Chapter 31
7th of October 2008
Soul Society, Seireitei
Mayuri Kurotsuchi was bloody ugly, Thoas thought. And bloody problematic. What a complete lack of scientific ethics! Thoas was sure he did p-hacking! But at least he got on well with him. The scientist, curious about Thoas's stomach's properties - apparently he was the only one who could directly absorb reiatsu by drinking it if it was infused in an alcohol - had taken it into his head to make the strongest possible concentrates of spiritual energy, by distilling it, and to make Thoas drink them to see when they would make him explode.
Mayuri Kurotsuchi
Shinigami
Mad Scientist and Captain of the 12th division
Lvl 438/500
But Thoas felt fine - very fine, in fact. And he didn't feel like he was going to explode. Mayuri Kurotsuchi scratched his head.
"Well, we'll have to stop here... Otherwise, we'll empty all my stocks, and I need them for other projects".
Thoas burped.
Thoas
Shinigami
Drunkard and Son of Dionysos
Level 146/500
12th of October, 2008
East Coast of Canada.
Thierry, a journalist for the 13:00 news, knew he had hit a fucking goldmine. The audience and the million views on Youtube were assured.
The crazy guy had stopped.
He had finally put his foot down.
He motioned to his cameraman to start recording. Unsheathing his microphone, he approached the dirty form of the cyclist in his briefs who had just stepped off his bike.
The "Forrest Gump Guy".
Spotted by a guy who then posted him on YouTube, the Guy went viral from one of his street art performances in the middle of the Canadian cold. The strange individual had then earned the nickname Forrest Gump, in obvious reference to the film, when he started pedaling non-stop in the great Canadian cold in his underpants, like Forrest ran. And he covered the whole country. At first, people spotted him and filmed him - it's not every day you come across someone almost naked in this cold - and soon, the stranger went viral. He only stopped a few nights, to sleep and eat a little - and put on incredible shows in return for hospitality before setting off again before dawn on his bike. A local TV station had followed his adventure, but no one had yet managed to get an interview. But now? The individual had just reached the coast. What if his journey was over? What if he was willing to answer questions?
Thierry approached the man, who had begun to stretch out on the bank.
"Mister...What's your name? Why did you make this journey? And now that it's over, what are you going to do? Rest?"
The stranger burst out laughing and smiled at him.
"Rest? Ahahaha! No! Rest? Ahahahaha! Of course, not… Now? I'm going to swim to Europe!"
And all the Canadians seated behind a television set saw the madman throw himself into the water, and begin a frantic crawl towards the open sea.
"He...he's mad!"
12th of October, 2008
US
Romain switched off his TV. He turned to Prometheus.
"But...is he insane? I know he is. Swimming? I don't mind that he's gained quite a few levels and physical points by pedaling for a month and training his body, that he's much stronger than a baseline human...but now? He's completely nuts!"
Prometheus smiled at him. "Yes. He's mad. He's madness incarnate. And he's proved it a second time."
18th October 2008
NYC - Rat Dungeon
Issei was stressed.
"KILL IT, BITCH," RED shouted from behind him. He lunged at the rat and hit it in the head with a baseball bat.
+10XP!
Issei
Lvl 6 → Lvl 7
He was stressed, not because it was his first dungeon, but because, frankly, RED scared him. And... he'd fallen in love with her. And her curves. And her face... hell, he'd throw himself into a well if she told him to.
Which was pretty much what had happened when they'd had to enter one of New York's dungeons, at the bottom of a manhole.
"AAAAAAAH," Issei shouted. Apparently he'd killed enough rats for the boss to come. And it tried to eat him. Not very nice.
"You're such a wuss..." RED told him, before incinerating the Rat King with a purple fireball. The dungeon - level 10 - was ridiculously easy for her, and the main goal was to train Issei. Who hadn't even managed the dungeon on his own. What a piece of shit, a big fat and useless piece of shit. But he was the only other player she knew.
A vial of Chateauneuf du Pape and a silver dagger appeared on the floor where the King of Rats had sat a few seconds ago. The drops.
"What's that?" the idiot asked.
"Drops. Bosses - or, more rarely, normal monsters - and mini-bosses in slightly larger dungeons, drop loot when they die."
"Oh, so it's ours! So cool! A dagger!"
Issei was about to grab both items, but RED stopped him.
"Wait a minute. We'll sacrifice some of the loot to Dionysus."
"To Dionysus?" asked Issei.
