90 Jolly Saints and Superweapons (2/2)
Fear had begun to spread...
They'd returned to the larger birdcage. Back in the North, in some remote little village deep into the Northern Wastes.
Frostpeak Outpost — Population 10,470. The current temperature outside of the protective Anima sphere that encapsulated the city was -68 degrees Celsius. A comforting little home away from home… if home was the Ninth Circe of Hell…
The Jolly Saint's Chimney was a homely little inn and cafe that everyone in town loved, but one of its customers was having a bad time at the moment…
Reed shut off his tome — he'd read enough. It had all spiraled down in the worst possible way.
”You didn't tell me that this happened. Why would you even—”
”I didn't choose. I didn't the have time to choose. Had I not pulled you exactly when I did, you would've been vaporized on the spot. I grabbed you and tore an exit for ourselves as fast as I could.”
Reed wearily rubbed his eyes and said, ”I get it… and I'm grateful that you saved me. You didn't mean to come out where you did. It was just a stroke of terrible luck. It's just complicated things even more than I had previously imagined.”
As if the mess at the Holy Church had not been enough of a shitshow…
”Are you angry?”
”I'm not. I'm just trying to understand. Why were you so hell-bent on killing the Pope? Was it because of the Reef, or because something else he said?” said Reed.
Lu'um grimaced and said, ”The Reef… is an extremely important tool. It is something that can possibly reverse our dire situation, Ka'an. That's all I can tell you right now. Do you understand?”
Reed put down his coffee and coldly said, ”Are you serious? How is that even possible? They eat entire multiverses! You saw that they were capable of! I— we nearly died!”
”Look at me in the eyes, Ka'an. Have I ever lied to you? Why would I ever meaninglessly raise your hopes on false hope? What would I stand to gain from doing that you — betraying your trust for a single lie?”
If there was anyone he could trust, it was her. He knew that. She had already proved herself more than enough. He owed her his life.
Reed grabbed one of her hands and said, ”I'm sorry. I just—”
Lu'um knowingly smiled and said, ”I already know. You don't need to apologize, Ka'an.”
He nervously laughed and said, ”How'd you manage that? You can read my mind even though I've sealed my thoughts away?”
”Please, Ka'an. I don't need to use a mind-reading technique to know what you're thinking.” She gazed at Reed with an amused expression on her face.
T-That's pretty damn terrifying… and I don't whether I should take that as an insult or a compliment.
Reed raised his hands up in defeat and said, ”Y-You've got me beat, then. …I guessed I messed up. If the Reef is as powerful as you've described, letting it fall into, well, anyone's hands would be dangerous.”
That sort of power isn't meant for the likes of piddling mortals like us… To be honest, I don't think that anyone is deserving of that much power.
It's way too dangerous. Giving someone a weapon capable of fending off the Infestation is probably the most dangerous thing I can think of…
God forbid they ever point that weapon at the world… after they get rid of the Infestation. Power corrupts people, so I can only imagine what unlimited power would do to a person.
Reed shuddered in fright at the thought of a singular tyrant arising out of the ashes of this multiverse on the off chance that the Infested were removed from it.
Eternally ruling the world by hold the biggest fucking gun in multiverse at its head…
”You know what? I think we might need to start cleaning up shop ourselves, sweetcheeks. We need to nip this problem in the bud as quickly as possible… and I think that we might have the perfect opportunity to do it.”
His eyes twinkled ominously as he gazed outside at the falling snow.
He'd come up with an idea. A good one.