This entire thing had gotten way out of hand. From our original mission all the way to this crazy trial, we'd been reeling since we first came to this place. While joining up with Cicero might be a bit premature, and I wasn't planning to let him know about my ability (G rank wasn't nearly strong enough to consider partnering with) it put us firmly on offense. While I knew punching all my problems didn't work, I was deeply uncomfortable being so reactive all the time. Taking the initiative would help me feel a bit more in control, and if I needed to take a test to do it I'd take one.

On the upside, Callie had outdone herself this time. We needed better gear, and while we could afford G ranked stuff, we would all be ranking up before long hopefully. Much like I'd gotten H rank gear for my first set, this would future proof our loadout for a while, and considering the gap between cultivation ranks, it would be a decently long while. I was glad we didn't have to pay for that shit ourselves, because based on what I'd seen of custom gear prices in the crafting hall, an F ranked set for each of us would cost WAY more than we had access to.

So, with the formalities out of the way, we followed Cicero through the tent and out the back to another, larger space, that I was pretty sure wasn't actually there from the outside. When we stepped in, a series of torches in the same green as the stripes on the outside of the tent burst into life, illuminating the entire tent for us to take in. Weirdly, there was no green tint to the light, and while the torches were green, the light cast was just the neutral illumination of normal colored flame. It was an odd sensation, but I'd seen weirder so I shook it off, following Cicero to one side where a table lay.

On the table was a document, and when I scanned over it I realized it appeared to be a neutral contract. A series of terms that seemed fairly universal, like an NDA and guarantees of safety for both parties from the other for the duration of the contract were scrawled out over an empty stretch of page. Cicero gestured to the paper. "This is a contract frame. High level scribes write and sell them. The terms are neutral and broadly applicable, though they come in multiple variations. You fill in the terms, and then you sign them and they bind you to the outline. The signatures don't bind by mistake or unknowingly or if you don't agree, so don't worry. Once we get the terms hammered out we can double check."

We wrote out the terms as agreed upon, and Callie let me do this part. While I wasn't one for politics I KNEW contracts. Not from any sort of specific training exactly, but because my dad basically treated life like a contract. Everything was about terms and conditions, as was made clear by his geas with Zeke. Recursion actually explained A LOT about the way dad was. I had no clue how Zeke had ended up as normal and functional as he was, though his tendency for drama was probably the biggest side effect of his cultivation.

While I outlined everything Callie DID chip in, adding her thoughts on different terms and phrasing, and her notes weren't bad. I didn't take all of them, and she didn't question the ones I dismissed, but in the end we came up with a half decent contract. The terms basically stated that if we passed the trial we would be given the details of the plan. Assuming we accepted our participation in the plan Cicero would arrange for our custom gear immediately, and we would be given the costumes before being expected to go on our assignment.

Theoretically it was possible we might take the trial and fail, or decide not to participate in the plan, and if so we would end up with nothing, but given what was at stake neither of those options was likely. Once we confirmed and signed I felt the binding settle over me, and I made a note to pick up some contract frames just in case. I probably should have gotten the Skill itself but...I didn't want it. I didn't resent my dad quite as much as Callie did hers, but I definitely didn't want to become him. I was fine using contracts other people wrote or when I needed them. I didn't want my life to become a transaction. My Wish power already made it close enough to that.

Finally, Cicero rolled up the scroll, slipping it into his red waistcoat. "Well then my friends, it seems that we've come to an accord." He stood up gracefully, and between his manner of speech and how he moved, not to mention the hat, I could see Spruce Bunny in him now that I knew to look. The brothers were very similar people in some ways. He gestured off to the side. "Now, if you'll follow me to the center of the tent I have your trial arranged already." Which confirmed that he'd known how this would go. This guy was much more dangerous than he seemed. I could respect that.

We followed him to the center of the tent and he gestured to the open area behind him. "This particular test will be quite a challenge. It will involve the use of multiple skill sets. Stealth, acrobatics, and of course you'll be engaging in combat. If you'll both stand over there." He gestured to a small circle in the dirt floor of the ring we were in, and we walked over to stand in it, turning back to look at him. "Well, good luck on your trial, you're free to concede at any time if you wish to leave, safety first after all. Oh, and you might want to bend your knees to cushion the landing."

