Chapter Eighteen: The Inquiry System

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Another Important Announcement!

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A personal message from your current Head Administrator, Loki!

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Ahem, forgot to add one more thing. In the coming days, Midrath will be filled with foreign monsters. These invasive species will be far more powerful than anything you’ve currently experienced.

On the bright side—what, there is no bright side? Don’t be so negative, Nancy!

Yeah, so as I was saying. The bright side of all of this is that we’ve also added in a final system so that you all don’t get absolutely massacred. As funny as that would be, it would be far less entertaining in the long run. Shock factor only does so much.

So yeah, more monsters! Just like I said before, these will be extra-super powerful. I’ll give you a little bit of a hint though. These monsters, after all the magical steroids we’ll be pumping into them, will all be walking artifacts!

Get creative, people! We’re practically delivering a pissed off treasure trove to your front doors. I’ve taken the liberty to update the pamphlet with these details.

Anywhos, tada!

“Shit…”

All of that was a lot to unpack. After the initial shock, Aiden reread the second announcement.

“Loki seems like a prick.” He reread them both several more times to internalize the information before dismissing them. Jumping down from the Essence Map with his new book in hand, he returned to his slumped position. “Shit. Loki, Athena, and Themis? Norse and Greek. Blizzy is also blessed by Laovi, Kyriall, and Tiamat. I’m not sure what the first two are from, if they’re from mythology at all, but Tiamat? Wasn’t she from a river valley religion? Meso-something.”

The fact that gods existed had already been confirmed by the blessings. But paragons and immortals too? Just what did it all mean? Themis supervised and approved the creation of the book he’d received and was an acting administrator of whatever their “Games of Thrones” was, though he probably had a better idea than others.

But that still didn’t answer the one question that seriously nagged him.

Why?

What was the point of it all? These gods, paragons, and immortals could clearly modify the system that gave Aiden and everyone else power. Not to mention he was almost one hundred percent certain they were the reason everything was happening. They had the power to do so much, yet they would put someone like him on the throne at the top of the mountain?

Just… why?

Taking a deep breath, he cleared his mind… about ten times. Once he could finally think without all of his thoughts turning towards the reasoning behind beings he couldn’t comprehend, he started assessing and doing damage control.

Many changes had occurred, and of those changes, he currently had access to three—maybe four—of the five updated systems. Even more changes were happening or would happen in the coming days, which really sucked.

If he were to hazard a guess, the Shadowborn Royal’s incubation would continue without interruption, nor would territories stop becoming available. Rather than be able to claim those territories and make steady progress towards his Destiny Quest, he would more than likely have to concede territory until they developed a substantial method of dealing with the “monsters on steroids”.

And by the gods, Aiden could only imagine what those would look like, even if he wasn’t surprised. Up until then, there were few monsters outside of dungeons. Those monsters they did find were more like system-empowered animals. They had no inherent aggression towards him or his scouts, but Loki had stated it very clearly.

“‘We’re practically delivering a pissed off treasure trove to your front doors’. Just casually announcing they’d be sending hordes our way then acting like we should be thankful? Calling this anything but a calamity is optimistic, but to think he would blatantly call what will probably be a massacre treasure?” He barely repressed the urge to curse Loki’s name, not wanting to draw the psychotic god’s ire.

Silently, he fumed, once again failing to suppress his negative feelings. He could stay there forever and wallow, but he clenched his fists and relaxed his jaw.

“Ascend your limits, become One with Truth,” he said, recalling one of the last lines of the first announcement. He’d burned each word into his mind and could quote both verbatim. “Is that a hint? All the things they’re adding—could they really be enough to fight back against what’s to come…?”

He looked at the closed pamphlet notification in front of his face. It bounced slowly, levitating in the air obnoxiously. No matter where he looked, it filled his vision. Unlike most other notifications, he couldn’t will it to the corner of his vision or increase its translucency.

Do I… dare?

He stared at what could be the deciding factor, the thing that could save or doom his people.

