"GAH," Matt cried out, slicing through an Ogre with his Collectors Tomahawk, as his Marinesprite grabbed it from behind and suplexed it into the flat roof. The thing still got up, even after the beating it'd been getting for the past ten minutes, though Matt was having plenty of fun fighting it. It also gave him a chance to use his newly learned power; the ability to literally steal time from these monsters. He'd been putting it to good use, though had no clue if it was even affecting the thing, as it showed no signs of aging. It had to, right? He was doing everything his alternate self had told him to do. Either way, it didn't matter, as his sprite delivered the final blow to the Ogre, which then spewed out a mountain of Grist that Matt hastily collected. From his position, the first gateway was within his grasp, just a few feet away, but instead of hastily making his way through it, he took a moment to contact Tarlia about his situation.

DailySpelunker (DS) began Pestering SlipperyGough (SG)

DS: yo hot troll girl
DS: damn it I said I wouldn't do that anymore
DS: oh hai trolly
DS: yes, a reference to a terrible movie
DS: perfect
SG: oh, maTT!
SG: i DiD not ExpEct you
SG: strange, i UsUaLLy do
DS: well that's probably 'cos I learned mo' fucking time powers
SG: wait, time powers!? ]:0
SG: but how?
DS: alternate timeline me
DS: came from a couple weeks into the future, because apparently I fucked things up pretty bad
DS: got Tara killed, and she couldn't help me enter the medium
DS: ended up dooming our session
SG: so what'd he do to fix it?
DS: punched Tara square in the face
SG: what?! ]:0
SG: is she aLL right!?
DS: she's fine, just unconscious
DS: anyway, long story short, I gotta pay more attention to her
SG: this is truly SuRpRISIng!
SG: my lUSUS predicts a lot of things
SG: but they nEvEr said aNythiNg about this
DS: lusus?
SG: i SuPPoSe you would consider it a cAREtAkER
SG: EvEn though i would care to disagrEE!
DS: and it predicts things
SG: yup!
SG: though ThaT is a TraiT UniqUe to my lUSUS
DS: how much has it predicted?
SG: not as much as i'd like!
SG: tHougH it has mENtioNEd a lot NoNe-the-leSS!
SG: such as the god tier ENtEriNg our SeSSion
SG: carthus and i teaming up with you
SG: and a time player saving our EntirE SeSSion!
DS: wait
DS: time player?
DS: I'm supposed to save the session?
SG: so it would sEEm!
SG: some may EvEn consider you a hero! ]:D
DS: damn
DS: hope your lusus is right then
DS: I'd kick ass as a hero
SS: Don't let it go to your head
DS: woah shit
DS: How did you get here, Carthus?
SS: It'ssssss called a group chat, dumbassssss
SS: Look it up
SG: hi ya, carthus!
SG: why'd you join the cONversatiON?
SS: Jusssssst making ssssssure the human issssss on track
SS: How closssssse are you?
DS: I'm pretty much there, man
SG: why do you type a diFFErEnt way towards carthus, maTT?
SG: poSSible flushed fEElings confirmed? ];)
DS: God damnit I don't know what that means
DS: But if you're implying romantic feelings, there's nothing there
DS: Ain't into dudes
SS: What the fuck doessssss that have to do with anything?
DS: It's a human thing
SS: Whatever
SS: Where'ssssss the other human?
DS: Sleeping
SS: Are you sssssserioussssss?
DS: She couldn't really control it
BL: Calm down, I'm awake everybody
BL: First question
BL: WHAT THE HECK MATT?!
DS: Wasn't me, T
DS: Alternate future Matt saved your life
DS: If anything, you should be thanking me!
BL: :(
SS: Lissssssten you two, get over it
SS: Tara, it wasssssn't Matt who punched you, sssssso don't blame him for it
SS: Matt, congratulationssssss on being the hero, but don't think it meanssssss you can ssssssit on your assssss expecting fate to do the work for you
SS: Are we clear?
DS: Yeah man, you got it
BL: Yeah, I guess
SS: Good
SS: I'm not your leader for nothing
DS: Speaking of which, who made you leader?
SS: Tarlia did
SS: Her Lussssssussssss predicted it
DS: We don't even get a vote
SS: Why the hell would there be a vote
SS: Would you rather be the leader, and deal with a crazily peppy troll who'ssssss into necrophilia, an overdramatic human girl having a teenage crissssssissssss, and me, a complete asssssshole?
DS: Fine man, jeez
DS: You're the leader
SS: Good, then sssssstop contacting ussssss and go through you're gate
DS: Why are you always pushing us?
DS: Where the fuck are you guys?
SG: wE'vE AlreAdy EntErEd our first gate!
SG: in fact, i'm past my second!
DS: How are you doing this so quickly
SS: Becausssssse we're not fucking around learning powerssssss from alternate sssssselvessssss or being knocked out
SS: Sssssso enter the gate, and build up the resssssst of Tara'ssssss housssssse
DS: One step ahead of you there
DS: Finished that while I was learning my powers
SS: Oh, well colour me ssssssurprissssssed
BL: Wait, who's a necrophiliac?
DS: Your little troll crush
SG: wait, crush?
BL: HAHAHA FUNNY JOKE MATT

