Chapter 31

  1

  The bottomless pit that had been widening within John suddenly collapsed upon itself. It seemed to twist his guts with physical force as the words repeated in his head.

  “He took Liz.”

  They were like daggers, stabbing accusingly at him with each repetition. They were sharpened on their way to him by self loathing thoughts like “where were you” and “the one time she needed you”. His voice was soft and hollow when he finally spoke.

  “Tell me what happened.”

  Despite his unobtrusive tone, John’s words got the attention of everyone in the room. The twins fell silent, Jason still lying on the desk as his weakened body repaired itself at John’s careful direction. Darren stared at John as well, silent as ever. Amy also looked at John, her face full of worry.

  John didn’t look at any of them, continuing to stare emptily at a spot beyond sight. His mind, which had been racing at speeds unprecedented to discover all he could about the situation suddenly slowed to a crawl. He dwelled on the unknown possibilities until it threatened to paralyze him with fear and guilt.

  “We were out with Liz,” Caleb began.

  “Just around Emerald base, you know? Nothing crazy. We were working on our Enhanced genes.” Jason added.

  John didn’t respond, continuing to stare into oblivion. The twins took his silence as an invitation to continue.

  “We were doing really well, working together just like you taught us. But out of nowhere, this guy shows up.” Caleb said.

  “Describe him,” John instructed in the same dead tone.

  “Well, he was kind of tall, taller than us by almost a foot at least. He had brown hair, it was long. Had it tied up in a ponytail. Oh! And he had these eyes, they didn’t seem natural.” Caleb explained.

  “Why not?”

  “I don’t know, man. They just felt…”

  “They shone with a purple light, even in daylight. It made me want to stare into it instead of the work we were doing. Even when I snapped out of it, it was a huge distraction,” Jason explained.

  John grunted in contemplation for a moment before returning his thoughts to the story.

  “He didn’t say anything. He just attacked Liz without hesitation. He was fast. He didn’t even use any kind of summoned soul.”

  “No soul?” John asked, his voice showing emotion for the first time.

  It was confusion. Of all the people from earth, Liz was the most capable he had met. He knew she would have been using every soul she could to protect herself and her brothers. If whoever attacked her didn’t use a soul to do it, it probably meant they had broken through their Cultivation gates.

  “Nothing. He just used his hands like blades. He could even block real weapons with them. Liz was able to fight him off for a few minutes, but it was like he was only playing with her,” Caleb said.

  “Liz was directing him around the battle like she always does when she fights, you know? But then he did something I couldn’t see, and suddenly Liz was on the ground, knocked out,” Jason said.

  “After that, we both charged at him. We tried everything we knew to fight him off, but he was too strong. He wasn’t even trying to kill us. He just punched me in the face every time I got near him. Jason was able to cut his face when he was attacking me, but then he got mad.”

  “That’s when he did all of this to me. His attacks had some kind of numbing poison when they broke the skin,” Jason said shakily, remembering the pain.

  “What happened next?” John asked.

  “After the poison hit my body, I couldn’t even move. I fell over and everything went fuzzy. I just remember Caleb telling me he was going to get help before I passed out,” Jason said.

  “That was after he had already left. Once Jason was out, he turned back to me. He didn’t attack, he just told me if I wanted to see Liz again, I would send someone named Gold to somewhere called Ozone Base. Do you know who that is?”

  John’s heart plummeted into the bottomless pit in his stomach. It was as he had feared. This was all because of him.

  “It’s me,” John admitted, hating the words.

  “You?” Amy asked.

  “Yes. It’s the name I give when I’m hiding my identity. I should have known someone would use Liz to get to me. She’s never been as cautious as me. Amy, I’m so sorry.”

  “This isn’t your fault John,” Amy tried to reassure him.

  “It is. And now I’m going to fix it,” he said as he stood up.

  “John, wait. You can’t just charge into a random base like a maniac. What if it’s a trap?”

