Prologue.

Warning: Level Collapse is Imminent.

“It’s two gods,” Odette cried. “Get ready!”

The twin monstrosities appeared, towering out of the mist like a pair of uneven mountains. One was almost three times the size of the other. Odette hadn’t been expecting there to be two gods, but she wasn’t surprised. The summoning box did that sometimes, especially this deep. She’d once seen one of them summon three.

“Two gods?” Chaco shouted from his spot near the stairwell. “Is it still going to work?”

“Gods, I hope so,” Odette muttered.

Her non-corporeal avatar floated between her crawlers and the two storm deities. She zoomed with her helmet, trying to see what gods they were. Relief flooded her when she focused on the smaller of the two. Dodola, which was who Mordecai had been attempting to summon. The other, larger deity was Adad.

Odette: You need to get back here.

Mordecai: I’m trying. I don’t think I can fly in this downpour. Are they storm gods? Did it work?

Odette: It worked. Now hurry. Don’t let them see you. Try your slake raven form.

Sizzling acid rain poured from the heavens, melting everything it touched. Odette zoomed in further, watching the aura of both the gods. The hulking form of Adad was AI controlled. The smaller, female Dodola was sponsored. The name Huanxin blazed there with a little, green dot, meaning the grixist sponsor was present and driving the storm goddess.

She opened a new chat window.

Odette: Infusing the summoning box with a chain-lightning potion worked. It’s Huanxin like you said it would be.

The floor was almost done. The nine puzzle pieces had all been collected. They just needed one more activation, and the four crawlers could leave and enter the stairwell down to the eleventh floor. She looked nervously at the clock. It was going to be close.

Armita: I’m not certain about this.

Odette: This was your godsdamned idea. We don’t have time. Tell her we’re in place and that we have a deal.

Armita: I already did. She just wrote back. She wants a bigger cut. She says 10% is too little. She wants 33.

Odette: Godsdamnit. You tell that rich cunt we don’t need her, then. She can just fuck off. We summoned two gods. We’ll use the other one.

The bonus Odette received if Mordecai reached the eleventh floor would be just enough money that she could buy a residency berth in the inner system. She wouldn’t be considered wealthy by any means, not like she would if Mordecai reached the 12th, but she would have just enough to get herself settled. She would be a citizen, guaranteed shelter and oxygen and food, which would allow her to finally be safe. She’d have access to free body regeneration, allowing her to regrow her legs. She’d finally be able put this nightmare behind her.

She still had five seasons left on her indentureship, but per her contract, they’d knock nine seasons off if one of her crawlers reached the eleventh floor. If they opened that stairwell and Mordecai made it down, Odette would be free. Finally.

But if she paid 33% of her bonus to that raging bitch, she wouldn’t have enough money. She’d have to settle somewhere as a non-citizen, always scrambling. It’d take another 100 cycles to earn enough, and only if she was lucky enough to get a job. It would never end. Even that 10% she’d already promised was cutting it close.

She thought of Huanxin Jinx, the grixist heiress who sponsored Dodola every season. Odette pictured herself strangling the thin-necked, hairy bitch until all six eyes popped out of her head.

They could quadruple that bonus, and it would be nothing but a day’s allowance to Huanxin. She wasn’t doing this for the money. This was how she entertained herself. The Ascendency battles didn’t start until the crawlers reached the twelfth floor or they were zeroed out, and the heiress was bored. Nothing more.

Armita, Odette’s friend and former party member, had managed to secure herself a gig as a demigod attendant for the Celestial Ascendency, and this whole scheme had been her idea. The AI subroutines didn’t regularly monitor communications between NPCs, and they were legally forbidden from monitoring Ascendency sponsor communications. She was working as the go-between.

When it became clear that Mordecai’s team was going to need the intervention of a storm god to survive, it’d been Armita who suggested talking to Huanxin. They’d ask the rich heiress if she’d be willing to drive Dodola to the door location and hit the puzzle with a spell. She’d agreed, for a price.

Without the bribe, the legality of having Armita break character and ask a sponsor for their assistance was sketchy at best. Once money became involved, it clearly became cheating, especially since Odette would be reaping actual credits as a result of the help. It was cheating, and it was fraud.

