Saga 3: The Sleep of Reason
Location: The Void Walkers' Guild (Dungeon Floor 1).
Time: One Week after the Academy Battle.
Chapter 21: The Velvet Cage (Part 1)
Ren sat in his new office. It was carved directly into the stone wall of the Dungeon, overlooking the underground river.
On his desk lay three items:
The Key of Chronos (The access pass to the Time-Library).
A Map of the Continent of Sloth (Stolen from the Duke's study by Caelum).
A Gold-Embossed Invitation.
[ Item: Royal Ball Invitation ]
[ Guest: Caelum Arken & Retainer. ]
[ Dress Code: Formal. ]
[ Note: Weapons strictly prohibited (Magical Scanners active). ]
"It's a execution," Vargo said, pacing the room. The merchant was wearing a new suit, but he looked pale. "The Duke invited us. The King invited us. Do you know who will be there? The Ten Commandments."
Ren looked up. "The Commandments?"
"The Church's Black Ops," Kaelith explained, sharpening her dagger. "Paladins are the hammer. The Commandments are the scalpel. They are ten individuals who have received direct blessings from the 'Angels'. Each one binds themselves to a Rule. If they break the rule, they lose power. If they keep it... they are invincible."
Ren tapped the desk. "Give me an example."
"The Commandment of Truth," Kaelith shuddered. "He cannot lie. But if he asks you a question, you cannot lie either. If you try, your throat closes up and you suffocate."
Ren smiled coldly. "A silence mage. Interesting."
Ren stood up. He walked to the map of Sloth.
"The Duke failed his expedition," Ren said. "His army walked into the Fog of Sloth and fell asleep. They had to drag 5,000 sleeping soldiers back to the border."
Ren pointed to the center of the map.
"The Sin of Sloth (Belphegor) doesn't fight. He dreams. His defense mechanism is a psychic barrier. If you enter his territory without a Mental Anchor, your brain shuts down."
"So how do we survive?" Vargo asked.
"We don't go there yet," Ren said. "First, we survive the Ball. The Duke wants to gauge my threat level. I need to show him that I am useful."
Ren turned to Vargo.
"Vargo. I need a suit."
"A suit?"
"Not just clothes," Ren's eyes glowed. "I need a suit woven with Mana-Dampening Silk. And I need you to crush the Shiv of Gluttony."
Vargo choked. "Crush it? That's a Unique Weapon!"
"Crush it into dust," Ren ordered. "And sew the dust into the lining of the suit. I can't carry a dagger into the palace. So I will wear the dagger."
Location: The Royal Palace, The Grand Ballroom.
Time: Two Days Later. 8:00 PM.
The Palace was a blinding display of gold and crystal. Music floated through the air, played by a band of invisible bards.
Caelum Arken walked in, wearing the blue and silver of his House. He looked every bit the young Lord—handsome, confident, and deadly (Level 18).
One step behind him walked Ren.
Ren wore a black suit, tailored to perfection. It absorbed the light. He wore white gloves to hide his Gauntlet (which he had disguised as a prosthetic brace using [Rewrite]).
[ Analytical Eye ]
[ Area: The Lion's Den. ]
[ Threat Level: Extreme. ]
[ Hostiles Detected: 40+. ]
Every noble in the room turned to look.
"That's him," the whispers started. "The Null."
"The one who beat Malthus."
"The Boy without a Soul."
A man separated himself from the crowd. He was massive, wearing golden plate armor even at a ball. A heavy red cape flowed behind him.
[ NPC: Duke Valerius Arken ]
[ Level: 65 ]
[ Class: Warlord / Lion Knight ]
[ Status: Disappointed Father. ]
The Duke walked up to Caelum. He ignored Ren completely.
"You look well, Caelum," Valerius said. His voice was like a landslide. "I hear you turned my estate into a fortress and threw my Steward into a river."
"Thorne was a traitor," Caelum met his father's eyes. "I took out the trash."
Valerius stared at his son. For a moment, the pressure in the room spiked. Then, Valerius laughed.
"Good. Perhaps you have a spine after all."
Valerius finally turned his eyes to Ren.