  “It’s obviously a trap. But I don’t have many options, do I?”

  “There has to be a better way than doing exactly what your enemies want, right?” Amy asked.

  “Sometimes, our only options are bad ones. It doesn’t matter. There isn’t enough information to make a solid plan. That doesn’t make it any less necessary,” John said.

  “John, please. We should think about this before you just run off. I don’t want something to happen to you,” Amy pleaded.

  “Well, I never wanted anything to happen to your daughter,” John whispered as a single tear fell from his face.

  “I know, John. But if you don’t come back, who will save either of you?”

  John didn’t have a response. Instead, he turned away.

  “I’m going to bring her back, I promise.”

  “You don’t know anything about this guy,” Amy reasoned.

  John looked down at his arm. The phantom pain of the invasive spirit still lingered. He clenched his fist as he walked from the room.

  “I know enough.”

  2

  “John! You’re back! What’s going on? What is the situation?” Jules asked.

  “In your travels. Have you come across an Ozone Base?” John asked without answering the questions.

  “Ozone? No, I don’t think so, why?”

  “Liz has been taken,” John said darkly.

  Jules’s eyes went wide in shock. John could tell he didn’t know what to say to the statement. Instead of waiting for him to think of something, John continued talking.

  “Ozone is where I’m supposed to go if I want to get her back. It’s clearly a trap, but I don’t know what else to do,” John said helplessly.

  “How does he know you?” Jules asked.

  “I’m not sure. He didn’t ask for John. He asked for Gold. It could be because of the guild, I guess.”

  “Hmm,” Jules said contemplatively.

  “Any thoughts?”

  “A couple. Where did this happen?”

  “The twins say they were hunting outside of Emerald,” John explained.

  “I guess it could have been retaliation for the monopoly we have there. It still seems a little weird though.”

  “Yeah, I think there’s something we’re missing. Regardless, I have to save Liz.”

  “We need to make a plan. Do you want me to collect our best?” Jules asked.

  John considered it but shook his head.

  “There’s something wrong about the whole invitation. Telling me where to come to makes it extremely easy to do exactly what you’re thinking. He’s gotta have some kind of plan in place for overwhelming numbers. We would be walking into yet another trap, I’m sure of it.”

  “Well, how can I help, man?” Jules asked.

  “First, let’s see how far we are from this Ozone Base. It wouldn’t hurt to get an idea of distance,” John said.

  Jules nodded and went to the nearby control panel. He started touching the screen, and soon a calculation was made.

  “Says here we’re about a ten-day journey traveling at full speed from Ozone base. Want me to set course?”

  “No. I have a feeling Liz doesn’t have that long. Shit!” John cursed as he pounded the wall.

  “It’s okay, man. We’re going to figure this out,” Jules assured him.

  “What about a challenge? If he’s the owner of Ozone base, can I make a challenge?” John asked.

  “You’d have to be a lot closer to issue one. The rules are a little weird.”

  “Damnit. Well, if he is the owner, we can expect him to be able to manipulate where I’m able to show up within the base, just like I can.”

  “That’s a good point. What do you think the odds are that he hasn’t set up some kind of elaborate containment for you?”

  “I would say pretty low,” John admitted.

  “Then we need to plan for that,” Jules said.

  “How do I plan for being imprisoned?” John asked.

  “I don’t know,” Jules admitted lamely.

  They were both silent for a few seconds. John was considering his options, while Jules made several calculations into the control pad. While John was still lost in thought, Jules clapped his hands in triumph.

  “I’ve got an idea!”

  “What is it?” John asked.

  “Look at this!” The other exclaimed.

  John moved to his side to see what he was looking at. He wasn’t immediately sure why Jules was so excited.

  “What?” He asked.

  This is a base called Silicon. I was playing with the locator a bit based on the direction of travel and distance to Ozone base. Silicon base is one we discovered on our original journey to Emerald. It is in the same general direction as Ozone base when typed into the locator. It’s about a day closer at Obsidian’s max travel speed.”

