章 11: Rules
"Since I know very well the rascal you are, I'll set some rules for our little game, Mr. Princess. Don't worry; they'll just be some simple rules."
"First rule: for every question you ask, a memory of equivalent value will be taken. If you ask a question equivalent to a Sequence 5, I'll take a memory of equivalent value. If you don't have a memory of the same value, the question won't be answered. You can't use two Sequence 6 memories to pay for a Sequence 5 question."
The Path grinned sinisterly. His face didn't have any particular feature that made the smile frightening, but the aura surrounding him did.
"Second and final rule: I won't take responsibility for anything you discover or any memory you might lose. That will be your problem to deal with."
This guy is going to try to corrupt me...
Michael tried to think of a way to minimize potential losses.
I don't know the Path's sequence. He's shown abilities that match both the Seer and the Marauder, so trying to catch him in a loophole would be useless. Tsk... Guess I'll have to be very careful with these questions...
"I want to add another rule," Michael said, abandoning the hope of finding a loophole in the rules.
"Before answering any question, you need to tell me its price and what memory you'll take."
The Path thought for a moment before responding, "Sounds fair to me. However, make no mistake. I'll tell you which memory I take, not give suggestions. I'll warn you, you won't have a choice, and I'll only reveal what memory I'll take after I've answered the question."
The Path left no room for negotiation.
"So, Mr. Michael, if you wish to, you can start now."
Michael chuckled. "No, not Michael. The one participating in this game is Abel. Only Abel."
"Heh, that's even better, Mr. Abel..." the Path said as the gray fog thickened around him.
"I already asked my first question. Please answer it."
Michael's voice deepened.
"Wow, why such a hurry? We have all the time in the world, Mr. Abel..."
"But very well. You asked me what Pathway Michael Burey belongs to. This question has two answers: I can simply state it and let you deal with it, or I can explain it."
"If you just want the name, I'll take a memory equivalent to Sequence 9. If you want an explanation, I'll take a memory equivalent to Sequence 0."
Michael frowned. "I just want the name for Sequence 9, not all the sequences."
"That's not what I meant, but alright... Michael Burey is a half-Beyonder of the Delusional Pathway."
Michael rubbed his eyes, making random noises to an unknown beat.
The Path and Michael stared at each other in silence for some time.
"Sorry, I think I misheard. Could you repeat that, please?" Michael tapped the table to an unknown rhythm.
"No, you heard it right. Michael Burey is a half-Beyonder of the Delusional Pathway."
Michael counted on his fingers, muttering something.
Huh? Delusional? Is this some kind of new Pathway? Because it isn't one of the 22 classical ones...
Seeing Michael's confusion, the Path chuckled.
"I don't want any memories equivalent to Sequence 9, so keep asking what you want."
Is he planning to make me accumulate 'debt' and then take an important memory?
Well, if I'm careful, I might be able to get rid of some dangerous knowledge...
Michael carefully considered his next move.
"How many standard Pathways exist in Earth's mysticism?"
"I like how you phrased that, Mr. Abel. With one question, you can find out if the Delusional is a standard Pathway, if something significant happened in mysticism, and if there are other Pathways you don't know about..."
The Path paused, a sly smile spreading across his lips. "Very clever... To answer your question, there are 25 standard Pathways in Earth's mysticism."
Confused? Yes. Surprised? Not really... I already suspected Becca's Pathway didn't match any of the 22 I know, and after what happened at the church, I was sure something was up...
Delusional… what a dumb name...
"What are the two other Pathways that I don't know about?"
"Hallucinated and Devotee." The thick fog surrounding the Path began to thin and clear.
The Path glanced at it and calmly said, "If you have more questions, ask them quickly, Mr. Abel."
Delusional, Hallucinated, and Devotee... They must be neighboring pathways...
"I have only one question left: what happened to The Fool?"
The Path's expression darkened.
"Mr. Abel, your first three questions, when combined, equal a Sequence 5 memory. This last question alone is above Sequence 0. Are you sure you want the answer?"
Michael took a deep breath, stretching his arms before replying with a calm smile, "I'm in a completely new world where everyone I knew is gone. If I don't take risks, I won't get anywhere. So yes, Mr. Path, I want your answer on what happened to the Fool, and I don't care what it will cost."
As the fog thinned, it began to take on a baby-blue hue.
"Very well then, Mr. Abel. I warned you..."
The ruins of what looked like a giant's castle began to fade into transparency.
"The entity you call the Fool perished at the end of the Fifth Epoch during the apocalypse, as did many other deities of that time."
"The details of his death remain a mystery to this day."
"When the apocalypse began, all the deities started to battle; chaos overtook the world."
"When it ended, entities like the Fool and the Visionary never returned."
"For a long time, their status was unknown until their attributes started returning to Earth due to the convergence. Only then was it confirmed. The old deities were gone."
"The only being rumored to know the specifics of what happened during that time is the Angel of Creation, but his current situation is unknown, some might even say he's dead."
"Much else happened at that time, but based on your question, this is what I'll tell you. If you want the full story, you'll have to uncover it yourself."
The table and chairs where the Path and Michael sat began to fade.
"Looks like we don't have much time left. Now, I'll take my part of the contract."
For the first time, the Path moved, getting up and walking over to Michael. He stared deeply into Michael's eyes as the fog continued to turn blue.
Wait, he can move?! I thought he was sealed in that chair or something like that, that's why i felt so comfortable being so arrogant to an unknown entity...
"As part of our contract, three of your questions, when combined were on the level of a Sequence 5. The last question you asked were of a level above Sequence 0, which means I can take a memory at that level."
"The memory I'll take includes the honorific names associated with this fog, the ritual you call 'Luck Enhancement Ritual,' the Fool's honorific name, my own honorific name, and the name above the sequence for the corresponding Pathways: Lord of Mysteries."
Huh, only that? I mean, those are definitely important, but it's not like I had much use for them anyway...
The Path raised his arms, twisting his wrist.
Michael's mind grew heavy, and he lost consciousness.
Michael left the space above the fog.
Once he was gone, the ruins, table, and chairs vanished, and the fog turned a deeper shade of blue.
Sounds of waves and water droplets echoed through the fog.
The Path was nowhere to be seen.
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