DDD, page 21
“Even if it is voluntary for me to accept, it’s still not as if I have a choice.”
Jeshua shrugged. “I’ve heard that a lot lately.”
“Screw you, you arrogant bastard,” Hardon muttered.
It was hard for Jeshua not to chuckle at that. “Why don't we have a look at my Inventory versus yours now? What do you say?”
“You’ve got to be kidding,” Hardon said. “Are you just trying to rub it in?”
“Yes,” Jeshua replied. “Very much so.” He longed to get this show on the road. He was on a winning streak, after all, and there was no time to waste before getting to his next victory.
Despite her rough exterior and demeanor, Hardon actually managed a tiny smile. “Whoever you are, whatever you are, it’s hard not to see something special in you. You couldn’t have done this if that weren’t the case. You should wake up, though. You need to realize that this shouldn’t be possible. That you are a pawn. That someone has an agenda. Do you not see it?”
There it was again—a possible new ally, putting aside for a second that she’d murdered her staff in cold-blood, calling him and his actions impossible, as well as accusing him of being a pawn. What more did he have to do to prove that he was capable and could do the impossible? “I do see it,” Jeshua said, “and I make a better ally than an enemy. What do you say?”
Hardon stared at him. “Are you serious?”
Jeshua nodded. “Why not? You seem like someone who could have been different under other circumstances. I’m even willing to concede that wiping out your staff and the lovely waitress, Krista, was a mistake on your part. You’d fallen ass-backward into a situation you had no choice but to accept. Guess what? There’s a choice now. You seem like someone who knows her way around the territory I’m about to venture into if what you say is correct.” He took a deep breath. “The only question I have for you is whether or not you still would have chosen to kill your staff, had there been a chance that you could have won without doing so. That’s it. Answer that, and if your answer is acceptable, you and I are going to be allies.”
“Unbelievable,” Hardon replied. “You really do think you can claw your way to the top. Fairy tales be damned. Do you think you’re going to change the way things run?”
“Damn straight,” Jeshua said, glancing over at Guppy and Teaghan. "Anyway, would you like to size up your chances at a battle against my Succubus and Reaper versus your Dungeon? Or we could make a pact? The choice is yours.”
The notification bell rang loudly. “Hang on,” he said. “I need to get this. My apologies.”
“There's someone ‘special' waiting outside. This is what you get for making alliances and friends. Allies only bring you into conflicts, not of your choosing. So-called friends will always have motivations that can go against what you actually need,” Artifice cautioned. “At some point, your luck will run out. Come on, Jeshua, get a grip! Oh, and you should probably go get the door. It’s an important visitor. Atte.”
“Block sender,” Jeshua replied. “Until further notice, upon voice override only.”
“What? No. That’s ridiculous,” Artifice screeched. “You’re not that foolish. Why would you do that? Don’t even think about—”
Artifice’s voice cut off short. Now he could get some goddamn privacy for a second. Not that he didn’t appreciate a little help now-and-again, but if someone else knew his every move ahead of time, what chance did he stand of being anything more than a lowly pawn? Yeah, he could do without her crazy for a bit.
“You were saying?” Jeshua said to Hardon, as his Interface closed.
“I wasn’t. You were. You told me to wait.”
He slapped his forehead. “That’s right. I did. Apologies. I had to take care of something. Anyway, your Dungeon versus my Reaper and Succubus. Your other daemons would be involved as well, but I get half their Karma allotment, which is the reason you’re in this mess.”
“Kill her,” Guppy spat. This time her voice was audible to everyone.
Hardon flinched, confirming how defeated she felt. She cowered at the sight of Guppy, a truly powerful Succubus with full, curved horns, fangs, claws, and a sharp stare that could slice through her body like butter.
“Hold on,” Jeshua said to Guppy. “If I can get something good out of her continued existence, I’m going to take it, whether we like it or not. I’m not okay with what she did to her own staff, but we're not vendetta-seekers. We’re better than that, and you’re part of my team now, Guppy. There’s more to winning than hurting people.”
“Kill her,” Guppy repeated. “She’s a bitch.”