  John nodded his understanding, mind racing.

  “How many miles? How long would it take me to fly from Silicon to Ozone?” He asked.

  “Well, Obsidian’s max speed is pretty quick. So... maybe a couple weeks if you were doing it by wing. I’m not sure.”

  “Damnit. That’s not going to be fast enough. Can you figure out exactly what the coordinates should be related to Silicon? Can you locate it on the map without actually going there?”

  “That’s… actually a good idea. Come on. Let’s go talk to the cartographers.”

  Jules led John to the massive map-floored room where he and his team worked. They quickly found the area where the artists had depicted Silicon base. As with much of the floor, vast areas of unknown space surrounded it as Obsidian base had moved in a straight line to its goal.

  Jules gained the attention of his crew. He told them he needed to locate a base as accurately as possible, and that all other work was to be put on hold. To emphasize his point, he went to the control panel and set the moving base to stationary.

  When it had come to a stop, he once again put in the coordinates for Ozone base. He called them out to his people, who needed no further information to get to work. Using the distance and direction in conjunction with the pieces of the map already finished, they were able to plot a fairly accurate destination on the floor.

  Next, Jules had them estimate the exact distance between Ozone base and the already plotted Silicon base. The results were less than optimal. They determined that the distance to Ozone was something close to six thousand miles indirectly southwest. John cursed.

  “I’m going to have to go,” he realized.

  There was no other alternative. The unknown puppet master had maneuvered him into a corner. His only option was to play straight into their hands.

  “It’s too dangerous, John,” Jules tried to dissuade him.

  “I know that. It always is. This is the life I chose,” John said.

  “Just… be careful,” Jules said, resigned.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  3

  John stood upon the transition pad, fully armored and ready to assault Ozone base. He knew it would likely be much less straightforward, but he was determined. With a soothing breath, he confirmed his destination.

  A moment later, John was standing in a new base. The room around him was constructed of what looked like clear glass. It was similar to the clear floor of his vault, only the view below his feet was that of an airplane passenger looking upon the world from on high.

  The walls were similarly glass-like, but they had less transparency, giving occupants privacy from outside eyes. As John beheld the room around him, he felt the haptic buzz of the transition pad he stood upon fizzle out, as if it had lost all power.

  “Warning! Your ability to Transition to or from Ozone base has been revoked!”

  “Warning! Your use of Soul Tools within Ozone base has been restricted!”

  “Warning! You have received a challenge for ownership of Teal base!”

  John looked around in confusion as his armor melted from his body. His eyes went wide when he realized he could not summon it back. He hadn’t known it was possible to stop the use of Soul Tools. There was still too much about the Garden that was unknown.

  The room he was in was like any other lodging within a base that he had seen. What made it different was the absence of any door to exit with. It was almost like the room had been created as a jail cell. John wondered if his own base had such rooms. He had been far from diligent in his perusal of his new home.

  As John inspected the room, his eyes fell upon something else. The second they did, every other thought fled. He ran to the bed, falling to his knees at its edge.

  “Liz,” he choked out through his tightening throat.

  She was unconscious. Her clothes were little more than tatters. Her bright and beautiful hair was matted with dark blood, dried to her scalp in several places.

  Her body was a swollen and discolored mess. Bruises covered her entire figure, and the skin was broken in several places. Only a shallow series of breaths told John she still lived.

  Reaching out with shaking hands, John gently touched her cold skin. Tears fell freely from his eyes as he looked upon her. He laid his hand upon her face with a sob.

  “I’m so sorry, Liz,” he whispered.

  Extending his spirit to encompass her as well, he projected both the replenishing nature of Lunar Radiance and the restorative aspects of Neutralization onto Liz. Her spirit was weak, but untainted. She had not been poisoned like her brother. Somehow, that seemed worse to John.

  With all of the damage to her body, it seemed almost impossible for it not to contain some kind of foul spiritual contamination. But the evidence was plain to see. Whoever had done this to Liz had simply abused her.

