Chapter 124 - Meeting the Real One
"...I see..." Bennett stated after hearing all that Adam explained about the incident. Thinking about how to proceed with this, he took the document and held onto it.
"How about this...if your team successfully gets all remaining trapped players out of E.D.E., I will consider ignoring this."
"..." the lead programmer responded with a neutral expression and a blink. "...sounds fair..."
"However...if all players are removed and you terminate this game entirely...then I will have never seen this document. Also any impeding charges you might face from lawsuits towards the company will be minor at best."
"..." Adam reacted with making his face tight.
"Sounds like a fair deal to me...given how much we as a company will face in the aftermath," the head admin offered putting the paper down on his desk. Keeping a neutral expression, Bennett interlaced his hands together.
"And if I don't meet those two conditions?"
"If that is the case, I would advise to seek our legal team."
"...I see..." the lead programmer remarked with a small frown. "Are we done then?"
"As of right now, yes...but I will seek a status update in the evening, tomorrow morning, and tomorrow evening. Just to ensure that the rescue progression we are going at is on schedule."
"Fine," Adam stated calmly then stood up. Without saying anything else, he turned around and left the room. Closing the door behind him, he headed for his office. While travelling there, his expression became darker. Clenching his teeth together, his hands curled into fists.
'He thinks he can control me and make me delete E.D.E...well...we shall see who is really in control of things,' he thought irritated.
Bypassing his original intention of going to where the employees were and checking them, he started formulating his own plan. Reaching his room, he entered then closed the door behind him. Locking it, went to his computer. Waking it up, he automatically opened up the same programs that he had at his home computer. Before he began to take action, he opened the live feed of where the last remaining viruses were.
[...?] Jin answered. Seeing the visual stop, it slowly turned left 180 degrees. Looking the other way, there was nothing else but sky and a blood filled ocean. Turning back to the illumination circle, Samantha tried again.
"...J-Jin...it's me."
[...mmmm...] he responded with a grunt. Moving his hands to his eyes, it appeared he was rubbing them with loosely closed fists.
"P-Please Jin...talk to me," she stated trying to sound more convincing with emotion. The view on the screen turned down to see his heavily blood stained feet. Seeing the feed move rapidly side to side, hands were seen holding the sides of his face.
[...you are not mom...you are not Renee...you are not real...stop it...]
"Honey...please believe me...please..." Mrs. Ainsley tried again sounding a little torn.
Hearing sounds from behind her, she glanced back. Derek and his family turned to look at what was going on. Both of his daughters cringed a little at the sight of on the TV. Thinking that their parents would shield their eyes, neither did so. Focusing on what she was trying to do, she moved her head back to the monitor.
[...] the male teen answered with standing up straight. Seeing his hands get placed down to his side, he did not move forward.
[...I'm listening...what do you want?]
"...you...don't believe me...do you?"
[...I'm hearing voices...and there is no one here...]
"...but...I'm here...I can finally talk to you...I thought I lost you a second time when you got kidnapped again," Samantha mentioned with a tightened voice.
[...what did you want to talk about...mom...?] Jin stated in a stoic tone. His voice gave her the impression that he was only listening and not believing. Despite feeling hurt be that, the aspect of being able to talk to him was a bigger relief.
"How are you feeling Jin? Are you hurt?"
[...I'm a monster...and I can't escape from here...so I don't feel particularly well]
"You are not a monster honey," Mrs. Ainsley retorted a little. "You were never a monster."
[...I brutalized an enlarged bird...I stomped its head without hesitation until its head cracked open...and feel numb about it...]
"...well..." she began a little conflicted with what he said. Thinking quickly to stop the awkward silence that would ensue, she spoke.
"Well, it was a seagull...they are pretty nasty birds in general."
[True]
"...you know...Renee was talking to you earlier. Right?"
[...sounded like her...]
"Do you know why Renee was able to log out and you couldn't?"
