I followed the passageway with the blue and golden rainbows for some seconds. It was a deadend. I walked back. I jumped to the first of the two steps to get back up the room. I used my hand to climbed the second step. I climbed out of the path leading to the passageway. I beheld the Resplendent One.

The Resplendent One was a monster with blades for arms. It had a crystalline body, which refracted light into its seven colors. ‘I am used to hitting rock,’ I thought. It had a tail instead of legs. The floor tiles that went down rose to close the passageway. The creature approached me. The Resplendent One had a yellow porcelain face. Its eyes were green in color. “I welcome you to our duel, dear mortal.”

“Please look forward to being bestowed your deathly repose anew,” I replied.

The Resplendent One raised his blade in a languid motion. “That will fun to discover.” It approached me, sweeping its tail along the floor. I walked towards it. The Resplendent One slashed at me from the right. It missed. It delayed its movement, the way a coiling serpent would. I aimed for the tail, getting behind his body. The creature rotated its body in a swift motion. Its blade struck at me. I retreated. The Resplendent One swung its blade at me, one after another. It rotated its body, following each new direction I took. I got between the metal slabs. The Resplendent One chose not to enter between the metal slabs.

“I hope the sight of my tomb’s passageway has delighted you, mortal. If you want to praise me, go ahead. I am used to it,” said the Resplendent One.

“I could have made a better passageway,” I said, speaking out of my nose.

“Ha! Hahaha. That sounds promising,” the Resplendent One said.

“Speaking of passageways, why don’t you visit the path I’m at? Are you afraid?”

“A mortal of your ilk does not command my presence,” the Resplendent One said. “I required someone to entertain me and you came along. I shall wait no more. Of course, a mortal like you feels rather entertained from my presence. I’ll help you get down to earth/”

I looked at my katana. In the [Plain of Desolation], I had no weapon. I had to scavenge weapons. If this were reality, some blacksmith would have taken a while to form the katana and to make it usable and efficient the way a katana was usable. Even if the katana should have been efficient in being used, it was only good to that extent. It was great. The katana in my hand was still in one piece after three fights. It was a good thing that it was still effective against the creature in front of me. However, it was convenient that the Resplendent One had blades for arms. I could not break blades off his body. I came from within the metal folds.

I walked to the creature. He swung his blade down from the right. I evaded the attack. A horizontal swipe came from the left. I kneed my left leg. I pulled my body down, hearing the air current in my ear. My left palm hit the ground. The right blade pulled back upward, towards the creature’s chest. I attacked the tail of the Resplendent One. [-15 dp] The creature stooped, its blade bearing forward. I hopped to my right.

As I paused to catch my breath, I felt like something was missing in me. “You seem to have noticed my fuller splendor,” the Resplendent One said. “Stop resisting and allow me to realize your true self’s bidding.” I walked over to the resplendent One again and evaded his first attack. As an enemy, he moved at slow speed if you were far from him. That meant I could recuperate howevermuch I wanted even if I got struck. I ducked, anticipating his horizontal swipe. His body had nice colors refracted on them. I felt out of it for a while, my head heavy and unable to remember what it was I was to do. I snapped out and hopped away. In the process, the Resplendent One stabbed my hip. 1000/1100 flashed in front of my eyes.

I did not get in a hit this time. I stood up. The adinkra symbol bloomed in front of me in a blood-red color. Likewise was the case with the supersymmetric table and the non-holographic model of the planet system Legacy was part of. The blue haze reached knee level. It was cold. I thought the blood-red of these representations were an external flow which were manifest. The Resplendent One looked blooded in front of me. I walked to the Resplendent One and slashed at it. The creature coiled back and parried my blow, coming from my blind spot. The Resplendent One raised its left blade, before lowering it.

“You are a ghost. You will remain unchanged and you will change no one. Blood is my will, not yours,” the creature hissed. Its yellow porcelain face remained expressionless. “Breath for my sake. Die for my sake.” The creature moved its left blade to stab me. I kneed my legs and jumped back. The left blade slashed on the right side of my chest. [-200] I hugged the creature’s left side and slashed at it. [-15 dp] The Resplendent One crystallized its sides. A blood-red lure came from the crystallized output. The creature performed a spin attack. It shifted its tail with brusqueness and slashed at me. I kept a safe distance from it.