She nodded. It was time to explain what she had understood.
"To Dionysus. The god. Don't you find it strange? I mean…this clearly magical system? Which is exactly like the one in this new game, Dionysos, where, as if by chance, a god is at the origin of a similar system in the game's scenario? And what's more... I started getting the windows after following clues that were disseminated in the game. As far as I know, the god Dionysus may really exist. And it is He who is at the origin of the system. He's the one who allows us to become more than human. To break our limits."
Issei swallowed. A god? A real God?
And above all... A god who had given him the system? A god who could take back the system that was the only reason RED, the most beautiful girl in the school, was interacting with an outcast like him?
"Yes! You're right, Ma'am! Let's sacrifice many things to Dionysus! Let's pray to his greatness! I swear on my life that I'll be his most loyal follower!
Somewhere, thunder rumbled, as the Red Dragon emperor swore fidelity to Dionysus.
27th of October
Alaska
Prometheus looked up from the window floating in the air. Start building prehistoric huts by sending his henchmen out to chop wood? Because the game said so? No way! Prometheus was an optimizer - an aggressive optimizer. He took a deep breath and struck the ground with his broad spear, sending a blast of divine energy to anchor the Portkey's destination more firmly and help Bella in her endeavor.
Playboy Manor appeared before him. By his side, his fellow King whistled at the large scale teleportation.
"How long, you say? And how much budget?" asked Daedalus.
The engineer smiled as he heard the staggering figure that came out of his companion's mouth.
28th October 2008
Portugal, Lisbon
The coast! He could see it! He swam for another hour and…
Exhausted, Dionysus collapsed on the portugese beach.
Dionysos
Lvl 37
Status : Exhausted, Famished, Dehydrated, Hurt x 4
You are the Embodiment of [Madness]
The first of the Twelve Dionysian Labors has been completed
29th October 2008
Soul Society
Rukia
Officer of the 13th division
Lvl 36/150
"Uh? Whaya want, midget ?", slurred Thoas, a bit drunk. He had never met this particular shinigami.
And contrary to his expectations, the midget kicked him hard in the shin. Uh. Surprising. Since he'd arrived, his reputation as a "monster" who'd become a "3rd seat" less than a year after his death had given him a kind of almost legendary status, and there were few who didn't respect him - even fewer who dared attack him.
Refreshing.
"I've been sent for you. Captain Ukitake requests your presence."
"Uuuhh…Don't wanna go".
And he was kicked in the shin again.
Fuck this midget.
Even if she was cute.
Very cute, he found. Maybe he would follow her to this Ukitake guy. And talk a bit with the midget on the way.
1st of November
Olympus
"We have awaited your return, Ganymede," Zeus spoke, his voice resonating with authority as he sat upon his celestial throne, his gaze piercing yet weary from the weight of their plight.
Ganymede raised his eyes, meeting his King's with a mix of determination and concern. "My lord, the traitor's influence spreads like wildfire in the shadows. Dissent festers, threatening to undermine the very fabric of Olympus."
Zeus's brow furrowed as he absorbed the gravity of Ganymede's words. "And what of Our spies within Athena's midst? Have they succeeded in stemming the tide of treachery? Did they discover if Our Daughter know We suspect her?"
"Some, my lord," Ganymede replied, his voice tinged with sorrow. "But many were discovered before they could fulfill their mission. They chose death over betraying their allegiance to you."
"We cannot afford to falter in our resolve," Zeus declared, his voice ringing with conviction. "The traitor grows bolder with each passing day, and, if Our information on how strong She is and who is by her side is right, we cannot act yet against her. But she shall soon learn that Our might is not so easily vanquished."
Ganymede nodded. "I stand ready to serve, my lord. Whatever task you command, I shall carry out without hesitation."
Zeus's gaze softened, a silent acknowledgment of Ganymede's unwavering devotion.
"What about Our Son ?"
2nd November 2008
Lisbon
"Literature is the most agreeable way of ignoring life."
― Fernando Pessoa, The Book of Disquiet
Dionysus sipped coffee. He had always loved coffee - a natural stimulant. It had been a few days since he swam into Lisbon. No one had seen him come ashore - and he'd managed to slip away unnoticed. Perhaps Forrest Gump would go down in legend as dead at sea? He'd done a few street shows - percussion from garbage cans - but nobody seemed to recognize him. Perhaps his media coverage had been confined to America?