“I echo that sentiment,” Teaghan added. “She used her Dungeon to hold me and others hostage and make us do unspeakable things.” The Reaper shuddered.
“Not that I forgive her for that,” Jeshua replied, “but what if she holds value beyond vengeful satisfaction? We could go after her backers. Would that not mean something?”
Neither Guppy nor Teaghan responded. Their silence gave Jeshua the answer he required.
“Do I get to have a say in this?” Hardon asked, taking advantage of the lull.
“Not really,” Jeshua replied. “Or did you forget that you threatened to kill me and everyone I hold dear? You did nothing to help the daemons entrapped here. You killed a bunch of your own wait staff. I mean, really, that’s cold. If you turn down my offer, I have no problem letting Guppy tear you to pieces. Oh, and she can, by the way. I dare you to test me on whether or not I’m telling the truth. Your interaction with me thus far should inform your next decision.”
“I remember,” Hardon replied, timidly, lowering her gaze and her voice. “And I do indeed have something to offer in return for not entering into battle.”
“Interesting,” Jeshua replied. “Yet, I think you’ll be more forthcoming if you see what you’re up against for yourself. Objections?”
She shook her head. After all, she had already been defeated. All that was left was to say it out loud. “Do what you think is best,” Hardon said, dejected.
“Good decision,” Jeshua replied as he pulled up the augmented projection of his stats versus hers. If he was wrong about his standing against her, the move would blow up in his face, and she’d be able to turn the whole thing back around, but his gut told him to do it anyway... Because who else was Jeshua if not someone who passed on small, hollow victories when the opportunity for real fame and fortune, as well as genuine success, presented itself?
Jeshua’s Inventory appeared first, displaying quite a few surprises. He lost his breath as he noticed an overabundance of Karma, the likes of which he’d never laid eyes on before.
Daemons & Artifacts; Karma Accrued; Status:
Demons: Teaghan (Summoned Level 50 Reaper) 452,800 Karma; Guppy (Summoned Level 9 Succubus) 137,600 Karma; ~Partnership Loyalty Solvent 10,000; ~External Influence at 100%: Gilroy (Rogue) 300; ~Siphoned From Triple ‘D’ at 50%: Ifrits (33) 4,950; Kobolds (50) 7,500; Chupacabra (2) 200
Monsters: Chupacabra Multiple Levels (27) 5,400; Hobgoblins Multiple Levels (14) 1,400
Unspent Carryover: 9,615; Cumulative Karma Balance: 629,765
Since Jeshua had accessed his Inventory, Artifice could contact him. He knew this and was hoping she didn’t notice, so he could process the new information to figure out his next steps. There was a lot to consider, especially now that he had enough Karma to make headway. It was, however, a good moment for Artifice to interject her thoughts and influence him in the twisted direction she wanted. Of course, she popped in. Yet, what she said was a surprise.
“You’re so fucked, Jeshua. Do you have any idea how big the target on your back just became? Things are not looking up!” Artifice shouted. “Do you really think upgrading a Succubus to level 9 was a good idea? Do you? Then you summoned a Level 50 Reaper. These creatures are more powerful than you by a longshot. I’m not sure that you see the difference between real progress and perceived progress. You’ve accrued enough Karma to warrant the City Lords’ attention. You’ve acquired a Level 50 Reaper, which makes you an even greater threat to said City Lords. You’ve upgraded a Succubus to level 9, which means the next time you go into battle, they’ll know exactly how to fight you. You think this is a step forward, but all you’ve done is invite more trouble, while showing your hand like some kind of nitwit.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Jeshua said, interrupting Artifice’s rant. As for the decisions that led to this moment, he wouldn’t have done anything differently. Not a thing! In his eyes, it was better to be free and make his own decisions than follow the instructions of a puppeteer. “But I’m sticking to my guns.”
“What guns? You don’t have any guns,” Artifice spat.
“It’s an expression. I’m standing by my decisions.”
“I can’t believe I’m hearing this,” Artifice replied. “I regret picking you as my pawn, Jeshua. But fine, have it your way, and brace yourself for significant changes.”