I circled the Resplendent One and ground my blade’s sharp edge against its tail. [-15 dp] I felt like something was missing in me. It was almost like I was losing ‘colors’ from myself. In contrast, the creature was vivid. I looked at the creature’s brilliantine body. It had a lustrous shine of red to it. The red shadowed the seven colors of light that refracted off the creature’s surface. As it moved, it did not have the greatest speed. It simply shone with splendor. Each of its movements were tremendous.

I looked at the blade of my katana. It reflected back a blurry version of my face. I breathed and inflated my self-worth, “you are alright, Ashen.” I felt somewhat better. The luster of the creature dulled out. I blinked. Without knowing, it was my awe which fed the creature. It did not change the situation by much, but I felt better. I sweated profusely. My sword skills were not the best against this creature. I could barely feel out my feet. The best way to describe how the movements appeared to me was ‘limpid’.

My movements felt repetitive. I had to be better, faster. I risked another blow, and got away with a scratch that left my health points at 888/1100. [-15] The Resplendent One was down to half its health. I got into a frenzy. I did the other half of the damage to the Resplendent One’s health. I defeated it. I was left with 464/1100 health points. I breathed in the thin air. “I did a splendid job!” I said.

The blue haze was back at my ankle level. The scientific relics of the room shone with less intensity. I counted to seventy. My health points got to 1071.2/1100.

I stood up and looked at the crystallized detrichus left behind by the Resplendent One. The body of the creature lay where I had slain it. The corpse had become as emaciated as to retain mere brittle glass-like pieces. I could not find any indication that came up, this time. “User Command: Indicator.”

[The Resplendent One. You will make a marvelous fortune if you stash this resplendent creature’s dead body and sell it for gold.]

Harvest body parts of the Resplendent One?

These crystallized pieces can be used for high-grade jewels. Some kings also use it to make their royal dagger, which is then bestowed upon knights.

Alternatively, you can gift these pseudo-perfect body parts to the cult of the Resplendent One. You can always make good money off their personal crises.

Yes

No

I tapped [Yes]. The body parts were added to my inventory. “User Command: Indicator” was used for cases where I wanted to examine multiple items. An indicator popped out of the crystallized detrichus.

Transient Memory

Reflect your will towards something you want to do to activate this crystallized detrichus. It will provide the indications for you to follow.

It did not list the goal for following the indications. “This must be the mechanism,” I said. I put my hand forward, and stoked the crystallized stone with my will, Dark Souls style. Another stone appeared, a few meters from the first one. I walked to it. It provided the same instructions. I followed through with the activation. Another crystallized detrichus appeared. I went to this third crystallized detrichus. This one took some more efforts to activate. A red stone creaked into existence on the wall in front of the third crystallized detrichus. There was the outline of a palm beside the red stone.

I placed my palm on the outline as per its indicated form. I felt another hand touch my palm. A furred face emerged. Our eyes met. I retreated. “Boo,” said the creature. It was a humanoid. He held a sword in his right hand. “The name is Gabriel. You shall see the difference between us. Prepare to battle,” he said.

“You sure talk for being a Rank-C quest difficulty monster,” I said.

“I have got nothing to steal from you,” said Gabriel. His gray eyes looked at me, without luster. “I shall merely inflict unto you and take victory, for it is mine.” The humanoid stared at his claws. He looked like a werewolf. Gabriel stepped back with his right foot. He reared his body and stomped his right foot forward. He jumped in my direction. I observed his body to be as vulnerable as a dog’s, should a dog pounce on you. His torso was a dark gray. His sword swung at me first. I did not expect him to do that while airborne. That meant I had missed a cut at his torso. Unlike the kobold, this humanoid did not feature a voracious mouth. I parried his sword with my katana.

We exchanged a few blows. It was hefty, but easy work. My movements were wasteful, but I could do it. What bothered me were his eyes. Whenever our gaze met, his eyes gave off the illusion of becoming static. It was similar to how a television would go static and gray when it would not catch the antenna signal back in the days. We disengaged. I crouched and leaped back. Gabriel slid backward with a subtle control of his legs. Gabriel stood alert. He raised the sword above him. The sword connected with his arm and became a lance.