Do I dare to be hopeful?

His body and mind stilled completely.

“‘As funny as that would be, it would be far less entertaining in the long run’. If we’re entertainment for them, they wouldn’t leave us out to dry, right? That’s what all these systems are for, to grow stronger and survive,” he said, feeling the insidious seed of hope welling in his chest. “Even if that was a lie—he is the Loki, after all—what other choice do I have than to do whatever I can to survive? I’d go crazy if I just stayed here forever. Just because time’s stopped doesn’t mean I—wait.”

They’d sent the announcement while he was in the Orrery. If the second announcement were any indication, they’d done it in real time. They could transmit the message through time. When he left, he’d probably reenter the world and see the Valkyr and Celestials alike starting to process the same things he currently was.

“But I’m here.” He gave a wry grin that turned into a frown. “And only other people in their Orrery will know that there was a delay between announcements. They won’t know about the changes yet, not until I go back.” He looked over all the things he now had available to him and cracked a wide smile. “I have first dibs.”

No matter what each system update meant, he would be able to access them before those who weren’t in their Orrery. And after the chaos of the raid, the celebration, or tending to the wounded, he doubted many of the unwilling participants of these Games would have had reason to enter their own Orreries.

“I have as much time as I want to get as strong as I can before returning, to fully understand the changes and use them to my advantage.” Even though he couldn’t stand Loki, he wanted to kiss the god on the mouth then and there. “His timing—which, that’s still something that’s throwing me off. Does that mean they exist in a place that doesn’t experience time the same way Earth and Midrath do?”

A headache assaulted him like he’d never experienced, and the warning message at the end of the first announcement made his heart still. Had he touched on something he shouldn’t have, or was the overwhelming amount of brain power required to process all the changes, the existence of actual gods and not some stand-in imitation the system used to hand out boons, and the conceptualization of his Ice Discipline frying his brain?

Shit, at this point, he almost felt like everything was just a big dream and he’d gone absolutely bonkers. He wanted to believe that at this point, but he knew better. So rather than lament the storm to come, he would work towards building a big enough igloo around Zion to shield his people.

Add to the scale in which he faced, he also really couldn’t do much more as he was, and for that, he needed to grow. So without procrastinating his choices any longer, he mentally flipped open the pamphlet.

Inside, he found… glitter. A whole lot of glitter. Whoever made the thing had to have been a child or somebody with child-like—or sadistic—tendencies.

“Dickhead,” Aiden muttered, thinking of one very obnoxious god who’d be amused. He looked up towards the deep expanse of the endless oblivion beyond the spherical container of Essence and silently cursed said god as viciously as he could before taking a deep breath and prompting the acknowledgement at the bottom.

Anything useful was unreadable, not that there was much. The details of the new systems were minimal. Even the information about the monsters to come informed him of nothing more than what Loki had already said.

There would be a lot.

They would be strong.

They wanted to kill the Candidates.

Pretty much anybody who’d been brought to Midrath would have guessed that much. Just the dungeon alone had been a death sentence his people barely escaped. He never talked to any of the other Candidates, but he was sure they’d probably experienced a similar journey. That thought also made him wonder if there were Candidates who didn’t escape the starter dungeons.

On top of that, he felt confused. The premonitions he’d received when they’d first been brought to Midrath seemed… ominous, foreboding, not good. The system had seemed biased towards the Shadowborn, almost making them out to seem like mindless killers.

But gods, paragons, and immortals all worked together within the confines of the system. There were administrators and thought of everything as a Games, as entertainment!

Those things were true, told to him by said beings themselves.

Something wasn’t adding up. If these were Games hosted by these powerful beings, then why would they show him visions of the Shadowborn? Why would they throw humanity into a Shadowborn dungeon and then time and time again force conflict between the two.

“Could the Shadowborn be… just like us?” he mused in disbelief, feeling sick to his stomach. He’d seen what the Lesser Evils and Evils would do to a human, and he was sure they would do the same to any other being.

