Chương 128: Negotiations

After days of cleaning, Joe was finally done with the massive amount of white 'paint'. He called it paint because reality was not worth contemplating. But now, for the most part, the area around Yggdrasil was clean. So when Joe stepped foot just outside his house, he felt an almost palpable taste in the air. Something was off. Something unsettling was happening.

For the first time in a long while, he activated a feature on his mini-map that allowed him to look anywhere within Landradad, a sort of omnipotent god's eye, so to speak. The first thing he searched for was Corel. She wasn't far away and looked straight up at his god's eye with a wink. She clearly wasn't the culprit, so he moved on. He briefly scanned Alice and Felicia as they tended to the sabretooth cubs, then his attention drifted to a pair walking through the forest.

As his eye slid over Meris and a very confused-looking Travis, he found the source of his unease. They were flirting! Or, more accurately, Meris was flirting while Travis looked like a deer caught in headlights. When Meris glanced upward, fear flickering across her face, Joe let his god's eye linger for a moment in silent warning before moving on. To his dismay, he found a second pair not far away. Shanna and Locke were together, and they were also flirting!

"What the hell is going on!" Joe shouted as he let the skill fade. Dammit, he should have kept a better eye on the brats! They were pairing up! This was outrageous. It was all Tevenny's fault! Her constant, unapologetic flirting was clearly rubbing off on them. It was time he put his foot down. He reopened his map, but before he could seek out the yellow-skinned devil, Corel found him.

"Finished scaring everyone? Are you done cleaning?" she asked.

"I have discovered something deeply unsettling," he exclaimed, clutching his head.

"What happened? Is the cell reopening?" Corel asked, worry creeping into her voice.

"Worse," Joe said gravely.

"The brats are flirting!" Corel sighed and shook her head.

"We can flirt more if you're jealous," she said, squeezing his arm and winking at him.

"That would only make things worse," Joe sighed, though he still took the opportunity to pull Corel up onto his shoulders and give her finely shaped legs a gentle squeeze.

"Well, now that you're done being foolish, I'm starving. Are you hungry?"

"That sounds perfect," Joe replied.

"Are you offering to cook?"

"I just thought you had some cooked food prepared for us?" Corel said with a smile. Joe laughed as they headed inside to eat. Hours slipped into days, and days into months, until, almost without warning, it was suddenly time for the second-to-last Empire Meeting to commence. Once again, Joe and the rest of the top ten were teleported off-world, arriving in the familiar marbled chamber. The meeting unfolded much as it always had, except now there were only ten worlds present. In reality, only nine had attendees.

The free time passed, followed by the meal, and then came the Great Empires' recruitment announcements. For the first time, every major Empire and dominant power in the Multiverse was in attendance. Six Great Empires in total made up the Multiverse, each linked by wormholes that allowed rapid travel between universes. Joe didn't fully understand how wormholes worked, so he shelved the temptation to ask for now.

After Corel had drilled him on being more responsible, he had at least read about the six Great Empires in his Book of Empires, so their presence wasn't unexpected. They were as follows. Eludia, Vanaquase, Ghost Valley, Grecko Vuse, Designation 343, and Constanviro. The book described these Empires as spanning multiple universes, which was hard to imagine. Joe wondered what constituted a universe. Before he got too distracted, he glanced around.

He was a little surprised by how aggressively the Empires were recruiting this time. With the number of worlds left in the Integration shrinking rapidly, the competition for elite talent had intensified dramatically. Even Joe himself found recruitment letters from every Empire and major faction present appearing before him. That is, with one notable absence. When the recruitment speeches concluded, attendees were free to approach any Empire or faction to ask questions.

Joe bounced to his feet and headed straight for the Mortifi and Eludia delegation, which, coincidentally, was the only group that had not offered him a recruitment letter at all.

"Good day, gentlemen. I was hoping to speak with the highest-ranked representative of Eludia present today," Joe said with a deep bow.

"I am…" He was abruptly cut off.

"We know exactly who you are, High Human," one of the Mortifi said coldly.

"I am sorry to disappoint you. We have been instructed to turn you away if you approach. You are not welcome in Eludia." The haughty Mortifi turned his back on him. Joe sighed. For a moment, he genuinely considered moving on and approaching another Empire instead. As he stood there, being deliberately ignored while weighing his options, a sudden pulse reached him from Rose. Which almost made him jump out of his skin. This was the first time the princess had deigned to contact him first.

'Mother is in a bad mood. Push the envoys, make them angry.'

'Make a scene? Is that wise?' Joe replied.

'Won't that just piss her off more?'

