Throughout Nevermore, Jake had encountered quite a few gods. He had been recorded both visually and in far other ways by the dungeon and system as he made his way through the floors and Challenge Dungeons. However, despite this, he still felt like much about him still wasn’t shared. As if the system put up certain barriers of information not even the Wyrmgod could see.
Others had suspicions and theories, but they didn’t know. Minaga’s lack of fully knowing how Jake overcame his labyrinth was prime proof of this. The Wyrmgod asking Jake about Bloodline-related stuff when he was summoned to the streaming room also served as further proof that while Jake was analyzed from head to toe, some things weren’t revealed.
But… what if Jake handed a sample filled with his Records? Especially if he made an item related to his Origin energy or his Path as a Heretic-Chosen? Surely, that could cause some problems, right? Even if the system had some rules within Nevermore, they could just take these items or samples outside and figure Jake out there.
Also, on a side note, Jake didn’t understand how no one had called him out for being a Heretic yet. Jake had done all his usual Heretic stuff while in front of other gods and the Viper, but everyone just seemed fine and chill with it. Alright, sure, he could get no one calling him out publicly with his Patron right there, but they at least had to be thinking in their minds Jake was a damn Heretic, right?
Probably. Or maybe they thought Jake was just putting on an act or following the will of the Viper. In either case, confirming to them he was indeed a Heretic, even if he was also a Chosen, seemed like a stupid idea.
This begged the question of whether Jake had to hold back in his Challenge Dungeon out of fear that he would reveal something he really shouldn’t. Of course, he would only need to do that if the items and information scanned during the crafting process were given to the Wyrmgod or others.
Right now, Jake felt the usual observation of the Wyrmgod, who was likely streaming all Jake was doing to the other gods present. With this, it could be confirmed that everything happening in this dungeon wasn’t confidential.
Alas, Jake could not make a decision before he knew for sure what would happen with the items or the information he handed in for evaluation. So he did the only thing that made sense and went straight to the owner of the house to ask about just that.
At the very top of the atrium, on the highest floor, was a section Jake could not see at all due to it being cut off by spatial distortion. His guts told him that was where the Architect resided, and after confirming with an attendant, Jake flew straight up.
Up there, the entire pathway was empty. There weren’t any attendants anywhere, and even the walls were bare of décor. The only thing was a single wooden door that Jake couldn’t at all tell what was behind. However, the nametag saying “Architect” was a subtle clue as to what may be behind it.Flying over, he landed in front of it, and as he did, something odd happened. The door began to open by itself, and right as it did, the gaze of the Wyrmgod he felt on him disappeared, having seemingly been cut off. Jake was surprised as he looked through the newly opened door and saw a smallish hall where the only thing of note was someone sitting in the center.
Jake observed what looked vaguely like a human woman but clearly wasn’t, staring right back at him. Her skin was an odd ashen gray, making her eyes stand out even more. One was golden like the sun, while the other remained black as the void itself. Her head was entirely bald, her bare head covered with an elaborate tattoo of some kind. She wore a tight-fitting suit, and in all honesty, Jake wouldn’t have been able to pin her as a woman if not for the system message and attendants mentioning she was one due to her androgynous looks. In some ways, her looks reminded Jake a bit about the system entity he had seen, but that was probably because of what he felt from her gaze.
It put him on edge. He felt like she saw everything. Far more than she should be able to. Villy had the same look at times, but this woman… her gaze was something else. Like he could not keep a single secret in front of her.
“Welcome, Jake Thayne,” she greeted him with a small bow of her head. “You have caused quite the stir, and seeing you now, I am beginning to understand why.”
“Thank you for having me,” Jake said while bowing slightly and walking into the room properly as the woman’s eyes continued to pierce straight through him. “Are… are you the Architect?”
“That is the role I am playing right now, yes,” she nodded. “A temporary title, if you will. Now, come, you are here to ask me questions, are you not?”
Jake slowly nodded as he tried really hard to get a read on the entity in front of him. Tried and failed. She felt wrong to his senses, and no matter how much he tried, he couldn’t truly detect how strong she was. What’s more… his Sphere of Perception didn’t pick her up properly, and that had only happened with one other thing before, although it was to a lesser degree with this woman. Figuring out the Architect wasn’t why he was there, though.
