The next morning, I quickly paced down the stairs and into the quaint atmosphere of the painting room. It was as I left it, serene and at peace. I locked the two doors behind and opened the treasury and into my workshop.

I immediately set out and worked on the clearing. I took out a fair amount of chalk and a few materials needed for the ritual. Many of the materials required were expensive and rare. I never brought any of them with me unless we needed the ritual’s effects for a powerful raid boss.

This time, though it burdens my heart to do so, was a requirement This was the ritual that increased the power of items through magic, and this was done through a conversation between the user and the item in question.

I had done it time and time again when the world was still a game, but I never actually talked to the weapons. Rather, it wasn’t an implemented feature.

Now? I had to test it. For various reasons related to the world-chasm phenomena, the world, and what I experienced. Above all, whoever and whatever it was, it would be impolite to keep my gratitude unspoken. It saved me, after all.

I chalked the ground with white and the hammered ingredients, causing the room only lit by the constant flares of the eternal flames to seem more devious than it is. The runes I etched on the ground were rudimentary and simple, but that was out of necessity. Using too much resources for a simple spell would be wasteful when I only wish to talk to the items at hand.

I brought out a bevy of items from my pouch. The Spear of Immersed and Keffer’s clothes. They were both of excellent make, and were both quite ‘cursed’.

I checked the stats of the clothing set, and they were remarkable, even tattered as it was. It’s defensive ability was much lower than my main long coat, but many of its effects and abilities were amazing. If I were to rank them appropriately, they would be one of the best sets for the Lancemen class.

To put it simply, the clothing set enhances almost everything, from combat to magic, and even skills. For a generalist, this was the perfect clothing to wear.

Now that I think about it, Keffer Aldrin was said to be a polymath and all-around genius.

It was an amazing find, but the problem was the ‘curse’ on it. Despite using even my own abilities to discern its malevolent effect, I couldn’t find a single thing about them. All I knew for sure was that if I wore it, something terrible would happen to me.

I sighed and placed the set beside me. My first order of business was with the spear.

I brought out my anam, and a wispy smoke of black ejected from my palm. The black spear immediately ate it up within seconds, like a mirage or a trick of the eye. The black spear then emitted a purple light and hovered in the air, the tip of the spear facing upwards.

“Good morning to you, black spear. Let’s talk.” I smiled and pointed at the center of the etched runes.

As if understanding my intentions, the black spear floated languidly unto the center and lodged itself into the ground. The tip of the spear plunging beautifully and easily into the... oh, what the fuck? It just broke the tiles, god damn it!

I already had to toil away with both sweat and tears that I had to nick the tiles for every rune I wrote, but even that thing was doing it.

I had to pay a premium for those solid blocks of stones that looked very similar to marble, but instead one with veins of solid jade. Ugh, fine. I’ll let it slide. He did save me once.

I pushed my palm onto the chalk and started injecting mana into the formation. The runes glowed white for a bit... and nothing. It just glowed.

What? Wait, did I do something wrong?

I looked back on the runes and back to my memory. The runes should’ve been perfect and the circle was complete. It should have worked. Hrm.

I fiddled around with the circle once more and found out I had forgotten a crucial element of the ritual. Where a small line of chalk should’ve been was left blank. I immediately slashed one over and started to meditate once more.

Mana started to surge into the circle, and it glowed a radiance that blinded me. However, it was only a moment. The bright light turned into a sickly violet and the mana I had been supplying had turned sour. Anam started to pour out from my body and into the runes I had etched deep.

Before I knew it, my vision was blacked and I found myself somewhere I didn’t want to return to.

~ ??? ~

I smashed his head in with my trusty pick. The skull breaking had a nasty but satisfying sound as the blood spurted out in heaps. I stepped to the side and watched the body collapse onto the floor, bloodied and soaked in it.

I breathed out and slumped onto the ground. I glanced around and admired the bloodshed I had created. People are so damn frail that if I didn’t do what I did, I’d be the one of the sorry bastards lying on a pool of their own blood.

I clicked my tongue.

I took a seat on a pile of bodies and relaxed myself. The room stank to hell. The medical aroma of the drugs mixing with the putrid stench of dead bodies made me gag, but I controlled myself. This was still a job, I need to be professional about it.

I took out a handkerchief and tied it around my head, blocking the stink. I then ripped out a piece of clothing from them. What are they going to do? Kill me? Eugh. I cleaned off my tools and wiped off the blood best I could from my clothes.