[...I don't have a correct answer to that...only assumptions...which gave a plausible explanation] her son replied with a neutral tone still.
"You mean...the viruses have corrupted you or infected you?"
[I can only assume that is the cause]
"Okay...is Ami with you by chance?" she asked trying to give information to the family behind her.
[No...I do not know where she went to]
"Is she stalking you like a predator?" Samantha asked which caused the Felmorts to blink in surprise. Moving before anyone could response, Derek approached next to Mrs. Ainsley. Thinking he would be retort, he did not say anything and stayed quiet.
[...it is complicated...] Jin responded flatly.
"Jin...you can be honest with me."
[...my answer...does not matter at this point...]
"..." she responded with pressing her lips together. About to speak, Mr. Felmort put a hand on her right shoulder.
"May I speak to him?" he asked quietly.
"...about what?" Samantha questioned only glancing at him.
"Just a couple of questions regarding my daughter," he spoke evenly. His face was ridged, but did not looking agitated. Blinking and looking down, she took off the headset. Handing it to him, he put it on and adjusted the microphone arm.
"Jin...do you hear me?"
[...great...another one...]
"This is Mr. Felmort."
[...sure you are...]
"I have questions my boy...will you answer them?"
[...] the male teen replied with a sigh. [...I'm listening...]
"Is it possible to save my daughter?"
[...define save...]
"Get her out of being trapped in this game."
[...yes...administration has set up an exit portal...any gamer that steps into it that hasn't been tainted by the viruses will wake up]
"Will she do so willingly if I or our family talks to her?"
[...if you can tap into her mind, you can try...]
"You don't think she will?"
[Being here is escapism...players who choose to stay do not want to leave]
"That is not a direct answer."
[...so it isn't...]
"I want a straight answer my boy. She has become overly attached to you since she has awakened," Derek stated firmer. "Though my family does not say it...our child does not appear to be the same as before."
[...and you think...I will believe a voice in my head...sure...] Jin retorted back with irritation.
"I can assure you my boy that your friend, your mother, and myself are quite real."
[...l...e...a...v...e...m...e...a...l...o...n...e...] the Blighter answered gravely with multiple echoes and airy hisses in his voice. Moving into the illumination light, the screen turned bright causing the group to be blinded a little.
"...!?" the brothel members reacted with surprise. Without warning or holding back, Selbith slashed at all of them rapidly. Cutting all of them into bits, the brothel members fell to the ground dismembered and bloody. Turning toward the dark elf, he was pressing his back against the wall.
"D-D-Do you know h-how hard it is...to find more d-darlings to w-work here!?" he asked with a shaken voice.
Unable to move away, the Grim Reaper moved toward him. Getting in front of him, its skeleton hand reached out to his face. Grabbing it and holding his head, the elf's eyes shook in place then slowly turned upward. Seeing him go limb, Ami let go of him. Falling down to the floor like a ragdoll, his dark complexion became paler. Feeling satisfied and less aggravated, Selbith changed back to her human form.
"...now then..." she mentioned. Looking at the counter, she turned the log book around. Scanning the recent pages first, there was no description of a customer that matched Jin. Even if the name of the person was not written in, there was a category of what type of individual the person belonged to. None were described as anything similar to a Blighter.
'If that is the case, then this was a planned farce,' Ami thought with a frown. 'Damn you Lamashtu.'
"..." the gunslinger spoke. Closing her eyes, she tried to figure out where did Jin go to. Figuring that a rift out of hell was not likely, it was due from the dark deity not wanting him to leave. Contemplating on where to go look first, Ami tried to figure out the likely places to go to.
Reaching the chamber door of Satan, Lamashtu and Lilu stood in front of it. Without saying anything, the Hell King spoke.
'...enter...' he said clearly in their minds.
"It is your lucky day Lilu," the deity stated with a small smirk. "Please keep your drool in your mouth over his majesty's appearance."
"...sssssshut upppp..." the lanky, faceless demon seethed with redness on her face.