“I was wondering… what happens to the Creations I submit? Who will see the full analysis related to them?” Jake asked.
“Only I will. But, that is not truly what you want to ask, now is it? You are worried that secrets you wish to keep hidden will be revealed,” the Architect said with a reassuring smile. “There is no need for such worry. Not even the Wyrmgod will truly be able to know or see what happens here. I have enhanced his limitations beyond the usual for this Challenge Dungeon precisely due to your concerns.”
“You… enhanced them?” Jake asked as he suddenly had a realization. “Wait… are you…”
The Architect just smiled as she stood. “Usually, a conversation like this would never take place, but you are already a being who has had many secrets divulged to you. Minaga and the Wyrmgod have both been generous with what they divulged and keeping secrets from the Malefic Viper has never been an easy task. Seeing as you are his Chosen and one he gladly shares things with that mortals shouldn’t know, why can’t I be the same?”
“You’re a Bound God,” Jake said with certainty.
Bound Gods. Unnatural gods who appeared and were linked to something, the most known example being Bound Gods bound to World Wonders. However, Jake didn’t think Nevermore had one with the Wyrmgod being around. For this place to have a Bound God, too…
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“Insightful observation,” she said, looking at him. “A correct one, too. Allow me to properly introduce myself: I am Nevermore, though I reckon you already knew that. I also hope that answers many of your questions when it comes to my capabilities.”
Jake slowly nodded once more, having most of his doubts dispelled regarding that. Bound Gods had their power directly linked to whatever they were bound to, so it wasn’t even necessary to speculate how powerful Nevermore was. As a living dungeon, she was also linked directly to the system itself, which explained why Jake’s Sphere of Perception and senses acted a bit off around her. Being a Bound God indeed explained all that, but Jake still had some questions.
“I am a bit confused… I thought the Wyrmgod made Nevermore… you… actually, can I just call you the Architect?” Jake asked. “How exactly does that make sense with there also being a Bound God tied to this place?”
“Curious to a fault,” Nevermore shook her head. “Also, yes, feel free to refer to me as my current role. As for the answer to your question… well, things are complicated, and there are many things I will not share. All I will say is that my original form was that of a dungeon core and that without me, Nevermore wouldn’t be able to exist as it does.”
“So… the Wyrmgod somehow obtained you in dungeon core form, made Nevermore, which makes him the dungeon master, while you are the dungeon itself…” Jake muttered as his eyes opened wide and pointed at her. “You’re the living personification of dungeon-fuckery!”
The Architect just stared at him for a few moments before she laughed. “What a crude term. Yet, I cannot entirely argue it’s inaccuracy. I also believe that realization should answer any questions you have regarding confidentiality?”
“For the most part,” Jake said, a little embarrassed at his outburst. “My only real question left is if I can keep the things I make? Also, I reckoned I may as well ask this, but do I get experience in this Challenge Dungeon? And if not, why don’t I? Not just in regards to this Challenge Dungeon, but all of them.”
“If you keep what you created or not is a question I shall refrain from answering,” the Architect said. “And you do not earn any experience in here, no. What you earn instead is plenty of Records to facilitate your later progress through C-grade. It is a way to build up your Records and exit each dungeon effectively with more potential than when you entered. To most, not getting experience here is purely positive, as getting levels isn’t the hard part; it’s raising their maximum potential and overcoming barriers. I do understand that for your situation, where Records are not a challenge, at least not yet, it is a negative. However, I guess that is just one of the drawbacks of being in an extraordinary position.”
“I see,” Jake muttered, understanding the logic even if he didn’t like it. “Ah, speaking of Records, is there some cool meta-achievement for doing well in all five Challenge Dungeons?”
“I recall you saying those questions before were the last?” the Architect said, clearly not wanting to answer. Not that she had to, as Jake smiled, her silence and his guts giving him the answer.
There is a good chance there is one, got it. Oh well, now I have to perform great, or I will feel like I missed out, Jake thought as he prepared to excuse himself.
“I believe you got your answer, didn’t you?” the Architect said, shaking her head. “Alas, it was probably a scenario I should have expected. The intuition and senses you possess are outside of anything Nevermore has experienced before. I fear this will have to be our only meeting outside of formal evaluations, as even with my link to the system, I am not considered outside of the scope of the Primal Hunter’s instincts.”
