Note:

So. Here's the last chapter. Last bit. No more stories for Jackie. No more. Most of you know what happened. I'm not going to get into that. I don't think I can.

We lived through a lot of stuff together. A lot of it wonderful. A lot of it terrible. Eighty years. Eighty beautiful years. Three kids. 1244 campaigns. Three worlds. Many dimensions. We lived lifetimes compared to most people. We worked miracles and faced nightmares.

And it wasn't enough for the System. It was never enough. And now it will never be enough. Never again.

I love you, Jackie.

I'll always love you. And a part of me died with you in my arms.

But I suppose there's no way out of it.

There is no forever. Sooner or later, we all get cut down.

Let that be the final lesson of his Memoirs.

You don't get to finish your own tale. Someone else will write your final lines. And then they'll fall too. Our stories don't belong to us. Pathless to Legend, we're all just food in the end.

-Memoirs of a Master-Tier War Mage (Final Chapter)

148 (I)

Skin

Shiv let out a final breath as he regarded the black static veil of the Tutorial Gateway. Every beat of his heart was like an explosion going off within his chest. He regarded the others once more and clamped down on his nervousness.

"If you're going to ask us to back out, you can forget about it," Adam said. He was sweating slightly, and his heart was beating fast too. He was likely more nervous than Shiv was. The Gate Lord didn't get along well with the orcs, but even so, he insisted on accompanying Shiv. And Shiv found that touching, though he would never admit it to Adam.

He and the Young Lord had come a long way since they first descended into the Abyss.

Uva, Can Hu, and Valor comparatively betrayed little of their anxiety. But Shiv had been with Uva long enough to tell that she was on alert. Her posture was stiff. She had practiced drawing a short sword earlier, indicating a preparedness for violence. And she kept the group mentally connected to each other, like they were prepared to enter a battlefield. Luckily, they weren't getting ready to enter a battle, but rather to receive a Biomancy lesson. With the orcs, however, both of those could be one and the same.

"Shiv," Valor called. "Remember this. Clinging to a worry does not stop it from coming to pass. Anxiety is not easy. Our fears are true. But if you cannot solve them, it is best to act, rather than wait and be forced to react."

And that was the final bit of incentive Shiv needed. He stepped forward, splashing into the veil of Dimensionality. And the world grew tight with pressure as he transitioned across dimensions. In an instant, he arrived in the Tutorial. However, the sight that greeted him wasn't what he'd expected.

Previously, the Tutorial Gateway was built upon a tall ziggurat, one that overlooked a wide expanse. Shiv expected to see orc encampments running in every direction, campfires casting trails of smoke high up into the air, the Court Leviathan hanging just above. Instead, he was in a teleportation anchor. One that already had most of its internal spellwork completed.

"What in the hell is this?" Adam muttered, about as surprised as Shiv was.

Uva stared at the spellwork and let out a quiet scoff. "They're mocking us."

Shiv turned to look at her. "What?"

"We've installed teleportation anchors and checkpoints on our side of the gateway. They're doing the same to mock us."

"Oh, hello there, Insul," Tequila's voice suddenly sounded. "I didn't realize you were going to be arriving so soon." Unlike with Ikki, however, his voice was projected through a series of spells. "We put up some magical precautions and added a checkpoint on our end just in case you feel unsafe. We know all about safety here in the Tutorial."

Thankfully, Shiv could hear the orc snickering to himself.

"Great, you've had your fun," Shiv said with a faint sneer, "let us through."

"Just a moment, we're scanning you for any dangerous pathogens. Also, when was the last time you took a shower? I'm reading a great amount of germs and filth on your body."

Shiv folded his arms and frowned. "Yeah, like you guys shower."

"We do," Tequila said. "We have Hydromancers here who make clouds for us. A great deluge comes, and we stand in the open, scrubbing each other with the most voluminous bars of soap you might see across ten dimensions. Some of us find it very sensual."

Part of Shiv suspected the orc was bullshitting him. Unfortunately, this also sounded like something the orcs might actually do.

The surrounding spells flashed one final time, and a hiss of air spilled into the teleportation anchor. A few moments later, it opened up, and Shiv was surprised for a second time. Most of the encampments were gone, and in their place were a series of small forts. Heavy, dome-shaped buildings rose from the ground and were connected to each other through a network of trenches. Atop the dome-shaped buildings were a series of large-barreled mortars. They slightly resembled the weapon Mortar carried on his back, and Shiv guessed that was no coincidence either. The only thing that was consistent with before were the rancid sky and the Court Leviathan hanging high above.

"What the hells is this?" Shiv muttered.