Proceeding forward, the door of carved dead and chard wood opened by itself. Stepping into Satan's room, it was long, spacious, and with no end to the ceiling. Looking up, everything seemed to converge to a black hole that was far above the floor. Turning back forward, their lord was sitting on his lavished throne of flesh and gold. Perched on the top of a stage, there were people surrounding him.
Both women and men of different demonic races were around. All were in various outfits and had an aura of being in captivity. Some looked content from being here while others looked more against it. Based on the inked symbols around their neck, Lilu blushed from their status. The dark goddess kept a cool expression and headed toward the Hell King.
Hearing the demon quick step to be beside her, she could hear the lanky female creature breathing quicker with excitement. Smirking internally from the various reasons for this female monster to become happy, she stared hard at Satan. Seeing that two of his servants were currently attending him, he smiled back looking at her. Reaching the base of stairs to the stage platform, she kneeled. Crossing her right arm over her chest to touch her left shoulder, Lilu mimicked her.
"My lord. We have arrived at your calling," Lamashtu stated then lifted her head up. "If you were busy being attended, we could have arrived when you were not occupied."
"Ahhh...but I specifically called you my goddess," the devil angel remarked. Brushing the heads of both servants, they stopped what they were doing. Bowing their heads, they stood up from being in front of his legs. Backing away, the deity gave no expression change from seeing the look on their faces.
"As you can see...I am not busy."
"That was rather quick of you my lord to dismiss your play things...do they not arouse you anymore?"
"Still defiant after your imprisonment...how charming," he commented. Leaning to his left side, he prompted his head up with left hand.
"So tell me my goddess...how did you become one and escape?"
"Do you not know my King? It was the mortal you tried to possess and toy with."
"Heh heh...that boy? He is infected and sentenced to the damned. Even with Han-Ko's influence of removing the hell parasite, insanity will consume him."
"Why so sure my lord?" Lamashtu mocked with a tight smile.
"Because my dear...all your Blighters succumbed...like failed experiments," Satan informed with a smug on his face. "Not any of your mortal concubines could be of service to you."
"..." the deity responded with pressing her lips together. Hiding her grin and maintaining her position, she just blinked.
"If you wish to know the feeling of being in my position Lamashtu...we can conduct the servitude contract again...it will be like re-wedding to be my exclusive woman."
"That is kind of you my lord...but alas...I do not deserve that old position of sitting on your right hand. The last memory I had of that was how unstimulating and apathetic I was from your attempts to climax me."
"Given that you had not had anything for more than a millennium, you will pool the floor...now serve me," he ordered.
Both demons saw his member growing to a large size. Unable to contain herself, Lilu rushed forward with a hungry hiss. Only making it half the distance to the throne, the loyal servants attacked her. Dismembering her with claws and crude bladed weapons, the faceless demon fell to pieces on the stage. As the servants walked back to their positions before, neither Lamashtu or Satan blink an eye from what happened.
"As much as I appreciate her service and zeal...she was rather hideous and annoying," the Hell King mentioned. Standing up, he walked toward where the goddess stood.
"You on the other hand...are more palatable."
"Oh please my lord...your sway of words are dead to me," she stated with a smirk.
"On the contrary my goddess...you will feel more alive than ever before," he indicated with a smirk. In a blink of an eye, he stood in front of her. Oddly, Lamashtu still had a high aura of confidence. It was as if she was hiding something. Her presence contrasted with both of his willing and unwilling servants around them.
"What is it that you have Lam? Is there something greater than what stands before you?" the devil lord wondered.
"Greater?" the deity asked and gave a grin. "Are you that curious my lord? Or are you jealous?"
"..." Satan responded with a smile. Reaching out a hand to her, he gently held her chin and leaned closer.
"Curious...yes...what feeble attempt will you show? Did you find another mortal to be your Blighter concubine?"
"..." the dark goddess responded with a confident chuckle. She did not try to swat his hand away.