Jake’s smile faded at her final sentence as he furrowed his brows and looked at her closely.
“Didn’t I already tell you? Your secrets lay bare before me,” she said with her usual smile.
Frowning, Jake spoke calmly. “Some of them, at least. I get the feeling you can see my status and have some read on my abilities, but you are still limited, aren’t you?”
“What makes you think that? The system is omniscient, and as its representative and a World Wonder, is it that surprising I may be too?”
“You feel different from the system itself,” Jake said, shrugging as he remembered that faceless being he had seen during the integration as well as the auction event. “You’re somewhere in between.”
“Words spoken with confidence that can only come from genuine belief in your words,” she said, sighing. “I am beginning to understand why Minaga finds you intriguing, yet frustrating, to deal with. You see and know things that are not there yet are nevertheless true. Truly perplexing.”
“I like to be perplexing,” Jake shrugged. “Keeps my enemies on their toes.”
“And your allies in a perpetual state of confusion.”
“I am doing my best indeed; thank you for noticing,” Jake grinned, joking around with the half-system World Wonder entity known as Nevermore. Yes, he was fully aware of the absurdity of this situation… but also its uniqueness.
“Truly a peculiar person,” the Architect said. “I have had countless mortals through here. Endless questions and inquiries, but your genuine casualness is a first. Many try to be casual, hiding their true thoughts and merely putting on a façade, but you truly are merely a human who lives according to his own instincts. The data and the Records your very existence provides, not to mention your journey through Nevermore, will prove incredibly valuable.”
“Glad to be of assistance, I guess,” Jake said politely, not sure how to feel about helping out Big Data over here.
“Sadly, I will have to cut our meeting here before it goes too long and you begin to prematurely uncover forbidden secrets of the multiverse,” the Architect joked a bit back.
“All good things must come to an end,” Jake nodded as he smiled. “Pleasure meeting you, and I’ll look forward to exploring all your house has to offer.”
“And I shall look forward to seeing all you create and submit to me,” she said, finishing the conversation off as Jake walked toward the door. After a few steps, Jake stopped right before he exited.
“Ah, one last thing,” Jake said as he stood at the door and turned to look at her. “I’d like to make my first submission for evaluation.”
“Oh?” the Architect said with what seemed like genuine surprise. “I do not believe you have created anything, though?”
“I did make something, and I just gave it to you. Unknowingly, you have just experienced my first submission. You and the system recorded it, true, but I was the primary creator,” Jake said with a grin. “I would officially like to submit our entire encounter as my first Creation.”
The Architect looked at him perplexed for a while as Jake looked straight back at her, holding her gaze.
“What? Didn’t the rules say anything can be a Creation?”
“You’re correct; there is nothing making it unsuitable, and part of the evaluation is already what the system gathers. It’s just that this is genuinely a first,” the Architect answered.
“So it’s extra-unique? Wait, can something even be extra-unique? Unique already means something is… actually, never mind, the point is, yes, I am sure of my first submission. Why, do you think it’s a bad idea? Pretty sure I can’t take it back,” Jake said, rambling a bit and semi-questioning if his spontaneous decision had been a really dumb one.
“It certainly is unique,” the Architect said as her golden eye began glowing brighter than before. “Very well, your first submission has been accepted and evaluated.”
“So, how do you rate my first Creation?” Jake asked curiously. “Do I get any immediate feedback?”
“No, you get an overall evaluation at the very end,” she shook her head. “And I cannot give you any answers regarding how well something is evaluated.”
“I got a feeling I wasn’t being entirely moronic, though,” Jake muttered, going with his gut as usual.
“And perhaps that is the only answer you need,” she said with a smile. “Now, you do need to do one final thing: name your Creation. What do you wish to call your first Creation? Be aware even the name will be considered entirely confidential.”
Jake considered only for a moment before he shrugged.
“Let’s just call it the Primal Hunter Experience.”
With those words, he left the office as the door shut behind him, Jake getting the rightful feeling that he couldn’t simply enter it again before he had another Creation to officially submit. As he exited, he also briefly saw that his system menu had updated, his first submission, even if it had been a weird one, indeed having gone through.
Current objective: Make a second Creation and present it to the Architect.
Creation-submissions remaining: 9