Chapter 192: A Fair Trade
Still within the walls of the Vent Cathedral, John's initial shock at seeing the giant vent bug began to settle. His shoulders stayed tight, breath uneven, but nothing had attacked him yet, so he forced himself to stand still and not bolt.
'Are you feeling ill? Or maybe you are hungry?'
The large bug shifted closer, its weight grinding as its mandibles reached forward and brushed along John's side, light but deliberate.
'I'm okay, just a little…weirded out. But I'm glad the little guy made it back home. Since he's safe, I'll just make my way—'
'She.'
John stopped mid-step and turned back, eyes dropping to the small bug. Pointing at her, his brow tightened.
'She? But I thought—'
'They are all my daughters. The one who brought you here says you have been quite kind to her, and that you have provided her the most delicious food she has ever tasted. Would you feel inclined to share some with me? I am quite curious to taste it.'
John's face flushed, heat climbing up his neck. He rubbed the back of his head, then gave a small, awkward bow.
'Sorry, but I'm all out.'
The giant bug sank slightly at that, her mandibles lowering.
'That is unfortunate. I had hoped to enjoy something new before I died.'
John straightened, that last word hitting him harder than expected. His stomach tightened as he looked between the Matriarch and the small bug at his side.
'Hope I'm not being rude, but what do you mean? Are you sick?'
Seeing John's concern, the mother bug shifted her weight as a soft, dry chuckle slipped out.
'No, nothing like that. But once the demon defeats the Warden, this dungeon will end. And our lives will end with it.'
An unwanted tingle crept up John's neck, his skin prickling as he swallowed.
'You know how a dungeon works?'
At the word dungeon, every bug in the chamber erupted into clicking and hissing. The sound hit all at once, cutting and loud, and something pushed into John's head with it—anger, fear, grief—all tangled together and not his.
'Silence, children. You are upsetting our guest.'
At their mother's voice, the noise cut off. The pressure in John's skull eased, leaving a dull throb behind.
'Apologies. And to answer your question, yes, I know what a dungeon is.'
Pressing a hand to his temple, John waited for his pulse to slow, but his stomach twisted again.
'The demon you mentioned… how do you know he'll defeat this Warden?'
'He has already defeated Gundant, and even now he is confronting one of the Makara's strongest. But even that warrior will fall. They all will.'
The demon had to be Seo-jin. John didn't know who Gundant was, but the name sat heavy, like something big had already gone down.
'Is this Warden weak? Maybe he—'
He cut himself off before he could finish. What the hell was he hoping for? If Seo-jin lost, he was dead too.
'The Warden is not weak. In fact, he is stronger than the demon. But the demon is not alone… but you know that, do you not?'
John tensed for a split second, but he could feel it in her voice...no bite, no accusation, just a steady calm.
Seeing her words land, the matriarch lowered her mandibles slightly, the water around her shifting with the motion.
'No need to feel shame. I know you are with the demon, but I also know this is the will of Thuldan. Do not feel sorry for us.'
John looked down at the small bug and dropped to a knee as he reached out. The little girl scuttled forward at once, clicking fast as he lifted her, and the name Thuldan tugged at something he remembered from when his gills formed.
'This is your god's will? For all of you to die?'
A low laugh answered him.
'Not exactly. I am sure our god has little interest in me anymore. What is his will is this dungeon itself. It is his will that his people be tested.'
Exhaling through his nose, John shifted his weight as the thought settled. He had seen this kind of talk before, heard it from people who clung to something bigger to make sense of things, and it always sounded the same. Still, this wasn't some street corner rant, and the weight of it pressed different. One part really stuck.
'You said Thuldan doesn't have interest in you anymore. What do you mean by that?'
The moment the words left his mouth, the chamber went still. The air seemed to tighten, and even the small bug in his arms went rigid, her legs locking against his chest.
'Did I have his interest? You could say that. In fact… you could say that at one point, our god's thoughts were on me, and only me.'
He couldn't read her expression, but her voice carried it. Whatever memory she pulled from, it sat heavy.
'But these are times long past. Bringing them back now will only sour my mood. Tell me, human, as one whose role is to test us, why do you feel sad at our deaths? Your companions do not seem to share your feelings.'
John's cheeks warmed, and he shifted his weight in the water, fingers tightening around the small bug before easing again. The feeling caught him off guard, but when she pressed closer into his hand, nudging for more, the answer came easy.
'I've always been close with animals. When I was a kid, my mom used to scold me all the time for bringing home strays.'
'What are these strays? Are they land creatures?'
A small smile pulled at his mouth as he shook his head.
'Strays is just what we call an animal with no home. Before the Convergence, humans bonded with different animal species on earth. We fed them, protected them, and they stuck around. Let us, you know… cuddle. It started rough, but eventually they became our family.'
He scratched under the bug's chin, tilting his head as she leaned into it, her small body clicking soft in his hands.
'I guess this little girl just reminded me of that. Something we lost.'
Watching the way he held her daughter, the matriarch extended a mandible and brushed it along John's head.
'She likes you very much. It is a shame you met us at our end, but I am glad to share this time with a human who sees us as you do.'
John's stomach tightened again, a slow twist that didn't fade, and his shoulders sagged as the thought settled in. If the matriarch was right, Seo-jin would clear the dungeon, and the small weight in his hands would be gone with it. If there was a way—
'Wait!'
The matriarch flinched at the sudden shout, her body drawing back slightly. John set the little bug down with care, hands steady, and a faint system glow spread across his palm. A moment later, he was holding what looked like a leather sack.
Looking from the bag to the little bug, then back to her mother, John's eyes sharpened as he took a deep breath.