  John’s tears fell all the faster as his eyes scanned her blue, black, yellow, and purple skin. He continued to feed her with his spirit as the tears silently fell. Slowly, her breathing steadied, and then deepened as her spirit seemed to recognize the nurturing John’s was giving it.

  John just stared with agonized eyes as her abused cells slowly repaired themselves. Tears fell unreservedly onto her skin as he worked. After an excruciating time, Liz’s eyes cracked open, almost hesitantly.

  He stared into them as they focused on his own. For several seconds, she had no reaction, as if she didn’t understand what she saw. Then her eyes lit in recognition.

  “John?” She asked in the most vulnerable voice he had ever heard from her.

  For a heartbreaking second, John could see it all written on her face. All the pain, all the shame, all the helplessness. Then she threw herself at him like a drowning person clutching at a life preserver.

  She dissolved into sobs of pain and terror as she wrapped her arms around him. John held her tight in his arms as his spirit continued to pump soothing energy into the link between them. She shook uncontrollably in his grip as her ragged breathing overwhelmed her composure.

  “Shhhh. I’ve got you,” he whispered to her as she wept into his chest.

  For several minutes, John just supported her as she sobbed. Her damaged frame slowly returned to a less critical state. As he held her, all of the guilt, all of the fear, all of the uncertainty he had been feeling for the past day was transfigured in an instant.

  “Liz,” he said, his voice no longer unsteady or sorrowful, “tell me who did this.”

  John felt Liz stiffen in his grip. The open hostility in his tone left no question of his intentions. She parted from him to look into his eyes with fear.

  “John, please. We have to get out of here,” she pleaded.

  “I’ll get you to safety. I promise. But someone is going to pay for this,” John said in the same determined tone.

  “You can’t fight him. Please, John.”

  Liz’s continual distress gave John pause, but his ironclad conviction refused to budge. He put a hand on her face and looked directly into her eyes. The intimacy of the action calmed her slightly, and she held his gaze evenly.

  “I’ll be okay. First, we need to figure out how to get you home,” John said gently.

  His hard tone was gone, replaced with a reassurance that softened Liz’s posture noticeably. He pulled her into another protective hug as she closed her eyes. Her demeanor eased further as they remained locked in embrace.

  John took a few seconds to bask in the relief of seeing her alive as he held her tight. Her calmed breathing eased his mind in a way he had not known it needed until that moment. All too soon, however, John felt her stiffen once more as an unexpected voice intruded upon their reunion.

  “Well, isn’t this touching?”

  4

  John’s equanimity evaporated in an instant upon hearing the voice. It had come from a translation orb he had not noticed. It sat upon the table next to the bed Liz still rested upon.

  Even as he looked at it, the glass of the wall next to the bed shimmered and flowed to the sides like liquid. The wall itself remained, but whatever substance obscured the other side seemed to melt away. In its place stood a human man, dressed in a white skin suit that would have looked at home on a futuristic space TV show.

  The man was tall, in the realm of NBA players. His build was somehow alien though, like his proportions were incorrect. On earth, seeing him walking down the street would have drawn stares, though John was unable to pinpoint exactly why.

  He looked like the twins had described him. Tall, with brown hair tied in a long ponytail. Piercing violet eyes were yet another indicator that his origins were foreign. As he studied the man, a transformation came over John.

  The way he stood there, confidently observing them. The callous and unconcerned look upon his face. The smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth all served to flip a switch in John that he had not realized was in the off position until that moment.

  “I see you got my welcome gift,” the man said as John stared at him.

  White hot fury surged through John. It poured into him like a broken dam, instantly filling the bottomless pit in his stomach with a roiling ocean of seething rage. When he spoke though, his voice betrayed none of his inner turmoil.

  “You did this?” He asked calmly.

  “That’s right. She’s got some spirit, that one. I enjoy a good struggle,” the man answered with a leer.