'Yes!' Joe smiled as he stepped forward. He paused briefly, wondering how Rose knew exactly what was happening. Was she watching him right now? He shrugged the thought away and continued.

"You," he said, pointing directly at the blue-skinned Mortifi who had been glaring at him.

"Do you happen to know where Rose or Catalina are? Could you pass a message along for me?" Joe had expected some reaction from his casual use of the Queen's and Princess's names, but what he received exceeded even his expectations. Four Mortifi flushed red with outrage as they rounded on him at once.

"How dare you speak their names so casually!"

"High Human! You do not speak those names!"

"How dare you!" Joe took a step back as the tirade washed over him, but he didn't retreat.

"I don't think I said anything wrong," he replied calmly.

"I was simply asking for help passing a message to Catalina. Can any of you help me at all?" As the shouting escalated in response to Joe's antics, more and more heads began to turn, until nearly everyone in the hall was glancing his way in confusion at the increasingly comical scene of Joe calmly provoking the Eludian envoys without restraint.

Eventually, the situation reached a breaking point when, quite unexpectedly, a silver-skinned Empire Meeting attendant appeared between the enraged envoys and the thoroughly unbothered Joe. The attendant raised a single hand, and the shouting gradually died down.

"Feormere," the attendant said evenly, "I have been informed to escort you to a private room where a VIP is waiting. Please follow me." A door shimmered into existence along a nearby wall as the attendant turned toward it. Joe smiled and followed, pausing just long enough to stick his tongue out as the envoys before slipping through the doorway.

'Good work, my pet,' Rose pulsed. Joe emerged into a small, elegantly furnished room containing two large couches with a low table set between them. His attention was immediately drawn to the red-skinned Mortifi God seated opposite him, her fiery eyes locked onto his every movement. Even though he felt no aura from her at all, he hesitated, took a steadying breath, and then walked toward the couch indicated by the attendant. Catalina never once looked away from him.

If someone was to ask Joe how long it took him to walk those few steps to sit opposite the Eludian God, he would have no way to answer. Every step felt like an eternity. Like walking through a vortex into a black hole that tried to reduce him to nothingness. At the same time, every step felt like floating through space and walking on clouds of roiling thunder. One moment, he had stepped forward, the next he sat down with a soft tremble of cushions beneath his soul.

Sweat poured down his entire body as he struggled to remain composed. Now he regretted his earlier bravo. He regretted taking the princess's advice as red eyes bored through his soul. Pierced his mind, and flayed him cell by cell with a single look. After a breath, Catalina blinked, and the force stripping him naked vanished, allowing Joe to breathe once more. The attendant passed Joe an ornately embroidered cloth, which Joe happily took, as he wiped a gallon of sweat from his forehead.

Catalina said nothing, just watched him with an impassive look in her eyes. Joe was forced to look away for fear of losing his mind. It took him a long while to finally stop sweating and return the soaked cloth to the attendant, who just smiled at him. After taking a deep breath, Joe steadied his nerves and returned his gaze to the God that now smiled at him. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

"Thank you for granting me a moment of your time," Joe mumbled, fumbling his words like a school kid addressing an angry principal.

"You are looking as radiant as I remember today. Your beauty truly knows no bounds."

"Stop trying to soften me up, child," Catalina replied flatly as a glass appeared in her hand and she took a measured sip.

"I have no interest in listening to flattery or idle words. Get to the point so we can be done with this." Had Joe been in a calmer state of mind, he might have noticed the faint, amused smile hidden behind the rim of her glass. He did not.

"I had a question I wanted to ask," Joe began. Catalina waved a hand for him to continue while pointedly refusing to look at him.

"Is it possible to move a world, or maybe just a continent, to Eludia before the integration ends?" He decided to get straight to the point. Catalina arched a single eyebrow.

"That is quite a question," she said calmly.

"What has brought this on?" Joe blinked, a little surprised to find the God engaging him in conversation and not just flat out refusing him.

"I just want to ensure the safety of my people and friends," Joe replied.

"I thought this would be the best way."

"You're lying," Catalina countered.

"And what you ask is impossible." Fuck. The moment of hope Joe had that Catalina might humour him, and his request vanished just like that. But with very few options left to him, he decided to press on, as foolish as that probably was.

"Is there maybe some alternative?" he asked.

"A way to move a few million people?" Catalina took a slow, deliberate sip from her glass while Joe waited in silence. He hated this. Even without an aura, simply being watched by her was terrifying. He currently felt like he was being studied by a predator the size of a planet. He had no idea how he hadn't collapsed yet. Maybe his experiences over these last few years had tempered his mind in some way, or maybe sheer stubbornness was holding him upright.