The lance was covered with a conical surface. Gabriel put a hand behind his shoulder and approached me. He lunged forward. His movement was efficient. It looked practiced. I courted Gabriel’s left side, avoiding his charge. I was wary of Gabriel’s left hand. Gabriel regained posture. He turned around, his dark gray eyes glazing from across the lance stretched out to his right. I hugged Gabriel’s left side again. I chinked my katana against the lance and aimed for Gabriel’s neck. Gabriel redressed his lance and stood stern. He punched me on my midriff. [-70] I held onto my katana. I stumbled back. Gabriel looked at me, his arm stretched out. His gaze taunted me.

“You are a person who does disappoint others,” Gabriel said, with spite. He walked toward me, his body held rigid. As Gabriel approached, he lowered his height. I did not know his motives. I walked to meet him, my arm outstretched. Gabriel came with a charge. His speed was faster than I anticipated; his crouching made that harder to read. It did not matter. I hugged Gabriel’s left again. I held the katana with both hands. My left shoulder protected my chest, in case Gabriel went for a punch. My eyes observed the katana gliding across Gabriel’s lance. A few dozen more centimeters and I would hit Gabriel’s neck. Gabriel changed the direction of his lance with a sharp movement. The lance swung acutely to his left. I stumbled out of the way. [-70] My katana nicked Gabriel’s neck. [-10 dp]

Gabriel gave me a sideways glance. His lance’s trajectory had stopped, short of bashing his chest. Gabriel used his wrist to smear off the blood that dripped from his fresh wound. “That’s your first taste of blood. Could have been cheaper,” Gabriel said.

I looked at the bloody footprints behind Gabriel and smirked. I looked at the blood on the katana. I thought of my next step. Gabriel walked toward me anew. His steps were calm, sedate. His eyes were fixed on my face. I could not miss his eyes even if I wanted to. Those eyes were a dark gray, a static gray. Gabriel’s lance disengaged from his arm. It turned back into a sword. I was surprised that he changed back to using his sword. Gabriel removed his left hand from behind him. He glanced at my right and looked back at my face. He formed an empty grip. A red sword materialized there. Gabriel matched his hand movements with his pace. The red sword evoked blood to my mind. Gabriel held his swords in a crisscross.

He charged at me anew. Gabriel’s charge was normal. I could hear the thuds of his feet. The sight of the charge, in contrast, was momentous. Gabriel’s stomps on the ground were effortful, like a footballer running to get a free ball. I retreated to the folds of the square wheels. I waited. Gabriel stopped and entered the first gap of the wheels from the opposite side I had entered. When he came across me, he had only one sword in his hand. I swung the katana. Gabriel parried the katana. The katana edged farther than he had anticipated. It was brute force. I punched Gabriel’s hips with my left fist. [-15 dp] Gabriel grunted from the strike. I grabbed his hand with my left hand. I disengaged my sword and drew back to stab him. Gabriel blocked the sword with his left hand. His hand bled. [-15 dp]

Gabriel’s eyes were a dark gray. I gripped the metal slab with one foot and kneed my way to Gabriel’s torso. Gabriel pressed his palm against my sword. The katana tore against his palm’s ligaments and got stuck into his wrist’s bones. [-20 dp] I held on. Gabriel did not stop. I put my right foot against Gabriel’s neck. My left foot was on his right shoulder. My left hand grip weakened. Gabriel’s right arm moved. I stopped his arm with my left foot. I kicked Gabriel’s head with my right heel. [ -15 dp] That was his weak point. Gabriel’s grip loosened.

Gabriel looked stunned. I disengaged my blade from his right hand. I stabbed Gabriel in the heart. [-50 dp] He died. Water swamped the room. I climbed up the square wheel. The water stopped rising after a while. It came up to my haunches. The air pressure in the room had risen back up. Gabriel’s body floated on the water. I grabbed it. “User Command: Examine.”

Final clue

Draw a square on one of the metal wheels.

Gabriel’s body dissolved into water. I watched his bones become effervescent with water and disappear. I looked at the water about me. I dived into the water, sword in hand. I made one mark with my katana. The blue haze froze up the water, starting from the ground. The ice that formed floated up to the surface. I climbed back up the square wheel. I took a breath. I dived in, scratched another mark onto the metal slab and climbed up. I repeated this exercise two more times. The water level dropped.

I waited for a while. I dropped down to the floor. Some ice were left over. It felt cold. However, the blue haze was gone. “Come on! I just killed the monsters, as you instructed,” I said. No reply came. I found some indents rising along the wall. They alternated with hand grips. But I could not reach them. I looked at the square I had scratched onto the metal slab. “User Command: Examine”

[A metal slab used by the Beast of Babel for unfortunate victims.]

