Chapter 42

I'm going to keep this one short since I have a LOT of editing to do.

Enjoy!

Chapter 42 - Processing

RogueNet Discussion Board

[Thread: WTF was that emergency quest?! Boss in Pax??]

NoobSlayer2024 - 2 minutes ago

I’m telling you, that emergency quest was weird. Since when do boss mobs wander into player cities? The system message was glitched out, too.

TacticalMage - 1 minute ago

From the screenshots, it looked like those were Jason’s companions. Riley’s blood magic and bow are hard to miss. And Frank’s shapeshifting is a dead giveaway.

CasualObserver - 1 minute ago

What does that mean? Are you suggesting that they lured the boss into the city?

PaxResident47 - 45 seconds ago

I was there. Saw the whole thing. That so-called “boss” moved like Jason. Tactical retreats, undead decoys, and skeletal minions providing recon. Way too smart for standard AI.

xxXShadowXxx - 30 seconds ago

Game’s breaking. First time-traveling anomalies, and now this? Plus, Jason’s stream has gone dark for days now. $100 says he’s convinced the devs to give him some new OP ability.

StreamerQueenAndy - 25 seconds ago

Got it all on stream, including Jason’s group. 47k viewers watched that skull appear in the sky. Chat went INSANE. Comments are still pouring in…

TheoryKnight - 20 seconds ago

@StreamerQueen link the VOD! Let’s see if we can figure out if that boss was really Jason. My bet is it’s some new creature he created.

PaxGuard_Official - 15 seconds ago

Citizens, please remain calm. The emergency quest has been resolved. This was simply a glitch in the new instancing system. Normal city operations have resumed. Any lingering issues will be addressed rapidly.

xxXShadowXxx - 12 seconds ago

@PaxGuard_Official “Resolved”? Are we really supposed to believe that wasn’t Jason? I saw him and his crew running toward the Earth District. What aren’t you telling us!?!

ConspiracyGamer - 8 seconds ago

If Jason really is a boss... somehow... does that mean there’s a dungeon somewhere?

StreamerQueen - 6 seconds ago

My guildmates are still stuck in Pax and overheard some travelers talking about a new dungeon. Could that be it?

PaxGuard_Official - 5 seconds ago

No new dungeons have been discovered. In exchange for the inconvenience, all travelers who participated in the glitched event have been rewarded 100 reputation with Pax.

RandomPlayer088 - 2 seconds ago

@PaxGuard_Official That sounds so sus. If it wasn’t Jason, then tell us where he is.

xxXShadowXxx - 1 second ago

Exactly! Where the hell is Jason?

Dungeon

Jason

In the blink of an eye, Jason was back in his dungeon.

His body—this weak vessel—felt heavy, fragile. However, at least the constant tick, tick, tick of his mana draining away had stopped. Like an aching tooth that had finally been pulled. He leaned heavily against the rough stone of the “maintenance closet” he’d built for the gatepiece, letting both his body and his mind settle. The last few hours had been... intense.

Riley’s words still echoed in the back of his mind. Questions he wasn’t ready to answer.  Truths he wasn’t ready to face. He pushed them down, compartmentalizing like he always did. She was right, but he still needed to press forward, he rationalized. Yet the transition wasn’t clean. The worries and doubts and lies clung to him like spiderwebs, his attention drifting. The ache in his temples was a reminder that he’d pushed too hard.

However, he’d accomplished his mission. And survived Riley’s interrogation… for now, anyway. He had a feeling that conflict wasn’t over, only delayed.

But that was a problem for another him. A future one.

Right now, he was home, where the problems were simpler.

“So, this is it?” A voice spoke up from behind him.

Jason turned to find Captain Cady stepping off the teleportation platform, her pale features taking in the spartan space critically. “It’s, um... smaller than I expected.”

“The words every guy wants to hear,” he shot back with a pained smile.

“Mature. Very mature,” she replied sourly.

“Just wait… it gets bigger.”

“I’m already starting to regret this,” Cady muttered, shaking her head.

“If it helps, I was only half joking—”

He cut off as the wall behind him disappeared and revealed his “lair.”

