Chapter 234 – Floor 42: Part 1

  Floor 42: Reach Class ‘A.’

  “I didn’t expect to see you again so soon, Mentor.”

  Mathew sat on the couch in his much larger apartment provided by the League of Heroes. After his promotion to Class ‘B,’ which had occurred only a few hours after Obsidian had retreated with the Villains, he had been ousted from his old room by Elena, who called it ‘dingy’ and ‘small.’

  Now, he was on one of the higher floors of the apartment building with a view of the League HQ just down the street. Containing a bedroom, kitchen and sitting room, it still felt like a ‘hotel room,’ but at least it was a nice one.

  To his surprise, only a few moments after closing the door, he turned to find Lunara, his mentor in the Celestial Language, in the room with him. Lunara had materialized from nothing, as he had grown accustomed to from his stay in their recreated home world.

  Lunara retained an ethereal presence with her long limbs and the way she appeared to ‘float’ across the ground. Standing a foot taller than Mathew, her slender and elongated body was abnormal in such a regular room.

  Her skin shimmered in the light, nearly translucence with a faint, crystal-like quality common to the Celestials. Lunara’s large, almost-shaped eyes, entirely black with no whites at all, scanned the apartment with a cool disdain.

  Mathew chuckled at her discomfort. He had been forced to spend an eternity in her home, with its strange furniture and decorations. She could spend a few moments in his.

  “It has only been a short period of time from your perspective. I thought you would have a better understanding of the intricacies of time’s flow after studying with me. Perhaps I was wrong to deem you ‘acceptable.’” Lunara responded, picking up a book from Mathew’s coffee table that had been present when he had arrived.

  Studying it for a moment, she carelessly tossed it onto the floor as if it were filthy trash. Mathew saw that she even wiped her fingers in her dress to remove any trace of dirt that might have stained her four fingertips.

  Mathew rolled his eyes, both at her words and her actions.

  “I was just being polite, Mentor. I’ll know better next time.” Mathew replied.

  Lunara continued her inspection of his room, something that reminded Mathew of his mother for some reason. She used to inspect his apartment when he had first moved out, spotting every speck of dirt like it was an affront.

  Mathew shook his head to clear the thought from his head. He didn’t like thinking about his parents, especially when he was in a city so similar to his own.

  “I am here to discuss a curious event that you experienced, from your perspective, only a few hours ago.” Lunara explained. Having finished her tour of his room and finding it lacking, she returned to the living area and stood near the window, her eyes watching the street below as she spoke.

  “The Villains?” Mathew asked, knowing what she was referring to. They seemed stronger than others of their kind, something that Lumina had noticed afterwards. She had no doubt that ‘Blaze’ himself would have had trouble fighting those two Class A’s, not to mention the Class ‘S’ that had showed up at the end.

  “You used a Celestial Spell, and while your grasp of our language is merely ‘Adequate,’ it should have been more than capable of subduing people of a Floor this low in the Tower. However, they were able to resist its effects.” The Celestial clarified.

  “I had to use ‘A Foul Land of Blight,’ to even slow them down. Even then, I don’t know if it would have been enough.” Mathew responded. Titaness and Ironclad certainly seemed to have a lot of fight left in them at the end.

  “And that woman who arrived, Obsidian. She was able to contain my spell inside a pillar of stone. I’ve never seen anything like that before. I suppose without the Tower to regulate and control Aether here, people are gaining all sorts of wild powers and abilities.” Mathew mused.

  “What she used wasn’t a spontaneous manifestation of Aether Power, Student. There was divine intent behind her abilities and her companions as well. They have a spiritual link to a deity, without the Tower’s interference.” Lunara explained, turning away from the window.

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  “I take it you aren’t here just to visit and check on my progress?” Mathew said, letting out a sigh.

  For a moment, he thought he saw a hint of a smile on Lunara’s face, but it was gone in an instant. The Celestial’s rarely showed emotion, not even with each other, but Mathew knew they possessed them.

  “No, I’m not. I am here on behalf of Unyielding Declaration to give you the information you will require to succeed in your endeavours on this Floor. It could not be communicated through your silver wristband for obvious reasons.” Lunara responded.

  ‘So it’s something they don’t want the Tower, or the other Deities, to know about.’ Mathew thought.

  “The Villains have a deity supporting them.” Mathew stated, already knowing the answer. If there was divine intent behind their abilities, it was obvious they were getting outside help.

