Chapter 85
The group had found the new ID card Ortho made them look for and made it to the next set of emergency stairs.
"Whew at least we got through that unscathed." Vil exhaled once they began down the new set of stairs.
"All the Phantoms that had awakened were rather small." Rook remarked.
"Yeah, even I could've taken them with one hand tied behind my back, probably." Epel added.
"Don't get cocky now we were told the Phantoms could grow more formidable the further down we go. We need to stay sharp. I will say we gained one insight from this the Brothers may have control of the island but even they're not capable of unfreezing all the Phantoms at once." Vil pointed out.
"That's very true, if they could then they would've already won." Rook summarized.
"Exactly think back to earlier when the researchers brought the Phantoms out for testing judging by what the announcement said I don't think they use any specific equipment to unfreeze the Phantoms in the containment facilities." Vil explained. "Think of Tartarus like a giant freezer you wouldn't put a microwave inside a freezer would you?"
"Oh I get it so basically they've just unplugged the freezer and are waiting for stuff to thaw out first." Epel figured out.
"Yes which means they couldn't act right even if they wanted to, I'm starting to suspect all these games and chats are just a smokescreen. They're trying to distract us from the fact that they're stalling for time." Vil pointed out.
"That doesn't make it easier to deal with." Odette grumbled as she crossed her arms over her chest and furrowing her brows.
"So in essence they're not actually making a game out of this." Rook said.
"That's my take. Heh, I must say though Ortho's been putting in quite the villainous performance It seems to me he could drop all this nonsense about resetting the world and start an acting career. There aren't many child actors who can play convincing villains." Vil chuckled trying to lighten Odette's mood.
"What would you think of inviting him to join the Film Research Club when we get back to school Vil?" Rook asked.
"I think you might be on to something there, now then let's hurry on." Vil said picking up the pace down the stairs.
"That's a Film Research Club at the school?" Odette asked following closely behind.
"Yes, you should join us too." Vil answered.
"Especially since you don't know a lot of movies." Rook teased.
"What?!" Vil gasped glancing over his shoulder.
"I'm from a different world!" Odette reminded them. "I'm an alien."
Epel just laughed at Rook's and Vil's expression. "She's not wrong."
Meanwhile down at the Gate to the Underworld.
"They pretty much breezed through my second trial. I know I designed it for first time players but maybe I made the difficultly too easy." Ortho said, his voice sounded different, twisted.
"No worries the Titans will wake up soon." Idia replied.
"But they're in sector 12 which is the most heavily frozen wouldn't that be a little fast?" Ortho asked as his voice began to echo through the chamber.
"These are the original Phantoms we're talking about, they're in a league of their own. I'm making good progress on unsealing the Underworld gate too. It's easy to get into the Underworld but once you're in there's no getting out, it's a one way door that's sealed tighter than a tomb and I'm gonna pry it open form the inside." Idia smirked.
"Once someone enters the gate to the Underworld they never set foot on the surface world again, that's the way of things, everyone's gonna be so surprised when I make my return. I can't wait to see that." Ortho laughed sounding fine at first but then turning childishly sinister.
"Mh, something's coming up the stairs." Rook said as the group stopped to watch the thing coming up the stairs.
"It looks small you think it's Grim? Hey Grr! Mph!" Epel began but Rook a hand over his mouth quickly.
"Epel no! That isn't Grim it's about 10 centimeters shorter than he is." Rook pointed out as the creature continued to come at them.
"Well it's coming this way now, ready yourselves! "Vil ordered as he readied his pen.
The small Phantom was defeated quickly and turned into ink.
"Okay yeah I see now that thing didn't look like Grim at all." Epel muttered as they moved passed the inky mess.
"It's fine it kinda dark here." Odette said patting his shoulder.
"Good grief, you must be better reining in your impulses." Vil commanded.
"We've been seeing more Phantoms out and about it would appear the lower levels are thawing now." Rook commented.
"I wonder where Grim is I just hope he didn't get attacked by a Phantom." Epel gulped.
"Worry not he's a clever plucky boy for all his faults I'm sure he's hiding and staying out of trouble." Rook assured them.
"Or causing more trouble." Odette sighed.