"Why not let me show you before you decide to make me feel more alive than dead?"
"...very well..." the fallen Angel answered.
Letting go of her chin, he turned to the right 90 degrees. Seeing her move forward a few steps, she stopped. Waving a sweeping hand to the floor, a dark swirling vortex started occurring. Feeling Satan stand behind her and looking down, nearly all the servants crowded around. All seemed to be either curious or wanting to mock her due from their King's rather direct behavior toward her.
'...you are near that dimensional room...the one that shows one's true fear...how will you act my concubine?' Lamashtu thought seeing the center of the rift clearing. Slowly, it started to reveal an image.
"Hey Rodger," Bill called from seeing something on the player list. Turning his head, the lead programmer walked to him and stopped at his station.
"Yeah?"
"One of the tech monitors stated that almost all the players in Hell have gathered at the spot with the unique signature."
"That is a good sign. How many are not with them?"
"From the looks of it...there are two," the lead monitor tech stated tuning back to his screen. "However, they are in Satan's Gates and pretty deep in there. My guess is that they are trying the conquer Satan raid quest."
"..." Rodger reacted with a tense face. "...is there a way of pulling them out?"
"They would have to choose to do that...only if they are not in a restricted area and not in a battle of some kind."
"What alternatives do we have? Sam is near being ready to initiate the Hell portal."
"..." Bill replied with crossing his arms over his chest.
Thinking about what other individuals would be able to teleport, there was the gunslinger and Jin's character. Typing on his computer, the player list only reduced to one. It showed where in Hell the shooter was. Opening a live feed on his computer, Ami was still standing in the brothel with corpses around her. Seeing her pull out items, three runes lifted into the area and began showing hell symbols.
"Looks like she is able to teleport with those Hell runes."
"...do not ask her...if she is a virus, then we risk contaminating other players and the portal possibly. Where is Jin located?"
"He is in..." Bill began. Switching to A.I., he became mildly surprised from seeing where he was located. Opening a live feed, it showed him hovering thru an eerie and desolating parking area. In the distance, there was what appeared to be plain looking door.
"He is in Satan's Gates as well...and is the closest one to the remaining two players."
"Can we contact him about rescuing them?"
[...w...H...a...T...d...O...y...O...u...W...a...N...t...] Jin spoke in a multitude of voices and airiness. As if him speaking triggered something, a demonic entity glitched into existence. Looking like an undead mutated humanoid male, it groaned loudly at him. A dozen hands broke through the ground as if someone was rising from underneath.
"...?"
[...s...a...v...e...h...e...r...?...w...h...y...?...y...o...u...d...o...u...b...t...h...e...r...b...e...i...n...g...y...o...u...r...s...] he continued. The more he spoke, the more undead came out from the ground.
"Has he lost it?" Rodger whispered. Watching more enemies come out, a quarter of the parking lot was filled with the undead standing and staring at the male teen.
[...w...h...y...n...o...t...c...o...m...m...u...n...i...c...a...t...e...w...i...t...h...h...e...r...?] the Blighter asked glaring at the zombies. As if responding to his hated stare, all of them ran toward him frighteningly fast.
"...!?" Bill reacted with blinking in surprise.
Seeing the male teen raise his left hand towards them, the tainted were feet away from him. All looked bloodthirsty while trying to grab and spear him. As if Jin heard something, it caused his face to become overly angry. His black-frost white eyes and black veins intensified and seemed to create a haunting glow. Black blood oozed from his eyes quickly then fell off his face. One drop hit the ground when five zombies were inches away from biting his face.
As if a time bomb went off, everything became shades of crimson, black, and white. All the undead in front of him and the ones converging toward his location were ripped apart brutally. Sounds of slaughtering and insanity bombarded the immediate surroundings and background, consuming anything else that would make noise. Instead of the male teen moving fast and doing vanishing steps, he remained still with his arm still stretched out. When the monsters started falling, they could see what was attacking them.