I cocked my head and was about to ask what he meant, when the ground dropped out from under us and we plummeted about a hundred feet, landing on the stone floor in a long corridor. It didn't hurt, with our Impact a hundred feet wasn't enough to do any damage. Still, we did bend our knees to take the drop, no reason to make these things harder than they had to be. When we landed I rolled my eyes, looking up at the hole we'd fallen through. "Was that necessary?" I called up to Cicero. "We couldn't have taken the fucking stairs?"

A laugh floated down from the space above us. "Oh heavens no. We don't keep stairs down to that place, all the monsters would get out. In any case, feel free to give up at any point, otherwise getting to the center means you pass. If you forfeit we'll get you out quick as you like, though you'll need to come back to this spot to have yourselves pulled up. If you get to the center and bring back what is there, you pass. There shouldn't be anything too bad down there...probably." That last part sounded absently uncertain.

I had been starting to walk, but I froze and looked back up. "What the fuck do you mean, "probably" you don't KNOW what's down here?" There was a conspicuous silence and I growled in rage. "You asshole, there's something in here you want and you aren't sure you can get it. You're using this test as an excuse to have us retrieve it for you. How did this place even get here? Is it past G rank? Because if it is, I'll count that as hard and a violation of the contract and we'll be leaving and collecting our payment too."

There was an annoyed click of the tongue. "Calm down, it isn't above G rank. My brother left something down there. He arranged that maze so that only he would be able to pass through it. My plan to deal with Melissa requires that item to advance, and so I need you to retrieve it. Theoretically I could have gotten it at any time, but the maze is dangerous, and it's safe enough down there. Now, however, it is needed. You can still back out, and there won't be a penalty, but to continue on this path will require that item."

I wanted to just leave, this had become a mess, but honestly...I kind of wanted to see if we could do it. I had saved today's wishes, so if we got into trouble Callie could get us out, and Abel was supposed to be this epic badass. I wanted to see what his tests were like. How they worked. Whether I measured up. I cocked my head at Callie. She bit her lip before nodding, and I sighed, though whether in relief or exasperation at the both of us I wasn't sure. "Fine!" I shouted up. "But I'm going to hit you for this. You won't know when it's coming. But it's going to happen." I turned and stalked off down the passageway, muttering to myself. "Fucking labyrinths all over the damn place."

As Callie caught up to me I cocked my head at her. "You don't seem surprised. By any of this really. Was he secretly obvious about it and I was just too dumb to notice?" I hadn't expected any of this nonsense. Though I was glad I'd slipped those nullification terms into the contract, because having the option to kill the arrangement and get paid anyway if he pushed it too far was definitely reassuring.

She squeezed my hand. "No. I was just pretty skeptical of his whole persona from the start. Kind amiable people don't tend to last long when dangerous rogue factions are working to undermine them at all times. While I'm sure some of that sob story was true, more likely the power struggle is a bit more cut throat than he made it sound. Anyone who takes control of an entire WCP faction and holds off all comers is probably at least a bit of a bastard. Granted, he could just be a total monster in combat, but given he said his brother was the more talented I was guessing he was just a sneaky fuck."

I clicked my tongue in distaste. I'd missed all that. He'd seemed so nice, I hadn't really considered that. She clearly noticed my change in demeanor because she smiled at me. "It's fine, really. At lower levels you're less likely to run into people like that. Recursion pushes people to act as they appear to others, and you need a serious well of willpower to resist it consistently. People with that much control are more common the higher up you go, but most of the people we've met so far are more likely to be what they appear. Backstabbing and hypocrisy become less unusual as you go higher up."

Which made sense. Villains who didn't bother to resist recursion would just be overtly untrustworthy. The negative traits they had would be obvious from their legends, and heroes at lower levels tended to be pushed towards being more upright in accordance with the stories about them. We wouldn't see people hiding their nature as much until later on. I tried to imagine having to constantly resist and fight my nature, and it sounded exhausting, I wasn't sure how Cicero did it.

Since his reputation appeared to be as a sad but kind man filled with regret, people would underestimate him. I wondered how much of what Emery had told us was specifically leaked by Cicero to make himself seem more sympathetic. I was betting this Melissa woman had no clue who she was really dealing with, otherwise she'd have leaked it to ruin his reputation. Shaking off the thoughts I realized right now it didn't matter. We had a labyrinth to get through, and...something in the center, to find. I really wished he had told us what it was.