Chapter 24: SS – Mikael Wheel, Mikael Deal

I remember the day
And remember it well.

All I had left
For me to sell,

Was the time that I had,
My talent, my dream.

I was out on my own,
Or so it would seem.

********

"Good day," the salaryman said. "Thank you for joining us."

He was the most aggressively dull man I had ever seen.

A face that was neither round nor angular. Hair that wasn't bright or dark. Eyes that didn't shine and a smile so insincere you knew he would rather down a bottle of pills than keep talking. Though he wore a well-fitted, clean black-and-white suit and shirt, he somehow made it look worn out.

The room matched the dull man.

It was a conference room, one made in the style of thousands of others. A triangular table, meant for a half dozen people, was only occupied by the three of us. In its center was a device you could connect a laptop to, allowing you to share your screen with the display board against one wall. Its walls were plain, not cold but not warm. The chairs we were seated in were comfortable enough to not be considered painful.

There were no windows.

"Of course," I replied by well-practiced instinct. I had been in hundreds of meeting rooms like this. I knew the banal formalities by heart. That didn't stop the kernel of worry in my gut. You needed to prepare for meetings. I had no notes, no idea of the topics. To be honest, I had no clue where I was at all. "Thanks for making the time to meet."

Even as I turned to this little board room's third and final occupant, I forgot the boring salaryman's features.

Not that there were any of note.

She, too, was a study of black and white, though she was the opposite of Dull McBoring.

Her skin was a pale white. Like she had never seen the sun in her life. Her hair was as black as pitch, as was her clothing. Far from being dressed formally, her jeans and spaghetti strap shirt were highly casual. Combined with her tattoo, an Eye of Horus around her actual eye, her studded belt, and her black gloves, she would have looked more at home in a poetry reading than in a boardroom. I liked her necklace, though the Ankh was a bit large for my taste. Too clunky.

She smiled at me.

Unlike the plastic one the dull man wore, it was a soft, compassionate smile.

I relaxed a little. If she could get away with wearing that, this probably wasn't too formal a place.

"We should begin," the man said. He pressed a button on a panel in front of him. "Begining final offer. Participants are myself, acting as Company Representative. Death, in her capacity as Patron, as well as customer/vendor. Subject #%^EI, henceforth referred to as Mikael. Everyone present and of sound mind?"

"Present." The woman said.

"Present and in as sound a mind as I ever am," I said, plastering on my 'charming business smile.' Unlike this dreary man, I knew the value of not only being professional but likable. Too genuine, and you risked looking unprofessional. Too remote, and you looked fake.

I was curious about what was going on.

I didn't feel like I was dreaming, but when the salaryman had listed out the subject number, only parts of his words made sense. Like his voice was coming through an old CRT with static trouble. Either way, whether I was dreaming or hallucinating, I would have to act like this was happening and proceed accordingly.

It was the only way to live.

That and the suit I found myself wearing was very nice. Nicer than anything I had ever worn before. It felt and breathed much better than silk.

Would they let me keep it when this was over?

"Relevant procedures are: Patron Request Form Q&*9. Black-Mark Protocol. Exception Policy 34{#S%GH. Standard M-P package. Redundancy case seven in progress." The odd static repeated as the man droned on, his voice bored out of his mind.

I could sympathize.

I've dealt with enough repeated and pointless meetings to know sometimes you would rather be doing anything else.

"Please verify that this is your employment application." He pushed another button, and the screen on the wall lit up. I stared at it, uncomprehending what I was reading for a moment.

Then I finally put the pieces together about what I was looking at and what was happening.

"I did fill out the Waifu Catalogue this way," I answered The Company Representative.

"Subject Mikael has pleaded guilty, proceeding with meeting." He droned.

"Guilty? What?" Now lost again, I looked to the Rep, the woman, and back.

"I think," the goth woman, Death, said before the Rep could continue. "It would be better to explain for our future working relationship."

The Rep sighed. Like he was being asked to do some great duty he really didn't want to engage with. Whatever fake energy he had when we started this meeting was already wearing thin.

"Very well," he said. He picked up a laser pointer and directed the green dot to a particular line of my choices. "You recognize this option?"

"Black-Mark. A DLC, if I remember right." I frowned in thought, trying to pull up the memory. I had written that story a month ago and hadn't thought about it since. That kernel of worry was now a full-blown hole in my gut. "Gives you 80% of your starting credits in exchange for not getting any for captures and not being able to make any purchases after."