  Lunara confirmed his statement with a slight nod of her head.

  “Which deity?” Mathew said, already dreading the answer. Depending on the god, this Floor could become a lot more difficult than it already was.

  “Mischievous Depravity.”

  Mathew winced at the name. Things had just taken the worst possible turn.

  “They intend to gain a foothold on this world, to build a Prime Tower here as a focal point for gathering Aether, bringing it into their Demesne. Unyielding Declaration and Mischievous Depravity are now in direct competition over this world.” Lunara continued.

  “Great. I don’t suppose you’re here to give me a hand?” Mathew grumbled. Lunara tilted her head slightly at him as if she were a scientist studying a curious specimen.

  “Unyielding Declaration has complete confidence in you; he believes you will succeed. I, on the other hand, do not have such faith in your abilities. You are an adequate student, but I trust Mischievous Depravity to place their finger on the scale in this competition.” Lunara replied.

  “So, you’re going to do the same?” Mathew said hopefully. It would make things easier if Lunara intervened. He wasn’t so prideful as to not accept help when it was offered.

  “If it becomes necessary, yes. As of right now, things are balanced. Both you and your opponents are receiving assistance in equal measures. I will see to it that the situation remains that way.” Lunara promised.

  Page Break

  Obsidian sat at the head of the table, surveying the Villains arrayed before her. The Class ‘A’ Villains sat at the table around her, in their usual places, while those in Class ‘B’ stood at equal distance just behind them.

  Class ‘C’ had been allowed to attend this meeting, a rarity for those members as they barely laid eyes on ‘B’ villains, let alone the ‘S’ that led them all.

  This was a momentous occasion, and Obsidian wanted everyone to experience it together.

  After her eyes raked over every member of the League of Villains in the room, Obsidian slowly rose from her chair and spoke.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed members of the League of Villains, Tonight, we celebrate not just a victory but the beginning of our legacy. Our triumph this day is a crucial step in our journey to spread our infamy far and wide.”

  “Today was not about defeating a few heroes; it’s about making our presence felt in every corner of the world. Our actions were coordinated with other branches, not just in America, but around the globe. With each act we commit, we sow the seeds of fear and fascination.”

  “This victory is a message, the League of Villains is here, and with the benefits provided by our Patron, we have the power to rule!”

  “Let us move forward with purpose. We will be feared! We will be respected! And, ultimately, we will be unstoppable!” Obsidian finished.

  With that, a chorus of cheering erupted from the gathered villains. The sound echoed off the walls and shook the window panes. Their fervour filled the air, a tangible force of unity and ambition. Obsidian had no doubt that it would have lasted all night when it was suddenly stilled.

  An oppressive force descended onto the room, and a feeling of fear wrapped its hands around their throats. Each and every person in the room, including Obsidian, felt as if a predator was stalking them. It was an instinctual terror that came from ages ago when humans were the prey for things that hunted in the darkness.

  Silence fell, thick and suffocating. Eyes darted, looking for the threat in the room. Obsidian’s heart raced, a stark contrast to the roaring confidence she had felt just moments before. The sound of boots walking across the floorboards rang out as a figure emerged from the doorway.

  It was a young woman, her skin pale as moonlight. She stood just inside the threshold of the room. Dark, glossy black hair fell down to her shoulders, framing a face with sharp features. Her bright red lips contrasted with her complexion, and she wore a leather motorcycle jacket with a pair of tattered blue jeans.

  But it was her eyes that were truly terrifying; they were bloodshot with red irises, giving her a wild and mad appearance.

  There was a demonic quality about her, a sense that she wasn’t from their world. Her presence seemed to draw the light from the room, making everything slightly darker. She gave a smile that did nothing to brighten her face before addressing them.

  “Nice speech! A bit odd to be patting each other on the back after just starting, but who am I to criticize?” The young woman said, walking up to Obsidian and casually sitting on the table next to her. Whatever strange power had seized the Villain loosened enough for her to speak.

  “Who..who are you?” She managed to stammer.

  “I’m Mercy, Apostle to the god of Mischievous Depravity, and I’m here to make sure you get the job done right. See, it turns out that your group isn’t the only one with a Patron. An old friend of mine is here, causing trouble.” Mercy said, leaning in close to Obsidian.

  “And we’re going to kill him.”