Cady’s eyes went wide in surprise. “Well, this is… bigger,” she murmured.

A bit of an understatement—double entendre, aside.

The truth was that Jason had been busy during his visit to Pax—or, the “other-him” had, anyway. The body and mind he’d left behind had addressed a pesky little problem while the real-him was running for his life through the city, being chased by an ever-growing horde of players.

Specifically, maybe Jerry was right.

Maybe his dungeon did need a makeover.

First, it needed to be bigger. If players were going to farm XP here, then they needed space. At least enough room to effectively use their area of effect abilities. And he currently had two floors—two and a half if he counted the growing chamber within the ground floor of the mausoleum. He just couldn’t do anything about the total size without leveling or spending Dungeon Points, and the native modifications were simplistic. Mostly walls and doors.

But when had that ever stopped him? He’d altered the terrain of multiple dungeons, so why not this one? Plus, with Alex gone, he had all of those skeletons just sitting around all day. Which was lazy. Also, inefficient. On any good homestead, the kids worked too.

“Are those undead children?” Cady muttered, swallowing hard. Each horrifying, nightmare child was now holding a crude pickaxe made of bone and reinforced with metal. Technically speaking, those tools counted as minions toward Jason’s Control Limit.

“They’re employees,” he corrected, raising a bony finger.

“And all of this?” she demanded, waving around.

The undead Nephilim had made fantastic progress while he was gone. They’d hollowed out most of the boss room, expanding up into the first floor—the ceiling now towering high overhead. They’d also moved horizontally, turning the once simple, small room into a massive chamber, one that stretched nearly half of the dungeon’s domain.

And this was just the beginning. Jason had big plans.

Ahh, she was still glaring at him.

“It’s my, uh, new open floor plan?” he offered.

She let out a heavy sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose as she walked off to inspect his latest craziness. Meanwhile, Alfred padded out of the little maintenance closet, neatly sidestepping falling rock and dirt. “Was bringing her along the best idea?”

Jason cocked his head, following his gaze back to Cady. He’d originally intended to return with a few satyrs that could act as contracting agents, but after witnessing the horror show happening in the Hive and with Riley watching, he’d been forced to... improvise.

Also, he’d felt guilty. Almost like that whole situation might have been his fault somehow.

Although, for the record, he hadn’t kidnapped many versions of himself and stored them in an interdimensional pocket universe, binding them all under an endless slave contract… mostly because he didn’t need to. Just like any good parent, he could make his own labor. And when he couldn’t, he approached the hiring process the good ‘ol fashion way. Specifically, by exploiting an incredibly desperate, marginalized group of women trying to escape an abusive, dysfunctional relationship.

“Amusing. But this plan you’ve concocted assumes I’ll let you manipulate my game systems,” Alfred interjected, picking up on his surface thoughts.

Jason just shrugged, gesturing at Cady. “I don’t see any Hall Monitors. And besides, there’s only one Cady in this timeline… at least, for now.”

He might have kept a few details about his plan to himself.

Alfred’s feline brow scrunched as he burrowed deeper into Jason’s thoughts. “What are you planning? It is harder to see now with your consciousness split.” Then his eyes widened. “You intend to bring others? All of them? What makes you think I will permit—”

“—me to do the same exact thing that’s already happening?” Jason finished for him, stabbing a bony finger at the cat. “The Hive is an instance—just like this one. So, either you need to go ahead and kill all of the Cadys… or my plan will work just fine. Or are you suddenly a fan of giant, glaring plot holes?”

The cat hesitated. After all, he’d let Cady implement her plan. He’d already known about the clones—he’d admitted as much—but he hadn’t done anything about them.

And Jason suspected he knew why. After all, the cat loved drama.

“You think she’ll be comfortable with this?” Alfred retorted, trying to call his bluff.

“Go ahead. Kill us. It’ll be a merciful death. It certainly beats living with ourselves in an infinite time prison of our own making,” Cady added as she approached the pair. Her face was entirely stoic, showing no trace of emotion.

Alfred blinked. Blinked a second time. It was rare to see the AI surprised.