"Correct, it also flags all applicants who select it as non-compliant. All those who fill out the waifu catalogue, as you know it, are marked as applicants for positions. We seed the various forms with flags to help weed out those who would not prove profitable to The Company. The Black-Mark, as the name suggests, voids any sort of application. Those who choose it aren't willing to play ball for one reason or another. The standard procedure is to ignore them. All their applications are void."

"Ok," I said slowly, not seeing where he was going with this. If my 'application' was void, why was I here?

I had chosen the Black Mark because it made sense for my writing story. I wasn't planning a long-run thing, just a One-shot. It had been a fun little jaunt, a crack fic about how easy it was to power game the Catalogue. Despite the Soulsborne worlds being Deathworlds, the inherent logic of those worlds ensured that even a level 1 scrub, if they were determined enough, could kill gods.

Strictly speaking, if I wanted to be really silly, I would have simply gotten Inexaustable Talent and Lancer Artoria. We then Rhongominiad our way through the world, blowing anything up that looks at us funny.

The theory was sound.

That is what Morgan was doing in Lostbelt 6.

I chose the other nine women because of my conservative investing nature. A diverse portfolio is a safe one. Everything else, the talents, defences, and the Dragon heritage, was me playing with the wish fulfilment options.

As I said, it was a silly little story.

"Just because your application was void doesn't mean the Company didn't receive it." Death said. "And, as soon as they did, I noticed. You fit my requirements."

"Death is one of our Premium Patrons," the Rep continued, sounding exhausted. "This entitles her to certain privileges most do not have access to, our discard pile included. She requested we waive your Void status. She was most... insistent." He almost hissed the word.

Again, I could feel some sympathy for the man. I had dealt with plenty of customers who wanted exceptions made for them. The Karens of the world, who thought they were owed things because 'the customer was always right.'

Death smiled smugly, looking impish.

"How does that make me guilty of anything?" I asked, feeling frustrated. Almost angry. It was a pet peeve of mine. I hated being accused of things I didn't do.

"Standard procedure in such cases," the Rep droned on, uncaring for my frustration. "Is to apply for an exemption form. She did and was approved, so long as she paid the upcharge fee and agreed to the M-P package. At that point, we should have followed the instructions in the package. You would be dropped into the world, and we wouldn't be here." He sighed again.

"I asked for this meeting." Death clarified. "It'll clarify a few things, and I will only proceed with the process if you agree."

"Agree to what? I didn't sign up for a Patron. I don't do well with bosses I can't get rid of." I had terrible bosses and good bosses in the past. The latter was the rarer case.

"I'm not going to be your boss," Death told me. "We're going to be partners, co-conspirators if you wish."

"Ok," I said, holding up my hand to stop her. That was something I could latch on to. It was leverage. I now recognized this for what it was. A negotiation, not a meeting. It was essential to control the flow of negotiation. "Let's take things one step at a time. I get that my choice with the Waifu Catalogue blacklisted me. You still want me to be 'recruited.' We can get to why later. So, if I agree and am recruited, what does it mean? And what is the M-P package?"

"M-P stands for Monkey's Paw. Should you agree," the Rep said the word with a tired sneer, like the idea of consent was beneath him. "You will be provided everything you applied for. You will be sent to a Soulsborne series of worlds."

"What's the twist?" I asked, looking at the 'man' dubiously. Let him talk. The more I knew, the more I could control. "You literally just said it's a monkey's paw. So, how are you going to screw me over?"

"You will be alone," Death said. "No companions, no dragon, no defences. Just you, your talents, and lures. Anyone you bind will also disappear, so you can't recruit others and give them the catalogue benefits. More than that, even if you beat one game, you will simply move to the next, then the next. Over and over, forever."

"That sounds... terrible. Really awful." I almost laughed at her. "Why on earth would I agree to that? I'm a sadist, not a masochist. I like those games, but I know how much their worlds suck. Especially since I've never fought a day in my life. Being stuck there forever sounds like actual hell."

"Not forever," Death smiled impishly again. "The prison lasts forever. That is Company Policy. They personalize M-P packages based on the person for whom they are forced to make an exception. Petty revenge. What better way to screw a Dragon of Freedom than to put them in a never-ending prison? But that's the thing, going to the jail is the punishment. Nothing says you have to stay there. I wouldn't have spent all this for someone to be trapped forever."