'I can save her. This is a beast bag. I can store a single creature inside it. I would take you, but you're too big. But if you'll allow it, I can at least make sure she makes it out.'
Tilting her head side to side, the matriarch didn't answer right away. She lowered her body instead, stone grinding under her weight, and began clicking to her daughter. The small bug clicked back fast, her body jerking with each response, until she bucked hard at the end.
When the matriarch looked back up, John felt his throat tighten, his fingers going still against the bag.
'You are a very strange creature. I cannot say I understand you, but I can see you are sincere in wanting to save her. When I saw what you did to protect my children from that eel, I knew you were different. For that reason, I will allow you to take her, and with her, you will also save my species.'
'Huh?'
Seeing his confusion, the matriarch shifted, her mandibles lifting in a way that almost looked like a smile.
'Besides my children, I am the only one of my kind. Once this dungeon ends, not a single one of us will remain.'
John shook his head, jaw tightening as his hands curled into fists at his sides.
'That doesn't make sense. How could your entire species be in one place? There has to be others, or maybe one didn't end up in the dungeon.'
'It is not possible. I am connected to all my children, and I am bound to the Cathedral. None will survive once the demon wins.'
It felt too clean, too final. The idea of an entire species boxed into one place sat wrong in his gut, but the weight in her voice didn't leave room for doubt. John drew in a slow breath, then met the giant bug's eyes, holding the stare.
'One will survive. I promise.'
A wave of clicking and hissing rolled through the surrounding bugs, the sound pressing in from every side, but John didn't flinch. His gaze stayed locked on the matriarch.
A single sharp click from the matriarch cut through the noise, and every bug went still. The silence that followed pressed heavy against his ears, thick and close, but he held his ground.
'I trust your words, human, but I do not trust your strength. If you are to protect her, if she is to survive in the human world, both of you will need to be stronger. A lot stronger.'
Heart skipping, John's chest tightened as he drew a slow breath.
'She will become the new mother, and you will be her protector. If you agree to stay with her, to guide her and keep her safe, I will bestow a blessing. Do you accept this charge?'
A small tug at his leg pulled his attention down. The baby bug looked up at him, her body pressed against his shin, and for a moment they just stared at each other. John smiled, then lifted his eyes back to the matriarch.
'I agree. I'll keep her safe, even if it costs me my life.'
It sounded stupid even as he said it, but his grip steadied and didn't waver. He didn't fully understand it, but the bond was already there, and walking away now felt wrong.
'Tell me your name, human, so that I may share it with our god.'
'My name is John. John Nagel.'
Clicks erupted again across the chamber, louder then before, the water around them shifting as currents twisted around his body.
'I will need some time to pray, but not long.'
He watched her settle, her massive frame lowering as her eyes closed, a slow, steady hiss leaving her in a rhythm that filled the space.
He reached down to pick the small bug up again, but stopped mid-motion, his brows pulling tight...the other bugs began to stir.
Clicks rose again, seeming frantic, and even the matriarch's eyes snapped open.
The water started to grow warmer against John's skin.
'What the hell's going on?'
'The demon. He has defeated Ghoolint. I must hurry.'
She closed her eyes again and resumed her prayer, the sound coming faster now, while John looked up at the stone ceiling as if he could see through it.
'Please, boss… slow it down a little.'
He scratched under the small bug's chin, the motion automatic, and let out a breath. He knew better than to expect that.
All he could do was wait and hope her prayer reached something before it was too late… or before the water around them got hot enough to cook them alive.
----
The entire second floor was set ablaze.
Every plant fed the fire as it tore through the tiers, heat rolling in waves, and the last of the Makara screams cut out one by one as bodies blackened and collapsed.
Standing just outside the center of the flames, Seo-jin held his ground as the storm raged around him. He had already stripped his armor, skin bare to the heat, his hair snapping in the updraft as fire circled and roared past his body.
Lying before him, Pain stayed on his back, the trident buried deep in his chest. The metal had gone white, the air around it warping, and small bursts started snapping across its surface like sparks breaking loose.
Then it began to melt.
[Sucks. That was a good weapon.]
'A fair trade. One he will pay back with interest.'
[An investment. Good way to look at it.]
The last of the trident ran down into the wound, metal sinking into flesh as it softened and gave way, then his flesh sealed shut with a wet crack. At the same time, Pain's blackened skin began to glow, dull red at first, then brighter, pushing toward white until the light forced Seo-jin to turn his head.
The stone beneath them sagged, edges softening as the floor gave way, molten rock pooling and sliding down through the tiers below.
'At this rate he's gonna melt the entire dungeon.'
[At least the temperature stopped climbing.]
He hadn't noticed until it was said, but the heat had leveled off. It still pressed hard against his skin, but it no longer climbed.
At that same moment, the light from Pain's body sharpened, and a high, tearing sound filled the space, like something stretched too far and about to break.
Seo-jin forced his eyes back through the glare, squinting past the heat, then his mouth pulled into a grin.
"Stand, son. You are saved."
He reached out as his own flesh shifted, bones and muscle realigning as his form changed, and behind him Bahamut and Tiamat lowered their heads, both steady in the fire as Azakh-Tur took shape within it.
Inside the blaze, the source of it all was already moving. Pain stood, his body still white, and lifted his hand in front of his face...his claws curled. As they did, the heat pouring off him dropped, white fading to red, then darkening as the glow sank back into him.
The flames around them snapped inward all at once, pulled tight into his fist like a collapsing current.
The fire vanished with a crack that echoed like thunder.
Whole again, Pain stepped forward and dropped to a knee, black smoke trailing from his mouth as he spoke.
"Praise Broodfather."
Looking down at him, Seo-jin didn't need a system panel to know.
Pain had gotten stronger.
A lot stronger.