One by one, Jake and his party members entered their respective time chambers. They went in the order they had decided, so the Fallen King would finish first, then Sylphie, the Sword Saint, Dina, and finally, Jake would be the last one to appear back in Nevermore City as his fifty years expired.
When Jake was the only one left, standing right in front of his own chamber, the hobgoblin threw him a glance. ”So… you gonna win?”
”What?” Jake asked, a bit confused.
”Are you gonna beat Yip’s Chosen on the Leaderboards? In my mind, it’s pretty much down to you two for the top spot as far as I know. There are a few others too who may have a slight chance, but eh… not really,” the time mage said.
”Why do you care?” Jake questioned with a raised eyebrow.
”I am a gossip; what can I say? I just like those juicy-”
”There’s bets on, huh?” Jake interrupted him.
”Really?” the hobgoblin said, as he tried to look surprised. ”I would have never thought that! But say there truly is live betting going on regarding the finishing positions of all the different well-known Nevermore Attendees competing on the Leaderboards, then surely there would be a lot to be gained on betting for the top spot. Ah, by the way, I am talking about the Era Leaderboards here.”
Jake, not really in that much of a hurry to start his own time chamber, just got a thought. ”Whose the top seed right now?”
”Ell’Hakan, and pretty convincingly, too, so if you beat him on the Era Leaderboards; you should also top the universe one,” the time mage said. ”Followed by a demon prince, a young princess from the Regalflight, an elemental of some kind, and, of course, you. A few others in there, too, but I have my personal doubts about these individuals, and I tend to be pretty good at judging situations like these. The thing is, we don’t know your Challenge Dungeon score, and while it can be assumed that it’s good, seeing as you are also an alchemist and should do well even in those focused on crafting, there’s still a lot of question marks. Especially after you didn’t publish your results. Left many to believe you maybe actually did horribly and was embarrassed.””That Chosen of Yip is really rated that highly, huh?” Jake muttered, ignoring the last part of what the time mage said. He did know he had gotten a good score from the Challenge Dungeons, but…
”He passed floor eighty-two and did pretty damn well throughout the World Wonder. Only one other group did eighty-two floors, with even the majority of the top groups not managing to complete floor eighty, and even if they did, it wasn’t exactly with flying colors,” the hobgoblin kept readily sharing. ”Also, is it surprising for the Chosen of Yip to be rated highly? Based on what I saw when he came here, he is quite an unsettling entity… not that I wouldn’t say the same about you.”
”I see,” Jake nodded, thinking to himself.
”So…?”
”What?” Jake asked, confused.
”You gonna beat him or not? If you tell me, and you’re right, I’ll waive the fee for using the time chambers entirely for your entire party,” the hobgoblin offered.
”Didn’t you make a big deal about offering a discount before…?”
”Alright, I’ll even throw in… what do you want?” the time mage asked, seemingly not sure what to offer a Chosen.
Jake thought for a second, and for a second, he considered what he would do after Nevermore and what would be of use then… and one thing instantly popped up.
”Something for a time banana musa… eh a Celerita Musa, ancient rarity,” Jake said.
”Musa? I thought bananas grew on trees?”
”A lot of people do,” Jake answered, having a very important conversation before it was time to have a multiversal competition on a few Leaderboards. ”They’re actually not trees, but a type of flowering plant that is often confused for one due to their size and large stem.”
”Huh, you learn something new every day,” the hobgoblin nodded, sounding genuinely interested. ”You really are an alchemist. Either way, I got something I’m sure will be of use to your banana plant… so what’ll it be? You gotta take the top spot?”
”If I was the one betting, that is sure where I would place my money… because I wouldn’t say Ell’Hakan’s Challenge Dungeon run struck me as particularly impressive,” Jake smirked and gave a knowing look.
The hobgoblin looked surprised for a moment before he smirked in kind. ”I’ll trust ya on this one. Cya around, I’ll send someone with the stuff for your plant if you make me a rich goblin. Alright, an even richer goblin.”
With those words, he shut the door to Jake’s time chamber. Seconds later, Jake felt the magic circles activate as time distorted. While time would be warped, he would still need to sit there for at least a few days, giving him plenty of time to have fun as he pulled out his Puzzle Box of the Seeker, an item he had dearly missed playing with.
Before he immersed himself in the puzzles, he briefly reflected on recent happenings and what he had just learned. Jake had surprised himself a bit when he asked the hobgoblin about potentially messing with Ell’Hakan’s time chamber to fuck him over on the Leaderboards, as that honestly wasn’t like him. He had just wanted to fuck with the other Chosen, and title-blocking him seemed like a fun way to do that.