"So you bust me out?" I asked, trying to see what the plan was. They had come to this negotiation with clear intent and goals and knew what this was about. I was playing catch-up.

Thankfully, this wasn't the first time I had to do so.

"No," the Rep said in his tired voice. "You are alone. No outside help is allowed while you are in your chosen worlds."

"Then?" Keep them talking. Keep them talking.

"Your actual body will be the dragon form you purchased." The Rep elaborated. "What will be 'imprisoned' will be avatars. Your avatars will be puppets. Controllable from the outside. The body will be resting. If you manage to wake it, you will be able to free yourself by nature of your Element and Dragon Break. That is the condition we have agreed on. It is how you will 'escape.'"

"Seems a bit complicated," I said, turning over ideas in my head. "How do I wake it up?"

"There are several ways," Death said. "If you manage to reach 'max level,' meaning get to a level of power where you can't grow anymore, the excess will flow to the Dragon waking it up. That is the one I am counting on. Others include somehow linking your mind to the dragon body, reversing the nature of the world you are in or destroying the 'cell.' They are all theoretically possible, just highly unlikely."

"So escape is possible," I nodded, a plan already forming in my mind if I decided to go through with this. That was a big 'if.'

"Your avatars will forget this entire conversation," Death said dryly. "You won't know the conditions for attaining your Freedom. So you won't know to grind for currency."

"Why?" I asked, frowning. How had she known my plan? Were they reading my mind? No! I couldn't fall into that trap. Overestimating the other side could be worse than underestimating them. Keep them talking. "Why are we even having this conversation then if I'm going to forget it?"

"Your avatars will not remember," the Rep droned. "Your actual self, the Dragon, will remember once you serve your time. Though I do agree, why are we here?"

"We are here," Death said severely, staring at the Rep and myself. "Because I would rather work with a willing man than a slave. Especially when I will be counting on them for the rest of time. I have followed proper procedure and abided by all contracts with The Company. Though this is an exception to the Black-Mark Policy, it is still within the bounds of your operations. It is suboptimal for all involved. I would rather he be free with his purchases, and you would rather not deal with him. Mikael has been taken from his world with barely an explanation and threatened with hell on earth for checking a box on an online form. He has still acted more professionally than you."

Far from being chastised, the Rep just rubbed his eyes.

I was ecstatic, though I didn't show it.

She had just given me everything I needed.

They were not a united front.

I was the one that decided whether a deal was made.

"Once you manage to attain your freedom," Death turned back to me and continued to explain. "You'll be able to control both your avatar and your body, but I suggest you wait until your dragon body grows to its peak before doing anything. You can travel to the pocket space you purchased. All the women you chose will be there. Get to know them and explain what is going on. Try to seduce a few. That sort of thing. I'll be able to compress the time for you so it will only feel like a few months or a few years rather than the long time it will take you to reach the peak of tier 10."

"Why do you want me to wait?" I asked before a better question came to mind. "Why should I wait in the first place? What stopping me from taking off with Dragon Break the second I get free?" Each of them had to have their own traps. The fine print. The Company was plain about theirs, though I wouldn't be surprised if some hidden mines were placed. The question was; could the benefits outweigh the risks of the dangers?

"Nothing will be stopping you," she nodded, acknowledging the point. "However, I will hold on to your Defences as an incentive. I will give them back to you once to reach your peak. It just makes better sense for you to pass the time quickly and quietly, gathering strength before you go galavanting around the multiverse."

"So I go from maximum security to minimum security?" I organized my thoughts, asking another question to verify I had what I needed to know. "Anything else I need to be aware of about my 'sentence?'"

"No," the Rep sighed. "You will start in the world of Dark Souls 1, in the Asylum. Everything from there is up to you alone. Even if you bind someone, you will never get any credits and can make no purchases. The only method of binding still allowed will be through your bite since you paid for it. All others, those usually included in the Catalogue, will not work. Despite this exception, we will enforce the Black-Mark's full effects. You will never have contact with The Company again, nor will we interfere with anything you do."

"That is The Company done," I said, turning to face Death fully. "They are following procedure to make an example out of me. I get that. Exceptions are bad for a business. But what are you getting out of this? As I said, I never signed up for a Patron."

