Season 3: Catpurr 10: Trial Four

  “I refuse,” Adam hissed, only to be met with a smile from Dominica.

  “Unfortunately, this trial is not a request. The Endless One has not seen your previous denials of trial entry in a favorable light.”

  Adam's face twisted, lip curling upward despite his best attempt to hide his disgust. For the last few months, he'd been denying trial requests, a privilege given to those that had successfully completed three or more trials.

  Due to this world being a hub waystation of sorts between trials, hundreds of Chosen called Vilencial home, with some retiring from the trials like Sehn and Titania to curve out a living in this world instead.

  And now that privilege Adam had worked so hard on was being denied.

  I should have just sent her to go fight the army outside. Adam groaned inwardly as the pocket on his robe began to vibrate.

  He reached down, picking up the bracelet with the symbol of the self-devouring serpent that vibrated and displayed a timer.

  [23:59:58]

  “Tch, just what I need, on the eve of getting Schroedinger back and of course this stupid god chooses the worst time to inconvenience me,” Adam groaned before shifting his gaze to Dominica, brow furrowing as he attempted to press his luck once more. “Dominica.”

  “Yes, Lord Adam?”

  “Who exactly is Eli?” Adam asked.

  “The End. Master of the Void, the Endless, and Eternal. The Dream-”

  “No, not this spewl again, who is Eli exactly? What does he want with me?” Adam demanded, willing the crest that bound the woman to his will to answer. Yet, it didn't trigger, his desire for knowledge barred by a higher power.

  Unlike Junith, Liza, and Ellie who were all bound by a geas, Dominica was different. While she willingly followed most of his orders she acted entirely out of free will. Or… one on the orders of the one called Eli.

  “All will be revealed in due time, Lord Adam,” Dominica replied, bowing her head lightly while standing amidst the swarm of dancing crabs. “In the meantime, I hope you will make do with your followers and the altar in your name.”

  “Huh?”

  Adam turned his attention back towards the statue of himself that held an intricate staff in one hand and an apple in the other.

  Immediate disgust fell upon Adam's face.

  “I don't want this, tear it down,” Adam ordered Dungeon, spinning to move to leave only for the entrance he took to enter to close.

  “I'm afraid I can't do that, Lord Adam,” Dungeon said.

  “Uh, what now?”

  “The shrine is now a part of my make up and is anchoring my core,” Dungeon said as Adam realized the feeling he was getting from the apple the statue held was actually Dungeon’s core.

  “I didn't authorize this!” Adam spat. “You work for me! Not some mysterious nobody who no one even knows about!”

  “My routines dictate no reduction in functions with the presence of shrine,” Dungeon reported, perhaps in an attempt to ease Adam's frustration.

  However, the giggle that escaped from the dominatrix’s mouth nearby soured any chance of recovering Adam's mood.

  “All things answer to the Endless One eventually,” Dominica said, her eyes swarming with insanity.

  “Tch. Great, just what I need,” Adam spat, clenching his fists as anger swelled up, a heat in his chest that boiled up and threatened to come out.

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  Then, Adam blinked, frowning, his face a bit flustered.

  Why am I so angry? Ugh, guess I need to have a chat again with that noble brat.

  He unclenched his fist, scowled and took off through the tunnel that opened for him, completely unaware that his clothes were a bit tighter on his skin.

  ****

  The Next Day.

  “So… why are we all gathered?” Junith asked, the paladin maintaining her telltale dour expression with folded arms as Adam paced before the row of his followers.

  “Good question, it has come to my attention that we're due for another trial. Unfortunately for you lot I can't cancel this one so you're all going to be coming along,” Adam said while dozens of skeletons laid out packs laden with gear, food, and weapons.

  Having lost most of their gear in their previous trial, Adam's companions were now forced to rely on hand-me-downs and looted arms taken from fallen adventurers. And while not as glamorous or wondrous as the Black Hand Bazaar’s list of merchandise, the equipment here were more than suited for the battles ahead.

  Especially since Adam was sure they'd lose their gear just like last time.