31
Troublemaker
Artifice’s voice sounded more annoyed than congratulatory as she informed Jeshua of his progression. “Yes, you’re special, one of a kind. So congratu-fucking-lations, you’ve earned a new ability. For having disrupted a long-running, established business enterprise against terrible odds, you’ve shown the capacity to handle trouble and cause too much of it yourself.”
Jeshua’s new ability scrolled in front of him. TROUBLEMAKER grants you the ability to create temporary confusion and befuddle an opponent’s mind for twenty seconds.
Warlock Level 9 Abilities: Call of the Warlock; Leap of Faith; Mercy; Diplomatic Dalliance; Invisibility to Beautiful Women; Decency; Loyalty; Combo Chain; Troublemaker; Next Please!
“Don’t forget to check Hardon’s Dungeon. She has potential as an ally. You weren’t wrong in that, and you weren’t wrong to forgive her for slaughtering bystanders. Not that it was okay. It wasn’t, but let bygones be bygones and all.” Artifice said, putting her two cents in.
An augmented holographic tattoo etched into Jeshua's left forearm just below the Call of the Warlock demon-filled pentagram. He watched with fascination as the darkening shapes formed into an asteroid plummeting toward Earth.
Then a new notification appeared. It was Hardon’s Inventory.
Name: Hardon – Warden Level 9; Daemons & Artifacts; Karma Accrued; Status:
Dungeon: Delp (Level 40) 140,000 Karma ~ Beholden to Slipknot Artifact Under Arena Guard; Ensnare Temporarily Deactivated
Demons: Ifrits (31) 4,650 at 50% (Siphoned), Kobolds (47) 7,050 at 50% (Siphoned)
Unspent Carryover: 0; Cumulative Balance: 151,700
On second thought, Jeshua did want to hear Hardon’s proposal. True, he could defeat her and acquire the powerful Dungeon, Delp, for himself, but having an ally with such a powerful daemon held a certain bring-in-the-cavalry appeal. Jeshua’s enemies would never expect that he’d let Hardon go and enlisted her as an ally.
He closed the augmented screens and stared at Hardon. “Well,” he began, “I showed you mine, and you showed me yours, so let’s play.”
“You still want to fight?”
“Oh no,” Jeshua said. “I meant we should make a deal.”
“How do I know this isn’t another of your tricks?”
“It’s a trick, you’re right,” Jeshua confessed. “But it’s not on you. Your employers aren’t going to treat you very well when they hear of your loss today. Am I right in assuming that they’ll stage an unfair battle so they can strip you of your Inventory?”
Hardon lowered her gaze. “Yes, they will. I’ll be ruined. The only way out of it is to stop you here and now, but that’s impossible. I can see from your Inventory that you’ll defeat me.”
“It doesn’t have to be that way. There’s another path. You don’t have to trust me as a friend, but can you bring yourself to trust in my ambition?”
She shrugged. “I have no choice.”
“You do,” Jeshua countered. “You could run.”
“I want no part in that kind of life. I’ve seen how it goes.”
"Then take a chance. Consider that you might come out of this a winner in the end. Keep Delp in your Inventory, for now, so they don't suspect you've turned. Also, make up a story about how you escaped at the last minute to preserve your Dungeon at the expense of the other daemons you lost. They'll swallow that. Then they'll try to get as much information out of you as possible before they strip you of everything. That should be about the same time they make their move on me. Then, and only then, reveal yourself, betray them, and send Delp into my Inventory right before they try to take him from you.”
“Sounds risky. What are you planning?”
“That’s a secret. Otherwise, you’d be tempted to think you can assuage my enemies’ anger with knowledge of my plans. All I can share for now is that I plan to deploy Delp when you unexpectedly transfer him into my Inventory since they won’t expect the maneuver.”
“It’s clever and totally crazy, but…”
“But you’ve seen what I can do,” Jeshua interrupted.
She smirked. “Exactly. Also…” She hesitated.
“What is it?” Jeshua asked.
“You really don’t have a problem with what I did earlier? To the employees?”
“I very much do,” Jeshua admitted, “but we’re past that now. What’s done is done, and we have other lives to think about. We also have positions we’ve been pushed into, whether we like them or not. You’re a victim of circumstance. Let’s try and see past that. Deal?”