  John’s fury bubbled up to the base of his throat, but still his voice was even. The words it conveyed, though, were anything but.

  “I swear on my life; you’ll die for this.”

  “You have declared an Oath of Revenge! You have set the price of failure to: Death! Time to fulfill your Oath: As no time limit was specified, default time will be selected. Time: 2 years based on your current age. Warning! All Gene Progression will be halted until your oath has been fulfilled!”

  John almost cursed out loud when he received the plethora of information. His boiling rage had caused him to speak entirely too recklessly. He couldn’t even take the time to fully parse the ramifications at that moment.

  “Is that right?” The man asked with a hideous sneer.

  He sounded like he had an idea of what had just occurred. John took a cleansing breath and bit back his instinctive response.

  “Who are you? And what do you want from me?” John asked, his voice a forced calm.

  “Now you’re asking the important questions. My name is K?tha. I come from a subjugated planet of humans, much like yourself. Many years ago, my world was terminated. You have to watch out. If your people get too powerful, you’ll outlive your usefulness.”

  John didn’t respond. His mind was racing at the information. This man, K?tha, while undeniably deserving of violent acts so heinous, John hadn’t yet devised them, he was also clearly a person with valuable information. What was worse, he knew it.

  John just stared at the man with unconcealed hatred for what he had done to Liz and her brothers. And seemingly for no reason other than to get his attention. It was sadistic, and John’s roiling ocean of blind rage bubbled ever closer to the surface.

  “You see, when the Kumani come to your world, it’s with the confidence that they can handle your people. Even as a few million here and there rank up to phase two or even phase three, they don’t have much to worry about. It’s only when someone reaches phase four that they truly have concern. Not many can climb that high, but inevitably some will. That’s what happened on my world, Elpharious.”

  John continued to listen to the man speak. He was unsure what K?tha intended to accomplish, but he didn’t care. His mind had only one thought. This man would pay for his transgressions.

  “Kumani are incapable of entering the Garden, did you know? They followed too closely to the technological evolutionary path. They’re a bit more machine than biological. You may have noticed that the Garden doesn’t exactly allow mechanical technology, despite having more advanced technology than anything we mortals could come up with. It’s like a dead zone for anything machine based. That’s why the Kumani confiscate all mechanical technology and weapons that could be taken there. They don’t want their slaves to be barred from entry. They’d never find what they’re looking for.”

  “And what are they looking for? Why enslave planets of people if those people can get strong enough to rebel just by doing what the Kumani need them to do anyway?” John asked, unable to stop himself.

  “Alas, I wish I had an answer to either of those questions. As I said, my planet was terminated years ago, when I was barely old enough to come here. Now I have no planet to return to.”

  “So, you’re stuck in the Garden?” John asked.

  He was starting to understand. The man was like John himself in some ways. He had probably been forced to grow stronger really quickly in order to survive. Not having a world to return to also meant he was forced to scavenge around the Garden itself for sustenance. But that made sense. What was a garden for if not to grow food?

  “After my people became too powerful to easily control, the Kumani decided to cut their losses. Those of us who were here in the Garden at the time were trapped. Unable to go back to a world that no longer existed. Some visited the evolution pools. After undergoing the purification process, they were given the option to move on, transition straight to phase two. Most of them took the offer. Those who didn’t were told that they would be transitioned into phase two upon their next exit from the Garden. The only problem was, there was no longer anywhere to return to. They were effectively stuck in phase one of the Garden forever.”

  “What about you? Have you been to the pool?” John asked, understanding the reason K?tha had shared so much.

  “That is the question you have to ask yourself, isn’t it?” K?tha answered with a smile.

  “You’ve answered my first question. Now it’s time to tell me what you want with me,” John commanded.

  Liz still clung to him like he was her only safety from the man who stood smugly on the other side of the clear wall. Her open vulnerability was a dagger in John’s heart. Just what had this man done to her to shake the utter self confidence she had always projected? Inside, the ocean boiled higher and higher.