"Though I imagine if I opened a can of tuna right now the noise would bring him running." Vil smirked as they continued down the staircase.
"Come on he's not like a regular cat, although I do wish I'd brought a can of his favorite tuna with me just to see if it would work." Odette mused.
"Oh yeah speaking of Grim, Vil you said you never saw him when you were in Styx HQ right?" Epel asked.
"That's correct I had no idea he was even here until you all told me. I imagine they suspected he was under the influence of blot when he attacked. Through if he was supposed to depart with us tomorrow morning perhaps they couldn't identify any link between blot and his going berserk after SDC." Vil remarked.
"Grim is a dire-beast no matter how accustomed an animal becomes to humans they can always revert back to their feral roots. It's not something they could control even if they wanted to, it's pure instinct. But the same could be said of humans for reason is as fragile and unreliable as a sheet of thin ice. Odette when Grim injured you, I think it's very likely that his violent or should I day beastly display wasn't a conscious choice on his part." Rook theorized.
"Yeah I know, but no matter what he's getting a thorough claw trimming when we get back." Odette informed them.
"Ace and Deuce have told me what an endeavor that is, Grim really hates getting his claws trimmed huh?" Epel chuckled.
"I think he's worst than a regular cat." She muttered.
"Did you have cats in your world?" Epel asked as he glanced over at her.
Her face went through a few chances before she answered. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure I did." Her voice sounding sure then changing into unsure and sad. 'If I did, I hope they're okay.' She thought as she looked down.
"It's one thing to have long nails as a fashion statement but just letting them grow for no reason is tacky and unsanitary. Don't forgot to file and polish them after, simply cutting them isn't good enough. That applies to you too, Odette. Here's a little fashion tip, nice nails can make all the difference in how refined and put together you look." Vil told them trying to shift the mood that how now fallen onto Odette.
"I remember that once Vil and I were better acquainted the first thing he told me to do was take care of my nails." Rook chuckled.
"Of course I did, your hands were in an abysmal state. They were callused from gripping your bow string not to mention completely dry and cracked." Vil remarked.
"I hardly paid attention to them since I typically wear gloves. Then you told me that the spots not visible to others are the ones we must tend to most of all." Rook explained.
"Oh, that reminds me what happened when you two first met? You started to tell us about it at Ramshackle but then Charons busted in I've been wondering about it ever since." Epel confessed as they continued down the stairs.
"Oh right I did mention that didn't I? It's nothing too terribly exciting." Vil remarked.
"I'm still curious and it'd help pass the time going down these endless stairs." Odette said.
"Well if you insist. Rook and I first spoke with one another a few months after we started school. I can't say he gave a very good first impression oh look the next containment facility is coming up." Vil shrugged as another door came into view.
"Aw man, but you were just getting started!" Epel groaned.
"Making through the containment facilities and reaching the Underworld is more pressing than idle chitchat. And not to burst your bubble but it's honestly nothing to write home about, if you still insist on hearing it I'll tell you once we're through the next area." Vil explained as he reached for the door and opened it.
This room looked just like the last they had been through before.
"It's so quiet and much colder than than last facility." Vil remarked.
"Perhaps the Phantoms here are still frozen." Rook assumed.
"Let's see if the ID card we got works on this door." Epel said as he held up the card to the scanner, it buzzed loudly and lit up red. "Guess not looks like we'll need another card to get through here."
"Whew, made it greetings adventurers and welcome to your third trial." Ortho huffed as he appeared as a hologram beside the door.
"Ah, there you are Ortho." Vil commented.
"Did I keep you waiting? Sorry things are a little hectic right now. I'll post an NPC guide for you at the entrance next time." Ortho announced.
"You just keep messing with us. Come out here and fight fair and square." Epel growled.
"I'd love to but it's gonna be a little longer before I can make it out there." Ortho replied.
"My, you sound rather overwhelmed if all this scheming is too much for you we'd be happy to lend a hand." Vil mocked.
"Anyway here's the overview of your mission this time, I call it a friend in need is a friend indeed." Ortho explained.
Thanks for reading and sticking around. I hope you enjoyed it. I hope you enjoyed the little details of Odette's life and the return of the alien joke. See ya next time.