Chương 22: Limbo

Sid saw the system notification through the dark void he was resting in. The First Ring of Hell was upon them, and it sounded entirely optional. Given how peaceful Embrace was, he doubted that any of them would attend the challenge willingly. That was fine… but he really wanted to go! Was that crazy? That was totally crazy. Sid was going crazy. You've been asleep for quite a while, dear. I have plenty of bonuses I'd like to share with you now that you're level five.

At Pawn II, [The Madman's Medal] grants +2 [Presence] and will start glowing when it detects someone with a weak personality in your line of sight. You've gained +4 [Presence], +2 [Resolve], +1 [Brawn], and +1 [Mobility]. [Forced Move] had reached lvl 2. It will now give a basic description of the target's skills. You've gained 50 FAITH. And you can choose a fresh new skill from the list below. [Zugzwang] lvl 1: During combat, choose one target and consume faith.

For the next minute, every action they may take results in an appropriate penalty. If they stand still, they lose resistance. If they attack, their defenses are lowered. If they retreat, their location is tracked. [Skewer] lvl 1: When you see an enemy dodge an ally's attack, you may consume faith to perfectly redirect the attack to a target behind the enemy. [Desperado] lvl 1: Consume a great amount of faith to force a nearby ally to sacrifice themselves for you in a life-or-death situation. Zugzwang.

He wanted Zugzwang. Something he could do a little bit of damage with in combat. The words wouldn't leave his mouth, but they floated around him in the void. You've learned [Zugzwang] lvl 1.

"Why's his heart rate speeding up?" he heard Allani ask. He felt Peter's hand press where his knife wound was.

"His chest wound healed nicely. Don't worry, it's probably just a nightmare of some sort. Or he heard the system announcement in his sleep."

"That might as well be a nightmare…" Sid opened his eyes and shot up in the bed.

"Limbo! I have to go to Limbo! The Rose wants me there."

"Fuck, Sid! You got stabbed in the chest four days ago and went into a coma," Peter scolded.

"You're not ready for a Ring of Hell."

"I feel fine. Besides, the first ring is Limbo. That doesn't sound violent, and the Rose wouldn't call me to something outside of my capabilities." He resisted the urge to yell that Limbo probably involved mind games, and he was very good at those. Skipping out on this ring meant missing one he could actually complete and get XP from. He needed that XP for future rings! Allani crossed her arms.

"Even if the challenge isn't violent, you could get killed on your way there." Did I mention that there's more than XP waiting for daring challengers? Lifesaving supplies could be at the end of the tunnel!

"Did she just say that to everyone?" Allani asked.

"We just went on an expedition because supplies were running low." Sid jumped out of bed.

"Haruya and I were injured on that mission. If a few people from here win the challenge, we could bring back enough supplies to last a year. Surely one Ring of Hell is safer than dozens of small expeditions?" Peter glared at him.

"That's assuming everyone wins, and that the supplies are what we actually need."

"Just let me ask Violet if she'll take me. She seems like a thrill-seeker." Peter threw his arms in the air.

"You should not be thrill-seeking right now!" Sid sighed.

"I guess Davine would never allow it, anyway."

"Uh…well," Peter coughed.

"Davine is not the head mystic anymore."

"Don't tell him that now! You're just gonna encourage him," said Allani. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

"Oh dear. Whatever happened to the good brother Davine?" Sid widened his pupils and cupped his chin.

"He's…spending some time in holding. We're considering exile," Peter said. Sid cocked his head.

"Who's gonna take over his position?"

"We haven't decided yet. Probably me or Haruya since we're the oldest, but we'll all discuss it together." Yes, yes they would. Sid still needed to take control of the flock. Everything would be so much easier once he was in control. No tiptoeing around the wills of soldiers and mystics if he wanted to do something. Also, Peter just admitted that he wasn't in charge at the moment. Sid looked him in the eyes and walked right past him towards the door out of the infirmary.

"Sid, where are you- He slammed the door shut and kept walking. Once he had Violet on board, there was nothing stopping him from hopping into the truck with her and heading towards the island's center. Allani would hate it, but she'd probably insist on going with them since there was nothing she could do to stop him. If she didn't, well that was one less thing to worry about during the challenge. Staying at Embrace would keep her safe. He speed-walked towards the main entrance.