It felt like being stared at by a dragon.
"And the Retainer," Valerius sneered. "The Null who cheats."
"I adapt, Your Grace," Ren bowed.
"Adaptation is for cockroaches," Valerius spat. "Lions conquer."
Valerius leaned in.
"You embarrassed the Church. Now the Commandments are here. Commandment IV is watching you right now."
Ren didn't look around. [Void Presence] (Passive) was scanning the room.
He felt it. A gaze that wasn't heavy, but sharp.
Standing near the orchestra was a woman in a grey veil. She held a glass of water, staring at Ren.
[ Enemy: Sister Silence ]
[ Rank: Commandment IV (Thou Shalt Keep The Sabbath/Rest) ]
[ Ability: Anyone who uses active skills within her range falls into a coma. ]
A walking EMP, Ren realized. If I cast a spell or use a skill, I drop.
"Enjoy the party," Valerius said, turning away. "Try not to die before the dessert."
Ren stood by Caelum's side.
"Don't use magic," Ren whispered to Caelum. "The woman in grey. She counters active skills."
"So what do we do?" Caelum hissed.
"We mingle," Ren smiled. "And we look for a buyer."
"A buyer?"
"I have the cure for the Sloth Fog," Ren lied (he had a theory, not a cure). "And I'm going to sell it to the King."
Suddenly, the music stopped.
The Royal Herald banged his staff.
"ALL HAIL! HIS MAJESTY, KING THEODORE III!"
The doors opened.
But the man who walked in was not the King.
It was a young man, barely twenty, wearing a crown that looked too big for him. He had pale skin and bags under his eyes. He looked... sleepy.
[ NPC: Crown Prince Morpheus ]
[ Status: Cursed (Touch of Sloth). ]
[ Note: The King is bedridden. The Prince rules in his stead. ]
Ren's eyes narrowed.
"The King isn't here," Ren whispered. "The infection has already reached the Throne."
The Sloth Crusade hadn't just failed. It had brought the plague home.
Prince Morpheus sat on the throne. He yawned.
"Let the... whatever... begin," the Prince waved a tired hand.
As the music restarted, Ren felt a tug on his sleeve.
It was a little girl. Maybe eight years old. She wore a dress made of stardust.
"Mister," she whispered. She held up a doll.
Ren looked at the doll. It wasn't a toy. It was a voodoo effigy of Ren, complete with a needle in its heart.
[ Threat Detected. ]
"You dropped this," the girl smiled. Her eyes were empty black pits.
[ Monster: Solomon Demon (Dantalion - The 71st Pillar) ]
[ Disguise: Perfect. ]
Ren froze.
The Solomon Demons. The 72 Pillars who served the Sins. They were infiltrating the nobility.
"Thank you," Ren took the doll. He didn't flinch.
He bent down to her level.
"Tell your master," Ren whispered, "That I don't play with toys. I break them."
The girl giggled. "He knows. That's why he sent the Commandment."
She skipped away, vanishing into the crowd of dancers.
Ren stood up, gripping the cursed doll.
"Caelum," Ren said. "Change of plans."
"What?"
"We aren't selling a cure," Ren said. "We're staging an exorcism."
Ren looked at the sleepy Prince.
"We need to kidnap the Prince."
End of Chapter 21 - Part 1
Summary:
Lore: The history of the Zodiacs (Constellations) is revealed. They were the shattered jailers of the Sins.
Preparation: Ren prepares for the Royal Ball by creating a suit infused with Shiv dust (hidden weapon) and disguising his Gauntlet.
The Event: Ren and Caelum attend the Ball. They face Duke Valerius (Level 65) who tolerates them but warns of the Church.
New Threats:
The Commandments: Ren identifies Sister Silence (Commandment IV), who can induce comas if Skills are used.
The Solomon Demons: Ren is approached by a child possessed by Dantalion (Demon), proving the Sins have infiltrated the court.
The Crisis: The King is missing. Crown Prince Morpheus is ruling, but he is infected by Sloth.
The Plan: Ren decides they must kidnap/rescue the Prince to purge the infection, right under the noses of the Duke and the Commandment.