“And it’s exactly this sort of unexpected twist that you can count on from our new dungeon homestead,” Jason offered, waving at the air to bring up the Rogue-Net forums. “Everyone is already talking about us, and we haven’t even begun advertising yet. Think of the streams. The competition. The drama. The two impending armies just waiting in the wings to destroy us—building all that beautiful tension.”

The cat was wavering. Jason could see it.

He just needed to deliver the killing blow—

“You also keep saying you could produce your own show. A better one.”

Alfred’s eyes were suddenly gleaming in the darkness. “My own… show?” he repeated, as though chewing on the words. Savoring them.

And then, “I am intrigued. Proceed.”

Cady shook her head. “You honestly plan to create a “show” around this hellish pit filled with dead children?” she muttered at the AI. “Are you serious?”

“He is. Dead serious,” Jason offered. “In fact, why don’t you ask him about Sex Island?”

“What in God’s name is Sex Island?” she asked… walking directly into his trap.

“Only the best show ever created,” Alfred snapped, those glowing eyes suddenly trained on Cady’s face. “Here, let me show you—”

Jason had offered her up as a sacrifice since he needed to buy himself some time. His attention kept getting pulled in another direction as Dungeon notifications flooded his vision... or, not his vision, exactly. It was like he was seeing them through another’s eyes.

Dungeon Update

Creatures Slain: +193  

Mana Accumulated: +110,696  

Current Mana Reserve: 948,285/1,000,000,000

Congratulations, the Dungeon has reached Level 15!  

+2 Dungeon Points Available  

+5 Monster Capacity (100/100)  

+5% Dungeon Radius (+80% total)

x2 Skill Level Up: Body Surfing

Skill Level: Intermediate Level 3

Effect 1: Infuse one of the urns holding your Najima into a separate form, splitting your consciousness between a primary and secondary body. Current control is limited to two vessels.

Effect 2: Autonomous coordination allows secondary vessels to perform simple tasks without direct oversight.

Cost: Your primary body’s mana is reduced by 1/6 for each urn transferred.

Not bad. Body Surfing had improved, and his dungeon had gained a level during his absence. Which must have meant that a full day had passed in the game world while he’d been in the Hive—more evidence that time worked differently there.

Jason swiped through his notifications to bring up the upgrade options. He didn’t expect anything crazy, but then a new option caught his eye.

System Message: Unique Dungeon Upgrade

Due to the high concentration of light and dark mana, the Lighter Than Air Modifier, and your heavy investment in Lesser Spawn Conversion, a new unique modifier is now available. This selection will be available in addition to the normal leveling upgrades.

⚠️ UNIQUE UPGRADE AVAILABLE ⚠️

High Ground Advantage (30 points) - Structural Modification (Irreversible)

That was... fascinating.

Jason suddenly longed to touch the dungeon core. Not just to feel that tantalizing warmth and test the effects of his improved Body Surfing, but to explore what this option might mean. Maybe someday his dungeon would no longer be buried below ground—

Huh, actually, that gave him another idea. He had all this dirt and rock from hollowing out the dungeon’s interior—the piles mounding up against the walls of his new cavernous dungeon. Jason had been planning to use some of it to build a more suitable “lair” and move the waypoint in the maintenance closet. However, maybe he could repurpose it for something else.

The dungeon’s boundary expanded well outside the Mausoleum, and the room at the tippy top of all those horrible stairs was quite large. Maybe he could build an addition onto their burgeoning homestead? Maybe a storefront? After all, the family farm was a dying relic. Those who made it had learned to embrace changing times. Except he wasn’t thinking of overcharging for tractor pulls and pumpkins. More like murder and mayhem.

The possibilities were tantalizing…

However, there was still one more pressing matter to attend to. Something that Jason couldn’t put off, not with the headache that was pulsing behind one temple.

It didn’t help that he was now seeing the room in double.

The sound of unsteady footsteps echoed through the still room. Jason’s other body—the original—stumbled through the doorway, supported by one of his skeletal minions.  Cady shot him a questioning look, but Alfred had barely started his introductory course on Sex Island. They hadn’t even finished the first episode, and he had two more primed already. One of his “training ideas” had involved Jason watching two episodes at the same time.

There were, in fact, some fates far, far worse than death.