BaptisingLilac (BL) left the group

DS: Whoops
SS: Whatever
SS: Assssss long assssss sssssshe getssssss through the gate, we'll be good
SS: But it wassssss kind of a dick move ssssssaying that
DS: Hey, don't blame me
SG: does she reaLLy have red fEElings for me?
DS: Probably
SG: oh
SG: cOOl! ]:D
SS: Yeah great
SS: We've all got our quadrantssssss ssssssorted out
SS: Fucking great, really
SS: JUSSSSSST FINISSSSSSH YOUR TASSSSSSK

SporaticSlither (SS) left the group

DS: damn, dude's got some issues
DS: how did he become friends with you
SG: yes, it is UnUsUal for a bUrgUndy blOOd and a cErulEan blOOd to ASSociAte with each other
SG: let alone bEcomE moIraIls!
DS: ok what the hell is with your blood types
SG: oh!
SG: weLL, a troLLs blOOd cOlOur dEtErminEs whErE they are on our HieRaRchy
SG: bUrgUndy is the lowest, which is carthus
SG: and cErulEan is the FiFth HigHest, which is me!
SG: but carthus and i have kNowN each other for SwEEpS
SG: he was ActuALLy a servant to me, as was his luSuS to mine!
SG: i gueSS we just grew on each other
DS: how the fuck are your lusus able to be servants
DS: you know what, I don't care
DS: that's another can of worms I sure as hell don't want to open
DS: ttyl
SG: byeya, maTT! ]:)

DailySpelunker (DS) ceased Pestering SlipperyGough (SG)

Matt closed his Personal Computer, slotting it into his sylladex with the rest of his junk, and jumped up onto his feet. He grabbed his tomahawk as he did, seeing the silver glow in contrast to the gloomy scenery consisting of mountains and cloudy skies, and adjusted his flat-brimmed Yankees baseball cap so the brim covered the back of his head. He looked towards the first gate, a dark green spiralling circle, and then towards his sprite. Maybe he wasn't too hasty in prototyping his collector's edition game; his Marinesprite had proved itself as a competent fighter, but then again the thing never told anything but riddles about what Matt had to do in the Medium. Speaking of which…

Matt waved his hand to signal the sprites attention, and questioned, "Yo army dude, I got a question, and please dear god give me a straight answer; what is waiting for me on the other side of this gate?"

"I'm afraid that information is classified as a clear answer, sir," the sprite began, his helmet showing none of his emotions, "but I can tell you in the form of a riddle!"

"God damnit, you are seriously worthless for anything besides fighting."

"Sir, if it were up to me, I'd give you the answer now. But I'm afraid the nature of the game disables me from doing that. Riddles are complete bullshit, and I'd rather be slaughtering these damn imp terrorists than coming up on the spot with complete cryptic bullshit, but nothing to do about it."

Matt sighed, letting his frustration be known to the sprite, and slid his hand down his face. "Well go ahead, whatever."

"In the Land of Pendulums and Ticking lies a sacred city, distressed by the black forces and under siege by the ruler of your land. Many may take the path easiest, yet know not of the rewards yielded by the more treacherous. Upon your journey, you may learn of the true meaning of your life, as well as things that can shape your perception of reality."

