Chapter 117: Sleep Disorders (1/2)
All was as dark as the blackest abyss.
It was far from silent though. And it smelled of honeyed cake.
“Is he waking up?” Chocolatine asked, having been at Victor's side since he fell into a coma. “Is my delicious cake working?”
“No,” Allison said. “No sign of recovery.”
“Can I take a slice?” Goblina asked, followed by some noise. “Ouch, the cake bit me!”
“That happens at random with Choc’s [Monster Patissier] class,” Allison said. “Ludvic, is there no way to hasten the recovery?”
“Tempt him back to the physical world, with the promise of greater pleasures.”
“I made the smelliest cake ever! If only Felix was alive, I could have cooked him… he seemed to really like my Stuffed Garfield recipe.”
“Choc, maybe we should tell him?” Allison suggested.
“But I wanted it to be a surprise!” Silence. They must have all been staring at her. “Vic, you know that sacrificial altar I keep pestering you about? The one with the goat?”
“Since Choc is meeting both of us, and you saved my life… I thought I could replace the goat.”
...
“Choc, is it working?”
“Just a twitch.”
“Damn, I was certain it would wake him up,” Allison sighed, ”I am sorry, but I have run out of ideas.”
“Not me,” Goblina said, followed by a loud sound. “Oh, look at that. A million gold coin purse slipped from my pocket and fell on the ground! Enough to buy lots of stat-boosters! My, what would happen if someone were to pick it up before me?”
“His fingers moved, but only a tiny bit,” Chocolatine said.
“Enough with the carrot,” he heard a new voice. Charlene’s. “Time to try the stick.”
“That’s… Charlene, you’re not considering reading him that book? It almost killed him the first time!”
“Exactly. Reading the ‘Breeding Frenzy’ out loud will force him to wake up or die!”
… no.
“He’s twitching!” Charlene rejoiced. “I am opening the book! I am about to read it!”
No, no, no!
“Wait, you’re killing him!” More noises to his right, as if they were fighting. “Give me that!”
“That’s enough!” Allison’s voice echoed. “Out, everyone! Out, out, out, we let him rest!”
“But—”
“No Pink literature!”
Charlene grumbled, he felt soft hands briefly hold his own, and then the sound of a door closing.
Phew. He wouldn’t have survived past the first chapter.
How long would he have to stay this way though? It must have been days at least.
“Slimy one.” His totem animal’s voice echoed in the darkness, a call to action. “Slimy one, you must wake up.”
‘I’m trying!’ he complained, unable to articulate his words. He lacked the strength to even open his eyelids, let alone return to his [Black Grail]!
“Your dragon is in danger and needs your stickiness. The Hateful One is growing stronger. You must focus on your glue. Use the glue, Slimy One!”
Use the glue? Like what, his bonds?
Alright, focus on Vainqueur. Focus on your friends, focus on the mess that Murmurin will become once you’re gone.
…
Nope. Nothing. He should have known it only worked in movies.
“Oooo….”
Was that Felix’s voice?
Wait, what was that warm burden on his lap?
“Ooooo!” Felix’s voice hissed. “I’m haunting you! For the sin of eating me, I will haunt your lap, minion!”
In retrospect, he should perhaps remain asleep and stop dealing with this nonsense.
“And now I shall make a litter out of your body!”
Victor’s eyes snapped open.
Felix the cat hissed in surprise, while the Vizier’s hand lunged at him like a snake. The cat attempted to leap away from the bed, but Victor caught him by the neck.
“You feel very solid for a ghost, Felix.” The [Reaper] narrowed his eyes at the overfed cat, a screen suddenly appearing.
Congratulations! For meeting its requirements and witnessing the goddess of pleasure’s true face, you earned a level in the prestigious [Fiendish Rake] class! You earned the [Planeloved] class perk!
+30 HP, +1 VIT, +1 SKI, +1 AGI, +2 CHA, +1 LCK.
[Planeloved]: You can teleport to a different plane of existence of your choice on a successful Charisma check, except Earth; the more familiar you are with the target location, the more precise the transportation. Additionally, you gain a permanent Charisma bonus equal to half your total level rounded down (currently +36).
Was this class worth it? Was it worth the pain of having his soul torn from his body from the mere sight of Cybele’s beautiful face? Was it worth spending days trapped in his own body, unable to move a muscle?
Yes. Yes, it was.
The bedroom’s door opened, Allison, Chocolatine, and Ludvic rushing in. “Vic!” the dryad called, beaming in happiness like the werewolf. “You’re awake!”
“I told you he simply needed time,” Ludvic said with a shrug. “The multiverse has so much to offer.”
“Felix!” Chocolatine focused on the feline with primal hunger. “You are alive?”
“Begone, cateater!” The feline struggled, but couldn’t escape Victor’s hand. “You cost me a life out of nine!”
“Felix, this is wonderful!”
Chocolatine grabbed the cat from Victor’s hands and held him against her chest.
“I can cook you more than once!”
The cat screamed in fear, but much like Victor before him, he couldn’t escape the iron pull of Chocolatine’s bosom.
“I am so glad you made it, Vic,” Allison said, helping him stand out of bed. The Vizier stretched, noticing his scythe next to the nearest wall. “I thought you wouldn’t make it.”
“Yeah, I guess I built up a tolerance to gods after being claimed by half the pantheon.” At this rate, he might try to collect them all. “She was really nice though. If Camilla hadn’t come up first, I might have prayed to her more often.”
“How did she look?” Allison asked, stars in her eyes. “Cybele? How did she really look?”
“She was… have you ever watched a good Death Note movie?”
“I can only imagine it.”
“Exactly,” Victor replied, snatching his scythe and feeling complete once more. “Also, about that goat bit...”
“You heard everything?” Allison seemed a bit embarrassed, putting a hand in her hair. “After you recover, handsome.”