe. ThiS pORTAL has NeveR BeeN aCtivatEd, It wiLl bE necEssary To waIT FoR sOMeOnE tO gaiN a rIgHt Of PAssAGe On tHIS SIDe OR tHe OtHer TO KnoW wHaT wILl be the motHEr COnnectIOn. He answered her before continuing his explanation, still feeling the questioning in the spirit of Eleonor.

WHEn A PoRTAL Is aCtIVaTEd FOR The fiRST TIME, it will LINK TO aNOTHEr SLEEpInG POrtaL, cReAtiNg wHaT iS cALleD a moTHER cONnecTIOn. thE tWO WOrldS will THuS Be mORE deEpLY CoNNECTED. the MoTHEr COnneCtIon iS ThE Only ONE tHAT a pOrtal CAN coNstanTly KEEP OpEn wItHOuT addITionaL cOsTS or proBlemS. YOU Can ALWAyS USe THE pOrTAL tO gO SoMewhERE ElsE, BuT it iS MucH MoRe diFFIcuLt ANd IT REQuIreS A SERIEs of SpEciAL mANEUVErS, THE mOst BasIC BeInG TO kNOW whERE you wAnT TO gO IN a CLEAR WaY, wHIcH IS mOre DIFfICULt THaN WhAt iT seemS at FIrSt. He concluded by saying.

And how do I earn a right of passage ? Just to know my options.

It IS qUite Simple. YOU HAve tO PRovE To ME tHAT you ARE abLE TO SUrVIve tHe trAnSFEr. moVinG by GatEs iS DANgErOUs, iN anY cASe THIS ONE Is. uNLIKe tHe oNEs That WerE usEd IN My worLD, THoSe poRtAls dOn’t TaKE You DiRECTLY To eACh OTHERs. YOU’ll havE to GO THROUgh Some kiND Of CHaOtic aREa, FilLeD WiTH DeFormED eNTITIes, nigHtmares, And bY FINdiNg THe WAy oUT oF tHAT pLacE YOu’ll gEt TO tHE OTHER GaTe. HEncE the NeeD To BE REaDY aND strOng eNoUGh TO SUrViVE ThiS arEA.

Eleonor nodded, absorbing every piece of information the dragon gave her before she lost herself again in her thoughts.

After a few minutes of rambling, the dragon who always looked at her spoke again.

aNd sO, WhaT aRe YOU goInG TO DO ? He asked her with a joking smile.

Caught by surprise, she turned her head towards him by reflex before focusing her attention on him.

Ermmm. I think for now I’m going to try to survive and become a bit stronger.

yES, But iT IS Not AN end in and on itsElf. The dragon answered her while laughing slightly.

Yes. I...I’m not the only one who died on the other side, in my world. My friends were with me. You think they were reincarnated, too?

The dragon made a thoughtful pout, seeming to chew a nonexistent object while reflecting.

...mAYBe. THe goD OF ThIS plAce BRinGS SOULs thAt it deeMs wORTHY of inTEreST, If your fRIENDs faLL INTo thAt cATegORY tHen THerE is A ChaNcE. HowEVEr i can ASSurE yOu tHAt tHEy are noT HEre, it nEvER REINcarNATes rELAtIveS tOgetHEr. YOU WilL HAve To ExploRE the wORLdS iF YOU waNT to FInD thEm. He said as he moved his head towards the portal.

Eleanor then smiled, seeing more and more where she was going.

A goal. Perfect. She said to herself, the choking sensation that came with the uncertainty lightened slightly.

***

YOU wANT to gO Back to yoUr basE ? asked Fürssähfen.

Yes. She simply replied.

ALl RiGht, jUsT TELl ME whErE IT iS, sO I cAN TAKE YOU Back. tHIS PlACE AnD iTS sUrrOUNdiNGs are StIll toO dANGerOUS for YOU.

Eleonor thought for a moment, looking for a way to indicate the thing.

I’m not sure where it is. Do you see where we fought the strange machine ?

YeS.

My base was more or less that way.

HmM. WeLl SitUaTED eNough for YOU. hE CoMmeNTeD iN An appREcIAtiVE TONe.

beFOre wE leAVE, loOK. He said before projecting an image into the mind of the young woman.

