PftA Book 2 - Chapter 37

Chapter 37 – Options

The Realm Dungeon.

I wondered if that’s where Justin and Amie had gone during the other timeline. With their sudden disappearance at the onset of the apocalypse during the other timeline, it seemed possible. I just couldn’t understand why the Senior Researcher would have chosen him both then and now.

Was it Fate? Considering an ‘element’ was dedicated to such a concept, I couldn’t discount the possibility.

I pondered the likelihood that Fate might be involved in my brother’s abduction as I drove Justin’s car to the office. I would have simply teleported had it not been for Amie. I wasn’t sure if doing magic around a four-year-old would trigger the NDA, but I wasn’t willing to risk it.

Bell was in no shape to drive, but I refused to leave her alone in the apartment. Dropping her off with Rhona seemed like a much better idea.

As we entered the facility, my mind shifted to the rest of the conversation I’d had with my boss before waking my sleeping niece.

“There’s no way to keep him from being sent there?” I’d asked after being informed of Justin’s status.

“No,” Rhona had replied. “Not unless you can compensate Sir Eri’Non for an Advanced Inventory Potion – which you can’t. They are horrendously expensive below Tier Seven. Their value is what makes his transaction legal in the eyes of the system…”

Rhona had explained what the potion did, which honestly seemed pretty amazing. I’d never heard of anything like it – not that I would have on lower-tier planets.

The Advanced Inventory Potion was a mix of Masterwork Enchanting and Alchemy, likely using some variation of micro-formations or something similar to create and anchor an inventory that would grow in size with the user’s tier.

I doubted I’d be capable of making anything remotely similar for a long time, even with the proper augments. However, it certainly would negate most of the risk of theft. It’s hard to steal something that’s anchored to the body as a whole and not just a piece of it. From what Rhona had explained, losing a limb wouldn’t cause any issues with the inventory space either, nor would it create a security issue since the inventory was anchored to the person as a whole.

The conversation had given me a glimmer of hope. Tier Seven costs might be out of reach for me as a native, but I might have access to resources as Master Kairos’s disciple. He was Tier Ten, so Tier Seven expenses would likely seem like nothing to him.

At least, I hoped that was the case.

I didn’t want to beg for help, but it was for my brother. Pride didn’t matter much when those I cared about were at risk.

After taking Amie to the onsite daycare that doubled as a preschool for the dozen or so three and four-year-olds attending, I guided my former roommate to Rhona’s office and hoped the Mind Mage could help. Ignoring the strange looks I’d received as I made my way through the building, I dropped Bell off and teleported to the reception room of Master Kairos’s island.

= = =

“Young Mistress,” one of the servants greeted me with a small bow. “I was not informed you would be visiting. Is the Patriarch expecting you?”

“No, Senior Dante. He is not,” I said solemnly. Technically, my position as the Patriarch’s direct disciple made me senior to the man, but it felt wrong to address him as anything but a senior. The elder disciple had categorically rejected any other title of address I’d tried, so I settled on ‘Senior’ as a compromise. He’d initially pushed back on it as well, but acquiesced when Master Kairos expressed no issues with my choice.

With only a slight hesitation, the older sect disciple nodded and motioned for me to relax. “I will inform him of your presence. I assume the matter is urgent, given your…” Dante looked slightly pained as he looked me over, “unkept appearance.”

It was a gentle rebuke but reminded me that I’d left my room without fully getting ready that morning. I glanced at a nearby mirror and winced. After hearing the panic in Bell’s voice, I’d left my room so quickly that I forgot to comb out my wet hair or put on makeup. In fact, I was lucky to be mostly dressed.

I glanced at my outfit.

The only reason it was decent was because my clothes had already been sitting out when I called Bell back after my shower. My shoes did not match, but I hadn’t been thinking about style when I slipped them on. By then, I was just trying to cover the basics before rushing off.

Thankfully, I had a spare brush and some hair ties in my storage ring. By the time Dante returned to guide me to Master Kairos’s office, I had made myself mostly presentable. I had even changed into a set of sect robes using the ring’s equip function.

The senior disciple’s eyes showed approval when he took in my improved appearance. “Please follow me.”

He led me through the winding compound, guiding me to a section of the sprawling residence that I’d yet to visit. While I was not restricted on the island, I usually stayed within the greeting room or training areas. I’d caught glimpses of a few other areas, but without any real need to explore, wandering farther would have felt like snooping.

Master Kairos probably wouldn’t have cared if I explored the large, multi-building residence, but the disciples who served as his servants certainly would have.