But did they have a choice?

If they didn’t—he didn’t even know what to think. The first experience with the system was a Lesser Evil popping a hand through his math teacher’s chest. And sure, he didn’t like math as much as the next guy, but it didn’t mean Mr. Feriger deserved death, even if he was an asshat at times.

Add that to the premonitions of the World Devourer, and he didn’t want to believe for a single second that the Shadowborn weren’t willingly involved in what they’d done.

But it almost made sense.

Almost.

There were still too many missing details, and Avacyn had shown him just what the Shadowborn could do if they were angry.

Yet…

What they’d done was extreme—sure, killing the entire race off was a little overkill—but…

Wouldn’t he do the same thing? Wasn’t he already trying to do the same thing? Hadn’t empires razed entire countries for less in human history?

His hatred toward the creepy shitters was justified for the experiences he had, but if they had no choice in the matter—he would’ve done the same thing in their shoes. That didn’t clear up the situation, not even a little, but the Shadowborn Royal debacle would be easier to handle if what he’d deduced were true.

However, surviving the next day came before the events that would occur half a week away. Add to the conflicting feelings and thoughts, he needed actionable progress, even if his theory had potential.

“If that’s true, should I even look at the Patron system?” He took a second to consider it, looking down at the book that had appeared with the knowledge that would determine what he’d do next to develop himself, knowledge he didn’t have himself provided by powerful sources. “I can’t not use it. And realistically, I think the only way to survive what’s to come is to use anything and everything possible, even if they may be shitters.”

Without procrastinating further, he began to read the book written by the Ice Paragon, Khione, and scoffed at the title of the first chapter. The way it was written made sense to him, almost as if Khione knew him well.

Her vocabulary didn’t include any million dollar words and explained everything simply, concisely. As he continued, he felt an almost familiarity with the way the paragon communicated.

Only by the end of the first chapter could he pinpoint what about the reading seemed familiar.

“It’s like she’s… Olivia?” he muttered. He read the chapter again and frowned. “It’s exactly the same. I don’t understand.”

After years of being his tutor, Olivia had gotten used to teaching him. The way she explained things, through trial and error, had been refined very specifically.

And Khione wrote the same way.

“What the hell is going on?” he asked, snapping the book closed. He didn’t even remember what he read since the nagging feeling that something was off kept making him lose focus on the actual ideas being conveyed. “Have they been watching us?”

If they could communicate messages through dimensions, ignoring the absence of time passing in the Orrery, could they have been watching things on Earth? If they had, was it by coincidence his school had been transported to Midrath?

Or had they been selected?

More specifically, had he been selected?

The Destiny Quest could’ve been chalked up to him getting lucky with the boss and clearing it solo, exactly as the notifications had told him, but what if it weren’t? The gods controlled the system, and he’d seen personality within messages far before Loki had jumped out and screamed “we’re here, we’re here” like the Whos from Whoville.

He thought about what Isaac said, about how Volk was a non-combatant. If that were true, then what were the conditions for being a Candidate… aside from being selected before coming to Midrath?

Immediately, a sense of guilt hit him like a semi. Before it could sink down deep, he rejected it. Now that he knew about the Game of Thrones, he knew it wasn’t his fault. Sure, there was plenty of blame to go around, but none of it was his to bear. Whoever brought his school to Midrath, found his world, or created the idea of the Games—that’s where the blame lay.

Not that he could do anything about it.

That fact stung, and the only way he could even hope to do anything about it was to shut up and focus on the book so he could learn. So again, he picked up the guide and read through the first chapter.

The basics explained that Arcana and Spirit were arbitrary, simply created and labeled as such to give those new to the system something that measured progress. The only thing that mattered was the soul, the pathways Essence traveled through, and the understanding of how to manipulate magic.

Learning that the system was just a big cover up reminded him of something in the first announcement, a clue. “‘The administration team is proud to finally be able to update the current operating system by reducing the perceived limiters’. Huh, maybe now is a good time to use the new inquiry system. Would be a shame to have unlocked it and neglect free information, after all.”