I punched the scratched-out square. It caved in. I used my katana to chink the detached metal plate out. There was a hole behind it. Inside, I found a steel knife. It was heavy. I took the knife and walked to the indents on the wall. I climbed up. I used my feet to prevent my body from swinging. It was easier when I got to the grips already on the wall. As I climbed, I found only two grips were left. There was nothing beyond that. I put the knife into the remaining hole. There was not enough space. The knife glitched and staggered, like there was an object in front of it. I put the knife on my mouth and put my hand inside the hole. I took out my hand. I had found the key.

I grabbed the knife again and put the key into my pocket. I put the knife on the lower hole. The hole and the grip slid down. I jumped off the wall once I was a meter above ground. I landed on my feet. I removed the key from inside my pocket. The key was gray, with an ordinary round circle on the end which did not form part of the unlocking component. The round circle was inlaid with a red and round circle on one side. The other side was a plain gray.

The entrance to the [Einstein Zone] was blocked off without any door handle or door hole in sight. I walked forward, where there was a textured, black door. I used the key and unlocked the door. The key bled out. It smelled ferrous. The blood splattered on the floor. It turned gray and evaporated. The door disappeared.

Quest-Abandonment penalty completed

Congratulations on completing your first main quest!

RIVA78 has used the required key to escape the room.

Reward

20,000 utils

Initial Quest Outline:

You have not passed the power quest. The Beast of Babel has imprisoned you in the [Einstein Zone] of the Museum.

Get out of here by accepting the ordeal imposed, to get the exit key.

Chosen: [Yes]

[Level up]

You are now level 11. Congratulations on this achievement!

Experience Points

700 + 113/369 → 45 + 399/399 → 45/429

‘Now, that’s a story,’ I thought. I looked at the heavy steel knife on my hand. ‘Perhaps, I just need to acquire money.’ I patted myself on my shoulder. I smiled, looking at my double level-up. I walked out of the room. I entered an open area. My eyes met the broken statues of the fox and the cub. The cub was beheaded. The fox’s body was broken. I felt bleak. Behind me, the four square wheels faded into sand.

Parting Notification

"Before the wind, the work of man will be judged by the spirit in which it is performed and not by the nature of the work." (quote derived from Gandhi)

I read the comment. “Come again?” I could see that all of the science zones converged to this place. There was a passageway which led to the exit of the science museum, at the other end. There was a huge dragon statue in this segment. It was a marble statue, the color of a black onyx. The dragon bowed to the ground and roared.

Beside the dragon, there was an advertisement stand. It displayed a banner asking for donations to help mentally retarded children learn science. I thought that was not something you would find in a video game. I patted my knee, as I stood thinking. It was not the time to make wishy-washy claims.

“Feed me! Feed me!” came a voice. I was unsure about where it came from. I looked around. “Teach me! Teach me!” came the voice again, after I had a look at my surroundings. The voice seemed to be coming from inside the dragon’s mouth. I took a look inside. I saw a bird. Upon seeing me, the bird said, “it will rain tomorrow.” I found the bird to have teeth. There were iron spikes behind the bird. I interacted with the bird. “User Command: Examine.”

[Ojama bird]

‘What is this bird doing here?’ I thought. “Feed me!” said the bird. I placed my left hand at my hip and supported my jaw with my thumb and index finger. After a while, the bird sang.

I frowned. “You are a broken creature.” The Ojama bird stopped singing.

“Step aside,” a man said. I looked behind to find a bespectacled man with a priest’s cloth. There was the insignia of a baby cradled by his mother. In the background, there was a man nailed to a cross. ‘The Covenant of the Holy Mother,’ I thought. “User Command: Examine.”

[Father Keynes, Covenant of the Holy Mother]

I stepped aside. I thought the badge looked eerie.

The Ojama bird cooed. It crooned and approached the priest. The priest petted the bird. The bird grew bigger. It spawned into two birds: a mechanical bird and a bird with bloodstained feathers, with one large wing and one short wing. Both birds no longer had teeth. The birds took flight. In the air, they sang for a while, like normal birds did, and stopped. They flew away. “That’s bad taste,” I commented.

The priest stared at me. “You said something?”

“No, not really,” I replied. I bowed and exited the premises. When I found a tree, I touched it. "User Command: Water bottle." I grabbed the bottle and drank it. I walked downhill.