“Greetings, Master Kairos. I’m sorry to bother you outside of our scheduled lessons, but I am in dire need of your assistance,” I said with a respectful bow, getting to the point of the meeting instead of wasting time on pleasantries. I knew the servant outside the door would frown at my forwardness, but time was of the essence.

The young-looking man sitting behind the desk stood and waved his hand dismissively. “I always have time for you, Disciple. Tell me what’s wrong. I imagine it is significant for you to ask for my help.”

I released some tension at his words and explained the situation as fully as possible. It wasn’t much, and a lot was supposition, but I hoped Master Kairos would know what to do. He was much older and more powerful than anyone else I’d met – in either timeline.

When I was finished, Master Kairos shook his head. “I’d somehow forgotten Sir Eri’Non ran the Realm Dungeon," he said ruefully. “You’d think with near-perfect recall, overlooking details would be a thing of the past, but it’s not. Unfortunately, I’m unsure what assistance I can provide in this situation.”

“Can you help me get my brother back? Rhona mentioned the advanced payment of a reward is the issue, but if we can compensate –”

“The payment isn’t really the problem,” Master Kairos said with an uplifted hand, stopping me from saying anything more. “Besides, even if your brother could be returned with a simple payment, I’m not sure it would be a good idea.”

I wanted to argue, but I held my tongue, knowing my immensely wise mentor had to have a reason for saying what he had. Sensing my restraint, the old Mage smiled. “Now that I have been reminded of the Senior Researcher’s side projects, I’m tempted to petition him to grant you access to the dungeon alongside your brother. The Realm Dungeon is known in many circles to produce Ascenders faster than any other known method. Of course, most either die or languish within the pseudo-realm, but those who manage to survive and exit at a high tier tend to be exceptional.”

I gasped lightly. Wholly focused on retrieving my brother, I hadn’t even considered the possibility of following him. It would mean leaving the rest of my family and my friends, which I wasn’t sure I could do. I'd volunteer without hesitation if I didn’t need to protect my family. But my loved ones had to come first.

“I don’t think…” I started before pausing for a moment, my thoughts in disarray. “What about my family? And how would something like that work with me being your disciple?”

Master Kairos shook his head and sighed. “I’m sorry. I really shouldn’t have even brought it up. The Epikairos Sect doesn’t have an agreement with Sir Eri’Non for access to his dungeon like many of the other prominent sects. The last time one of our disciples gained entry was several centuries ago. It’s why his involvement in the project slipped my mind.” More quietly, he said, “However, given Sir Eri’Non’s apparent interest in studying you…”

I barely heard his last statement as my mind swirled with guilt and self-loathing. This wouldn't have happened if I had not tried to manipulate Justin into awakening early. I’d been selfish and over-reached, hurting someone I loved in the process.

My eyes filled with tears of frustration and worry. I hated feeling powerless. Justin had a child, with another on the way. He had responsibilities and people who counted on him. It wasn’t fair for someone to take him away from everything that mattered to him.

“There has to be something I can do,” I pleaded, struggling to keep my voice from breaking. “There are very few people I truly care about, and my brother is one of them. He disappeared when the apocalypse started the first time. I can’t lose him again.”

Tears fell from my eyes as I spoke, and I hurriedly wiped them away. I didn’t want to be seen as overly emotional, especially not by Master Kairos, but it was hard to keep the stress from leaking, sometimes literally.

“You mentioned that when you told me your story before,” he said contemplatively. “It’s interesting, but ultimately means little. Regardless of what happened in the other timeline, your brother gaining access to the Realm Dungeon is a great boon for him. It may be inconvenient, but the purpose of life is progression. The Realm Dungeon is one of the best places to do so. Taking away that opportunity would be grossly short-sighted.”

I was frustrated by Master Kairos’s statements. What good was progression and power if you were forced to be separated from your family and loved ones? Justin would never meet his unborn child. How was that fair?

After several moments of uncomfortable silence, Master Kairos eyed me critically and asked, “If given the opportunity, would you be interested in challenging the Realm Dungeon? I won’t contact Sir Eri’Non if it isn’t something you’re willing to do.” With a look of sympathy, he added, “I’m unsure how capable your brother is, but few untrained commoners emerge from the dungeon. You joining him may be the only way to increase the likelihood of your brother’s survival. Even then, neither of you are guaranteed success. Nothing worth gaining comes without some risk.”

I was deeply torn. I wanted to save my brother, but I couldn’t just abandon the rest of my family. “If I knew my family was taken care of, I’d be interested. But I can’t see a method of ensuring they are safe…”

“What were you planning to do when the portals open?” my mentor asked with a raised brow.

