After walking into Vakra's makeshift lab, I was immediately called over to speak with him.
"Mizik, have you considered doing field missions for me? You look free at the moment," Vakra said.
"How could you tell?" I asked.
"Because people with things to do tend not to wander around aimlessly unless they're lazy. And I know for a fact that you aren't lazy."
"Well put...and yes, aside from training my body, I'm free right now. Is this about the heart stones?" I said.
"No. This is about another issue I have been concerned with for a while."
"Continue..."
"Excelsis is home to many very powerful divine beings, yes?" Vakra said.
"It is."
"Lesser gods like Iris or Johann are quite powerful in battle. Even the weaker ones are a problem. They aren't called gods for no reason. I believe attacking Excelsis will result in a massacre for most of our forces if we don't find some way of repelling the power of these lesser gods. Luckily, I have a plan... My old world, the paradox cluster of Kranox, possesses materials usable for this purpose. My goal is to create harnesses that will absorb the hostile energies of lesser divine beings and nullify them."
"Why not make it so we can absorb the power instead?" I asked.
"Because if they focus their power, you could be overloaded and explode. Oh, and Difar had a job for you as well. He wanted to speak with you. Well, not wanted, more like he deemed it necessary," Vakra said.
"Fine. We can go to Kranox, but what about Rose? Won't she come to attack us if we leave the Abyss?" I said.
"I'm counting on that. We have Valtheim as well as the convoluted mess that is my home world to shield us. Besides, I know exactly what I'm looking for. You're there to provide backup as well as to act as a lure for Rose. I like to believe that if she is distracted with you, Cassandra and Johann might have ample time to complete their assignment."
"Okay. But first, I'm going to talk to Difar about what he needs," I said.
Vakra nodded and waved me off.
* * *
Shortly after my talk with Vakra, I arrived in Difar's throne room to a breathtaking sight...
It was my family from Lorelei all huddled around my mother and father.
All of them were crying together.
Before I could walk over, I heard Difar speak behind me.
"Let them have their moment, Mizik. You'll just ruin it like you do everything else," he said.
"What do you want from me, rapist?" I said.
He glared at me, but didn't retort my insult.
"I want your...ugh...assistance with something delicate. Depending on how much you help me, I might decide to allow you a bit of time before I come after you when all of this is finished. I may even spare your beloved family from being thrown into the Deep Abyss," he said.
"So they're hostages?" I said.
"Something like that. Depending on your answer, I might dispose of them."
"Won't that violate the rules of the contract?" I said.
"No. The contract specifies your allies. They are Corrupted citizens of the Abyss. Even if they are your family and love you, they are technically under my rule. I can do as I please with them. Their souls will be tortured and devoured in the Deep Abyss. They'll be destroyed. And after that, you won't be able to save them at all," Difar said.
"Fine! What do you want, asshole!?"
"You have plenty of time, right? I want you and Cassandra, after she returns, of course...IF she returns...to go into the Deep Abyss and slay a greater abyssal entity called 'The Devourer'. He was one of my allies during my conquest and he has begun to annoy me."
"Okay...why do you want him dead?" I asked.
Difar raised an eyebrow at me.
"Do you always have to ask questions? Does it really matter why I want him dead?" Difar said.
"Then don't tell me. I don't give a shit. I was only curious," I said.
"Ugh...you insufferable little... Look, I was an ally of his thousands of years ago when the Abyssal War began. He lent me his help until I successfully created Valtheim. Then he became irrelevant. But even to this day, he expects tribute as a so-called ally of mine. I would also rather not kill him myself for political reasons. Basically, the whole situation is annoying and I want him dead. He's just an irritating leech at this point."
"Consider it done...IF you listen to my demands," I said.
"Okay. Let's do business," Difar said.
"I'll do this and whatever else you want until the Oracle is dead. When I do something for you, you give me more time before you come after me. Next, you spare my family."
"You're asking for quite a lot...but I suppose I can allow it. Even if I despise you. Especially because I despise you."
"You'll give me something because you hate me?" I asked.
"Precisely. Do you know what I hate most about you? Your weakness. You're supposed to be 'The Chosen Hero', right? The man specially selected by the Creator to take down Cain Difar, the abyssal god of Corruption. You're little more than a child. The very idea that you could actually kill me is a joke so hilarious that I could almost literally die laughing."
"For once, you're right. The thought of me actually killing you right now is utterly ridiculous."
"Of course it is. But I guess you were on the right track with those annoying crystals of yours. You managed to take down one of my fragments. That equates to...one hundredth of my full strength. Terrified yet?" He said.
I was literally not surprised at all.
But it further reinforced his point.
To him, I was little more than an ant.
If I was in my strongest state, he might have to take me a bit seriously. But in the end...it would be pointless.
Difar was truly someone worthy of the title of King of the Abyss.
