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pat.treon:/Keanu_Eugene
CHAPTER START---
Looking out past his balcony Yang could see the overcast skies casting a gloomy presence above the land.
Six weeks after the War Game he stands fully healed, wearing simple combat clothes with his Zinogre Coat draped atop his shoulders.
Seeing the few rays of sunshine desperately trying to squeeze through, trying to bring the summer heat that it was supposed to, Yang turns to look over at his bed.
Lying peacefully asleep, naked under his covers, was Freya, messy hair and all, but the smallest frown on her face.
She just showed up in his room the previous night, likely hearing from someone that he was leaving today, and for some selfish reason, neither of them said a word all night. Simply enjoying the comfort they wouldn't be able to feel until his next lifetime.
Turning back to the balcony door he slides it open and steps outside before shutting it behind him. Still not even feeling any difference, his skills once more making him numb to all but the most extreme temperatures.
Closing his eyes he takes a deep breath and stretches his magic far and wide, directing it upward and keeping it dense.
A small smile plasters his lips before he rockets into the air courtesy of two blue flames below his feet.
Hearing the small roar as his flames burst to life, Freya waits for a few seconds before opening her eyes. Having been awake for a while, simply sparing them both the pain of this last goodbye.
Sitting up she stares out toward the horizon, eyes wide at what she sees. Pulling a pillow to her bare chest she leans against the backboard and simply enjoys the gentle falling snow, a small smile on her lips.
'He remembered, thank you, Odr...' she muses to herself while squeezing his pillow that much tighter. Inhaling deeply through her nose to bathe in his scent all over again.
Standing atop Babel Hephaestus feels the rushing winds suddenly trying to freeze her to the bone. She hugs herself and massages her arms, her regular top perfect for the hot summer winds from moments ago, horrendous for this weather.
Hearing a few crackling flames she feels the air around her become warmer as the winds completely stop affecting her.
"Isn't this a bit much," she gestures to the overcast skies as she turns around. Seeing Yang suddenly standing at the edge of the roof, gentle snow falling all around them and working to blanket the city. "It's supposed to be summer," she says while walking over to him.
He sighs and meets her closer to the middle of the roof. "It'll only last a few days, nothing serious."
"Right, sure," Hephaestus takes another look around at the falling snow. "I see why this is her favorite weather, it's beautiful..."
Looking around Yang almost gets lost in his thoughts for a moment before turning back to Hephaestus, "why'd you call me up here to talk, your office would have been fine."
Hephaestus gives him a tired look and sighs. "If you're about to ask what I think you're about to ask, more privacy the better, so?"
Yang gives a small smile and raises his right hand, a few sealed letters in blue envelopes appear between his fingers in a gentle white glow, summoned from his inventory. "First things first," he offers them to her.
Taking the letters she reads the intended recipients aloud, "Welf, Thalie...Freya?"
He nods, "the things I can't bring myself to say in person, this is easier.
"Riveria?" she raises the letter in question.
"I could have been better, she deserved better," he says.
"Riveria & Lefiya?" her face twists in confusion as she gestures to this letter.
"A training program for Lefiya, I hate to see talent wasted and that's exactly what Loki is doing," he says.
"Why not letters for those other two you think are talented, hmm?" She quirks a brow at him.
Yang shrugs, "Airmid is a healer so she's fine, and Cassandra isn't affected by Falna stats and skills."
"And what about my letter?" Hephaestus teases. "And Tsubaki too, she's your captain, at least on paper."
"Psh, you're my goddess, you know how I feel about everything, and so does she. If you two talk as much as I think you do," he accuses.
"Yeah, we do, I'll hand these out when we announce you're unfortunate death in the dungeon," she neatly stacks the letters and holds them at her side. "You shouldn't be too hard on normal people, most gods don't even know how Falna works, the fact that you figured it out is supposedly impossible."
"Most gods," he smirks at her. "But you know, right, Ms. Creator?"
Hephaestus frowns and shakes her head. "I figured that's what you wanted to talk about, it was only a matter of time before you put it all together anyway," she grumbles. "Normally I'd deny everything but...since you're leaving I don't really care, so what do you know? And how exactly did you figure it out?"
"Just a theory, tell me how much is true," Yang folds his arms across his chest and begins pacing back and forth. "You said the previous god of creation domain gave you his role, he was sick of making worlds that the gods eventually got bored with, right?"
"Right," Hephaestus says.