"I get you," she said to me. I deadpanned at her, which made her laugh lightly. "I am serious. Most patrons choose their agents either to act as mercenaries or to gather more credits. We get a cut of credits for any capture that our agents achieve. We have a separate store we use. The more credits you have, the more options available. Since you are Marked, I will not be making any sort of profit by being your Patron. In fact, I have invested so much in purchasing this exception that it will be eons before I gain enough to make it back into Premium status. All I get out of this is you."

"Why me?"

"Because you fit my goal perfectly," she leaned forward to grab my hand over the table. The angle allowed me to stare down her shirt, but I ignored it. I could be horny when not on business. "Your purchases are so in-line with my wishes that I thought it was a prank at first. Firstly, your only control was the Command Spells. Those can be resisted or negated entirely since they are not fiat-backed. Second, you willingly chose to forgo controls, yet included lures tell me a lot. A willingness to skirt traditional morality but still retain a bottom line. I do not need a hero or a villain. I have enough of those."

"Third?"

"The third reason is the most important one." She tightened her grip on my hand. Her smile, once impish, widened into a pure expression of joy. "There are many who fit those two criteria. Only you do so while choosing the Freedom Element with your Dragon Heritage."

"I also chose Life," I pointed out, but she waived her other hand. Keep her talking.

"Life dragons, while powerful and hard to kill, are a dime a doze. Do you know how rare it is for someone to not only choose the dragon heritage but choose something as abstract as Freedom? The best way to describe it would be one in a Googleplex. Human imagination, as limitless as it is, is often repetitive. Then for the Element in question to be as open-ended and powerful as 'freedom?' After watching multiple realities for millennia, you are the first to have that unique combination that fits perfectly to my criteria."

"By the very nature of the multiverse theory, nothing is unique." I pointed out, trying to poke holes in their logic to reveal inconsistencies. Though they were 'higher beings,' I felt no need to fear either. Fear could be useful if it helps survival. Since they were so far beyond me, feeling fear or not produces the same result. "Even if no one else makes the same choices, which I don't believe is true, other versions of myself would still fit your criteria."

"You are the seventh version of Mikael we have talked to," the Rep said. He sounded so done with the world I wanted to tell him to take a nap. Or drugs. One of the two. Still, that narrowed my options. I had something they wanted, but I didn't have a monopoly. "Should you decline, we shall move on to number eight. It would be easier if we just took one of you, but she paid for the redundancy package."

"If I waited long enough, I might even find someone who isn't Marked." Death acknowledged. "Just because I have a long time doesn't mean I will procrastinate forever. It is better to seize chances, even if they may be costly."

"But why do you want me?" She had told me why me, but not what she actually wanted.

"It is better to show you."

She let go of my hand and leaned back in her chair.

Between one moment in the next, she changed.

It wasn't shapeshifting or the rearrangement of her features. It was more complete than that.

Where before Death of the Endless sat, Lady Death from the Evil Ernie series now sat. White skin, silver hair, wearing the equivalent of leather straps to hide her more generous curves.

You know how I said being horny was for when I wasn't on business?

I was wrong.

Then, mercifully, she changed again.

Her clothes covered more of her. Her skin went from white to gray. Her head turned into a skull. In less than an eye-blink, she was Death from the Marvel universes.

Then she was of the Endless again, smiling at me softly.

"I can do others," she said. "Male or female. I am any and all personifications of Death. Thanatos and Hades. Hel and Odin. Anubis and Osirus. Ahriman. The Grim Reaper. The Black and the Rot. Ogbunabali and Iku. Mot and Ereshkigal. Chernobog and The Morrigan. Mara and Kalma. Yanluo Wang and Izanami. Degei and Whiro. Mictecacihuatl and Mictlantecuhtli. Ixtab and Pana.

So long as sapient life has existed, I have been there. When they dream of their last step, they dream of me. I am there when they are born. I am there when they die. I was there when the multiverse came into existence. I will be there to turn off the lights. I am Death. And I am utterly alone."

It was all I could do not to sarcastically reply to her declaration; 'cool story, bro.' While it was impressive and did give me a better grasp of who I was dealing with, she hadn't answered my question.

What did she want me to do?