  “Yay! Another trial!” Liza yapped with exuberance while Ellie's face brightened and Junith continued to scowl.

  “This time!” Adam snapped, pointing at his hand of trouble makers. “I don't want you idiots messing up everything and everyone! That means NO biting, NO-” Adam spun, spritzing Liza with a water bottle as the girl began to get distracted by a passing necro-cat.

  “Wha?! WA!” Liza screamed, smacking at the droplets before bearing her fangs.

  “-scratching! And NO wondering off or bad mouthing the administrators! Anyone that does will be napped timed and sent to Dominica’s room!” Adam continued, causing the other girls to pale. Ignoring Junith's chuckling at Liza wiping her face, Adam gestured to the row of equipment. “Moving on, before you lay your grubby good for nothing paws on your new weapons and gear, each item has handpicked to ensure our survival in a foreign world.” Adam explained as the group of women began tearing into their equipment.

  “Oooh! Accessories!” Liza said with Ellie holding up a chainmail skirt. “Shines!”

  “Junith?” Adam said, raising a brow at the Paladin that remained unmoved.

  “Mm,” Junith grunted, picking up her pack and walking off.

  “Jeez, what's got her so bothered,” Liza snickered.

  “Well, she's probably not happy that her friends are all walking into a trap and will probably die,” Ellie offered, drawing a look from Liza.

  “Focus people! I don't want any mishaps, mistakes, or shenanigans happening! Especially NO shenanigans!” Adam yelled, pointing at Liza who adopted a shocked look.

  “Wha? Me?! Why are you pointing at me?!”

  “Because you! Are shenanigans! We have less than ten hours before I'm beset by a continuous headache, so you! Stop being you!” Adam yelled as Liza began to tear up.

  “Uhm, excuse me,” Ellie asked, waving her hand as she sat atop her bag. “What are we going to do about the noble girl downstairs while we're away?”

  “Yes, right, right. A good question,” Adam said, nodding repeatedly, “Moving on.”

  “Wha? Hey! Now I want to know!” Liza shouted, causing Adam to pinch the bridge of his nose and rub his temples.

  “You're like a preschooler,” Redfield grumbled, the Death Knight’s red eyes glaring at the cat girl from the shadows nearby.

  “And you're emo, so what does that say about you?”

  “What?”

  “What?”

  “I… please let me kill her,” Redfield asked, his words enticing Adam who could only exhale in response.

  “PEOPLE!” Adam shouted, “We have less than TEN HOURS TO-”

  Suddenly Adam vanished, a beam of light erupting from the soil to swallow him whole as his companions looked on with incredulous expressions.

  “-PREPARE FOR THE HUH?” Adam's face twisted, his surroundings that of a lush clearing with only a decrepit tower of stone that stood out from the foreign flora.

  [WELCOME TO TRIAL FOUR: THE REFLECTIVE TOWER]

  “Oh come on!” Adam yelled, throwing his hands up in exasperation, “I had ten hours left! I HAD TEN HOURS LEFT! YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME!”

  “Where are we?”

  Adam spun, coming face to face with Junith in her new armor whose eyes scanned their surroundings.

  Immediately Adam frowned, realizing the paladin wasn't wearing her backpack and the fact he himself didn't have time to stuff his belt of Politeness with potions. Then there was the other problem.

  Liza and the others were nowhere to be found, in fact, he couldn't even feel them through the annoying link that pointed them in his direction.

  “Tch, Redfield! Come!” Adam barked, only for nothing to happen. “Great, just great! Of course you damn gods once again try to screw me! When I get out of here I swear on Schrodinger I will turn you all into cat folk!”

  Adam began to rant and rave, yelling at the sky above and demanding that a god come down so he could smack them.

  “Adam…” Junith said, her voice muffled against Adam's tirade against the heavens. “ADAM!”

  “WHAT?!” Adam spun, only for his ears to droop low and his eyes to widen.

  “Hostiles,” Junith said, unsheathing her blade as dozens of predatory eyes began to reflect from the nearby tree line.