"Well, I figured if this world is the latest, then you made it, so you made the dungeon and the system for all the reincarnated souls, right. But the question was, why the dungeon? Why the monsters? Why the Falna?"
Hephaestus sighs, "I assume you have a theory."
"Mhm, you said my world became advanced so the gods left, they weren't needed, this was back when everyone first found out about my world, and it got me thinking. The gods got bored because we didn't need them, but if my world had a constant endless enemy and fewer resources to develop technology, we'd be lucky to have Falna, right?"
"Ugh," Hephaestus groans. "Sometimes you're too smart and other times you think with your dick, can't you choose one?"
"No," he chuckles at her frustrated expression.
"All true, but on the test words the sentient species always destroyed themselves, the world, or each other when they realize Ouranos and I basically made them to be toys for gods, and the other gods certainly wouldn't take kindly to being treated like children, to us making a world where they actually have a use and are appreciated, forever."
"Mhm," he stops pacing and taps his chin, looking at her curiously. "So if you made the system that reincarnated people here... why not just make your perfect Welf?"
"That's the one thing we can't influence, free will, that's why skills like Freya's that can charm are so rare."
"And I assume the dungeon goes on forever, with a god at the core controlling it, right?"
"Mmm, basically, wouldn't be very useful if people got to the end and found Gaia, she took one for the team and sacrificed herself to create the dungeon, the gods would have run too wild across the worlds otherwise, stretching the connections with Heaven far too thin, that's why we were sealed by Heaven into this world or Heaven, no others."
"Ok, aside from being sealed I didn't know any of that stuff. But that means the dungeon isn't the key, Falna is, right?"
"Right," Hephaestus confirms. "And other prizes on the deeper floors, to be given whenever Gaia feels like it was earned, the actions of the dungeon are the only way for her to communicate with us, fortunately for you, I doubt she appreciates The Angel being present."
Yang looks out to the horizon as he ponders her words. Placing his hands on his hips he shakes his head, "an endless dungeon for people to have no choice but to rely on gods, and the gods get tricked into feeling important to prevent boredom. This is fucked up, you know that, right?"
"We know, the three of us agreed to it when we formed the plan."
"Well it is what it is, not my place to judge, especially when the alternative is people like Loki running around innocent worlds completely bored with all her divinity active," he shudders at the thought.
"Exactly," Hephaestus chuckles. "A real nightmare."
Yang chuckles before turning to look at her, "but what's the prize? There has to be one, right?"
"You already have it, in a sense," Hephaestus says, much to his confusion. "Falna is limitless potential, with no limit to how many levels there are, and the dungeon is limitless, more difficult fights to keep you filled with Exelia, you can literally do whatever you want as long as you continue growing that fragment of Arcanum in your Falna," she shrugs.
"Hmm," Yang's eyes open wide in surprise. "Arcanum is Divinity, so...?"
"No, you can't," she says. "By nature a being created outside of heaven can't be a god, but even I don't know what the upper limit of Falna is, that's the point."
"Ahh, I see," he says as they fall into a comfortable silence.
Taking a step forward Hephaestus pulls him into a tight hug, pressing her face against his chest, the sudden affection causes him to freeze for a moment before returning the hug.
"Good luck on your expedition," she says quietly.
"Thanks, my goddess," he gives her a gentle pat on the back.
Breaking the hug she gestures to the stairs on the roof leading inside. "I need to go finish my renovation plans for the top ten floors, I'll see you in the next lifetime, gonna be really weird when Freya brings you back here as a baby," she says with a somewhat sour expression.
"She isn't gon---" Yang pauses, realizing that's exactly the kind of thing his psychopath beloved would do. He sighs in defeat, "alright, until the next lifetime," he takes one leap back and falls off the edge of the roof, plummeting toward Babel Plaza.
As he disappears from sight the sudden freezing wind picks up again, almost causing Hephaestus to stumble. Catching herself before she falls down the stairs she can't help the sour look on her face as she goes inside.
With blue flames softening his landing Yang descends to the water fountain in Babel Plaza, seeing a bored Welf and Thalie sitting at the edge of the structure waiting for him, both in their standard combat clothes.
"Snow? Seriously?" Thalie asks. "It's summer."
Welf rolls his eyes at her, "it's called being romantic, it's a pretty cool move."
"Thanks, finally someone gets it," Yang says. "Now let's get this expedition started, we've got a dragon to kill...and you're taking point," he tells Welf. "Show us what our new level-7 can do..."
And thus the final expedition of this trio begins, the journey home...
END CHAPTER---