“Then let’s get her started. What are you waiting for?” Balthazar’s enthusiasm on the subject was completely unfounded, at least to me.
“What are you even doing all this for?” I never got to ask about the purpose of his trials. All of the rewards and being rushed out kind of left me with the important questions.
“To prevent history from repeating itself.” He raised his hand motioning to the city around us.
“My home is no more and loved ones, slaughtered. They are still out there, reincarnating under the rule of the nobles, most likely on the same watchlist as you... on every new rebirth…” His back stayed turned as he went silent. I was sure his expression held both hatred and sadness right now.
“My only choice was to hide the city and resources, in hopes we would eventually be rescued.” He made hiding the whole city sound like an easy feat, though the teleportation tech made it somewhat believable. I figured the resources he mentioned were all the rewards from the trials and his knowledge.
“Wait, rescued… Don’t tell me you’re out there living another life somewhere?” I came to the slow realization that he cloned his mind into this virtual world.
“Undoubtedly sentenced to the worst fate out of my people… I’ve uploaded a portion of my mind to assist successful candidates.” For all we know, his actual self could be in the deepest pit of a dungeon under perpetual torture. Just thinking about it provoked a wince from the imagery alone.
“What about Iris, then? She doesn’t seem like a real person.”
“...A project, I’ve had a long time in solitude to figure out artificial intelligence. Thankfully, most of the work was finished beforehand, else it would have been a lonely existence here.” Thinking about being stuck here for such a long time, I couldn’t blame him. I know my mind would go mad from boredom alone.
“What benefit would there be for Eris to pass the trials? I already have the ring and the equipment inside, and you should know I’m not one to dismiss repaying a favor.” He knew my personality for the most part as a result of the third trial.
“There is more than one set of rewards prepared, for redundancies sake. Simple probability, it's always better to have multiple options. As for the rewards they differ based on the participant and their needs at the time. I cannot disclose any further information regarding the rewards.” Can’t or will not, I found it odd that he went out of his way to keep secrets from me at this point.
“I think I understand your intentions. Give me a moment, I’ll be back.” I willed myself out of the ringworld, to be greeted by the hovering Iris on my return.
“Will you help us?” That was a question I expected to be asked by Balthazar and it felt bad, to even consider refusing the child-like voice she mimicked.
“I’ll do what I can…, our goals somewhat align.” If it ever came down to choosing between his people or mine, the livelihood of mine came first. That wasn’t something I was about to say openly with her though. Saving them felt like the distant future since the current issues with everything going on, could lead to death before even reaching that possibility.
She replied with the most enthusiastic smile, something about hugging me if she had the body to do so and a cheer for my coming success. I told her I needed some time to discuss matters with the others, though she didn’t catch the hint and followed right behind on my way out. It's not like it was something that required secrecy, so I didn’t bother restating the remark.
Eris was the one I wanted to speak with and found her chatting with Tessa, separated from everyone else. She tied her hair up into a short ponytail with the previous exhaustion nowhere to be seen. I made my way over to her, instead of calling out.
“Eris, we’ve got to talk. ...Ah, Tessa you can stay if you wish.” I motioned a hold-up gesture after seeing Tessa bow her head and begin to withdraw from the conversation. She paused with a nod and stayed with us.
“Is everything okay?” Eris made eye contact with her reply.
“Uh…, for now.” That question was awkward for me to properly answer.
“Actually, Balthazar wanted to know if you were interested in attempting the trials.”
“I thought you succeeded them, are you not enough?” Her snowy complexion and stare caused me to freeze up. I got lost in her scarlet eyes, and the messy strands of hair sticking out around her ears from the ponytail. It added to the cute and determined persona she currently radiated.
It wasn’t until a head tilt, that I quickly returned an answer. “He mentioned an additional set of rewards prepared for others that beat the trials.”
I recalled everything we spoke about, for her to get a better understanding of Balthazar's purpose.
“Out of everyone here, you are the only one with the chance of passing the trials. The first one gauges to see if you possess enough ki or mana.” Eris nodded for me to continue. I know we talked about this on our way back from the first visit here but I wanted to make sure she had the chance to ask any questions, now that it involved endangering herself.
“The second is a thirty-minute deathmatch with reforcers of the past. All you need to do is survive the time limit.” I explained the details of the city and the difficulty I encountered during my attempt. That I only passed due to my shadow magic and may have tossed in a small brag by mentioning the successful protection of the city, with nothing to do but wait for the timer to end. Though I wasn't sure you could call, the destruction of half of the city a success.
Maybe Eris could defeat all the reforcers. She always tended to hold back around me and it seemed like her powers grew with each passing day. In the worst-case scenario, she would be able to run away and survive until the end of the time limit, with how difficult it was to kill her.
“And the third?” Her voice sounded unconcerned, though we both knew this one was the most dangerous. Failure here could lead to a different kind of death. Even if your body survived, it would be left as an empty husk without a mind to control it.
“That’s where it gets complicated… It will essentially differ for every person. It will be a nightmare that targets your emotional weaknesses.” This was the part I didn’t want to repeat, especially with Tessa here. A strange feeling to be concerned with, as I looked at Tessa. Thankfully, Eris noticed my unease and didn’t ask for a recount of what occurred during my nightmare.
I pondered the many different nightmares she would be forced to relive. Knowing part of her tragic past, I wouldn’t blame her for declining due to this trial alone. I even started to question whether the rewards were even worth the risk at this point.
“Okay, I’ll do it.” She stopped me before I could voice my opinion and attempt to change her mind, following up with her own thoughts.
“This is the closest I’ve been to escaping the endless cycle. I’m willing to give it a shot… Don’t forget your promise.” Eris walked ahead towards the temple entrance to undergo the trials.
I wanted to rebuke her by saying we never came to an agreement on the killing her part. Even if things turned grim, there was always hope if she continued to reincarnate. Plus, my excuse of not being able to control my magic was still a very valid one.
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