Chapter 47: Chapter 42 – Griscent’s Pillar

 

 

“You’re stronger than other beholders, right?”

She flipped her wet hair. “Correct.”

“That’s right. You’re not a defect, and that’s exactly why the pillars won’t remove you.”

“What?”

“Social species have evolutionary reasons to have loners. Back in my world, a study on slime mold suggested that it’s in the interest of the collective species to leave behind a few individuals...”

“But why me? I’m not some slime mold!”

“Your abilities and ambitions are too useful for Beholders. Think about it, you help your species by planting new pillars. You’re so grumpy from life, you have no qualms about invading new lands to expand. Evil Eyes are purposely destructive to clear out any hindrance to the pillars’ safety.”

“I… I never realized.”

“Look, you’re so goal driven that you’re tunneling hard on fostering pillars. Your brain is entirely filled with your master plan to get accepted by one, no matter how many you’d have to plant.”

“T-that’s true.”

“You’ve gambled everything on that plan, so you fall into despair when it goes wrong, like when we invaded the mine. You desperately try to fix the plan to get back on track. That’s why you want to keep Violet under control.”

“Can you read my thoughts with the prison of illusion skill?... Wait, does that mean that I have no chance with the pillars?”

“I don’t think they will ever let you take your final rest.”

His words stabbed her heart. Her pupils shook as her neck grew limp. Deep inside, she already had that fear, but avoided it at all costs.

No wonder she didn’t want to bare her soul until Slade defeated her.

It was time to strike. The life-ring slime tightened around her waist like a trap. “You fear the unknown, but hope lies within that very place. To you, the unknown is a bloody sea. But to me, it is a sparkling treasure trove. That’s why you need me.”

She gasped. “I see!”

“You know, humans always chase after dreams and goals whispered by their instincts. But it never mattered whether their yearning led them straight into mirages, as long as it gave them hope and fulfillment. Realizing that they pursued the wrong goals is a normal occurrence to them. It’s a painful step for their growth.”

Griscent bit her lips, hearing that she was less mature than humans. But she reevaluated that species with a newfound respect.

“I believed emotions made humans inferior because they acted so irrationally… But we weren’t any better after all.”

Beholders were prideful. True, they were tools. But they saw their species as carefully crafted masterpieces too, and they would not lose to natural races such as humans. The sophisticated mechanical iris that hung on the ceiling and the broken arena where they fought were proof of their pride.

As it turned out, beholders weren’t so rational.

She shook her head, her self-esteem shattered. “What a fool I am… I can only act like I’m smart because I couldn’t take a look at myself.”

“Forget the pillars and join me in a journey to create new meanings for your life!”

She nodded with a blooming smile.

She might relapse into her Evil Eye instincts from time to time, seduced by the mirage of returning to the mother pillar.

But that was no issue, since she had someone to lean on; an ally to help her grow beyond that dead end.

His explanation could be wrong, but what mattered was the sense of closure provided for her struggles.

It went against the mind flayers’ program. But it was too late, now that she found her new pillar.

Meanwhile, Slade hid his expression from Griscent because he sucked at making poker faces.

It was time to leave the illusions after a brief rest.

She sliced open a spatial rift with her nail. “This is... the exit.”

The red water poured inside the portal, carrying both Griscent and Slade together. A blinding light embraced them.

A shy whisper reached Slade. “Thank you...”

Everything faded, including Griscent’s presence and Slade’s own body.

He floated into nothingness, refreshed by the sense of freedom.

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System windows appeared.

Slade sighed in relief. He managed to overcome the final hidden boss in a duel of wit (which was just about beating each other like brutes). Many lives were at stake, but he ended up with great rewards.

Worry lingered. He had sold Griscent a dream, and now, he better had to deliver.

Unbreakable loyalty meant that Griscent wouldn’t try to take over if Slade betrayed her trust. Instead, she would probably sulk in a corner and wait for death, having lost all hope.

That’s cool, but why is the window glitching?

That sounds ominous. Does the H.E.R.O. system refer to the status windows?

A metallic sound pulled Slade from his thoughts.

“What would be the sky without the stars?”

Tan’?

“Or the mind without the heart?”

Tannhauser? Hello?

“Alone they weep, but together, they shine.”

The knight didn’t show himself. Instead, he concluded his parting words.

“Even though I fade into the past, and you soar to the future, we will always shine together.”

Hey! Thank you for everything!

There was no response.

Still, it’s hard to believe that he’s my younger self. He went all philosophical on me.

Another system window appeared over the recovery window.

What the fuck? What?? I was an elemental spirit all along???

He recalled that his status was glitched. It didn’t show whether he was a rook or a pawn.

Wait, that’s right! My system glitched from the start!

Also, the system seemed too helpful to Slade. It conveniently provided help as he needed it.

Don’t tell me the system administrator is something buried in me too?

There was something really strange and creepy about discovering alien things like Tannhauser lurking beneath his conscious mind.

Ah… That’s right, I gave him my memories.

Everything was too strange.

Tannhauser seems to know a lot more than the surface “me”. I should probably ask him about why I’m here.

See? That’s oddly convenient!

After closing the quest update, the error window was replaced by a new one.

Jeez, this is all creepy.

While Slade was still trying to make sense of all the system windows, he woke up inside the damp cave of HollowEye.

The first face he saw was Milia’s.

“Hey you, you’re finally awake.”

 

 

 

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