“I was going to head to Pylos and fulfill my promise to Ros and the others,” I replied, unsure what he was hinting at. “But that won’t be for months after the reintegration officially begins. I’d like to convince my parents and the others I care about to settle in the city outside the sect on Hadier, but even if they refused… I’d spend the three months between the reintegration and the portals opening ensuring they were safe and as prepared as possible.”

Master Kairos nodded. “And how would challenging the dungeon be any different?” he asked. “Instead of going to Pylos then Hadier, you’d go to the Realm Dungeon on Sira. Either way, you can’t leave until the portals open.”

I was stunned by the statement. Sure, I knew my contract lasted until the portals opened, but for some reason, I’d thought agreeing to enter the Realm Dungeon would result in leaving immediately. Was I wrong?

The Time Mage smiled supportingly. “Think about it. If you’re interested in challenging the Realm Dungeon and ensuring your brother survives, let me know, and I’ll contact the elf. I can’t guarantee anything, but he seemed interested in studying you. It might be worth the trade. However, I want to warn you: He may discover your secrets in the process,” he cautioned.

“What?” I gasped lightly. “How is that possible?”

“He has access to some of the best manatech in the realm. If I could recognize the marks of a time traveler on you, his equipment almost certainly would as well. I doubt he’ll be interested in more than an academic sense, but it’s something to consider.”

“I thought you didn’t want anyone else to know what happened,” I said incredulously.

Master Kairos inclined his head slightly before shrugging. “I can make any agreement contingent on Sir Eri’Non agreeing to a system-enforced NDA pertaining to sect-related secrets – which would include your experience with time travel – but that approach is not infallible.”

I stared at the older Time Mage. “Is this something you want me to do? Is challenging the Realm Dungeon that significant?”

“If you perform well, it will certainly reflect well on the sect,” he replied casually. “More importantly, the dungeon will help you grow in strength far faster than would be possible otherwise. Given the time dilation on Sira, it’s even possible for you to rejoin your family in a decade or two, depending on how far you push. When you consider how much longer the humans of Earth will likely live once they are reintegrated, a couple of decades is not very long.”

“It’s possible to leave early?” I asked, focusing on what I saw as the most important detail. I already knew life expectancy would increase significantly with each tier, so that wasn’t anything new. Being able to leave whenever we wanted, on the other hand…

“Of course! If one had to reach Tier Ten to leave the dungeon, I doubt as many challengers would enter it. However, given the ambient mana density on Sira, only those at Tier Seven or above can survive outside the dungeon, even for a short time. With a strong enough mana barrier, it would be possible, but you’d still have to contend with the local wildlife until a retrieval service picked you up. The last time I checked, the area around the dungeon had a Tier Ten [Spatial Lock]. That might have changed, but I doubt it.”

I mulled over the new information. There was a lot to consider. And as Master Kairos had pointed out, going to help Justin in the dungeon wasn’t all that different from heading off to the sect after Pylos.

Which brought up another point.

How would I fulfill my promise if I immediately headed into a multi-decade-long challenge dungeon when the portals opened? Should I write them each a letter? If it included the seal of a prominent Time/Fate Sect, that would give credence to my claim of knowing the future, right?

That was something else I should probably learn from my Time magic mentor.

Still, it felt like a shortcut – like I wouldn’t be placing the correct amount of importance on keeping my promises to my former party. I had little doubt that part of that feeling was rooted in my desire to see my friends again, even if they didn’t know me. I frowned. It seemed like no matter what decision I made, it would be based on my own selfish wants.

I was pulled from my negative introspection by Master Kairos. “So, is this something I should pursue on your behalf, or do you want to stick with your previous plan? Either option is fine with me. I’ll support you as my disciple either way.”

I looked at the man in front of me. He was such a mix of contradictions. “How soon do you need an answer?” I asked.

“The sooner the better. If I reach out early enough, I might be able to catch the old elf before he sends your brother to the dungeon. In that case, we might be able to work some equipment into the deal for him. A few extra advantages shouldn’t be much of an issue considering some of the allowances the elf makes for the elites who enter the dungeon.”

My eyes grew wide at the realization. I’d already shifted to thinking of Justin as being in the dungeon. But he likely wasn’t… yet. He was probably still on the ship. Contacting the Researcher soon would be important if I wanted to set up any support for my brother from the onset.

As much as I didn’t want to make another impulsive decision, I could not abandon my brother. If I had to wait until the portals opened either way, then it didn’t matter where I went. Ultimately, I would be leaving Earth regardless. Knowing I could give him a better chance at survival by acting now removed most of the hesitation from my mind.

Steadying my resolve, I met my mentor’s gaze. “I’d like you to contact the Senior Researcher on my behalf.”