"...jesus..." Bill muttered leaning back.
"..." Rodger responded slightly disgusted and had anxiety. "...damn..."
"...!?" Ami reacted startled. Her eyes popped open from feeling an intense familiar sensation.
"Found you," Selbith stated. Quickly adjusting the symbols on the runes, all three emitted a red glow. A crimson rift opened up violently and emitted the strong aura two-fold. Knowing for sure who that was, she readily jumped into the portal.
"...!?" everyone in the hospital room reacted from what Jin did on the screen.
Seeing it in first person added a layer of horror. His vision had morphed into something grizzly and gritty. A lens of surrealism appeared everywhere around him. The revolting turned undead were butchered savagely with black veins that ripped out his left hand and arm. Only Derek could hear the boy grind his teeth hard and breathing intensely as if in immense pain.
"...oh my god..." Renee whispered in fear and cringing. His hand and arm looked like it went through a blender while the black veins wormed the air like agitated electricity. The Felmort daughters looked in fright from the gruesome display on the TV as well as Gene. The adults stared in apprehension while the doctor was growing more concern.
"...my boy...does that hurt?" Derek asked quietly.
[...WWWHHATTTT...DDDOOO...YYOOOUU...TTTTHHHIIINNKKKK...] the Blighter responded through clinched teeth and harshly breathing.
"...there is no way that does not hurt..." Tiffany whispered turning away. The veins that ripped out his fingers and stretched the skin sent goosebumps down her body. Derek was about to speak when a blur of red materialized some distance ahead of the male teen. Seeing a figure come out, it immediately walked toward him.
[...Jin...have you...transcended?]
"Ami?" Mr. Felmort stated in question.
Everyone saw the red, black, and white vision slowly start to fade away. The fury of black veins slowly and painfully forced their way back in his hand and arm. Hearing him give grunts, he sounded less and less in pain. A couple of people had turned away from the video feed given how bone chilling and gruesome the black worming into his limb. Once fully inserted, Jin slowly moved his fingers around.
[...how did you find me...Ami?] he asked.
Everyone reluctantly turned back to the monitor. Seeing the morbid imagery fad away, the psychotic and horror theme surrealism changed back to what looked normal. Standing in front of him was a female teen gunslinger. Looking at her face, all could recognize who the avatar modeled. Selbith was looking around at what was slaughtered. Seemingly pleased, she gave him a pleased expression.
[How else...I felt you from a different sector in Hell] the gunslinger answered then walked closer to him.
[...someone wants to talk to you...] Jin mentioned sounding a little more sane.
[...talk to me?...Who?] the female teen wondered. Stopping in front of him, she continued to smile at him. Seeing the female avatar look close to what Ami's family remembered, seeing her smile again seemed like a sight of relief.
[Your father]
[...] Ami reacted with a blink then smirked. [Have you gone insane already?]
[He wants me...to help you escape from E.D.E.] he replied. Seeing her not change her expression, she walked up to be chest against chest with him. The smirk turned into a grin.
[...escape?...and miss what you are evolving to? To miss what you will do to this world under your new reign of damnation? I told you before Jin...we will never separate again...and you will have me]
"...!?" Derek reacted with surprise then frowned. "Neither of you will be doing that."
[...!?] Selbith reacted with shock staring at the male teen. Blinking and looking around, there was no one around them.
[...Jin...who said that?]
"...daughter...you know who this is."
[...you!?...how...how are you here!?] Ami asked still startled and slowly becoming agitated. Grabbing Jin's shoulders, she got into his face.
[Jin...what...sorcery is this?]
"...Jin will escort you out...and you will wake up...right now," Mr. Felmort ordered crossing his arms over his chest.
[No he won't...I am not leaving] she stated with defiance. [In here, I am free of you]
"...Ami Felmort...you will come home...right now young lady," he demanded with a not so pleased tone.
[No...this is my realm...this is where I belong...and I have Jin to myself...that is all that I need]