But what choice did she have? This whole tenth floor had been a disaster. From the start, the crawlers were given a choice of four tracks. Uzzi had blindly chosen the most difficult path. The location of the exit was revealed, but multiple steps had to be completed in order to open the door.

Less than 200 crawlers had survived the faction wars chaos, which was usual. The skyfowl seasons typically ended with a ninth-floor slaughter. The idiots always wanted to participate in the fighting. Half of the survivors had taken deals right at the beginning of the tenth. And then half of the rest had died making their way through the floor. Odette only knew of five others who’d made it to the eleventh so far.

Mordecai still hadn’t returned. His ability to change forms had made him the best candidate to place the summoning box and activate it. He’d had to place it far enough away where they had time to prime the puzzle, but not too far so the god wouldn’t notice them.

Behind her, Chaco, Hold Steady, and Uzzi worked furiously to prepare the final ritual. Chaco was a wolf-headed pterolykos. The other two had chosen to remain skyfowl, like 91% of their kind. Hold Steady worked his magic, keeping the puzzle pieces primed. Chaco plucked at his tar, attracting the attention of the gods with his bard magic. Uzzi guarded them both. The skyfowl warrior had limited magic, despite his Storm Commander class, but he had a party protection spell that kept the caustic rain from burning them all.

The nine pieces pulsed red a few times before turning blue. It was ready. Only one last step remained. The puzzle needed to physically touch a storm god or be hit with god-tier storm magic. If either of those happened, the key would form and the door would open.

But it wasn’t as simple as dropping the completed puzzle disk on the head of a god from afar. The puzzle needed to stay primed, constantly infused with magic, which required Hold Steady to remain nearby. And the puzzle had to remain within the circle of the stairwell.

This last part was next to impossible, and they’d all wanted to take a deal rather than risk not making it.

Odette had already earned her tenth floor bonus no matter what happened. She’d convinced them to go for it, despite the difficulty. It wasn’t all greed. She liked all the party members, especially Mordecai. It was never worth it to take a deal on the tenth floor. Never. They were better off dead.

They were close. So damn close.

Armita: I’m not telling her that, Odette. You know how petty she is.

If they could get either storm god to hit the puzzle with a spell—any spell—they’d be good to go. If Chaco’s Lightning Rod song worked properly, any spells thrown in their general direction would hit the target. The problem was, the crawlers needed to remain nearby. The whole level was about to collapse.

It was always a bad idea to stay in the vicinity of a god. Always.

Huanxin had the ability to enchant the rain. She could make it healing rain or turn each drop into a mob or a thousand other things. It was already raining. All she needed to do was cast the spell, the magic rain would hit the puzzle, and that would be enough. All four party members would make it to the eleventh floor, and then they could reevaluate their survival chances.

If Huanxin refused to help, they still had Adad. He was likely to summon a cloud of lightning-shooting bugs at any moment. With Chaco’s spell, the bugs would still target the puzzle. It wasn’t ideal, but it would work.

Warning: Level collapse will commence in minus three.

The number 99 appeared flashing in her interface. The units started to count down.

Odette cursed herself for getting involved in this. They could’ve done it without cheating. She hadn’t trusted the team. This would’ve worked without the bribe.

Odette: What is taking you so long?

Mordecai: I’m grounded, in a bipedal form. I didn’t have enough power to choose anything else. I’m too far from Uzzi’s protection, and I have to use my Climate Refuge spell.

Odette: Hurry your feathered ass!

Mordecai: I think the two gods are about to fight!

Odette: Probably not this time. Dodola...

Odette didn’t finish. She watched in horror as Dodola suddenly turned and stabbed something into the chest of the much-larger Adad. The god disappeared. She’d teleported him away. She turned toward the three crawlers and started casually marching in their direction.

Armita: She says she’s changed her mind again. Now she wants 50%, and if you don’t agree, she’s going to zero out the party. I’m sorry, Odette. This is all my fault.

Godsdamnit.

She had to agree. What else could she do? She looked back at the three crawlers huddled by the exit. The round puzzle floated in midair with Uzzi and Hold Steady right behind it. Chaco stood to the side, still plucking at his instrument.