  “That’s an interesting matter, actually. You see, there was this business venture I was wrapped up in for a while. A bunch of your fellow earthlings were sent to one of my bases upon assignment to the Garden. I was intrigued by the sight of other humans. We got on rather quickly. We came to an agreement, and I let them use some of my bases as headquarters for their business ventures. There was a mutual benefit, of course, but for the most part, I left them to their own devices.”

  John’s stomach had already begun twisting as the man spoke. He knew exactly what this whole thing was about. The challenge he had received upon arrival suddenly made sense.

  “You’re the owner of Teal Base,” John said.

  “On the contrary, John. That’s you. You know, it’s pretty rude to take over a base without even issuing a formal challenge. I have to admit, it’s a loophole I didn’t expect. It’s not often you come across someone who will murder everyone in sight and burn the whole base to the ground to assume control. For one so young, you’re a hard man, John.”

  “They deserved what they got. And clearly, you’re no better.”

  “Perhaps not, but I am a man of principle. One good deed begets another. I confess, it wasn’t easy to track you down. You must have introduced yourself as Gold before assaulting the base, because that’s who the Garden told me liberated my base. Your words have meaning here, have you noticed?”

  John remained silent. He had noticed the binding nature of spoken words within the Garden. His last outburst did well to accent the fact. But he wasn’t about to admit anything to K?tha.

  “A moniker made it difficult to rustle up leads. Difficult, but not impossible. I’ve been here a long time and added many bases to my catalogue. I started hopping around the different bases I knew to see if there was any mention of this ‘Gold’ I’d been robbed by.”

  John was piecing together everything K?tha said just a half second before he could speak it. John hadn’t only used the name Gold to attack the base. It was also the name he had given as the leader of his guild. The Golden Guardians. Hindsight told him how foolish he had been.

  “Yes, I see you’re a deductive man. You’ve been quite the little busy bee since coming to the Garden less than a year ago. In fact, it would almost seem impossible, how much you’ve accomplished. I’m not going to lie, I’m envious. It can be hard to gain that initial momentum. Once you have it though, the sky is the limit.”

  John just stared back at the man impassively. How much had he been able to discover? How big of a threat was this man? Clearly, he was not to be underestimated, but just how dangerous was he?

  “Needless to say, you’ve also been quite careful to keep your identity out of the spotlight. Always cloaked in armor. Never seen in one base for too long. It’s almost like you’ve been trying to hide,” K?tha sneered.

  “I’m not afraid of you, K?tha.”

  “Oh, I can see that. If I let you out now, you’d try to tear me to pieces. And rightly so, I mean just look at the poor girl. Unfortunately for her, she hasn’t been nearly as guarded about her identity or associations.”

  “You used her just to get to me?”

  John didn’t need to ask. That much had been clear from the start. But the verbal confirmation was still necessary for him to compartmentalize.

  “I did. I could hardly expect you to accept an open challenge after your covert operation to burn my base to the ground. Issuing one would have only set you onto my trail. And the wise hunter knows how to avoid becoming prey. So, I found another way to get you here. And look, here you are. People are so easy to manipulate after you discover what’s important to them.”

  “I’ll kill you for this,” John promised again.

  “Then by all means,” K?tha said.

  “K?tha has issued a second challenge for ownership of Teal Base. Do you accept?”

  5

  John stared at the man with venom in his gaze for several seconds. He wasn’t afraid to accept the challenge. He didn’t even care if he lost Teal Base.

  His only problem with the situation was the state Liz was in. She was still covered in bruises despite John’s ongoing spiritual ministrations. His replenishing aura could only do so much without concerted effort on his part.

  “Liz goes free,” John said.

  “Done,” K?tha agreed without hesitation.

  Next to the bed, the transition pad suddenly flared to life. John turned his attention to Liz, who was now looking at him stubbornly. She spoke before he could say anything.