"I think I like this idea... I want you to amuse me. Let me go all out for once in my life, and I'll make an example out of you. Kill the Devourer and his blood will seal my words. You may come for me when you are ready. Fight me at your full strength and show my people that I am truly unstoppable. I genuinely want to know what the 'Chosen Hero' is fully capable of. I won't hunt you down, I will spare your family, and I won't send Valtheim to assassinate you...but..."
"But...?"
He smiled sinisterly.
"I will not relent in my war against creation. I will continue until all worlds have been consumed and assimlated."
"Then I guess I don't have an infinite amount of time? I can't just have you wait down here for an eternity?" I said.
"Ha. As if I were that stupid. No. I will continue onward as normal. When you're ready, you may come find me. I'll make a spectacle out of it," Difar said.
"Will you really spare my family? I know you're a monster, but they're innocent. They have nothing to do with our quarrel," I said.
"Kill The Devourer and I'll ensure their safety. No matter what. Oh, and be careful with him...he bites. GAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!" Difar said.
Once he had finished, the monster I had seen speaking with him before levitated over to me.
"Consider yourself fortunate to be graced by his Dark Majesty's presence, Chosen Failure. Even more fortunate to receive his mercy." It said.
It sounded female...somehow...
"Seriously? Difar is an evil pile of shit. He doesn't deserve even half of the respect you monsters give him," I said calmly.
"INSOLENT WORM! HOW DARE YOU!!!"
The creature lunged at me with one of its tentacles, but I didn't bother to move.
It stopped before hitting me and screeched loudly as it was electrocuted with black lightning.
It fell to the ground writhing in pain and Difar walked over to it.
"Are you stupid? DO NOT ATTACK HIM!!! WE HAVE AN ABYSSAL BINDING CONTRACT FORCING A CEASEFIRE, YOU IDIOT!!!! WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF YOU KILLED HIM!?!?" Difar screamed in rage.
"L-lord Difar...please forgive me! He insulted you! I could not stand for such a thing!"
"I DON'T GIVE A SHIT!!! HE DOES IT ALL THE TIME!!! IF I END UP BACK IN LORELEI BECAUSE OF YOU, YOU'LL BE EATEN BY VALTHEIM!!! DO YOU UNDERSTAND!?!?"
"I...I..."
Difar stomped on one of the creature's tentacles and glared at it.
His physical form began to warp until he had increased greatly in size.
His eyes turned completely purple and his teeth became as sharp as razors.
"DO YOU UNDERSTAND!? ATTACK HIM AGAIN AND YOU'LL FACE MY WRATH!!!" He roared.
"Y-y-yes!!! Your Dark Majesty! Lord Difar!!! Please forgive me!" The creature cried.
Difar kicked it in the side and sent it back a few feet. Then he changed back into his base form.
"Good. Don't let it happen again," he said.
The creature didn't respond but slowly floated into the air.
I caught it glaring at me but I rolled my eyes and walked away.
* * *
The next day, I was feeling rather tired.
I was so used to sleeping with Cassandra, that I couldn't quite get comfortable. She was a fantastic pillow as well as something to hold onto.
In other words, I was feeling lonely.
Despite how hardened my heart had become, I still had a soft spot for her.
As I made my way to the training ground, I was approached by Carlos.
Vakra sent him to deliver a message to me that he would be ready to depart by the next day.
Although he called it a cycle.
Since the Abyss had no day or night, we registered our schedules in twenty-four-hour cycles that were managed by a clock Vakra made.
As much as I wanted to, I chose not to spend time with my family during my spare day.
Instead, I trained alone until it was time to sleep again.
* * *
The next...cycle...
Vakra called me into his lab.
"So, what's the plan? What are we looking for?" I asked.
"Well, first of all, I want to say that we will be working on using some of the few remaining heart stones I have in my inventory to strengthen the Enforcers. Don't worry, I already told Iris how it works. And our mission is to collect Paradite," Vakra said.
"What's Paradite?" I asked.
"A mineral that was originally thought to be useless. And by itself, it is. It's a unique type of ore that forms on Kranox. It was originally called Paradoxite, but we thought that sounded stupid. So we changed it."
"What does it do, exactly?' I asked.
"Like I said, by itself, it's useless. But when combined with other forms of the same type from parallel worlds...it becomes much more interesting," Vakra said.
I had a feeling that things were about to get complicated...
"By interesting, what do you mean?"
"It begins to gain magical qualities. Mostly at random, but I should be able to calibrate it properly to gain the ones I need. You'll be there to keep Rose from disturbing me and also to lure her away from Excelsis. Just...pretend to be a Demon Lord," Vakra said.
"I don't have to pretend around Rose. It doesn't matter what I say. To her I'll always be a Demon Lord..." I said.
"Good. Valtheim? Take us to Kranox. Version 85,775," Vakra said.
How many of these damn worlds are there!?
A moment later, Valtheim appeared.
"I...obey..."