The Fool's Freedom

Alan lay on the bunched-up cloth and furs and contemplated the past week or so. He wasn’t sure how much time had passed since the start of the madness, mostly due to the fact that he had spent a large part of that unconscious, but it felt like a whole lifetime.

He had gotten hurt more times than he could count. He had also gotten saved more times than he could stomach. He had basically spent all the time at the mercy of others, without even realizing it most of the time. It had taken a hopefully friendly alien that could swat him like a fly for Alan to wake up to the fact that he was not doing well in this new world. The illusions of grandeur, of starting a new life where he would have the power to make his own choices, to shape himself beyond what was believed possible, crumbled with a bang. He was helpless.

Death hadn’t scared him. It was normal for the thought of oblivion to lose its anxiety-inducing properties with time for most people. The inevitability of all was kind of a numbing agent. It was still hard meeting it face to face, seeing it, and especially smelling it. The thoughts of all the death he had seen the past week without giving it a second thought made him shudder. He was a delusional asshole that should have died long ago, yet here he was.

His bag of things and even his spear with the now full of dead bugs ball of twine were next to him. His host either didn’t believe Alan was capable of harming him, or he was naïve beyond redemption. The latter was probably only true for Alan himself.

At least, he felt great. The liquid had made him sleepy and the man whose name Alan still hadn’t asked had helpfully ordered his little horrors to prepare a resting area in one of the emptier corners of the hall, between a shelf of jars filled with organs and skin, and the deep alcove holding all the rat corpses. Alan himself was completely covered in dried-out rat guts and blood so he didn’t really care much. He had slept like a baby for a full twenty or so hours, judging by the timer on the quest which now showed two days and three hours left.

He had even leveled up during his sleep, as weird as that was. He was now level 17 and he had let the new attribute points rest for now. His physical attributes haven’t dropped despite the exhaustion, but it would be good for him to be ready and the four free points were a good backup.

Since he had woken up, he had been busy inspecting the contents of his own bag with the monocle that one of the little creatures had helpfully delivered as the man had promised. Maybe he was just judging a book by its cover and the man was a good person after all?

The three types of herbs he had were interesting. He only got a bit of information from the names but that was enough to tell him he had gotten extremely high, but some of them had also helped with his wounds. He wasn’t sure what the Calendula did but it was the most bitter of them all which was a decent sign it was medicine. There were only a few bunched-up stalks of each left, but it was good knowledge to have if he managed to hold on to it.

Intoxicating Wide Grass

Brown Astragalium

Thankunise

It was interesting how the monocle worked. What names was it providing? Where did the information come from? Was the monocle deriving it from the system itself or from whatever records were put inside of it during its creation?

It was the first enchanted item Alan had seen and while it looked like something extremely useful, it was also scary. Someone had made this, and he highly doubted it was his generous host.

The last few things he examined were the dead bugs which were conveniently called moon beetles, and the small vial of liquid in his bag which was just sweet flower syrup, either because it was what the beetles ate, or because one of the kobolds had low blood sugar.

He had also thrown a glance towards one of the small eyeless creatures that were moving all around. There were probably hundreds of them.

Failed Homunculus (12)

The revelation didn’t help Alan feel more at ease but apparently, the man didn’t care if anyone learned that they were simply a failed experiment. Maybe it was a community of miserable creatures who had escaped a magical lab and were now making it on their own in the world. Wouldn’t be the first time.

Alan was thankful he didn’t feel hungry or thirsty, as he doubted the monstrous creatures shared his diet preferences. And all he had was the sweet flower syrup and he wasn’t sure whatever the homunculi or his host ate would be suitable for his stomach.

The half-man was busy working on the bronze circle in the middle. He used his long limbs and fingers to carefully inscribe lines and symbols on the small corner of smooth bronze left on the dais using various chisels. Every few clicks of his hammer were followed by minutes of inspection and consulting a book as big as Alan’s torso.

Alan didn’t feel like interrupting the work and instead opted to just rest a bit more while trying to think of an escape plan. Even as healthy as he felt, he probably wouldn’t outrun the homunculi army. He could steal a candlestone, as that’s what the flickering crystals that gave off all the light in the hall were called according to the monocle.

He looked around a bit more and stopped as a voice sounded very close as if someone was whispering straight into his ear.

“You awake, fuckface?”