But then, a wave of anger washed over Odette. She thought of the dungeon AI, forcing her to choose between saving Armita and Pieter. She’d only had seconds. Her best friend versus her cousin. She’d picked her friend. For Odette’s entire life, people were taking advantage of her. Forcing her to submit, to choose. Telling her what to do. They’d taken her entire planet. Her people. Her family. Pieter was a good, sweet boy. But he wasn’t as strong as Armita. They’d forced Odette to fight. Forced her to work in this dungeon for so, so long. Every step forward she’d made was only because she’d first had to ask someone else’s permission to do so. She was tired of always being bullied. She was tired of being forced to choose between two, equally terrible results.

She looked up at the approaching deity. Huanxin Jinx. Fuck that bitch.

Odette: Armita, tell her we don’t have a deal.

Armita: Are you sure?

Odette: Yes.

She then moved to a new chat, but before she could type out the message, she was interrupted by Mordecai.

Mordecai: Dodola is a sponsored god. She’s not going to help us. I’m sorry my friends. I have a plan, but it’s going to kill me. Uzzi, see you on the other side, brother.

Uzzi: Do not even dare.

Odette waved away her first message and moved to her private chat with Mordecai.

Odette: What the hells are you doing?

Mordecai: My Final Blow skill. It lets me target the puzzle. It’s at the top of the list. Odette, I think this is what I’m supposed to do with it. It’s why the AI gave it to me.

If Mordecai targeted the puzzle and then got himself hit with a spell from the god, the puzzle would also get hit by the spell. Up until now, the skill only allowed him to target individuals. He’d been using it to great effect, allowing him to find invisible and hidden mobs.

It was a desperate, last act. He wouldn’t be protected from the spell.

If Mordecai died, Odette’s season would be done. She’d be stuck here for five more crawls at least.

The timer was down to 65 units.

Odette: Wait thirty units. Keep moving toward us. Let me try something first.

Before he could answer, she pulled that second chat back up.

Odette: Chaco. Do you have the dart?

Chaco: Yes! But how can that help now?

They’d spent half of their time on this floor hunting down the priceless artifact only for it to be useless. When they’d learned that it had to be a specific type of god to unlock the puzzle, it’d ruined all of their plans since none of them had seen a storm god before this. This whole floor had been them choosing between four paths, and each time, they’d ended up picking the worst possible choice. They’d instead had to find the summoning cube, which wasn’t much better.

If only it had been a holy grenade. They’d been everywhere on the previous floor.

Odette: There’s only one way to survive. Worship Dodola and then use the dart.

Chaco: What? No. Who would I even use it on? Would that even work? She’s already summoned.

Odette: It’ll work. We can’t use it on Hold Steady because he’s keeping the puzzle primed. The dart doesn’t let you use it on yourself. You’ll have to use it on Uzzi and then contain him with the cube.

Chaco: Have you lost your faculties? You want me to kill Uzzi? It’s not going to happen.

Odette: You have to do it quickly.

Chaco: I don’t think you heard me, Odette. Mordecai has a plan. He is doing it of his own free will. It’s an honorable death.

Odette: If Mordecai dies, I go away.

Chaco: I don’t care.

Odette: Godsdamnit, Chaco. Do you think you’ll survive six units on the next floor without me? You don’t just show up in the Outreach Guild like you did on this floor. You have to find one.

Chaco: Mordecai will kill me. And he’ll leave the party anyway.

Odette: I have you in my chat. If you do this, I promise I’ll help you no matter what. Without me, you will die. All of you will die. Uzzi will be useless without his brother. I’ll talk to Mordecai. I’ll convince him this was the best path. Dodola is a sponsored god. She knows what’s happening. Mordecai’s plan isn’t going to work. This is the only way.

Dodola roared. She’d paused, not getting any closer.

Armita: She wants to know if you’re sure. She sounds angry.

Chaco: Godsdamn you, Odette.

Odette: Do it now, Chaco.

This whole time, Uzzi and Mordecai were going back and forth in the group chat. The timer ticked down, slowly but inevitably plummeting toward zero. Odette knew if she actually told Uzzi what the plan was, he’d be on board. Skyfowl were like that. Proud to a fault. But they didn’t have time.

Odette: Mordecai! Abort! We have a plan that’ll work. Get here now!