Whatever the reason, he was grateful for it as her gaze seemed to peel him down to his bones. Catalina sighed.

"It seems my daughter wishes me to be accommodating," she said, her voice smooth and dangerously seductive. Joe felt a flicker of hope ignite in his chest. Was Rose intervening on his behalf?

"There is one way I could help you," Catalina continued.

"But it will not be easy, and it will require a sacrifice from you." Her words seemed to echo through him.

"Oh," Joe said quietly, then nodded.

"That's fine. I will accept anything if it means I can protect my friends." He meant it. In that moment, if she had demanded his head on a platter, he suspected he would have agreed without hesitation.

"Admirable. But foolish," Catalina said coolly.

"Firstly, you could potentially move a city pillar or two to one of Eludia's worlds, but you will need a D-Grade multiversal pillar teleportation array." Joe blinked. A teleportation array. He actually knew of two ways to acquire one.

"And the sacrifice?" he asked. Catalina regarded him for a moment before continuing.

"The sacrifice will be the easy part, I fear. Once this Integration is over, you will owe me a favour." Joe almost asked if that was all, but the look in Catalina's eyes stopped him cold. A favour owed to a god was not something that could ever be simple. He swallowed and nodded. The slow smile that spread across Catalina's face sent a chill down his spine.

"Good," she said.

"All you have to do is set up the arrays and use this," She tossed him a strange, metallic sphere with a red button embedded in its surface.

"Activate both. I will do the rest." Joe placed the sphere into his storage and rose to his feet, giving the god a deep, respectful bow.

"Thank you. This means a great deal to me," he said, sincerely. She waved a hand dismissively.

"I have exhausted my goodwill. Leave before I change my mind." Joe turned toward the newly formed door, but paused before stepping through. He quickly sifted through his storage, retrieved a single item, and placed it gently on the table before Catalina. Then he left without another word. The remainder of the Empire Meeting passed without incident. Joe had accomplished what he came to do, and he was quietly satisfied with the outcome.

There were still teleportation arrays to acquire and an ominous favour hanging over his head, but those were problems for later. For now, he allowed the final hours of the meeting to pass in peace until he and the others were returned to their respective worlds. Another day was done. After the meeting, Joe sat alone with Corel, free of brats or flirtatious young women demanding his attention. He still hadn't seen Tevenny in some time, which struck him as odd.

"What did you want to talk about?" Corel asked as she settled into his lap. She had been oddly flirtatious lately, which seemed to line up suspiciously well with Tevenny's sudden disappearance. Joe briefly wondered if Corel had done something about that, or if she was simply growing more comfortable with their new situation, before shrugging the thought aside.

"I made a deal with the God of Eludia," Joe began, recounting his conversation with Catalina and the terms of their agreement. Corel listened closely, not interrupting him once.

"You want to move an entire city to Eludia?" she asked when he finished.

"Yes."

"Can I ask why?" Corel continued.

"Does it have anything to do with your… visit from the system seed?" Joe was not surprised she had connected it to the seedling; he only hoped she would not pry too deeply into the reasons behind it.

"Yes," he admitted.

"Something big is coming. I think it's best to move as many people as possible away from this integration. Only ten worlds remain out of fifty. Don't you find it alarming how quickly worlds are disappearing?" The loss of so many worlds was unsettling, no matter how one framed it, and to Joe, anyone willing to remain in what felt like a slow execution was courting madness.

Corel nestled closer against his chest, and for the first time since he had rescued her from that prison cell, he clearly felt her fear and worry through their bond. Of course, she was afraid; how could she not be?

"I think it's a good idea," she said quietly.

"I'd like to send the clans and everyone else somewhere safer. But can you really get these arrays?"

"I actually have two options," Joe replied.

"The first is simple: if I claim a Star Shard, I'll get an array along with it. The second is the integration store. I remember seeing one there for a truly ridiculous amount of credits."

"A Star Shard," Corel repeated.

"What if… he is there again?"

"Then I'll just have to take it before he does," Joe said with a grin. Corel flicked him lightly in response. Despite his confidence, Joe was far from certain he could beat Travesty to the next shard, and he silently hoped the white-maned lion would not appear when the next competition arrived the following month.

"What level are you now?" he asked as Corel stroked his chin.

"One hundred sixty-five," Corel replied.

"Why?"

"Just this damn level one hundred seventy bottleneck," he said with a frown.

"I still haven't figured it out yet, and it's getting a little annoying."

"Isn't everyone stuck?" Corel asked.

"I haven't seen a single clan member past it yet."