He suspected Violet stood guard right at the gate, and sure enough, she was there when he opened the door. She was hunched over the stairs' railing chewing on something. She spit a big wad of it onto the ground. Chewing tobacco? Who was wasting their time and resources growing tobacco on a deserted island?

"Hey Violet!" Her head snapped up and she turned around.

"Oh hey! Uh…new mystic boy."

"It's Sid." He playfully put his hands on his hips.

"I fell into a giant mole pit during our expedition and you don't remember my name?"

"Hah! I remember the pit part well enough. What's up?"

"Did you hear the system announcement? It came to me in my sleep, but I felt the Rose's presence along with it." She snorted.

"Look, I'm sure you mystics always feel connected to the Rose, but I promise you that she is not here."

"Well, whatever it was, I think I might head to the center. Something tells me I can handle this one, but I need some help getting there." He put his hands behind his back and rocked back and forth on his feet.

"I was hoping a certain rugged badass would drive me. Who knows, maybe she'd even beat the challenge herself and come home with loads of supplies."

"Kid. I'm pushing sixty. Do you really think your little hero's call to action entices me?"

"I mean…does it?" She spit another wad onto the ground.

"Nah. But Davine's not the boss anymore and I've been wanting to get some good level-ups in. Couldn't do shit with that guy hovering over my shoulder." Sid smiled and started walking down the stairs. Allani burst through the door behind him. She cleared the stairs in one clean jump and stood there with her arms out.

"Nope. Nuh-uh. You're not going."

"I have an escort," Sid said, gesturing towards Violet.

"No rules, clown girl," Violet said.

"Embrace it while it lasts." She winked.

"Allani, you're going to have to physically restrain me if you want to stop me." He crossed his arms.

"You've already been seen touching a mystic multiple times, so let's not push it, alright?" She stood there with her mouth agape. Sid was being a real asshole. The island really brought out the worst in him. All of his toxic ambitions were actively encouraged. He knew it was happening, and he just didn't care enough to stop it. Life finally felt like it had color. Allani looked down.

"Do you know what it would do to me if you died?" His heart stopped and his eyes went wide. For a second his breath stopped, and he felt like he was going to pass out. Dammit Allani, that was low.

"I…" Oh for fuck's sake. The three of them looked up. Sid saw his interface before him. This is like, the kindergarten of Rings of Hell. It's really fucking hard to die in this one. Easy to go crazy, but little Sidor's mind is a lot stronger than his body. I don't want to spoil the fun, but pawns ring-blocking each other just pisses me off. This is low-risk, high-reward. Don't be stupid. And this one's just for you, sweetheart. Cut that clown off before she really starts dragging you down. Allani inhaled.

"Fuck! Fine. If it's so easy I'll go too. I wouldn't want to ruin your fun…" Sure enough, Allani didn't protest as Violet prepared the truck. Two scouts hopped into the back to tag along. The more supplies, the better. Sid entered the truck with a strange feeling gnawing at his chest. Allani conceded. He got what he wanted, but he felt really bad about it. Allani poured out her heart and soul for a second there. Sid just… couldn't match that energy. It wasn't like he didn't want to. He was just missing that spark.

The ride there was spent in silence. Violet tried cracking a joke every so often, but the mood was ruined. At least the road there was smooth. Rina apparently had multiple routes set up so pawns could get to center challenges easily. That giant purple spiral was getting closer. It was likely where his mother was, the narcissistic bitch. Every inch forward amplified the eerie silence in the truck. One of the scouts was shaking. Allani was biting her fingernails. Even Sid felt a bead of sweat fall down his face.

The truck came to a halt. They all piled out of the vehicle and onto the wet sand below. The spiral was hovering over a whirlpool lagoon. Sid stepped towards it until the world around him vanished. Suddenly he was standing in a dull grey room, almost like the one his dead headmaster failed him in. Sidor Sokolov entered the First Ring of Hell. Welcome to Limbo. The task at hand is simple. Recover Your Life. Good luck, my dear pawn.