The other-him gave Jason a gruff nod, its voice uncannily familiar. “We continued to farm the wildlife in our absence,” he reported. Strictly speaking, talking like this wasn’t necessary, but it was easier to process than a stream of concepts and images—at least, for now.

“Several live specimens have been captured and secured as we instructed,” the other-him continued. “We made sure to capture multiple species for our selection. We also prepared several upgrade options to improve both our primary body and temporary vessels.”

Jason smiled. “Perfect. Absolutely perfect,” he replied.

The chase through Pax had been educational. Being hunted like a monster, weak and vulnerable, had crystallized something important. He hadn’t been using Body Augmentation effectively—too focused on his dungeon and his minions. He needed to stop thinking like a player and start acting like what he’d become: a boss.

Which meant fortifying his own body. Or bodies, technically.

Speaking of which, he eyed his original form, still propped up by a minion. The other-him had functioned flawlessly in his absence, even if they hadn’t yet fully mastered moving two bodies at once. He’d always wished he could clone himself, and he’d finally made that a reality. And the best part? His clones didn’t talk back or try to kill him!

Although perhaps a cane would be easier.

He might even be able to repurpose his staff…

He could feel that idea echo back and forth across the thread of consciousness stretched between them. It wasn’t entirely clear whether the idea had come from “him” or the “other-him”… or if there was any true difference. Then a sudden pain sliced through his temple, interrupting his thoughts.  He’d maintained this link for too long.

It was time to truly return home.

Jason released his control of this body.

The effect was instantaneous.

His consciousness snapped back to his original form, a familiar rush of power flooding through him. The effect was so sudden that he nearly lost his balance. As though each second and minute he’d spent Body Surfing had built up tension. A natural time limit that reflected the extent of his current abilities. However, at least the headache behind his temples vanished, replaced by a sharp clarity—one that replaced that ever-present sense of vertigo.

He shrugged off the assistance of his minion, taking a tentative step forward. It felt a little unsteady, but manageable. A cane really was a good idea… at least, until he was stronger. With a thought, a half-stave rotated out of his arm, and he sliced the bone connection with a single tiny Soul Blade that stretched from his index finger. Another gesture and bones coated the top, forming into a small ivory orb that fit perfectly in his palm.

A cough drew his gaze back to Cady and Alfred, both of them peering at him.

“You did this—all of this—while you were in Pax,” Cady snapped, drawing his eyes back to her scowling face. Alfred was lost in planning his own show, dozens of screens open around him. She must have managed to distract him.

“I don’t hear a question in there,” Jason murmured, leaning on his cane.

“I notice you don’t seem as… emotional as you did back in the Hive. And all of this work would have required extensive focus.”

There was an odd emotion reflected in her eyes. A recognition.

“Again, I don’t hear a question,” he replied evenly.

“Fine. Was it real or a performance?”

Jason grimaced, glancing at Alfred, the AI oblivious as he surveyed his screens.

He couldn’t help but think back to their previous conversations—to Sex-Fucking-Island. Alfred had been right about identity. It was... malleable. Humans played roles all the time. Actors, politicians, even gamers. They wore masks. They performed. They compartmentalized.

Was that really any different than what he was doing now? Each vessel was still “him”—just the “part” of him that he needed to be in that moment. Like little boxes built of bone and unholy alchemy that held the strategist, the boss, the boyfriend, the critic.

Was there really a line between performance and authenticity?

“I prefer to think of it as efficient,” he said softly.

Cady’s laugh was dry. “Efficient. Right.”

She crossed her arms. “So, why am I here? Because I know you didn’t bring me back just to admire your interior decorating or discuss Sex Island.”

Ahh, like he said. He’d kept the details to himself.

He was sure Riley wouldn’t have approved.

However, he was saved as his UI chimed—

“Hold that thought,” he muttered, tapping the notification to bring up the message. He pivoted it for Cady’s benefit, her eyes widening as she read its contents.

Alex: What the fuck is going on? I finally had a free moment and saw on Rogue-Net that a boss appeared in fucking Pax. What did you do?

Cady chuckled. “It seems like your ploy didn’t fool everyone,” she offered.