"Pretty sure some of the top guys out there might be past it already. It will make claiming a Star Shard much easier if I can get past it before the competition starts. Wanna help me?"

"Yes. I'll call Esha," Corel said, already reaching for her communicator. Joe quickly grabbed her hand before she could call the demon woman.

"Maybe call her tomorrow," he said with a sly grin. Corel looked up at him, immediately catching the hint, and their conversation ended there as they embraced. Joe and Corel spent the next forty-five days sparring and training, trying every idea they could think of to overcome the level 170 bottleneck, but with no success. During that time, Tevenny reappeared, and Joe at last got an answer to the question that had been bothering him for months.

"Tevenny. Where have you been?" Joe asked as the small yellow-skinned woman appeared in his house one day. Tevenny blinked in surprise, then immediately jumped on him and wrapped him in an uncomfortably long hug.

"Did you miss me that much?" she teased.

"Enough to kiss me like you…" Joe quickly placed a finger over her mouth, cutting her off mid-sentence.

"No. Absolutely not," he sighed. He had briefly hoped she might have matured during their time apart, but that hope evaporated instantly. After finally managing to disentangle himself, he looked her in the visor.

"Did Rel do anything to you?" he asked.

"You've been gone a while." Tevenny giggled.

"No, silly. I just had sect matters to deal with. I am the daughter of the sect leader."

"Oh," Joe said. He hadn't known that.

"That's good then. And welcome back. Guess I was worried over nothing."

"You were worried? So you did miss me!" Tevenny exclaimed as she tried to jump him again, but this time Joe was ready and sidestepped the remarkably quick little woman.

"Whoa! No more jumping on me. Or I will sic Rel on you," he warned.

"She said it's fine by her," Tevenny replied brightly.

"Just if I manage to get you naked, I have to make sure…"

"Corel!!!!" Joe roared.

"What have you been telling Tevenny!!!" Corel's dot vanished from Joe's mini-map, but it was already too late. He had her scent and tracked her down just before she activated the teleportation array to 'visit' the Relashran pillar.

"Corel," Joe said as he appeared beside her, clearly unimpressed.

"Can you explain to me why you gave Tevenny permission to pounce on me?" Corel turned to face him, wearing the calm, innocent expression of someone who believed she had done absolutely nothing wrong"Voldura share all things. I have explained this…"

"And I have explained," Joe cut in, planting his foot firmly, "that I am not fond of the idea of being passed around like a piece of meat. I am perfectly happy with not doing that."

"Are you sure?" Corel asked, suddenly stepping forward, her tone shifting as she pressed the issue.

"Varaiya and Meris are still very…"

"Stop! Do not finish that sentence!" Joe ordered.

"I like Tevenny," Corel continued.

"She's barely twenty-one," Joe replied flatly.

"And besides, I do not see her that way."

"Why not?" Corel asked, undeterred.

"She told me you altered her form to make it more to your liking." Joe felt his face heat instantly.

"That! Was a complete accident. I swear I did not do that on purpose."

"But she is more to your liking now," Corel pressed.

"I know you like curves. You certainly enjoyed…"

"Rel! Please," Joe said quickly, shaking his head.

"Let's not get into that. I only enjoy that with you. Are we really having this conversation right now?" As he spoke, he suddenly noticed movement behind a nearby tree. Tevenny was very clearly listening in, doing a terrible job of hiding.

"Dammit, Tevenny!" Joe snapped.

"I can see you!"

"I still don't see a problem with sharing," Corel said, as Tevenny peeked out from behind the tree, wearing a far too pleased smile.

"At least try it once, just to see if you like it," Corel added calmly. Joe threw his hands into the air in defeat, fully aware that this conversation was going absolutely nowhere.

"My answer is still no," he said firmly.

"This conversation is done. Both of you are banned from sleeping in my bed until you agree to drop this foolish idea." With that, he vanished, choosing to blow off steam on his own. Women. Needless to say, when he finally calmed down and returned that night, he did not end up sleeping alone. After relentless nagging and an impressive display of stubborn persistence, he eventually gave up and let them into his room.

Somehow, Corel's eyes did not turn red, and he managed to keep Tevenny at a safe distance, allowing him to get a surprisingly decent night's sleep. When he awoke the next morning, Joe found himself genuinely worried that, given enough time, they might actually wear him down and get their way. He even slapped the small, traitorous part of himself that dared to find the situation tempting. No. There were lines you did not cross with friends, and he would never do that with Tevenny.

He repeated the thought again and again until he almost believed it. All the while, Uriel cackled like a demon in the back of his mind.

'Kakakakakakakakakakakaka.'