At the same moment, Chaco worshipped Dodola. He was the first in the party to worship a deity. She’d told them from the start how dumb it was to tie yourself to one.

“What are you doing?” she heard Hold Steady cry.

“I’m sorry, my friend,” Chaco said to Uzzi, who’d turned to regard the large bard.

The skyfowl looked down at the dart in Chaco’s wolf-like hand, surprised. The Dart of Ophiotaurus. Uzzi lifted his head to the raining sky and cawed. A war cry. He took a step closer to the puzzle and spread his wings in supplication.

He understood.

Chaco threw the dart right into Uzzi’s breast. Behind them, Dodola roared in indignation and became unglued. She rushed forward, attempting to cast a spell. She vanished before she could.

“Steady, step back!” Chaco cried as he cast his level-15 Circle of Containment, locking the puzzle in with Uzzi, who’d fallen onto his back. His body pulsated and crackled.

“No,” Mordecai cried, rushing up. He was in the form a Ratkin Brute, the first form he’d learned how to make. He stopped before the semicircle shell, falling to his knees. He placed his hands against the containment. “Uzzi! Uzzi!”

The skyfowl continued to convulse. Hold Steady cawed angrily as he concentrated on the puzzle, just on the other side of the containment.

One could cast spells on the things inside of the shell but not vice-versa.

Uzzi’s chest ripped open as the involuntary summoning completed.

Crawler Uzzi has fallen.

“No!” Mordecai cried.

Fifteen units before the collapse. The shell would end on its on in ten.

Dodola formed, hunched over in the shell, forced into the smaller size by the containment. The puzzle, trapped with her, shattered. A round, glowing mote of light appeared. The key. It moved toward the stairwell portal, but it, too, was contained by the spell.

Armita: Odette, what did you do? She just messaged that she’s going to kill the both of us, starting with me.

Dodola raged. She fired lightning, but it just pinged about within the circle, spinning and circling, getting faster and faster. It passed harmlessly through the key mote, which was also made of lightning.

“Oh, Huanxin,” Odette muttered. “You poor, dumb fool. That wasn’t very intelligent, was it?”

Odette: She can’t kill you if she’s not in the game anymore.

The dart worked much like the holy grenade, but with two differences. The holy grenade made it so no vessel was required to make the summoning happen. With the dart, they’d been forced to pick someone. There were no living mobs left on the floor. It had to be Uzzi.

The second big difference was that the god’s immunity wouldn’t commence until five units after they fully formed.

Dodola was immune to the lightning bolt itself, but not the area attack it inflicted at the end of its run.

“Cover your eyes,” Odette called.

The spinning, level-20 lightning spell exploded within the shield. The light was that of a supernova.

The god died. Not even sound escaped the containment. Just the light.

A deity has fallen. The heavens tremble with rage.

Behind her, Chaco gasped. A glowing laurel leaf appeared over his head. He’d jumped ten levels. They’d given him credit for the kill.

“No,” Mordecai continued to say, over and over.

“What did you do?” Hold Steady asked, looking at Chaco. “You murdered Uzzi.”

“I... No!” Chaco said, looking at his claws.

“Wait, what? What is this?” Mordecai said, looking up, confusion on his rat face. “Did you use the dart? On my brother?”

The containment spell whiffed out.

Dodola’s dead form slumped over and then dissipated into ash. The key, unaffected by all of this, moved to the stairwell, opening it up.

Armita: I have three seasons left, Odette. She’s here every year. Killing me would be nothing to her. You’re getting out. But I’m not. What did you do?

Odette: I’m sorry, friend.

“You motherfucker!” Mordecai cried, crashing into Chaco. He tackled him, both of them tumbling into the stairwell. They both disappeared. Hold Steady called out and flew after them both, also disappearing, leaving Odette alone.

Silence followed.

Chaco would be fine. With the godkiller achievement, he’d be able to make a good deal. She’d lied to him. The Outreach Guilds were always right there on the eleventh level. He’d generate right inside the guild. It would be just like the tenth floor. He wouldn’t have to ever see Mordecai again.

I made it, she thought as the level started to collapse. I’m free of this nightmare. Finally free.

Mordecai: I am going to kill you, Odette. I am going to get free of this place, I am going to find where you are, and I am going to kill you.