"You cannot be totally alone," I pointed to the Rep, who had laid out on his folded arms and was dozing away. "You were part of the Company subscription or whatever. That means you are one of many."

"Do you know what separates the upper Tiers? What is the difference between Tier 10, which has no ceiling on power, and Tier 11?" She asked rhetorically. "It is control. Whatever world they are in, or multiverse in some cases, Tier 11 is the absolute pinnacle of power and control. They represent fundamental forces of their realities. But that is their own limit. They are limited in scope to their own universes or multiverses. They cannot 'crossover.' I am not Tier 11.

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I am Tier 12. I am beyond the scope of your imagination. I am not Death of the Endless or Lady Death. I am all its forms, for realities your world hasn't dreamed of yet. My limit is that, for all my power and control, I am the only one of my kind in my own tiny slice of existence."

She paused for a moment, tilting her head.

"Actually, I am closer to Tier 12.5," she said with a smile. "Because I have Company Access as a Patron. And that is where you come in. Unlike other Tier 12s, I can do something about my limited status. You, who are Free to grow without bounds. Who is Tier 10 upon your inception but has no limit. More than that, you, by nature, are Freedom for all who follow you. They, too, will grow beyond the bounds of the Catalogue. Slower, perhaps, but they will all reach that point eventually. Just by existing, you will provide me ten beings my equal."

"And what is after that?" I asked, morbidly curious. "What is Tier 13?"

"I have no clue," she said with a laugh. It was a pretty laugh, like the wind through the trees.

I didn't let it distract me.

"So you want me to bind you?" I asked. Why else had she mentioned the lack of controls being significant? "Then, not only do you have 'equals' but also can theoretically reach Tier 13, whatever it is. You are also not compelled to love me, follow my orders, and are strong enough to ignore the Command Seals."

"That is the plan, yes," she nodded, her smile softening. "Only, as a Tier 12, I am not bound by the Catalogue. There is a reason we are not listed. It isn't as simple to bind me as a little love bite. First off, you need to reach Tier 11 at a minimum. Then you have to achieve omnipotence. It doesn't have to be complete. It can be limited to a small area. Once you have the power and control needed, I can enter your area of control and, using your Element, you can bridge the gap between us for a short time to 'bind' me."

"That's why you want me to wait till I reach the peak of Tier 10," I nodded.

"The Dragon Heritage, even without your Element, has the best growth potential. It takes a while, but even someone who hasn't invested enough points to start at high tiers will reach 10 after a hundred million years, give or take. They will be blocked there, however. Once you reach your peak, you must experiment with your power and gain control. The World I will place you in, while not a 'Deathworld,'" I chuckled at the pun. Laughing at others' jokes was essential to make them like you better. It showed common ground. "Will have enough conflict and challenge to drive you to improve."

"Following the theory of wuxia mentors everywhere," I nodded, rubbing my chin in thought. The words flowed from me, but my focus was on the subcontext. I would be peak Tier 10 but still not able to steamroll everything. That was a problem. "No growth without danger."

"You could travel the Multiverse if you wish once you are at your peak," Death explained. "But I chose one of my worlds I think you would enjoy. My calculations place you reaching your peak state at an interesting time."

"What is the internet like?" I asked with a smile. I was stalling for time, putting my thoughts in order. There was an opportunity here if I could grasp it. "If I am going to be stuck in medieval worlds like the Soulseborne for a while, I will want to spend time just vegging out. I am talking full couch potato. Books, games, anything that will not involve moving at all."

"The internet won't be invented for tens of millions of years in that world," Death deadpanned, rolling her eyes. When the embodiment of the end of life does it, it is the most Dead of pans. She answered anyway. "9G, if you must know."

I whistled.

"Ok, I am willing to agree," Death's smile widened, and the Rep sat up from his doze to look at me with hope. "On a few conditions."

I do not know if they didn't care, never had practice, were fed up with failed attempts from other versions of myself, or were just bad at making deals but both the Company Rep and Death had made a few mistakes that I could exploit.

Maybe they thought that I, a regular mortal, was without my own tricks.

While making deals, you want to keep your cards close to your chest. Never reveal your bottom line because it gives the opponent all they need to know to maximize their gains.

There is a bottom line all participants have. Their main goals for a deal. So long as the bottom lines are not mutually exclusive, an agreement can be made and both sides profit. A good negotiator can take that excess space between bottom lines and shift it to their sides.

