Chapter 176: Chapter One Hundred Seventy Seven

This entire thing had gotten way out of hand. From our original  mission all the way to this crazy trial, we'd been reeling since we  first came to this place. While joining up with Cicero might be a bit  premature, and I wasn't planning to let him know about my ability (G  rank wasn't nearly strong enough to consider partnering with) it put us  firmly on offense. While I knew punching all my problems didn't work, I  was deeply uncomfortable being so reactive all the time. Taking the  initiative would help me feel a bit more in control, and if I needed to  take a test to do it I'd take one.

On the upside, Callie  had outdone herself this time. We needed better gear, and while we could  afford G ranked stuff, we would all be ranking up before long  hopefully. Much like I'd gotten H rank gear for my first set, this would  future proof our loadout for a while, and considering the gap between  cultivation ranks, it would be a decently long while. I was glad we  didn't have to pay for that shit ourselves, because based on what I'd  seen of custom gear prices in the crafting hall, an F ranked seat for  each of us would cost WAY more than we had access to.

So,  with the formalities out of the way, we followed Cicero through the tent  and out the back to another, larger space, that I was pretty sure  wasn't actually there from the outside. When we stepped in, a series of  torches in the same green as the stripes on the outside of the tent  burst into life, illuminating the entire tent for us to take in.  Weirdly, there was no green tint to the light, and while the torches  were green, the light cast was just the neutral illumination of normal  colored flame. It was an odd sensation, but I'd seen weirder so I shook  it off, following Cicero to one side where a table lay.

On  the table was a document, and when I scanned over it I realized it  appeared to be a neutral contract. A series of terms that seemed fairly  universal, like an NDA and guarantees of safety for both parties from  the other for the duration of the contract were scrawled out over an  empty stretch of page. Cicero gestured to the paper. "This is a contract  frame. High level scribes write and sell them. The terms are neutral  and broadly applicable, though they come in multiple variations. You  fill in the terms, and then you sign them and they bind you to the  outline. The signatures don't bind by mistake or unknowingly or if you  don't agree, so don't worry. Once we get the terms hammered out we can  double check."

We wrote out the terms as agreed upon, and  Callie let me do this part. While I wasn't one for politics I KNEW  contracts. Not from any sort of specific training exactly, but because  my dad basically treated life like a contract. Everything was about  terms and conditions, as was made clear by his geas with Zeke. Recursion  actually explained A LOT about the way dad was. I had no clue how Zeke  had ended up as normal and functional as he was, though his tendency for  drama was probably the biggest side effect of his cultivation.

While  I outlined everything Callie DID chip in, adding her thoughts on  different terms and phrasing, and her notes weren't bad. I didn't take  all of them, and she didn't question the ones I dismissed, but in the  end we came up with a half decent contract. The terms basically stated  that if we passed the trial we would be given the details of the plan.  Assuming we accepted our participation in the plan Cicero would arrange  for our custom gear immediately, and we would be given the costumes  before being expected to go on our assignment.

Theoretically  it was possible we might take the trial and fail, or decide not to  participate in the plan, and if so we would end up with nothing, but  given what was at stake neither of those options was likely. Once we  confirmed and signed I felt the binding settle over me, and I made a  note to pick up some contract frames just in case. I probably should  have gotten the Skill itself but...I didn't want it. I didn't resent my  dad quite as much as Callie did hers, but I definitely didn't want to  become him. I was fine using contracts other people wrote or when I  needed them. I didn't want my life to become a transaction. My Wish  power already made it close enough to that.

Finally,  Cicero rolled up the scroll, slipping it into his red waistcoat. "Well  then my friends, it seems that we've come to an accord." He stood up  gracefully, and between his manner of speech and how he moved, not to  mention the hat, I could see Spruce Bunny in him now that I knew to  look. The brothers were very similar people in some ways. He gestured  off to the side. "Now, if you'll follow me to the center of the tent I  have your trial arranged already." Which confirmed that he'd known how  this would go. This guy was much more dangerous than he seemed. I could  respect that.

We followed him to the center of the tent  and he gestured to the open area behind him. "This particular test will  be quite a challenge. It will involve the use of multiple skill sets.  Stealth, acrobatics, and of course you'll be engaging in combat. If  you'll both stand over there." He gestured to a small circle in the dirt  floor of the ring we were in, and we walked over to stand in it,  turning back to look at him. "Well, good luck on your trial, you're free  to concede at any time if you wish to leave, safety first after all.  Oh, and you might want to bend your knees to cushion the landing."

