After the scream - 1 billion universes remaining
After understanding the source of the Monarch of Souls' aura, Jason and Orion took a moment to admire the surrounding landscape. They weren't in a hurry. They knew that even if they found the man they were looking for, he was under no obligation to answer their questions.
The city stretched endlessly around them. The streets were bustling, the roads saturated. The inhabitants seemed eager to return home, with the game Monarchy having undoubtedly taken an important place in their lives. Their presence seemed normal in the eyes of the inhabitants. The young played on park benches or hurried home. Even the elderly enjoyed the total immersion offered by the world of Monarchy to regain the bodies of their youth.
However, despite appearances, all of this had a price. Jason's perception allowed him to see far beyond what a mortal's eye could see. Each person wearing a headset was a node in a gigantic web covering the entire planet. Their souls were interconnected and linked to a gargantuan soul that seemed to envelop the entire galaxy, its shape resembling a jellyfish's head.
'That's a titanic effort,' thought Jason as he observed the scene.
"He's created a world within his own soul," Jason shared out loud.
Yet, one detail disturbed Jason so much that he now fixed his gaze on the immense soul covering the horizon without blinking.
'Why?'
It was such a simple question to ask but sometimes so difficult to answer.
While Jason was lost in thought, Orion eagerly looked at the nearby food shops. It took him about ten minutes to find the answer. Jason came back to himself and softly said:
"I see."
"In that case, let's go," responded a man's voice.
It wasn't Orion who had answered him.
Behind them stood a man Jason had never met. He was dressed in an old-fashioned red silk garment, contrasting with the modernity exuded by the planet's inhabitants. On his back, he carried what seemed to be a scabbard adorned with various engravings, containing a katana.
He hadn't even looked at them, his gaze fixed solely on the Monarch's soul floating on the horizon. The universe abruptly ceased to function, time stopped, and colors fled. The shades of black and white seemed to possess a biting coldness that Jason hadn't felt the last two times.
He glanced at Orion to ask for an explanation but didn't need to question him. Orion was looking at the stranger with blazing violet eyes. He seemed to have an extreme perception as he spoke in an emotionless voice:
"You have blood on your hands."
As he spoke, a portal opened beside him. After plunging his hand inside, he pulled out an object. He had grabbed a jet-black scabbard containing a slender rapier. When he unsheathed the rapier, white turned to black and black turned to white. It emanated sinister black wisps that seemed to corrupt the surrounding whiteness. Like a disease, the white gradually turned black, giving the surroundings an increasingly unsettling atmosphere.
The stranger turned his head to look Orion in the eyes:
"I don't believe you are in a position to judge what is good or bad, Mr. Orion, and you know that very well," he said, remaining impassive.
He continued, "The blood on my hands is also on yours without you even trying to wash it off. But we are not here to discuss that, are we? I received a letter containing instructions, you see. It asked me to join you because we share the same goal, with certain instructions in case Mr. Orion became impulsive upon seeing me."
Orion sighed slowly before sheathing his rapier. He placed it back inside the portal before making it disappear as well.
"What should we call you?" Jason asked politely to their new companion.
"You can call me Arden, Mr. Jason," he replied, turning to him.
"Have you found a way to access the soul of the Monarch above us?" Jason asked.
"Indeed. But Mr. Orion will need to let the universe resume its course. Otherwise, there might be some unintended consequences," he replied.
After a few seconds, the universe resumed its course, and Orion's hair and eyes regained their shimmering gold.
"What are you doing here, big brother?" Orion exclaimed upon seeing Arden, seemingly troubled by his sudden appearance.
Arden neither answered his question nor reacted to the fact that the man who had been about to try to kill him a few seconds ago was now calling him big brother.
He turned to Jason, who seemed to be a "reliable" companion: "Let's go," he announced before drawing his katana and teleporting directly to the surface of the Monarch's soul.
Before Jason could ask him about his plan, he had already created an opening in the outer membrane of the soul before them. His katana had pierced it effortlessly as if it had met no resistance along the way.
The trio slipped inside before the opening closed behind them.
'A regeneration worthy of the Monarch of Souls, although it doesn't seem perfect,' thought Jason, noticing a fine scar remaining on the membrane.
'Or perhaps his katana has properties that prevent complete regeneration,' he pondered, glancing at the katana Arden had drawn. However, he had already sheathed it. Jason decided to take a look inside the soul they had just entered.
They had entered the highest part of the soul, allowing them a clear view of their surroundings. There were, of course, oceans populated with marine creatures, but most of the world seemed to consist of various continents stretching as far as the eye could see. Some seemed paradisiacal, with ground resembling fluffy clouds and inhabitants gliding through the sky with white wings, while others were plunged into endless darkness, with nightmare creatures prowling in search of lost souls.
Most, however, were covered by dense vegetation and dotted with numerous mountain ranges. Castles rose on every hill, always accompanied by a town below. Despite the care that must have been taken in their architecture, they appeared tiny in Jason's field of vision.
"Can you guide us to the person you consider the most worthy in this world?" Arden asked, looking at Orion.
"Of course, big brother!" Orion exclaimed, excited at the thought of making him proud.
He dashed off at full speed, teleporting directly to a continent at the other end of the soul.
Before them stood a castle accompanied, of course, by its town below. Although its walls were not as high as those of the castle, they still stood about ten meters tall, preventing any wild beasts from attacking the inhabitants.
These protections would become quickly useless as the monsters grew stronger, but this town seemed to be in a relatively peaceful corner of the world.
The trio now stood before the city gates. There were several sentinels at the entrance to forbid entry to criminals.
These sentinels were not made of flesh and bone but the same viscous material present in the headsets. They mechanically greeted every person entering the city:
"Hello, young heroes! Fulfill the prophecy and awaken the magnificent Monarch slumbering in deep sleep!"
All around them were players leaving the city in search of nearby monsters and treasures, some casting intrigued glances at Arden due to his attire.
The trio seemed invisible to the sentinels, as they appeared to have been programmed only to see and interact with the players.
They entered the city without any problems, walking along the streets and admiring the stone houses. The streets were lined with merchant stalls selling weapons, amulets, and even potions to interested players.
Their small group finally stopped. They were standing before what seemed to be an inn that Orion was pointing at.
"This is it!" he exclaimed.