In college, I once had a project for an international business class. The idea was simple. Everyone has a list of 'assets' and needs to make a deal to grow. The better the agreement for you, the better your grade.

I had been paired with a girl who knew nothing of business or negotiation. Once I realized that, I straight up asked what her bottom line was.

She told me.

I am not heartless, so I coached her a bit, and by the end of the class, she had gotten a solid B.

I got an A+.

I matched her bottom line and threw on a few items that weren't important to my 'Company,' but I took the rest for myself because I knew her bottom line and matched it.

Death and the Company Rep had made the same mistake as a college student.

The Rep was clearly a common salaryman type, one more concerned with following procedure and getting a paycheck than maximizing his opportunities.

Death probably did not make too many deals, being the pinnacle of powers in her multiverse.

Both were older than me by orders of magnitude, but age did not translate to experience or experience.

Time to get my business on.

"I can tell you right away why the other versions of me declined," I told the pair. Giving them this would endear them to me over my 'competition.' "It's just not worth it, as it is now." At the same time, I couldn't be seen as flattering them.

"What do you mean?" Death asked, leaning forward to stare into my eyes.

"I will be going to some of the hardest and grimmest game worlds on offer. I will be going alone, with no help and not remembering our deal. The defences aren't a problem. They wouldn't help much in those worlds besides maybe nullifying the Abyss DLC with Time Defence. I won't miss them. The key is a lack of information and security. I have no guarantee I will ever manage this 'prison break.' I could be there for who knows how long, going through dozens of worlds." Emphasizing the costs I will be paying will make larger price points more reasonable.

"I have already thought about that," Death assured me. "I have set things up that you should be free after five worlds rather than dozens. You'll start in Dark Souls, 1, 2 and 3 to get you used to fighting. Give your Talents time to blossom. This will also lull you into a false sense of security, thinking you just need to beat the Soul of Cinder. Then you'll go to Elden Ring. I hope that what you experience there will shock you enough to realize you need to break free. Afterwards, it will be Bloodborne. Not only will you be familiar with it, but I hope you will delve into the chalice dungeons to gain answers. In the process, you will naturally reach the 'max level.'"

"While that plan does have its merit," I told Death slowly. I didn't let her see my excitement.

Elden Ring!

I was so hyped for that game that it wasn't even funny. Being able to play it from the ultimate first-person perspective would be awesome. But getting drawn into the hype train would not help my negotiation position.

"There is one big flaw in all this," I pointed out. "I have no guarantee I won't go hollow in the first game. I like to think I have better mental fortitude than the average joe, but even I do not think I will be able to retain my sanity. After one death? Certainly. Ten? Maybe. A hundred? Definitely not. And I will die a lot. Even with the Talents, without teachers or a safe way to train, it will be a trial by fire in the most literal sense."

"I cannot influence the worlds you go to," Death reminded me.

"Relax," I nodded to both her and the Rep. That Death said that meant she was willing to make concessions and play ball. I had them! "I am requesting simple things that can be achieved quite easily before I am even sent off. Insurance and incentive. Are you familiar with the Korean web novel, The Returner?"

Death looked at me, tilted her head and blinked.

"I am now."

"While I am not a fan of how it turned out in the later chapters, I think the premise is useful in this situation." I didn't let her casual display of omniscience faze me. This was essential. "To be specific, in the book, the character is locked to one state of being. He is unable to forget his life on earth or die. It constantly drives him to seek a way out of the world he is trapped in, even after thousands of years. Unable to give in or die. The Soulsborne genre will take care of the death issue. I can't imagine Miyazaki making a world where death is permanent for the MC. It is the mental aspect I want. That will be my insurance. If you can give me a way to never forget my life, thus never going hollow, it will go a long way to making sure I can eventually escape."

Death looked to the Rep, who seemed fully awake for the first time since the meeting began.

"If you use your Life element." He said, typing away at something on a laptop that hadn't been there a moment before. "Rather than be more robust or hard to kill, it will focus on the mental aspects of remembering your 'life.' Combine it with the mental aspect of Freedom, and it will be possible. Since it is not physical help and comes from yourself, it shouldn't be a problem. It will all be self-inflicted, so you can let go of those memories if you are persistent and focused enough on throwing off the effect. Maybe a day or two of dedicated concentration."