Matt stared at the Marinesprite for a few seconds with an unimpressed look on his face, before giving it a frustrated grunt. "What the fuck does that even mean!?"

The sprite shrugged, and explained, "You may want to talk to the locals to learn more."

"Thanks for the advice, buddy. Really." Matt walked past his sprite and up to the gate, which was just a short hop until he could touch it. He looked behind him, and gestured towards the gate. "You coming?"

"Negative. I must remain on your house until you come back."

"Fucking fantastic." Matt prepped himself for the gate, tomahawk in one hand and the other balled into a fist, and made a jump into his gate, his last sight being of a thumbs up from his sprite.

Tara slammed her fist into the wall for the sixth time, her face scrunched up into pure frustration as her sprite watched on, calmly floating up and down in one spot. The wall had only started barely cracking by this point, but a hole the size of her fist had begun to indent into the wall, threatening to crumble at any given moment. Tara's laptop sat in the corner of the room, haphazardly thrown after her exit from the group chat, constantly notifying her of a message from someone, though the alert began grating her ears.

"You know this may not solve anything," Superstarsprite told her, crossing its arms.

"Shut up! Just shut the hell up!" Tara exclaimed, the words burning her throat as she shouted them.

The sprite looked upon her with shock, "Tara! I understand you are frustrated, but that gives you no right to swear!"

"Oh cut it out! Hell is not a freaking swear! If you don't like it, get out of my sight!"

"Oh Tara, sweetie. You really should talk to me about your problems."

"No! For one thing, you're completely biased on the topic, and secondly you only speak in stupid freaking riddles! So just SHUT UP!" Tara's breaths grew heavier, and the sprite was obviously dismayed by her outburst, though she didn't care.

"Well, if not me, then maybe there is someone else?" It nodded its head over to Tara's laptop, which was still notifying her incessantly. Tara groaned, but reluctantly followed it's advice, walking over and opening up her laptop.

SlipperyGough (SG) began Trolling BaptisingLilac (BL)

SG: tArA, plEasE talk to me!
SG: ]:(
BL: Listen, I'm sorry for before
SG: ]:D
SG: oh you don't have to be soRRy!
SG: i'm hErE to help with your crISIS!
BL: …
BL: How so?
SG: by teLLing you the TruTh!
SG: ThaT your relIgIon is just a big lie!
BL: What?
SG: do you know the nature of the game?
SG: weLL, when a SeSSion is won, the game crEatEs a univErsE due to a few actions from the players
SG: i could explain EvErything, but ThaT would take hours!
SG: to kEEp it short, your 'god' teChniCaLLy doesn't exist!
SG: it was just another player ThaT crEatEd your univErsE
SG: just as we wiLL!
BL: That's…
BL: You're lying!
SG: oh, but i'm not!
SG: as we play the game, you'LL sEE!
BL: No, it can't…
BL: I…
SG: tArA, are you bETTEr yet?
BL: Better?!
BL: Why would that make me feel better?!
BL: You've just told me that my religion
BL: Something I've believed in for years
BL: Is all just a gigantic lie!
BL: Why would that make me feel better?!
SG: i just THougHT…
BL: I…
BL: Please don't let anyone contact me

BaptisingLilac (BL) ceased Pestering SlipperyGough (SG)

SG: oh dear ]:(

For just a seconds, Matt felt and saw nothing, just pure blackness, like falling through a void, then a second later he felt nothing but pain as he slammed head first into a solid grassy surface. The rest of his body went limp as it impacted with the ground, and his weapon slid over to a nearby rock. He laid there for a moment, before leaning up on his arms and knees, looking over to his weapon, and the subsequent figure sitting on the rock. A human? No, there were a couple of horns protruding from their head. Wait, horns? Matt looked further up, directly at the figure; grey skin, a loose dress that was cut off above their knees, an overcoat extending to their feet, blue outlines near their eyes, short wavy hair, and a curvy cut figure. Matt knew who it was.

"Hi Matthew!" Tarlia greeted in a weirdly thick (Australian?) accent, waving her hand at him.