"A cup of coffee, a cigarette, the penetrating aroma of its smoke, myself sitting in a shadowy room with eyes half-closed...I want no more from life than my dreams and this...It doesn't seem much? I don't know. What do I know about what is little and what is a lot?"
― Pessoa, Fernando
Dionysos took another sip of coffee.
"I wasn't meant for reality, but life came and found me."
― Fernando Pessoa, The Book of Disquiet
He felt he had something to do here. But what was it? He looked at the passers-by lining the terrace of the little café where he'd sat. He smiled at a little girl telling stories to her mother - about dragons and princesses, about chocolate worlds and seas of clouds.
"Children are particularly literary, for they say what they feel not what someone has told them to feel."
― Fernando Pessoa, The Book of Disquiet
He loved Lisbon. The city inspired him. He started walking along the coast, planning to reach the Belem Tower near the Hieronymites monastery. The sea air was invigorating, but he suddenly paused. 'Wait,' he thought, 'nostalgia and melancholy are not very Dionysian feelings.'
He had changed more than he thought after becoming human again.
Alternatively, there may be another explanation. What about the anxiety and restlessness in Lisbon? The former god didn't have to go far. He dramatically threw his scarf behind him, like a cursed poet who never forgives, and headed towards the lower town near the Tagus.
His goal was to reach the Street of Douradores.
2nd November 2008
Halfblood Camp
Clarisse did a backflip as she found herself propelled by the force of the blow.
Clarisse
Polemarch and daughter of Ares
Lvl 67/200
She ran back towards Rockoon, while Castor and Pollux tag-teamed the swordsman. Pollux tried to aim his nunchaku at his head, while Castor tried to hit him in the balls with his celestial bronze baseball bat.
Pollux
Archon-King and son of Dionysos
Lvl 66/200
Castor
Strategos, Priest and son of Dionysos
Lvl 69/200
"Aaaaaaargh", she screamed, leaping nearly three meters into the air to bring her spear down on their trainer.
She knew the blow wouldn't hit. The blessing of Dionysus, called "Observe", enabled her to accurately estimate the strength of her enemies, and Rockoon...
?
One of the Jokers
Failure, Old Alcoholic and Member of the Club
Lvl 395/500
The old alcoholic grabbed Ares' daughter by the hair and sent her flying towards Lee Fletcher, who was struggling to get up after a blow to the liver. Beside him lay Charles BeckBordel and Katie Gardner, unconscious. Who the hell was their coach?
"What... what are you doing? You didn't tell me about advanced training sessions…" asked Luke in surprise as he came into the clearing where they were training. Suddenly, everything stopped.
Clarisse wasn't fooled: Dionysus had told them that there were traitors - in high places! - in the camp, working for Kronos. Someone must have poisoned Thalia's tree. She would never have thought of Luke, Thalia's lover and the man who had her back in more than one battle. But if you added up all the important people who hadn't been summoned by Dionysus and invited to her training sessions, excluding those who had been on a quest during that time... She wasn't stupid. So, how where they going to diplomatically…
Rackoon burped.
"Yeah, Dionysus didn't want to invite the spies in the employ of Kronos... Shit, I said that out loud, didn't I? Can we just pretend we didn't hear that? No? Damn…". He took a sip of whiskey and burped again.
Everyone was tense - and Luke's face went through several emotions. Surprise, anger, fear and...resignation. He sighed. The twenty-one year old tried to clear his throat.
"Of course the 'new' Dionysus had guessed. But if he knew that, he must also know that it's been two years since I left the Father of Time! That I serve the camp and the demigods faithfully!"
"The camp and the demigods? Not Olympus, I see…", remarked a new voice.
Everyone turned around. Castor recognised the woman who had appeared in his dreams, the priestess of Dionysus who had taught him the Mysterious Acarnas of ancient ritual magic in his sleep. Bellatrix, Queen of Hearts - and as far as he could tell, the people who appeared with a title reminiscent of the card games above their heads were subordinates of his father. With raven hair cascading down her shoulders, the enchanting witch of about 35 came into the clearing. She wore a tight black dress that hugged every curve. Pollux whistled. He had to admit that she was fucking sexy. Fucking Witch-Milf.
Gently, she moved her hand towards Luke - who, as if paralysed, didn't move to avoid her. As soon as she touched him, they both disappeared into a vortex.
"Uh... Well, the big boss seems to have anticipated the problem," Rockoon burped.
Damn. Would they have to find another Eponymous Archon? And how would they explain this to the other campers?