Hardon shook her head but not in disagreement. It was disbelief. “You’re so…different.”
“Thanks,” Jeshua said, not sure if it was a compliment or insult. “If you’re accepting my offer, plan on sending your other daemons over to me as a surprise flanking maneuver at the same time you transfer Delp. I’ll be counting on it, and you’ll be counting on me.”
“How do I know you’ll defend me?”
“I have a theory about that,” Jeshua answered. “I’ve acquired a new Warlock ability, Loyalty. I don’t know much about it, but my instinct says that it’s a two-way ability, meaning it will create an official alliance between us when I use it. I have to confess that I haven’t used it yet. It’s your decision whether or not I do.”
Hardon chewed her lip for several seconds before finally concluding this was her best option. She reached out her hand to shake on the deal.
“Um,” Jeshua said, as he shook her hand. “That’s a nice gesture, but I have to deploy the ability and allow it to affect both of us. An old-fashioned handshake is not enough.”
“Right, of course,” Hardon replied. “Go for it. I’m waiting.”
“Deploy Loyalty,” Jeshua said after he selected the option in his abilities sheet.
Nothing happened at first. Then, after a few seconds of awkward waiting, a thrumming echoed along the walls.
“What the…” Jeshua began.
“Oh,” Hardon said. “That’s just the front door, not your ability. It’s a doorbell but also an alarm. Someone’s here who’s too low-level to get in. Could be that they’ve come for us already.”
“That would not be ideal.” Jeshua grew anxious as he remembered Artifice had mentioned the visitor outside. Shit. He should have acted on it then. Too late now.
Hardon shrugged. “Only one way to find out,” Hardon shrugged and led Jeshua through the body scanner on their way to the practically impenetrable front entrance. She then pulled up a security cam feed. To Jeshua’s surprise, the visitor was Gilroy, the bandit he’d turned back as a spy using Guppy’s External Influence ability.
“You know him?” Hardon asked as she noticed the recognition on Jeshua’s face.
“He’s…Well, if we’re moving past our battle, and I’m asking for you to trust me, I’d better start showing a little trust as well. He’s one of my spies. Let him in, please.”
Hardon swiped at the security panel, and the steel-reinforced door slid open. When Gilroy laid eyes on Hardon, he froze. Jeshua mistakenly interpreted the reaction as that of fear.
“It’s okay, Gilroy,” Jeshua said. “She’s working with us now.”
“Oh, cool,” Gilroy said. He continued staring at Hardon, taking her in as if he were taking in Mount Fuji for the first time. That was an apt comparison, considering her tall stature, muscular frame, massive biceps, rock-solid thighs, and thick, broad hands. “Very cool. I like her already. I work out too, by the way. What’s your name?”
“Do you?” Hardon asked. She rolled her eyes.
“Twice a day. I never really liked having proxy fighters. I’d prefer to be on the mat, in the Arena, myself. If anything, I wouldn’t mind being a daemon. Think I could do all right.” He flexed in an attempt to show off.
“Believe it or not, that’s my preference as well,” Hardon replied, smirking a little. “Bet you wouldn’t last two minutes with me.”
“Depends on what kind of ‘lasting’ you’re referring to,” Gilroy quipped.
“So you like FBBs?” Hardon asked with a coy smile.
“What’s an FBB?” Guppy asked, whispering in Jeshua’s ear.
“Female bodybuilder,” he answered. “This is getting awkward.”
“Tell me about it,” Guppy added, cringing.
“I’m only short in stature, not where it matters,” Gilroy said to Hardon with a wink.
“Oh, dear,” Guppy whispered. “Can you please put a stop to this?”
“We don’t have time for this,” Jeshua barked. “You two can…wrestle while drenched in body oil and whatnot later. Put it back in your pants, BOTH OF YOU, and pay attention.”
Hardon and Gilroy faced Jeshua but not before stealing one more glance at each other.
While rolling his eyes, Jeshua asked, “Got anything for me, Gilroy?”
“Yes, but, I believe I have to deliver all intel to the daemon who deployed me.”