At the bottom of it, Sanakan seemed to move a little, like someone who would have been disturbed in her sleep, falling back asleep very quickly. Eleonor could now see a kind of map representing the planet on which she was, and before the dragon could say anything, she noticed.

Are we in a Dyson sphere ?

The projection, which until then seemed to be improving, suddenly froze, and the young woman felt the dragon’s confusion.

A whAt ?

A Dyson sphere, a planetary engineering structure that encapsulates a star to exploit its full potential.

Fürssähfen bent his head to the side, reflecting on this new concept.

I tHINK that’s AN apPRoprIATE dEfINiTiOn. He ended up looking at the star sitting in the center of the metal planet.

buT now, liSTEn CArEfulLY. He showed a place of the projection on which a zoom was made.

AccordInG To you, yoUr baSe ShOULD bE MoRe oR LEsS theRE. He said, pointing to a point along one of the many wells connecting the center and surface of the sphere.

NotE that You are riGht oN the MIddle layeR, The oNe thaT Is FaRTHEsT FrOm bOth thE CentER anD the suRfACE oF The… DysON SpHerE. He continued, clumsily using the new word.

I thInk iT’s not RaNDOm, I’Ll Show YOU. I’lL diSPLAY tHe AveRaGE LEveL aNd PoweR OF thE CREATUREs THAT rOam THiS CORRUPTeD ShelL wIth A CoLor gRAdIEnT. BlUe MeanS RelATIVely HArMLESS to YOU, ReD mEaNs letHaL.

A color gradient then indeed appeared. At the level of her layer, the dominant color was blue, with a more sustained violet in the center of the wells and in some tunnels and cellars that were deviating from it, always at the same altitude. As soon as they went up to the surface of the planet or down to its nucleus, the blue left more and more room for violet and then red.

I am in the least dangerous zone ? She asked for confirmation.

INdeED, aNd as you cAn See, tHE cLOSer YOU GET to the CENTEr, tHe MoRe dANgeROuS it iS bECauSe oF ThE REmAInS of thE sAURIoT SwArm tHAT haVE SetTLED THErE, mAdE evEN moRE DanGErouS By tHE CorRuPTION tHAt EMANATes FroM THe cEntraL StAr And, iN The SaME wAY, The Closer yoU GeT To the SURFaCe, ThE morE DanGEROus it BeCOMES becAUSe of aLl the CrazY MAcHIneS LuRkiNG ArOUnd. bEsidEs, THE thiNG WE FouGHT agAINst caME PRACTIcAlLY FRoM the sURFAce, It sHoULdn’t HAVe Been ThERE.

Still as attentive, Eleonor nodded her head and, a few minutes later, they set off.

***

She inspired deeply, appreciating the peculiar smell of her little room. Genesis was as always in the same place, its tentacles a little more restless than usual.

Home sweet home. She thought with a smile.

Coming back here was no small matter, and if she had not received a little help, she might as well have never found it back. Luckily, in a way, she realized that by being close enough to here she instinctively felt in which general direction her base was, a feeling that she would have had a hard time explaining or even describe, like some sort of instinct. She went to sit against a wall, looking again at the two windows which had opened a little before the end of their discussion, hers and Fürssähfens.

|The Right of Passage.

Difficulty: unknown Objective: Proving to Fürssähfen that you can survive a portal crossing. Description: Fürssähfen, great dragon of the Sky and guardian of the portal, considers you worthy of his interest. Without further asking, he just expects you to prove your worth and potential to him, an incredible opportunity. Reward: +1 main level, a Right of Passage for the portal. Other quest from the dragon. |

And the second, which appeared when Fürssähfen told her she had to acquire a class.

|To Grow Alone.