He thought of several different questions, but none of them felt important enough, especially when he considered a literal god would likely be answering from the other side with the supervision of another literal god.

Again, he had to bring himself back to reality. Without the passage of time, he found it difficult to stop himself from getting lost in aimlessly musing. Sure, a lot of it was good and there was no real harm done, but he still wanted to be making progress.

“Here goes nothing,” he said, taking in a deep breath and releasing it in a huff. “How do I operate the inquiry system?”

Processing inquiry…

Inquiry has been accepted by administrators!

You just did.

Do it again.

“Huh, it didn't take that long that time.” The last inquiry had taken as least half a minute while the one he just did took less than three. “Got it. Just ask questions. But if that were the case, then why didn’t the last questions I asked become inquiries?”

Processing inquiry…

Inquiry has been accepted by administrators!

Intent.

“Because I’m mentally thinking about asking someone rather than just posing rhetorics?” he muttered, confirming his theory. He hadn’t directed the question anywhere which hadn’t prompted the system. “That’s neat. Then, what are the limits of what I can ask?”

Processing inquiry…

“And that! Can we stop? I don’t need to see every processing message,” he grumbled, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. The prompts made him feel like he were waiting and wasting time. Clearly, being in the Orrery, that wasn’t possible. But feeling that way was different from knowing time didn’t pass.

Almost as if to spite him…

Processing inquiry…

Two active inquiries…

Processing in order received…

Processing inquiry…

“You’re kidding me,” he groaned, smacking the book down on the Essence Map. “There has to be an easier way to do this, right?”

Processing inquiry…

First inquiry complete.

Two active inquiries…

Processing in order received…

“Holy shit, Batman!”

Were it not for the first inquiry appearing directly after, he would’ve lost his mind.

The administrators operate to provide clarity as punctually as possible. As such, when multiple inquiries are active, the message being responded to will be restated.

Question: Because I’m mentally thinking about asking someone rather than just posing rhetorics?

Answer: Yes.

Second inquiry complete.

Question: Can we stop?

Answer: Sure, let us just rewrite and ship an entire update for your convenience, snowflake.

“Okay, the sassiness isn’t required. Keep in mind, I didn’t want to be involved in any of this!” he shouted aimlessly, not knowing whether they were monitoring him inside the Orrery.” Whoever was answering his questions really got on his nerves. “Who are you?”

Third inquiry complete.

Question: There has to be an easier way to do this, right?

Answer: Yes.

Processing new inquiry…

Only a half second later, another message appeared.

Inquiry has been rejected by administrators!

“So they can’t tell me their name?” He shrugged, deciding to consciously start directing all his questions towards the inquiry system. Even as annoying and inefficient as it was, he had to admit it was better than nothing. “Why can’t you tell me, and how do I make this whole thing easier?”

Rather than receive a notification about another processing inquiry, something else appeared.

Three In One Day: Another Announcement!

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A personal message from your current Head Administrator, Loki!

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This message is only being broadcast to one race: humans in regards to the topic: being a snowflake and concerns regarding the newly introduced inquiry system.

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Just so you know, yes, I can hear what you’ve thought about me. Don’t be so rude… or do. It’s funny to see you mortals squirm.

I’m sure your people understand the concept of a taboo, right? For most gods, even thinking their name is enough to give garner their attention. The more obscure the god, the more true the statement. Luckily for you, I have enough self awareness to know that you’re rightfully angry.

And unluckily for you, you’re sitting in your Orrery while all of this is happening, Aiden. So yes, be mad, but you’ll continue to fight to survive for the sake of our entertainment.

So here you go, an update to toggle the processing notification on and off.

Don’t say I never did anything for you, tada!

“You’re still a prick!” Aiden shouted after he got to the end of the announcement. He was grateful that it only went out to the humans and sighed. They’d all receive it and know he was alive. “Just great. Feeling grateful to someone who’s in charge of bringing us all here. How pitiful. Then again, the situation can't really be helped—well…”

Rather than finish the thought, he read the new inquiry response.