  “I won’t leave you here. Please, let’s just go,” she pleaded.

  “Oh, but that’s not the deal, sweetheart,” K?tha chided.

  “Don’t fucking speak to her,” John said with naked hostility.

  Turning his attention back to Liz, his demeanor softened. He pulled her into his arms and held her firmly against his body. With an immense outpouring of his spirit, he bolstered her recovery to the limits of Lunar Radiance’s ability.

  “I’ll be okay, I promise,” he said gently.

  “John, please. You don’t know what he’s like,” Liz whimpered.

  “I know enough. Don’t worry,” he told her reassuringly.

  “Please,” she begged once more, “I need you.”

  “Go home Liz,” John said.

  His tone wasn’t unkind. Nevertheless, there was steel in his voice as well as an unwavering conviction. Liz flinched at the rigid command. Not wanting to unduly upset her, John softened once more.

  “Please. I need to know you’re safe. Your family needs to know you’re safe. Go home. Stay there until you hear from me,” he said.

  Liz looked into his eyes for signs of lenience but found nothing. Tears filled her eyes once more as she embraced him with more strength than most men possessed. He returned her hug with an apology.

  “I’m so sorry, Liz.”

  She didn’t respond, but her grip on his torso tightened further. After several seconds, they parted. John grabbed her by the hand and led her to the transition pad.

  “I’ll see you soon, okay? Let my family know, would you?”

  Liz nodded with yet more tears in her eyes. She cast her gaze over to K?tha, who was watching the exchange impassively. When she looked back to John, she looked hesitant.

  “Guard your mind. Once he’s in, there’s nothing you can do,” she said.

  John took the advice silently, nodding his understanding. He had already deduced that Liz had some kind of mental trauma from her time there. He resolved to make the man pay for his sins tenfold.

  “Stay safe,” he told her.

  She nodded sadly. Looking like she’d rather lose an arm than leave John alone with the man who had tortured her just to send a message, Liz nevertheless accessed the transition pad. After a few seconds, she faded from sight.

  As she left the Garden behind, the light of the transition pad flickered and went out once more. Now alone with his most hated enemy, John turned to the man. K?tha was still watching him dispassionately like he was observing an animal in captivity.

  “What are your terms?” John asked as he met the man’s gaze.

  “K?tha has challenged you for control of Teal Base!”

  “The terms of this challenge are as follows!”

  Type of Challenge: Single Combat

  Winning Condition: Forfeiture, Incapacitation, Death

  Losing Condition: Forfeit, Become Incapacitated, or Die

  Stipulations: No Summoned Souls allowed

  “Do you accept this challenge?”

  John went over the rules of the engagement for a few seconds. He was unsurprised to see the winning and losing conditions included death. He would have been disappointed otherwise.

  What he was less thrilled about seeing was the stipulation forbidding him from summoning souls for his defense. He was confident in most situations, but most situations allowed him to at least wear some armor. This would be a naked fight with bare hands until one of them tore the other apart.

  As he thought about it, though, John felt a hint of satisfaction at the idea. A slow, painful punishment for the man who had abused Liz so casually. When he was finished, K?tha would wish he had never heard the name ‘Gold’.

  “When I kill you, I’m going to burn every base you own to the ground,” John told the man.

  K?tha smiled that unconcerned smile of his and responded.

  “If I die, all my possessions will be yours to do with as you please.”

  To John’s surprise, another notification came at those words.

  “K?tha Haaskid has named you as his successor. All assets will be transferred to you in the event of his death.”

  John didn’t let his surprise show on his face, but the message raised several questions in his mind. Did K?tha know he had just entered into a binding pact? He had already demonstrated his knowledge of the Garden’s verbal rules. In the end, he supposed if the man really was dead, it wouldn’t matter to him what John did.

  He looked at the man, and his blood grew hot once more. He drew in his breath and forcibly expelled it, the trigger for Sublime Apotheosis.

  “I accept.”

  What is this chapter called?