"Oh," Tequila said, greeting Shiv on the other side with both arms clasped behind his back. "We decided to do some renovations of our own, make some upgrades, since we are going to be dedicating our service to..." Tequila waved a hand. "Do you have a name for the gate yet? It's important to name things. I would be deeply, deeply sad on your behalf if you didn't name the gate. That would indicate a great state of overwork."

Shiv stared at Adam from the corner of his eye. "Yeah, you know, I'm not calling it Gate Arrow."

"It's the best name we have," Adam insisted.

"It most certainly is not," Uva interjected.

"Well, I don't see you two coming up with a name. And we're not naming it Shiv or Mettabon."

"I did come up with a name," Shiv reminded Adam. "I called it Gate Asshole."

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"Piety," Can Hu suddenly suggested. All eyes turned on the Penitent.

"Gate Piety," Tequila said, testing the name on his tongue. He smacked his lips. "Interesting."

"Piety," Adam echoed.

"Correct," Can Hu said. "I believe that is what you three were most likely mentally arguing about."

Shiv stared at the automaton for a moment. "And you knew we were arguing?"

"It's the facial expressions, mostly," Valor answered on Can Hu's behalf.

"Why Piety?" Shiv asked.

"Because Adam's current actions are most pious. He is dedicating a great deal of effort to saving his father and his people. That, and the threat that faces us is one connected to faith. I believe this makes Piety a suitable name for now. It could be changed later if we have a better idea, or we can adopt Gate Arrow for convenience. If the name truly displeases, I can continue brainstorming. I will not be offended if my suggestion is rejected."

Shiv looked at Adam. "Piety," Adam repeated. "I like it. A quite tasteful name. Very well. Gate Piety it is," Adam declared confidently to Tequila.

"Piety," the orc muttered, then slowly he grinned. "But I think Gate Prodigal might sound better. Wouldn't you agree, Penitent?

"As in a son returning home," Can Hu mused. The automaton slowly turned to a glowering Adam, but considered the orc's word for a moment. "Partially suitable. However, the conflict goes beyond just the Gate Lord himself."

"Oh, so you take in all the context. Very good," Tequila said. The look on his face suggested that his compliments were genuine. He gestured with a hand, welcoming the group into the Tutorial. "Whatever the case, our good friend Helix is waiting for you aboard the Court Leviathan, Insul. But there are several other Maestros that require your attention. Bonk wishes to see you to continue your previous training. The Amnesiac wishes to talk with you regarding the prisoners and how best to spend their lives. He and the other Psychomancers have some funny things planned. Mortar wants to talk about campaign strategies and enemy hardpoints at Los Angeles. And you have a challenger."

"A challenger?" Shiv asked. "What kind of challenger?"

"Nothing martial," Tequila said, waving him off with a laugh. "No, an orc cook known as BBQ-39999 wishes to see how skilled you are in the kitchen." The orc placed a large hand beside his lips and whispered to Shiv, "I might have talked your skills up a little."

"BBQ, huh? Well, I think I'm going to go say hi to him later." Despite everything, this got Shiv a little excited. "Hey, listen, do you have any other cooking Maestros around here?"

"Plenty," Tequila said with a smirk, "but a great deal of us are oh so shy. BBQ was among the braver of the bunch. After you have an exchange with him, perhaps the others will be more willing to come out of their shells and hidey-holes."

"Alright then, I think I'll get to him after all the actual work gets done."

"And your companions?" the orc asked, looking over the others following Shiv. "Will they be joining you?"

"Yeah," Shiv replied, trying to keep any hint of nervousness out of his voice. Even so, Shiv caught a glint in the orc's eye.

"Wonderful. Contrary to what you may believe, we orcs do love more company. Especially from such an esteemed Pathbearer as you, oh great Valor. Even this broken, diminished version of you."

"Your compliments are received, Tequila," Valor said in return. "Which reminds me, have you seen my nemesis recently? It has been some time since they have come to make an attempt on my life."

And for the first time, Tequila's expression flickered a little. Shiv noticed a hint of unease creep through the orc's expression. "Not quite yet. He should still be making his way out of the Cage of Existentiality."

"Yes," Valor said with a vigorous nod. "I have full confidence that he will develop the morality, remorse, and sympathy needed to escape from the final trial. If not soon, then at least within the next thousand years."

Shiv blinked. "The hell did you do to your nemesis?"

"It is not what I am doing to him, Shiv." Valor sighed. "What he is doing to himself, and what the itch is doing to him, after a good few centuries of nonviolence."

"Doesn't that kill an orc?"