First inquiry complete.

Question: Why can’t you tell me, and how do I make this whole thing easier?

Answer: Because. And just request an ALI.

“You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”

Yes.

“Okay, I’m requesting an ALI—whatever that is.” He only needed to wait a second before a display appeared in front of his face. It reminded him of a prankster on those chatting apps, the room dark and the person completely covered in black to the point of blending in like a chameleon. “Huh, that’s weird and probably unnecessary.”

“Yes, of course the mortal who relies on a false system handicap to pursue Truth would believe the measures we take would be unnecessary,” a distorted voice responded.

“You’ve got a point,” he said, shrugging. “There’s a lot I don’t know, but that’s what you’re here for. Now, tell me what you can about all the things I need to know about.”

“That was a cute attempt, but even with an Active Line Inquiry, you still need to present objective questions,” the voice said, though he could tell they were amused by his attempt.

“Damn, thought that might work,” he said with a chuckle. “Fine, then what are the most important updates?”

“Importance is subjective. Please elaborate.”

“Okay, fine…” he grumbled. “With the new systems, which would benefit me the most to complete the Gate Hub Destiny Quest?”

“Both the shop and Faction system will aid you best. However, given your current circumstances, the shop and Patron system should be your first focus.”

“See, that’s helpful. Why are they important?” he continued.

Several seconds passed as the figure shifted as if listening to something he couldn’t hear. Apparently, whoever the person on the other side of the ALI was got permission to answer openly.

“I would like to ask why you don’t just look to see yourself and inquire about something you can’t figure out with five seconds of effort, but I’ve been told that’s not very PC of me,” they grumbled, cracking their neck. “Fine, whatever. The shop and Faction systems both have things you need. You can only access the shop system currently due to being within your Orrery.”

“How?”

“Prompt the system. It should appear.”

He tried doing so, and… nothing happened. “Didn’t work.”

“Try harder.”

Taking a deep breath, Aiden tried to settle his mind. The habitual act of using Arcana to fuel his actions within the Orrery had engaged again. Without access to Arcana, nothing happened, meaning he had to fight that subtle reflex before he could do anything.

“What’s taking so long?” they asked.

“Having a bit of an issue, but I’ll figure it out.” He took a deep breath and settled his mind, but before he could get too far, a new prompt appeared before him. “What’s this?”

“Help,” answered the mystery helper.

Seeing the unfamiliar window with several different options, he figured it must’ve been looking at the shop. “Ah, thanks for that.”

The weird window floated next to the ALI window side-by-side. What he looked at reminded him of an auction house in a game, listing and buyout prices, current owner—all of them were [Redacted]—and leading bidder, and a lot more.

Three total tabs could be switched through to bring up more options, the second being different store names with more [Redacted] information. The third was simply a history of purchase and different support systems to put his own things into the first section’s auction system.

“I’m assuming the treasure trove of magical monsters will be a desirable commodity in this shop?” he asked, seeing many different monster parts and the like all over the auction page.

“You are correct. As I stated previously, there will be many different things that will help you advance both your personal power, your Companion’s power, augment the specialities of Factions, and several other useful things,” the helpful voice informed.

“That’s a lot. The shop will be very important in the future. Got it.” He thought about what the voice just said and nodded. “Alrighty, I think I’m done getting your help for now. I’ll just send an inquiry if anything else comes up. Thanks for your help so far.”

“Sure thing.”

The notification disappeared without another word, and the stranger on the other side disappeared. Now that he could think straight without having to feel pressured to rapid fire questions, he took a deep breath and dove into reading the book written by Khione.

“I’ve got all the time in the world to figure this out, so might as well make use of it while I can,” he muttered, returning to the first page and scoffing at the chapter for the umpteenth time. “At least she has a sense of humor. Now focus, Aiden. Time to do what you do best.”