But.. letting Ell’Hakan emerge on his throne for a small while before smashing him down would also be satisfying. Jake also had to admit one other thing… for a moment, he had considered the possibility he would need to finish first. That he wasn’t the one with the top score. Jake knew he was strong, people kept telling him that, but it was still hard to imagine he would be the one to take the absolute top spot on the Leaderboards.
If Nevermore had been pure fighting, he would have been more confident. But it was so many other things, and Jake knew there were a myriad of different creatures and people in the multiverse who had their own unique advantages. In many ways, the words of the hobgoblin before he entered the chamber had calmed him. Hearing two groups had beaten two floors more than him wasn’t nice, but it told him there wasn’t some mega-outlier who had somehow managed to do ninety floors through having five Transcendences or some shit like that.
Again, Jake knew he was strong, but he had seen stronger C-grades. The face of the First Sage flashed in his mind as Jake realized a big part of his reason was due to him. Who is to say someone like that absolute outlier couldn’t have appeared again? The chances were really fucking low, but…
Shaking his head, Jake decided to dispel all thoughts about it and began to play with his Puzzle Box to pass the time. All there was left for him to do was wait for the final results to be published. Something he had hated after an exam back in school and sure as hell didn’t like more now.
Stolen story; please report.
Jake, immersed in his box to distract his mind, failed to realize the irony of his thoughts… something he would only come to realize later. Because while he was afraid of some mega-outlier coming in and swooping the competition…
He didn’t realize that in the eyes of others, he was that mega-outlier.
Nevermore City was busier than ever, even exceeding the time everyone went to enter the World Wonder. The massive city was housing guests from every faction, their many strongholds, and compounds filled with influential figures from all over the multiverse. Within many, even gods sat, covertly keeping an eye on everything that was happening.
Within the compound belonging to the Order of the Malefic Viper, Viridia was kneeling before another familiar-looking woman who stood beside two nearly identical copies of herself. It was one of the Witches of the Verdant Lagoon, sidelined by projections of her two sisters.
”The Malefic One informed us his Chosen soon exits Nevermore,” the sister there with a physical avatar said. ”There are also some others to keep an eye on, like the Malefic Dragonkin, but sadly for them, they are overshadowed by the presence of the Chosen.”
”Will we proceed according to the Order’s regular procedures?” Viridia asked, a bit unsure. This wasn’t her first time going to Nevermore because some highly talented member of the Order was doing the World Wonder, but as an S-grade, it was naturally her first time seeing a true Leaderboards competition like this. In preparations, she had read up on old procedures of the Order… but those had all been written during the Malefic One’s absence. So, they very much emphasized not rocking the boat too much.
”I read those, and they are pathetic,” the Verdant Witch spat out her words. ”Viridia, who are we? We are the Order of the Malefic Viper, loyal servants of the Malefic One. We are subservient or apprehensive toward no one but the Malefic One, and this is our chance to truly show the multiverse we are not afraid.”
”Then…”
”Walk forward with pride. Stand alongside the other representatives with a straight back. You represent the Malefic Viper, a Primordial. Do not embarrass him, us, the Chosen, or yourself,” one of the other sisters said in a stern tone. ”Your job is not to prove you are worthy of that pride. Leave that up to the Malefic One and his Chosen and simply bask in the glory of their shadow.”
Viridia listened intently before bowing deeper. ”The will of the Malefic One shall be done.”
”Good. Now go and show those uptight posers the Order of the Malefic Viper is not to be looked down upon or forgotten.”
Standing up, Viridia nodded as she turned, determination in her eyes. As she walked through the compound, she gathered those who would walk alongside her. Among them were a few branch leaders and other S-grades, including Fairleigh, the patriarch of the Nalkar vampires. Something that usually wouldn’t be possible.
There were a few reasons for this. The first one was that vampires still didn’t have a good reputation in the wider multiverse and were often antagonized simply for existing. Among the influential factions, pretty much only the Order had any vampires, with the rest being solo or with smaller groups. Due to this, the Order usually didn’t have vampires with them whenever they participated in any social happenings like this, as that would just be inviting trouble from those who still sought the extermination of the vampire race as a whole.
With the return of the Viper, this would change. No longer did they carry the same fear of making others angry by bringing one. The mere fact they dared bring a vampire was also a way to tell the rest of the multiverse that the Order would do whatever they wanted from now on, with the other factions not able to pressure or tell them what they could and couldn’t do. A show of force, if one will, and a declaration that the Order was openly supporting the vampires.