Difficulty: Infernal Objective: to acquire a class without receiving a complete one from an external entity. Description: You are alone, lost and left to yourself, without anyone who can transmit you or teach you a class. But, as you have understood, having a class is vital, and you want to survive. You will create yourself a class, which will draw on your experience, your life, which will be tailor-made for you and will answer your problems. Reward: +3 main level. The first class you personally generated will see its rarity level adjusted a rank up, with all of the positive effects going with it. The Title “Self-taught”: You proved that you could learn alone, create alone. From now on, you create new classes more easily. The classes you create receive +12% bonus experience point. You teach your personal classes 200% faster to others and reduced the prerequisites for their learning a notch as long as you are the teacher. |

She slipped between the tentacles of Genesis to enjoy their sensations, surprised but happy with the turn of events and quests she had received. She had goals, she knew where she was going, and that feeling gave her confidence.

Mikael

These three days had been painful, to say the least. Every night, when he tried to sleep, his consciousness was brought into his world, as the voice had called it, and he had to reassure a Lauryne tormented by nightmares, her unstable mood making everything exhausting. She switched from sadness to anger like a pendulum, passing by rage, thirst for blood and shock, Mikael forced to help her to pass her nerves on something, in this case himself. After a restless night, he was forced to perform difficult physical training. Run on a treadmill designed for this purpose until exhaustion, a priest next to him constantly tending to his wounding muscles, atrophied by the lack of exercise. Lifting weights, doing push-ups, abdominals, no part of his body was left on the side to make sure that he did not keep the aftermath of his coma.

In the afternoon, Helianthine came to visit him, she spoke to him about her studies, sought comfort from him when they talked about Lauryne’s fate, made plans for the future, and told him family anecdotes. She also grumbled, as to the fact that the period of the hunt was about to come and that her mother would surely once again leave the butcher shop to her charge, so that she could go and hunt one or another rare beast to serve it to some noble, the money raised used to spend the months of little leaner, to finance her studies, too, something already extraordinary for someone who was not noble.

He did not know how he had endured his three days. No, he knew well. Behind his smile, behind his kindness and empathy, two things were moving him forward. Hope and revenge. He listened to Helianthin talk about Lauryne as if she was dead, what she was to them, but the hope of finding a way to bring her back, to heal her wounds, her trauma, all that made him move forward. Revenge, the idea that one day he would be able to track down Lauryne’s older brother Joseph and burn him alive for what he had done to his sister. These two opposite flames revolved around and repelled one another, supporting his will to move forward, to change. When he had seen the little girl die, something had broken in his mind, he felt it, the difference, as if he were himself while being two different people, like a glass filled with oil and water, the two layers sliding on each other, the first cold and direct, predatory, the second warm and compassionate, maternal.

Mellite

“Drop in 30 seconds.” Announced the robotic voice, a series of information then displayed in front of the young woman, the light of the projections reflected in her eyes with purple pupils.

She was cradled in an outfit that almost completely immobilized her, straps, harnesses and inertial shock absorber set keeping her perfectly anchored in the capsule, ready to make the big jump.

“Drop in 15 seconds.”

The projector then displayed the image of Syphony, at least her face.

“Not too stressed ?” she asked her with a big smile that reassured her.

“It’s all right.” She replied with enthusiasm, nodding her head the little she could.

In reality, she felt she was becoming claustrophobic just by being locked up in this metal cocoon, virtually completely immobilized for ten minutes, but the assurance of her mate was passed on to her by the worry she was showing. She blushes a little, thinking back to the night before.

“Let the automatic system work, everything will be fine.” Said Syphony who, noticing the red shade that the skin of Mellite was taking, also began to blush slightly, surely for the same reason.

“5-4-3-2-1-Drop.”

“C-lac!” Made the moorings by opening, releasing the capsule at the designated drop point.

The system projected in real time its trajectory and that of the others that had been dropped at the same time as it, including Syphonie.

A slight sensation of weightlessness then took Mellite.

“Impact in t-10 minutes.”

Time passed, the minutes long for the young woman surrounded by a relative silence. If it weren’t for the feeling of fall, she might not even have realized she was falling.

“T-3 minutes.” Said the voice, like every other minute.

An alarm suddenly lit, displaying a new signature a priori in intercept trajectory.

“Warning, dodge maneuvers engaged.”The voice said, still monotonous

“Syphony ?” Mellite asked, worried.

“Hang on !” she exclaimed before a powerful shock made the young woman pass out.