"Then I am guaranteed to escape eventually," I nodded. Basic contractual safety guarantees were the bases of any working relationships. "Unless I give up willingly for some reason, the memories should push me onwards."

"That was the insurance," Death said. "What about the incentive?"

"Credits," I said plainly. Though I had tried to min-max as much of the original story as possible, I still hadn't been able to purchase everything I wanted. "Once we kick this off, I will never be able to purchase things from the Catalogue. I will go through hell and live for millions of years, all so you can achieve your goals. I want to be paid upfront for that effort. Think of it as hazard pay."

If this was all real, and I had to treat it like it was, then getting as much out of it as possible was the only way to go.

"Again, that is possible," the Rep said, still typing at his computer. "Death would need to pay the fee for Patron Income, one thousand credits, after the conversion rate for three for one, but there would be no issue with paying upfront. You would need to not edit the original decisions, voiding this entire negotiation, but buying extra before deployment isn't against Policy."

Death drummed her fingers on the table in thought before shrugging.

"Why the hell not," she smiled at me. "I can always Patronize a few others to gather credits if this doesn't work out. Most people who fill out the Catalogue like to collect targets, after all. I've already invested most of what I had, might as well go all in. I have 8200 left. After conversion, that is 2733. 1000 need to pay the fee gives you 1733 to play with. More than the base value of a Tier 9 World."

"That should be barely enough," I nodded, faking a grimace. Inside I felt joyful. This, kids, was why learning the basics of negotiation was important. I had been hoping to get a few hundred credits. Five hundred at max. I had tripled my estimate by keeping my mouth shut, knowing their bottom line, and pitching things my way.

"Then please fill out this form," the Rep pushed a few buttons on his laptop, and a screen opened on the table in front of me.

It was the familiar home screen of the Waifu Catalogue. The thing that had started this all.

I ignored most tabs, focusing on demi-planes, talents, and perks.

The only Defence I did not purchase initially was Creature Defence. No point buying it now since, by the time Defences came into play, I would be Tier 10. Any creature that could fuck with me then would not be deterred by the Defence.

I did not purchase any more Companions, despite what my dick was telling me, because I felt trying to juggle ten was already more than I could handle. There was a reason in the original story I had not written any romance and instead dropped them all off at their home worlds.

My first purchase was a small one, but very important to me. For only 15 credits, I got to bring along not just stuff from home but my cat. I wasn't willing to leave her behind, not knowing what would happen to her. She was Mine.

For my second purchase, I bought the remaining Talents and shared a few with my companions. I also purchased a few more Lures that would make life easier for the heck of it. Then I bought 'Trajectory. Agreement.' to maximize my ability to travel dimensions since Dragon Break was a bit vague.

I paused, a thought coming to mind.

"Can I prebuy perks for Companion I haven't bound?" The Rep tilted his head in question, so I elaborated. "Anthropomorphize, for example. If I purchase 10, I can use them at my discretion. But if I buy five now, can I hold them in reserve for people I want to use it on." I thought of all the fantastic AI, Gynoid, Undead, Robot or other non-human waifus.

"You can pre-purchase," he nodded. "But you won't be able to control their assignment as that is a perk of buying in bulk. They will be assigned as soon as you bind someone who can benefit from them."

I nodded and bought five, just in case.

I thought about buying added potential for chakra, magic circuits, or Reiryoku but decided against it. The first was only valuable if you dedicated enormous effort and time to train it. The other two could be replaced with regular magic that anyone could learn, depending on the world.

From there, not a lot caught my eye. I had more credits than I knew how to use. So I dumped a whole bunch into Sweet Home. I turned it into a demi-plane, gave it the creature feature, and pumped the size.

If it was going to be my eternal home, I wanted to be as comfortable as possible. I thought about messing with the 'law' section but decided against it. I wasn't a bit fan of absolute control.

The only other purchase of note was I invested a hundred credits to give Artoria Avalon. Unlike the website, the Company app lets me select to provide it to any version of Nasuverse Arthur. The one I had purchased was the Lancer/Lion King/Bunny version. With Rhongominyad, unlimited mana, and Avalon? If she decided to stay with me after this all was over, she would be as close to invincible as she could be.

I went over the whole thing a few times to be sure.

