Grey couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
’Am I seeing things?’
This city was definitely not Zone 234... or was it?
It wasn’t like Grey had been inside. Would he even be able to tell the difference?
He also didn’t know exactly what piece of history this Instance represented. For all he knew, it was only a year or two ago and it made perfect sense for Bishop Calixan to be here.
Given the fact this Bishop Calixan was only in the Vector Class, while the one Grey knew was certainly in the Vanguard Class or even better after his breakthrough, also seemed to line up.
But something about it was fishy and not quite adding up.
When Calixan had seen Joaquin, the man had quite literally gotten on his knees. He prostrated like he was seeing a literal god, and Joaquin hadn’t had nearly as many patterns and tattoos on him.
Any layman could tell that Blood had been blessed far more. So how could an older Calixan fear a much lesser version of Blood, while the younger version of him dared to summon, command, and enslave Blood himself?
Calixan showed no recognition when he laid eyes on Grey. All he had on his face was cold calculation.
"Rise." Calixan said coldly.
Blood obliged, becoming a large, looming shadow behind the Bishop.
Calixan’s gaze shifted toward the headless corpse that was left of Sir Pebble. He frowned slightly, then looked back to Grey.
"Who are you? Who sent you to my domain?"
Grey’s gaze flickered for a moment. He honestly expected the battle to just start, he was kind of riding a high right now. Both figuratively and literally.
But talking might actually help him.
Thinking for a moment, Grey held out his fang dagger, a blade erupting from it. Tendrils of crimson flared from his Vampire Lord Frame.
"Who do you think?"
Calixan’s pupils constricted. He had been far too focused on his earlier summoning so he couldn’t pick up any details of what was happening. But he knew the aura of a Vampire Lord when he saw one.
"That is impossible. The Dark Kin have been eradicated."
There was an obvious paling on Calixan’s expression.
Grey felt that he was on to something. Blood had only been half Dark Kin and half something else. Grey didn’t know what that other half was, but...
"So your eyes still work." Grey said with a grin. "So what should I do about you enslaving this idiotic brother of mine?"
Calixan fell into silence for a long while.
"No one should have known... no one should have known..." he mumbled these words twice in quick succession, biting at his lip like he was slowly losing sight of his own rationality.
"Well, we know."
"We?" Calixan’s hand snapped up.
"I came out of my father’s balls and my mom’s pussy. Do I need to explain the birds and the bees to a man with a foot in the grave?"
Maybe had Grey actually known his parents he wouldn’t be so crude, but Calixan didn’t need to know that. In fact, it was probably better if he thought his parents were very much alive.
"No... Sir Pebble told me about you. You are the one who killed King Cami, aren’t you? You’re the one who helped us capture Blood. How could you possibly be—."
"Would you shut up?" Grey picked at his ear with a pinky finger. "I obviously did that to see who the fuck would be so bold, but who would have thought that you’d try and sedate me. Didn’t work, in case you haven’t noticed."
Calixan’s pupils constricted into pinholes. That was right.
There was an active barrier here, one that no normal person could get by without a special pass. The fact Grey was even awake right now was an impossibility.
He had personally set up that blockade.
"Now, I’ll ask you again," Grey said with a grin, "what should I do about you enslaving this idiotic brother of mine?"
Calixan stood in silence for a long while again. Grey could see him calming down in real time, and that wasn’t good for him, but he had no choice but to keep up the facade for the time being.
He wasn’t actually looking to convince Calixan of anything. What he needed was information. He needed the last piece of the puzzle to fulfill the requirements of his Legendary Quest, but he also needed some understanding of what exactly Giyoto’s goals were.
"I am willing to negotiate." Calixan said calmly. "I understand the customs of the Dark Kin. Half bloods like this are of no real—."
"Only when there are many of us. As you well know, the pickings are slim." Grey said with a dangerous smile.
Calixan stiffened, but he quickly regained his composure.
"I can give the Dark Kin a stake in the reward."
"Oh?" Grey’s grin widened. "Now we’re talking. Go on."
"I’ve already imprinted the hybrid with the Mark of the Gods. The half blood has both the blood of the Dark Kin and the Goblins running through his veins. He is the perfect specimen for splitting the Fog of Chaos.
"I can allow you to come with me on this trip."
"Yeah? So you can stab me in the back? I think I should call some help first." Grey said, looking quite sagely for him.
Calixan’s expression darkened. "This won’t be possible. The half blood is burning through a great amount of life force right now. It won’t live for much longer than the next three hours. I am only extending this offer because it is indeed I who have miscalculated."
"Where can you—." Grey’s eyes sharpened. He was about to ask where Calixan could possibly get within three hours and still have enough time for Blood to do his job, but then it hit him as though the answer was obvious. "—it’s beneath the Church, isn’t it?"
Calixan’s heart skipped a beat. How did the Dark Kin know about this? Had he truly underestimated them to this extent?
As for Grey, he was only thinking about one thing.
An abyss he had almost fallen into just earlier that day.