Alan turned sharply and his neck popped sending a bunch of numbing needles down his spine, but he was completely alone apart from the décor and the chittering homunculi that paid him no attention.

Am I going insane?

“That’s probably in your near future, but as it stands, I need you to not blow a lid and listen, got it?”

“Are you reading my mind? Who are you?”

“Always with the fucked questions, stupid humans, if you even are human. Listen asshole, you haven’t earned the honor of learning my name. All you need to know is, that we will both be worse than dead if this thing finishes the circle.”

Huh. Twists and turns. And rudeness.

“Why?”

“Doesn’t matter why! Can you take your head out of your ass for a minute? You got all healed up and rested, good for you! He’s been feeding me quite well too, but it’s like fattening an animal for the slaughter. Ha! The freak thinks I am stupid.”

A vague memory of yesterday’s conversation flashed through Alan’s mind. The half-man had mentioned a demon and he hadn’t been quite pleased at the time. Alan might have figured out why.

“I will listen if you tell me how you are doing this. Are you the demon?”

“Oh, it bargains! The fleabag has a quarter of a brain left after all. Why don’t you shove those questions up your ass and listen you filthy –“

The voice continued on for a while. Alan focused on it just like he had done with Florence. There was certainly something that didn’t belong in his mind and it was much different than the wave of emotions the girl had injected in him. It was more solid, like a thread. Alan cast [Mind Jab].

“Ouch, what the- what’d you do that for you fucking prick? I am helping you here! Stop being a twat and learn to hold a proper conversation instead of lashing out.”

[Mind Jab] had been reliably inconsistent with the amount of damage it did so far and Alan suspected it had to do with attributes or the level of intellect of his target. He cast it once more, just to be sure. It felt strange aiming at something that was in his head, but it didn’t feel too bad, only as if a needle poked at his brain.

“FUCK, STOP IT! Okay, okay. I will answer. Bastard… So, I am not actually reading your thoughts, even if I could I wouldn’t subject myself to such filth anyway. And yes, I am a demon. In awe yet? Or do you newly integrated fucks not know what an honor this is? Hm. Come to think of it, you are worse than a newborn ape as far as worldly things are considered. Yes. My bad.”

Alan felt himself prepare to cast again but held back. The thing, wherever it was, could be useful. He could stomach all the insults for now.

The self-proclaimed demon continued without care, “What I am doing is communicate with you with a very basic skill for my kind that connects our minds on a surface level. Surprisingly, you found the connection quite easily which would allow you to disengage any time you want. BUT! I seriously advise you against that as someone with your intellect and capabilities would surely not be able to best that freak over there. Oh, and yeah, the freak is going to perform some sort of ritual, fuck me to the demon realm and back, I couldn’t tell you more. Judging by what I know, which is not much but still a planet’s worth more than you, it is not a ritual aiming to connect to any of the realms I have knowledge of.”

“There are multiple realms?”

“Oh for f-, yes there are quite a few. Summoning is a popular pastime for a certain sort of people, although they rarely succeed. I would know as I was pulled into this decaying shithole half a millennia ago and I lasted all through this world’s end and beginning. Thank the System. I can hear you better now, you are not that useless after all huh? So-“

“Can you tell me what the System is exactly?”

“Okay. Listen here you little shit. If we survive this, I will teach you all there is to know about the basic principles reigning over your miserable worm-like existence. Demon’s honor. We will die if you keep interrupting to ask stupid ass questions, you hear?”

“Alright, alright.”

“Good. Shush now. The freak somehow knows when I cast my magic if he’s close.”

The man had at some point stopped carving out whatever it was he was carving on the bronze dais, and was dragging his way towards Alan, who stood up stretching his sore muscles. It felt good despite most of his joints clicking and clanking like an old machine.

“Pinkskin, is good? Healthy, yes. I heal. I told you I heal.” The man said.

Alan forced a smile upon his face. “Yes. Thank you for healing me, I am sorry for doubting you.”

“No matter, no matter. I know me and the babies are scary, yes, yes, scary.”

Alan smiled a bit wider, unsure of what to say.

“Come, I show you evil.”

Oh, God. Alan tried to keep his composure and followed after the man who simply took a sharp turn towards the alcove filled with rat corpses by pulling with one of his arms and sending his whole body and base into the air. He landed with a soft thump. Alan was preparing to start blasting [Mind Jab] when the stench hit him and he gagged. He himself was drenched in dried blood and rat guts, but the horrid smell of the pile of rats in different states of disrepair made him want to cut off his nose. Thankfully he hadn’t eaten anything recently, so there was nothing to puke.