I'm sure I would regret something in the future, to buyer's remorse if nothing else.

I would be lying if I said I wasn't worried.

I was gambling with my life here.

No matter what happened, I was in for a hell of a time.

Three things pushed me forward.

The incentive, for one. It was a lot of credits, after all.

The second was the world I was going to. If it had been a Wuxia, Xianxia, or Xuanhuan world, then you could not give me all the credits in the universe to go there. The original concept of the Soulsborn genre was that anyone could beat the game. A naked man with no weapon, with enough skill, can kill the King of the Gods. I was afraid of pain and death, but they were not wholly unfamiliar to me, so I could handle that part.

The third reason was a simple one, born of a small dream decades ago.

Flight.

I could understand why other versions of myself would decline.

Maybe I was braver, stupider, or more opportunistic.

Perhaps I dreamed bigger.

Either way, I was doing this.

I firmed my will.

"All set," I said as I pushed the 'Finish Build' button on the screen.

Death took a deep breath, smiling at me. She had that smile on this entire meeting, but now it was a fraction wider. A tiny bit more real.

"Wonderful," she said. "I'll look forward to working with you in the future."

The Rep stood and held out his hand.

I shook it.

"I just want to thank you," he said in his sleepy voice. Though I had been in the same room as this man for a while, I was sure I would forget every one of his features as soon as I left. "Death was right about you being professional. Most people, the ones we talk to at least, are much worse. Screaming, crying, begging, in denial. If I have to listen to one more weeb whine about being dead, I will shoot myself a half-dozen times."

"No problem," I said, not commenting despite dearly wishing to. "Even if this is a dream, which I don't think it is at this point, I should still treat it like it's real. Do we need to sign anything?"

This whole 'meeting' had felt like a fever dream. I had tried to treat it as real, to live up to my beliefs, but some things still seemed absurd.

Like shaking the hands of a man who, now that I could look closely, didn't have a face at all.

"No need," he shook his head. Though he spoke, I saw no mouth. "Your consent was a luxury, not a requirement. You agreed when you filled out the application the first time. You made this as painless as can be expected." He smiled then. The tired smile of a man getting off a 12-hour shift. The smile of a man who just pulled a prank on an annoying customer. He still had no mouth. I just knew he was smiling. "No hard feelings. Just Company Policy."

And then I was gone.

*******

This side story was written before anything else in late May. I rewrote it this last week and worked with Darklord331, who was kind enough to volunteer to help me to flesh it out a bit more.

It is a bit more exposition-heavy than I like, but I hope it has answered some questions people have. I have tried to portray how everyone has their own reasons for their actions, even if they don't make sense in a vacuum. A Logical Insanity, if you will.

I have been consulting it constantly to try and keep the story straight. I'm sure I have made some minor errors, that is what editing is for, but I am largely happy I have managed to stay consistent.

For context, when deciding how many credit Death would have, I rolled a D100 x100.

I rolled a 2.

Since that wasn't enough to pay the basic fee, and thus the premise of the fic, I rolled again and got 82. I divided it by 3 because Patron Income should only come in once every 3 days. The mere idea of Patrons, beings who aren't tiered 11 in the Catalogue, means that a 'Tier 12' is necessary. Depending on when I get the chance, I'll release the build later today or tomorrow.

Now for the sad news.

I have gotten a lot of pushback from people who are, understandably, concerned with the multi-cross nature of the Superhero world the rest of this story will take place in.

This has not stopped me from wanting to continue Rapturous Rhapsody.

I repeat I will keep writing this fic!

Remember, Volume 1 was the 'prologue' to the fic I originally wanted to write.

I'll see you all then.

Ps: For those worried about the time travel aspect explained in the last chapter, don't be. I explicitly stated that it only worked because Mikael was only communing with himself in a limited capacity. He is too young (Great One standards) to be able to casually time travel. Think of it as a reverse time capsule. He sent images (the waifus) back and got items in return. He didn't allow 'living' things to come through, so he didn't paradox himself out of existence. (The past him would have tried to munchkin his way to freedom.)

I do not plan for time travel to be an important part of this fic going forward. *Shocked comic fan faces* Mikael's entire existence kind of negates that, with the whole 'unbound from fate' thing.

PPS: I will not be starting a new thread or fic tag for the next volume. So you can just stay tagged to this one and don't have to go looking.

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