“You can blame Asterworth, that damned Gunkboss. His jobs suck, but they paid well.” I spoke to no one in particular, maybe to the dead bodies.

I focused on one of the gangster’s faces and focused real hard on it. Maybe if it didn’t look so damn bleak here, people would think of me as a creep. But, well, there would need to be people in the first place. Heh.

After a while, I felt my face burn and contort in pain. A moment later, I felt my facial structure change.

Alright, that’s that. Time to hit the next place. Sheesh, I sure wish it’s a bit more peaceful next time.

“I’m sure you assholes are cursing me in the other side, but what can I do?” I shrugged and spoke, less to the corpses, and more for myself. “Killing you means cash, and cash means I get to live. Thanks for dying for me, I’m real grateful.”

I must live. It’s a damn obvious sentiment, but living in the underworld sure ain’t easy.

~ Sed ~

“You must live.”

Those were the first words the voice within the spear spoke. The words rang in my head. Almost as if he had expected what I had wanted to ask. I peered at the still spear and the energy undulating from its core.

“I get that, what I want to know is why?” I looked around the place the spear had summoned me into. It was the very same place that caused me headaches, but with a pitch black background, a gray filter, and a graininess akin to old world film tapes.

“The elder god commanded it, and it shall be done. The elder god mentions of the end, and that you will be its savior.” It spoke, but not through the ears, but more as if his thoughts raped the mind.

Various thoughts raced in my head, but there was no answer to them unless I asked. Though, before I could, the spear spoke once more.

“Because you are the last of your kind.”

The world started to crumble down, an imagery similar to the phenomena I experienced in the loading room. The area pixelized and shattered to pieces, and my vision started to distort.

“Collect us, the last vestiges of the elder god. Only then will you understand.”

The spear left those words to me as I blacked out.

~ - ~

I opened my eyes to the feeling of a thin but hard metal pole on my back. Around me were the runes and circles I etched upon the floor, and in front of me were the many messy chests I had pushed away. Ah, I forgot to say my thanks.

“Fucking cryptic piece of shit.” I sighed and banged the back of my head on the spear. “Give me more.”

The last of my kind, huh? I guess he was speaking of my status, or what it was supposed to be. Players. This elder god figure needs players... for what purpose?

Vestiges as well. If we’re talking vestiges like the black spear... then maybe the crown of mexxiah? Although that makes me question why my creations are the vestiges of the elder god. But... whatever, wouldn’t really hurt to try.

I stood back up and pulled the spear from the ground. I no longer felt anything from it, which meant that it had spoken its piece. At least, I assume that to be the case. I hurriedly returned it to my inventory and looked at the neatly piled clothes outside the encirclement.

It’s your turn.

~ - ~

This time, I found myself within a wide clearing of a lush and vivid forest. Beside it were clear waters, still and serene. A large rock was propped at the center, covered in moss, and one naked woman sitting on it. The woman’s cloudy eyes watching the crystal lake.

“Of course it’s a naked lady... Mind getting clothed?”

The lady stared at me and laughed. “Aaah, no can do. Really.” She shrugged and jumped off the stone and stood in front of me. “Souls don’t really get a say about clothing.”

She held her hand up. “Nice to meet you, my name is Keffer Aldrin... or at least, that’s my title. My real name is Amaryllis Dawn.” She beamed confidently. “You are?”

I take her hand and gripped it tight. “Sed Immer. They call me ‘Savior’, according to a magical spear anyway.” I smiled wryly.

“Looking at you, I wouldn’t be surprised. Mana and anam coexisting within one entity. Ridiculous, absurd... I love it.” She eyed my body. “Anyway, to what do I owe the pleasure of meeting with an esteemed guest?”

“I wasn’t really expecting anyone here... I just wanted to know what kind of curse was in that set of clothing.” I shrugged.

“A curse? Hardly!” She laughed. “Though, I suppose it depends. If you plan for me to collect dust within your collector’s vault, then I will curse you to damnity.”

“You mean damnation?”

“Ah, yes, damnation! However, if you plan to use me, then I will bless you and help you to the best of my abilities.” She looked me in the eyes. “What would you use me for?”

I shake my head. “I didn’t pay a ridiculous amount for a collector’s item. I’ll make use of you, but not now. I don’t have anyone that can use you at your best.” It wasn’t really that huge of an amount for me, but I’ll omit that little detail.

She stopped for a moment and looked at me, as if studying my every move. Her clouded eyes shining with a piercing glint. Then, she smirked. “Fine, but I’ll be watching your every move, Sed Immer.”

“That’s pressuring.”