“A – A – A!”
“OVERCOMING ADVERSITY!” the cries came.
“AAA!”
“A – A – A!”
“OVERCOMING ADVERSITY!”
“LANCE BRIGADE!”
“LIVE TOGETHER, DIE TOGETHER!”
“LANCE BRIGADE!”
“LIVE TOGETHER, DIE TOGETHER!”
Keeping suspicion off me required following the chants. My understanding of the Alhamisians increased, as I noticed how each response that followed the inciting announcements increased in fervor. There was an odd sense of group camaraderie within the Lance Brigade, along with a sense of pride and identity. As if to be within that group made them different, special, from everyone else on the outside of it.
I knew nothing of their military structure, but I could make educated guesses as I searched Neo’s memories. Levels were important, and the individuals with the highest level in each Brigade was made the de-facto leader or (Captain) of the Brigade. Achievements and merits were equally as, if not more important, than levels, and slaying nightmares was the fastest way to earn both.
Their performances were ranked, scored and recorded on the ‘Leaderboards’, with each AAA soldier having a Nightmare Kill Count of varying levels and types of nightmares, across different tiers. From Neo’s memories, the current AAA soldier with the highest kill count was –
Not Hoplite?
Someone called General Luxeme Vi Engarde. Commander of the Seven Amendments.
Interesting. Very interesting.
“As it stands, we had four more would-be deserters of the Lance Brigade,” Juma’s voice cut across the crowd, causing a silent swarm of murmurs.
“Had, being the keyword.” He continued. “They are, fortunately, no longer among us. Sophia and I were able to find and put them down before that could happen.”
There was a palpable air of relief that shot through the crowd. My lips twitched. I searched Neo’s memories, and the explanation came to me. Deserters are killed or handed over to the Eminency of Penance – but with the Lance Brigade –
Hoplite threatened that if one member of the Brigade deserted, he would take it to mean all members deserted, and all members would be executed. The AAA was unexpectedly more draconian than I anticipated. Then again, they were a military force that developed in a world with horrific nightmares like Giggle and Apophis. I couldn’t fault their methods so long as it was effective.
“Prominent Macey’s announcement about a nightmare slipping into Sector One-Zero-One is the Lance Brigade’s top priority,” Juma announced. “Our Feelers claim that the nightmare has vanished, but we still do not know how it managed to bypass the barriers and find itself within our walls. Planewalkers tend to have varying abilities to manipulate space and time – but Sector One-Zero-One has anti-spacetime distortion measures and detection scans designed to anticipate such events. Yet, somehow, this nightmare managed to bypass them all, and we only got word of it afterward.”
Anti-spacetime distortion measures? I felt a spark of irritation. Of all the things…
“For that feat, the Planewalker, designated ‘NMR-X’ by the higher-ups, has been classified as a potential Tier 9 threat.”
Juma paused, allowing the announcement to seep in. I could feel the thickness of the tension that dropped on the shoulders of the soldiers around me, and I wanted to laugh at it. Tier 9? Me? If you think I’m a Tier 9 threat, I sorely feel sorry for you.
“There are also rumors circulating that the Planewalker is connected to the Phantom-Death incidents, and thus to NW401 – the Druid Nightwitch “
Of course.
“If this is true…”
It is.
“Extreme caution is advised.”
Most definitely.
At the end of the day, the RETURN command sent me to a spot nearest to Zlosta. This was an opportunity, as another item on the list of ingredients required to get the Heart of Sisyphus was the hair of a Nightly One – or in this case, Zlosta’s hair.
Mythic Quest: Night(mare) in Shining Armor
Mythic Questline Unlocked: Destiny
Destiny can only be delayed, but never denied. Against all odds, you have found yourself once more near to the one who gave you the power to eat your cake and have it. Will you abandon her a second time, or will you save the Mad Sage and pave the path for your destiny?
Task: Rescue Zlosta
Quest Giver: [???]
Quest Difficulty: [Tier 9]
Time Left: [N/A]
Quest Rewards: [Unknown]
Quest Failure: [Unknown]
Will you accept this Quest?
[Yes]
[No]
Oh, trying to bait me, are we?
The quest didn’t tell me anything about where Zlosta was, or where she was supposed to be. It didn’t tell me if it was time-sensitive, or the rewards and consequences for failing it. Yet I knew, was that it was a quest that wouldn’t be easy. I was already in a situation wherein the wrong move or expression would lead to my death. I could not rely on my [Duality] or [Gatekeeper] until I knew for sure that using them could not be detected, and would not otherwise fail and bring enemies down on my neck.
Escaping was already difficult. Adding a jailbreak on top of that was a troubling task.
I like these odds.
You have accepted the Quest: Night(mare) in Shining Armor.
First and foremost, I needed to would be to find a way to leave Sector One-Zero-One that wouldn’t be detected. Once I did that, I would need to find where Zlosta was being imprisoned. If the Alhamisians were as paranoid and cautious as I believed, then she was most likely kept somewhere under heavy guard, a place restricted to low-level recruits.
So that means… ‘leveling up’ and fast. Or… alternatively… kill someone with higher clearance, and use [Form Feaster] to take their place.
That path had its difficulties. I would need to find a valid reason to be near someone of higher clearance, and I would need to kill them quickly and quietly enough to not draw any attention. Additionally, if they were granted higher clearance, it typically meant they were stronger than the lower-leveled individuals. Would I be able to take them out quickly?
“Neo Saintarelli.”
My head jerked as I realized my name was called. Not