Finally… Fairleigh had wanted to come. He had been incredibly embarrassed that he had been the one to welcome the Chosen and speak to him for a prolonged period when the Chosen was selling off items from the Treasure Hunt system event, all without the Nalkar Patriarch noticing who he was truly dealing with. He just thought Jake was some new recruit with a Blessing. The primary reason Fairleigh had even wanted to speak to the Chosen personally was due to his own personal interest in old vampire memorobilia. Now, he wanted to at least show his respect by showing up like this and being there to observe how the Chosen did in Nevermore.
”Are you nervous?” Viridia asked Fairleigh as they exited the compound and began making their way toward the central square. They were a group of twelve total, most of them old and loyal members of the Order, while some were newer recruits brought along. Calling S-grades new recruits was a bit weird, but many had wanted a closer relationship with the Order and even joined after the Primordial’s return.
”What worry could I possibly have, Hall Master?” the vampire patriarch asked with a relaxed smile. ”This is the domain of the Wyrmgod, and none would dare insult two Primordials by making a move. I am just happy to finally walk in the light and not be hidden away like should I be ashamed of my heritage.”
Viridia slowly nodded. Fairleigh was older than herself, but as the Hall Master, she had seniority. Still, it felt odd that the vampire she remembered first seeing as a C-grade herself spoke so formally. ”There truly is no need for shame. You are recognized by the Malefic One, and his recognition is worth more than that of every other faction combined. I know his Chosen also has no negative emotions toward your race, and from what I heard, there are even vampires living on his home planet.”
Fairleigh smiled as they kept walking in silence for a while longer before the central square entered sight. Compared to when the Chosen and others had entered, things were slightly different now. The entire square had expanded, and not just by a little either. Some serious space magic had been used, so perfect it defied belief, quite literally stretching reality itself to make everything bigger.
This was all done to make space for the many stands and podiums reserved for the different factions who had proven themselves worthy of one. Behind these were even large buildings that were placed in a large ring around the central square, all with a view of the two Leaderboards from large terraces atop their roofs. These were reserved for the top factions only, with the Order of the Malefic Viper naturally having one of these reserved.
The Leaderboards themselves were currently hidden as they both appeared entirely blank. This had been done when the Era Leaderboards unlocked, primarily to build up excitement about who would take the top spot. There was no doubt this was more than just a mere competition among young talents, but a large social happening involving pretty much all of the major factions of the multiverse.
Viridia led her group into the building belonging to them as they soon stood on the rooftop. Quite a few curious gazes had landed on them, especially when they saw the vampire among them. The Risen were only a few rows away, and their representative was throwing some nasty looks, while the Holy Church was luckily on the other side of the square, placed as far away from the Risen as possible.
Looking over at the Risen, Viridia just smiled and nodded in greeting. The other representative clearly wasn’t happy but still returned her greeting in kind, professional enough to know that being impolite would gain them nothing.
There were a few dozen of these buildings for top factions, with most of them having already arrived by now. Viridia had been to other social gatherings and was used to mostly being ignored… which was why she was surprised when, soon, they were visited by many guests who wanted to give their greetings. And not just by small factions.
A few of the Dragonflights, the United Tribes, Altmar Empire, demon factions, powerful warbands… factions Viridia usually felt looked down on the Order came to pay their respects and wish them a good performance for their Chosen.
One of the reasons why the larger factions had entire buildings was due to the length of this event. It would take weeks, at the very least, for all of the top performers of this first generation to be revealed. Probably even a few months. So this was also very much a time for political meanings, something the buildings could be used for, as Viridia took this chance to meet with representatives left and right.
It also had to be noted that only mortals participated in this. Mixing gods with mortals simply wasn’t feasible, and Viridia didn’t doubt some gods didn’t also have their own dealings, but the majority of the diplomatic work was left to the mortals.
Days turned to weeks, as they had naturally come in good time, and the Leaderboards had yet to be revealed. Finally, they got a warning one day, as a message was projected into the sky above Nevermore City:
Leaderboards Reveal: 23:59:57
Viridia had gone to their rooftop in preparation as the timer slowly expired. As it reached zero… the sky and square filled with lights, and Viridia heard something she hadn’t expected. Music began to blare out from who-knows-where as a being appeared in the sky, hands spread out as she felt the presence of a demi-god.
It was a figure she had read up on and whom she knew was associated with Nevermore. A powerful being that many feared as much as even the Primordials, not necessarily because of power, but the sheer damage this being could cause if pushed. Truly, a creature worthy of respect, as Viridia and all the other mortals knelt before the demi-god they, in truth, knew had already stepped into divinity. Perhaps the only god capable of showing up as a mortal:
The All-God Legion.