"In most cases. Alas, the Cage of Existentiality does not wish for you to die. It is a place where many Pathbearers can go to discover themselves, if they have the means to access it, of course. Or if they are thrown in by someone else." Valor's final few words developed an edge, and Tequila shuffled backward slightly.

"Now, now, let's not keep our dear Helix waiting," the orc said with an awkward chuckle. "He has been very patient."

***

"I did not expect you to bring company with you, Insul," Helix said, eyeing Valor in particular.

The bridge of the Court Leviathan was livelier than ever. For the first time, Blood Horrors wandered the interior, but they had been modified. Their bodies were larger than human. They resembled misshapen orcs, but rather than being clones, their bodies sprouted brutal tumors that coated their flesh. Their limbs were also branching lengths of sinew, red teeth, and jutting bones sticking free like natural weapons. Most of all, their heads were disfigured. Their mouths, eyes, and ears were all in the wrong place.

Uva regarded the abominations with a hint of disgust, and her body language went from one of reserved readiness to active resistance. It took a great deal of effort on her part to restrain herself from attacking any of the Blood Horrors.

"The hell is this, Helix?" Shiv asked. He gestured at the Blood Horrors, at the many orcs now completely fused with the Court Leviathan's inner walls. The bridge itself had been changed as well. Rather than the regal throne room the vampires had, the orcs had grown a series of pods along the ground, orc-sized pods that certain Biomancers lay in, interfacing with the great leviathan. Strange, sinuous organs were attached to their eyes, their ears, and even their skin.

"This," Helix replied, "is simply us restoring the Court Leviathan to its full potential. You understand why it takes so many Biomancers to pilot one Court Leviathan? Because its flesh is complicated. Everyone has different stations and organs to manage. Alas, it doesn't need to be this way." The orc crinkled his nose in disgust. "The Court Leviathan's many brains have far fewer furrows than they should have. They could have made this creature very intelligent, yet it is simple. But that is the way of the vampiric parasite, to create dependency. For that's the world they know, dependency from top to bottom."

"Sounds like the vampires," Shiv grumbled

"Utterly inefficient is what it sounds like," Helix criticized. "Whatever the case, I have also taken the liberty of refurbishing your quarters."

"Oh, you know my living preferences, huh?" Shiv asked.

"Don't be absurd, Insul. You have barely any living preferences. Or at least you're only currently developing living preferences. Your behavior screams feral street urchin more often than not. And your personal belongings... Well, the only belonging you seem to treasure is that blade you have. Not the one you use in combat. The one you use to cook."

Shiv stared at Helix for a long moment. "Helix, I'm just going to ask you a single question. Is there a kitchen inside the room?"

"The room is a kitchen," Helix replied as if it were natural. "That's the only thing that you truly treasure aside from the knife, isn't it?"

Shiv let out a long sigh. "I'm obvious as shit."

"Don't worry. It's not so bad, being simple."

"It will be bad for you, specifically, if you continue playing mind games with him," Uva said, not bothering to hide the malice in her voice.

Helix looked down at the armored Umbral. He squinted for a moment and adjusted his spectacles before he finally smirked. "Ah, yes. The pale elf. So, Insul, you've finally grown bold enough to—"

"My presence was not decided by him," Uva continued, "only agreed upon. And should you persist in your social manipulation, I'm going to discover what you find dearest to you. Your Biomancy knowledge, for instance. And I'm going to start peeling pieces away."

Helix's mouth fell open a little.

"Not major pieces," Uva continued. "Just small pieces. Small enough that it will inconvenience your work, force you to relearn things, rather than experience damage altogether. I understand that Practical Metabiology cannot be undone by memory loss alone, but it can be negatively affected if your instincts point one way, and you are missing all the proper experiences to guide it."

Both Shiv and Helix stared at Uva. Holy shit, Shiv thought. I forgot how terrifying Psychomancy could be sometimes. That, and he was beginning to feel a flame in his gut.

"Yes, well," Helix pushed his spectacles up along the bridge of his nose, "there's no need for such coarse coercion. I was merely showing how attentive I am to the Insul's habits. Now, Shiv, the armor."

"Yes," Can Hu said suddenly. It took two loud steps forward, joints letting out faint creaks. "Show us the armor. Show me how good this armor can be."

Helix let out an exasperated scoff. "Insul, are all of your companions going to be here the entire time? We don't need a peanut gallery. It's not conducive to learning."

"But that is not what we are here for," Valor said, splaying his arms out. "We are also prospective students. Shiv has told us a great deal about your skill. We wish to learn too. And we want to see how good you really are at Biomancy."

The orc glared at the Legendary Pathbearer, and then he turned the same glare on the rest of Shiv's group. "Very well, then; a demonstration."

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