I  cocked my head and was about to ask what he meant, when the ground  dropped out from under us and we plummeted about a hundred feet, landing  on the stone floor in a long corridor. It didn't hurt, with our Impact a  hundred feet wasn't enough to do any damage. Still, we did bend our  knees to take the drop, no reason to make these things harder than they  had to be. When we landed I rolled my eyes, looking up at the hole we'd  fallen through. "Was that necessary?" I called up to Cicero. "We  couldn't have taken the fucking stairs?"

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A laugh floated  down from the space above us. "Oh heavens no. We don't keep stairs down  to that place, all the monsters would get out. In any case, feel free to  give up at any point, otherwise getting to the center means you pass.  If you forfeit we'll get you out quick as you like, though you'll need  to come back to this spot to have yourselves pulled up. If you get to  the center and bring back what is there, you pass. There shouldn't be  anything too bad down there...probably." That last part sounded absently  uncertain.

I had been starting to walk, but I froze and  looked back up. "What the fuck do you mean, "probably" you don't KNOW  what's down here?" There was a conspicuous silence and I growled in  rage. "You asshole, there's something in here you want and you aren't  sure you can get it. You're using this test as an excuse to have us  retrieve it for you. How did this place even get here? Is it past G  rank? Because if it is, I'll count that as hard and a violation of the  contract and we'll be leaving and collecting our payment too."

There  was an annoyed click of the tongue. "Calm down, it isn't above G rank.  My brother left something down there. He arranged that maze so that only  he would be able to pass through it. My plan to deal with Melissa  requires that item to advance, and so I need you to retrieve it.  Theoretically I could have gotten it at any time, but the maze is  dangerous, and it's safe enough down there. Now, however, it is needed.  You can still back out, and there won't be a penalty, but to continue on  this path will require that item."

I wanted to just  leave, this had become a mess, but honestly...I kind of wanted to see if  we could do it. I had saved today's wishes, so if we got into trouble  Callie could get us out, and Abel was supposed to be this epic badass. I  wanted to see what his tests were like. How they worked. Whether I  measured up. I cocked my head at Callie. She bit her lip before nodding,  and I sighed, though whether in relief or exasperation at the both of  us I wasn't sure. "Fine!" I shouted up. "But I'm going to hit you for  this. You won't know when it's coming. But it's going to happen." I  turned and stalked off down the passageway, muttering to myself.  "Fucking labyrinths all over the damn place."

As  Callie caught up to me I cocked my head at her. "You don't seem  surprised. By any of this really. Was he secretly obvious about it and I  was just too dumb to notice?" I hadn't expected any of this nonsense.  Though I was glad I'd slipped those nullification terms into the  contract, because having the option to kill the arrangement and get paid  anyway if he pushed it too far was definitely reassuring.

She  squeezed my hand. "No. I was just pretty skeptical of his whole persona  from the start. Kind amiable people don't tend to last long when  dangerous rogue factions are working to undermine them at all times.  While I'm sure some of that sob story was true, more likely the power  struggle is a bit more cut throat than he made it sound. Anyone who  takes control of an entire WCP faction and holds off all comers is  probably at least a bit of a bastard. Granted, he could just be a total  monster in combat, but given he said his brother was the more talented I  was guessing he was just a sneaky fuck."

I  clicked my tongue in distaste. I'd missed all that. He'd seemed so  nice, I hadn't really considered that. She clearly noticed my change in  demeanor because she smiled at me. "It's fine, really. At lower levels  you're less likely to run into people like that. Recursion pushes people  to act as they appear to others, and you need a serious well of  willpower to resist it consistently. People with that much control are  more common the higher up you go, but most of the people we've met so  far are more likely to be what they appear. Backstabbing and hypocrisy  become less unusual as you go higher up."

Which  made sense. Villains who didn't bother to resist recursion would just  be overtly untrustworthy. The negative traits they had would be obvious  from their legends, and heroes at lower levels tended to be pushed  towards being more upright in accordance with the stories about them. We  wouldn't see people hiding their nature as much until later on. I tried  to imagine having to constantly resist and fight my nature, and it  sounded exhausting, I wasn't sure how Cicero did it.

Since  his reputation appeared to be as a sad but kind man filled with regret,  people would underestimate him. I wondered how much of what Emery had  told us was specifically leaked by Cicero to make himself seem more  sympathetic. I was betting this Melissa woman had no clue who she was  really dealing with, otherwise she'd have leaked it to ruin his  reputation. Shaking off the thoughts I realized right now it didn't  matter. We had a labyrinth to get through, and...something in the  center, to find. I really wished he had told us what it was.

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