ABH - CH 48.5 - Interlude 7 - Mercurial Waves

A/N: This interlud is short, don't be mad at me

Interlude Seven

Mercurial Waves

Rise of Winter, Week 5, Day 7

In a vast darkness, there hovered nothing. Not a breath was taken, nor a heartbeat to be heard. Yet, still. Something found itself alive. Much like the gods of old, it sprang forth from the aether. The marriage of possibility and magic made manifest.

Into existence sprang a golden box, one of dozens that filled the darkness—each circling an empty space. 

[Congratulations! A Challenger has bested the First Floor — The Starlight Bakery. Please review the Second Floor in anticipation of Descent!]

[NOTICE: A Challenger has requested the [Name] of the Second Floor.]

[Would you like to alter the alert to provide the [Name] of the Second Floor?]

[Yes/No]

In the abyss, something stirred. It didn’t have a form, not really. It was akin to seeing heat displace air during the summer months. 

The displacement looked at the new [System Notice]. It could tell it had to do something. Which was new. The [System] had never asked the displacement to do anything before. It could feel what the golden notice was asking. Could feel that it could change itself, could change for the Challenger.  

Yes, the abyss willed at the notice. 

The displacement loved being able to do things. Maybe if it watched its walls closer, it would be able to do more? The nothingness thought that was a rather good plan, and so it shifted its attention to another golden box. This one showed a figure covered in black and silver with pink that flowed from the top of its body. 

Curious. It looked like what the displacement imagined a goblin might look like—if its skin were the same brown of bark and its body thin like twigs. 

Through the image, the displacement could hear what was happening.

“I don’t like that,” the tan goblin said. 

The nothingness, suddenly, found itself displeased. 

[NOTICE: You have altered the alert. Your access to the Second Floor will freeze for the duration of the challenge. Please prepare the Third Floor.]

The image shook, and the displacement took what it could only call joy in the way the tan goblin rushed to the Second Floor. Unprepared. That would show the—  

[WARNING: The Fifth Floor Boss has not yet returned to your Halls. Would you like to attempt to establish communication with ‘Owlla?’]

[Yes/No]

Has it been that long? The darkness wondered. It was hard to tell. It felt like no time at all had passed since it formed, but it also felt like it had been ages. Owlla had asked to leave, and the golden notices had simply allowed her to go. They had not asked the displacement what it thought. 

Yes. It would be nice to listen to her singing again.

[Manifesting Probe]

[Opening Fifth Floor Exit]

[ERROR]

[Attempting to Open Fifth Floor Exit]

[ERROR]

[Fifth Floor Exit Sealed]

The displacement paused. 

Its exit was sealed? It hadn’t gotten any notice of that. The [System] had never told it that Owlla’s leaving would seal the exit. 

[WARNING: A Being with more Divinity has sealed all exits until the Challenger either conquers or dies.]

Die? The displacement thought, looking back at the little beasty as it activated one of the lesser golems of the Second Floor. But that goblin is so thin! So small! It must still be a hatchling!

The darkness wished it could frown. It knew some things, yes, and it knew what a frown was. Now was a time to frown. A lot. 

[WARNING: Please calm down, Dungeon M283]

NO! And then the golden notices shattered. 

[WARNING: Dungeon M283, you—]

Shut up! M283 screeched, destroying the notice before it fully formed. These are my Halls! You have no right!

[WARNING: Dunge—]

I SAID NO RIGHT. M283 felt something odd happening to it as it broke another golden notice. I AM THE MASTER OF THESE HALLS.

[WARN—]

Swiping a hand through the notice, M283 snarled. “Let me think, you stupid System.”

Turning away from where the shattered golden notices had once hovered, M283 stepped through the abyss to the image of the too-thin goblin. In the bottom right-hand corner, there was a button. It was small, and M283 had never used it before. 

For a multitude of reasons—not the least of which was that prior to that moment, M283 had not had fingers to press the button. Slamming its palm down on the golden box, M283, for the first time, felt the sting of pain. 

[Dungeon M283, thank you for filing a complaint. Your voice is heard. An Administrator will review your complaint shortly.]

M283 nodded, at ease for a reason it could barely understand. Still, it looked out around the darkness, lit up by the faint glow of the single remaining golden image—the picture of the goblin. M283 was surrounded by emptiness. 

Time passed, and M283 watched as the little goblin fought and struggled and fought some more. 

It was hard to say how much time passed that way, but, eventually, a golden box appeared once more. 

[Your complaint has been reviewed.]

[Connecting you to Administrator F]