“Smells, yes, smells.”

Understatement of the century.

The man turned towards a bunch of the small homunculi who unknowingly to Alan had gathered behind them and barked something. The creatures rushed and started throwing rats to the side, adding a new element of sound to the terrible experience. One of them finally found what it was searching for and took it out. It was a beaten-up cube, a bit bigger than a standard Rubik’s cube, with reinforced edges and strange symbols etched on it.

“The demon,” the man said.

Alan gagged a few more times, trying to speak, “This is the demon?”

“Cursed thing, its prison, yes, yes. No manners.”

Aha.

The man shook the cube. “Rude demon, silent but stronger, yes. I feed you well. You will help,” he threw the cube on top of the pile of corpses and turned to Alan with another grin, “Fleshy pinkskin try to make it talk, yes? It hasn’t in a long time. But it’s there, I feed it well, see. I work. You help when I’m done, yes? Friend?”

Alan forced himself to speak again, “Of course, that was the deal.”

“Good pinkskin, good. Much better than demon. I go out now. You rest, eat, talk.”

With that, the man dragged himself away into one of the nearby tunnels with a bunch of its minions following closely behind.

Alan exhaled sharply and immediately inhaled, deeply regretting the action. The voice chose that moment to return to his head.

“Fucking freak. I will show you. I will tear your muscles fiber by fiber and clean my teeth with them! I will rip apart your soul and give it to the spirits to play with! Aaargh!”

Alan took a few steps back and, making sure the strange man was gone, spoke in a low voice, “So, this little thing is you, huh? Quite the big mouth for someone trapped in a cube and buried by rat corpses.”

“Oh, suddenly we can bite back, huh? Why don’t you kiss the freak’s metal flat ass too while you’re at it? Weak useless human sack of shit. If I could get out of here, I would devour you in a bite!”

“Cry me a river small guy. Now speak or I will drown you in my spit!”

“Small?! SMALL?! My true form will blot out what you call sun and deliver terror so deep you would bite at your own neck to escape! Who the FUCK do you think-,”

Alan cast [Mind Jab] directly towards the cube. Nothing seemed to happen as the spell simply dispersed. He cast it again, aiming for the connection he could feel in his brain.

“Ha! Your skill is use- Ouch! Fuck. Alright, alright. This hurts more when I am in this state, you know? Get some manners motherfucker.”

Alan felt rage bubble inside of him as he took a step forward. His nose seemed to have given up so being close to the corpses was easier now. “Listen, asshole. I can just blast you until I cannot blast anymore. If you die, I will probably level up enough to get myself out of this mess. So, you better give me something to work with instead of the ceaseless worthless jabber you seem to be so fond of. You are stuck in a fucking cube for God’s sake, you should be begging me to work with you so we can both get out of this shithole, not keep insulting me for the sake of feeling tough. You come off as a delusional little kid and I hate kids. I’ve been ready to die like six times in the past week and if you think I am desperate enough to put up with your whiny ass, then you’re stupider than you sound. What’s it gonna be, small guy?”

There was a prolonged silence until finally, the demon spoke again, sounding almost like a normal human this time, “Alright, alright. No need to get so drastic, it’s just been a long time.”

“Talk.”

“Okay, so the ritual he is creating is clearly a sacrificial one, I would know because I am a purebred demon and sometimes our only way to get to the mortal world is by being summoned and chained to do someone’s bidding. Now this here is a young world made of older worlds, so the veil between the dimensions might be quite unstable. Even with a perfect ritual, I doubt things will go smoothly.”

“Wait, so what you are saying is, he is going to sacrifice us to contact… something? Earlier you said you didn’t know what he aims.”

“It is more likely that he will keep us alive and offer us. That’s why he feeds me and healed you. The stronger we are, the more value we hold. See the center? That is where the portal will open so whatever being he wants to bargain with can appear. If we somehow manage to tamper with that, we can make sure things go wrong.”

“And he won’t just kill us for fucking it up? Anyways, what can you even do? Why help you? I will tell you mine and you tell me yours.” Alan said. This supposed demon knew a lot, and it would be a shame if he didn’t get as much out of it as possible, rude or not.

“Well fine. But you first.”

Alan held back a genuine smile.