Jason winced. No, no it didn’t...

Jason: Days of silence, and this is how you greet me? No ‘how are you’, ‘how’s the dungeon’, ‘how are our babies?’

Alex: They are not our ‘babies’ – I keep telling you that. And don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing: trying to distract me.

Jason: How do you even know it was me? Would I really make a huge public spectacle that almost gets me and everyone around me killed in some sort of reckless play to create organic hype around our dungeon?

Alex: Yes. Yes, you most definitely would.

Jason: Okay, fine. Maybe it was me…

The next few messages were mostly cursing.

“Do you always antagonize your allies?” Cady asked. “This explains so much...”

“Three minutes outside of the Hive and you already sound exactly like the real Cady,” Jason shot back without thinking. “It’s uncanny.”

His words came out sharper than intended, a note of something that almost looked like hurt shining in Cady’s eyes before her walls slammed back into place.

Shit. He frowned. That had almost felt like someone else speaking—

DING! Alex messaged again.

This time, he was able to form coherent sentences.

Alex: What the hell was your plan exactly? If the Empress or Sebastian see those videos, you know I’m dead right? No war. No distraction. Just tens of thousands of Nephilim and undead coming to collectively skull#$% you.

Jason had enabled the profanity filter momentarily. Although, Alex wasn’t wrong.

Jason: I created a few bots to build a counter-narrative. Besides, they don’t know where the dungeon is yet. You still have time to start that war you promised me. How is that going, by the way?

Alex: It’s… a work in progress.

Jason: Sounds like I’m doing your job and mine. I thought you were supposed to be handling the “marketing.”

Alex: Says the guy who’s decorating his “homestead” while I’m traveling to a war zone with NPCs 200+ levels above me. I haven’t logged off in days in-game for fear they’ll figure out I’m a traveler. Days. You still want to talk about who has it harder?

Jason: Not really. Because we both know it’s me. By the way, did you manage to talk to the travelers in Pax?

Alex: I did. I sent one group your way. Think of this as a “private beta.” Don’t go crazy. We need to ease into this slowly. SLOWLY, Jason. No streaming. No craziness.

“He knows you so well,” Cady observed dryly.

Jason frowned and started to reply–

Alex: Seriously. No jokes. No stunts. No insane nonsense.

Jason: Yeah, for sure. It’ll be totally normal. So, uh, who did you invite from my list?

Alex: Her name was Karen, I think? Shit... I’ve got to go. I may need to go radio silent again. It’s too risky to use my UI with all of these residents around. Don’t. Fuck. This. Up.

“He’s growing on me,” Cady commented, a rare smile gracing her lips. “Also, who is this Karen person? Uh… Jason?” she repeated when he didn’t answer immediately.

His thoughts were already racing ahead, his eyes on those skeletal, demonic children toiling away in the darkness. A smile warped his features, the swarm skittering and crawling to make room—a vain attempt to give him some semblance of humanity.

This was going to feel personal, wasn’t it?

Maybe Riley was right. Also, Frank, Jerry, Riley, Alfred, and even Alex of all people. Maybe… maybe he was the problem. Maybe it was time to turn over a new leaf. Give up the horrific murder and grandstanding in favor of something better. Or worse.

That depended entirely on your perspective.

Because an idea was hatching in the back of his mind—one that had been fertilized by the cold, hard capitalism of the Hive and that tantalizing dungeon upgrade notification. That had been incubating in a stew of emotional noise he could now neatly compartmentalize. Only to finally crack the shell, unfurl its hideous, skeletal, bat wings, and release a cry that announced its glorious hunger to the world. And soon? Soon, it would take flight.

“I hate this expression your face is making,” Cady muttered.

His Dodge skill activated automatically.

A side benefit of bringing Cady along? He could retire CadyBot.

Plus, he was going to need her business expertise and connection to the Hive if he was going to make his disturbing dream an even more ruthless reality.

“I was just thinking you’re right,” Jason explained, meeting her gaze. “We still need to talk about your role in the dungeon, don’t we? How do you feel about a little… business consulting?”

Ahh, and now she was looking nervous.

That’s how he knew this was going to be his best plan yet.