"The 'Seventeen Scenes,' as they are commonly known, depict acts of rebellion and defiance against the Tongsly Belch Corporation and the governing council of the Dominion itself. But that is not what makes them heresy."
He stepped forward and pointed his walking stick toward the huge, kraken-like creature.
"Each of the scenes Spanksie has immortalized in this collection depicts a real event."
The goblin turned, pointing at another painting a short distance away.
"The rebellion of Tachachi Minor."
He motioned to the next painting, repeating the exercise as he recounted the historical uprisings that had inspired the artist.
"The Redbrick Ledger Riots, the Brasswater Uprising, Breakpeak Audit, The Hollowspire Index Mutiny. The events were real, and in each instance, the rebels were cut down, and their rebellion was suppressed. Recompense was, of course, levied against the survivors, and each city and manufacturing facility caught up in these heresies was required to increase tax yields in order to pay for the considerable damage and financial losses incurred."
Craig grunted at that, muttering the words slave worldsunder his breath.
"Depicting these events is not, in itself, a criminal act," Silkfeather went on. "Indeed, there have been many thousands of paintings, sculptures, and artworks detailing the events of each and every rebellion and uprising. What makes these heretical is the fact that Spanksie has rewritten history in his paintings, casting the rebels as victorious rather than the heroic forces of the Tongsly Belch Corporation."
He turned back to the picture Pete was looking at, pointing the end of his walking stick at the vast, tentacled creature at the heart of the painting.
"In each instance, Spanksie places a mythical monster such as this beast in a protective role at the center of his pieces. The creatures themselves are drawn from myth and legend, used to signify archaic strength and the indomitable spirit of wild magic that exists within natural worlds all over the Dominion."
Pete shook his head. "So, that's it? This guy paints pictures of rebellions with giant monsters in the middle of them, and that's enough to get them banned?"
"Heresy is heresy, my little poppet. The attempt to rewrite official history like this is forbidden by no less than twelve separate laws and statutes."
He leaned closer to Pete, looking up with twinkling eyes and a broad smirk on his face.
"But isn't that precisely what makes Spanksie's work so deliciously provocative? Even after his first three works were deemed heretical, he continued to produce more and more, traveling to the sites of failed rebellions and recasting history by means of these gorgeous paintings."
"Okay," Pete said, "but what the hell does any of this have to do with me?"
"As I have stated, these images are banned. They have sat in storage for many years, and most have never before been seen by citizens of the Dominion. Given the nature of this season's contest, however, the Mammon System petitioned the Tongsly Belch Corporation Propaganda and Merchandising Division to have the series temporarily taken out of storage and displayed here, right in the middle of the Dominion Ultrimax contest."
Silkfeather walked up to the painting, holding a finger out and hovering just in front of the stone.
"You have quickly gained a reputation as something of a firebrand, Vault Breaker. Your words, and more so, your attitude have garnered the interest of Dominion viewers, and it seems the Mammon System intends to stoke that fire within you. Perhaps seeing the work of a fellow rebellious soul like Spanksie might inspire you to acts of greatness."
The suspicion that had been simmering in Pete's mind quickly rose to boiling point. This was a trap; there was no doubt about it. The only reason why the System and the Corporation would agree to display banned artwork like this was if the plan was ultimately to kill Pete right there and then. By doing so, they could thematically both wipe out Pete and his own rebellious tendencies and reaffirm the ineffectiveness of the artwork that surrounded him.
The only real question was how. Were they going to try to drown him and Craig in paint, or would an army of goblins inexplicably appear with spears and knives drawn? No, it would have to be closely related to this Spanksie character.
"Alright," he said. "What's the catch?"
Silkfeather frowned up at Pete. "Catch?"
"Something in here is gonna try and kill us, so why don't we just quit it with the art history lesson and get to the violence?"
The little art critic spread his clawed hands out wide, turning around in a slow circle to indicate the paintings surrounding them.
"Look around you, Vault Breaker. We are hemmed in by violence. You will find more than enough bloodshed within the desperate strokes of Spansky's work."
"That's not what I'm talking about, and you know it. When are the guns gonna start firing at us, or are hobgoblins gonna come charging out of some hidden passage?"
Silkfeather lowered his arms and looked up at Pete, wearing an expression as though he'd only just noticed him. The little goblin drew close and held out one hand. For a few moments, the two just stood opposite one another, art critic with a hand outstretched, Pete wondering what kind of trick this might be.
In the end, Pete figured that whatever was going to happen wouldn't be made any worse by taking the goblin's offered hand. He took Silkfeather's hand and found the little goblin's grip unnervingly soft.
"Poor pet," Silkfeather said. "In such a short time, you have become conditioned to violence. You are unable to see beyond the base instincts of your species and the various instinctual impulses of your own biology."
He nodded, still holding Pete's hand in his.
"My own kind are similarly stricken, Vault Breaker. We are born into violence, forced to fight our brothers and sisters from the moment we breach the birth canal. There is always death at the goblin birth, did you know that? Typically, three or four children are born at once, sometimes up to nine depending on the gravity and certain other conditions of the birth planet. But there is never enough milk for all those newborn goblin children, so they must fight."
Craig lowered his head as the other goblin continued.
"A goblin female has just enough milk to sustain two infants at once. Something in our biology knows this fact, and the moment the children emerge from their mother, they will begin to fight. The weak will be slain, and only two survivors will sup upon their mother's milk. We call it The Shedding but rarely speak of the process in public. It speaks of our brutal animal nature, of the scarcity into which each goblin is born and the violence of our existence."
Silkfeather squeezed Pete's hand gently, then let go. He stepped back a few paces, shaking his glorious hair and motioning to the pristine white suit he wore.
"Behold, clear evidence that it is entirely possible to move beyond the constraints and prejudices of our nature. If I, a goblin born into violence, can conceive of a life lived in the peaceful pursuit of artistic perfection, surely you can suppress your innate need for violence, if only for a time."
Pete grinned, snorting in response.
"Kind of hard to do when my mother is dangling over a vat of acid and I've spent the past day and a half running for my life while the System throws enemies at me."
"Of course," Silkfeather said, bowing slightly. "And I am not asking you to suppress survival instincts that have likely kept you alive to this point in the contest. I merely point out that while I am here and while we examine these works, no violence will befall you. Take this moment to admire the works of one of our greatest living artists and, perhaps, set your mind at ease for the time we are together."
Pete turned to Craig, who shrugged by way of reply. It seemed utterly absurd to be admiring art in the middle of a death race, but Pete reminded himself that he was being watched. Even this part of the contest was being broadcast throughout the Dominion and, whether he liked it or not, he had now become a figure of interest within the Dominion Ultrimax Contest; a rebellious firebrand with a fast-earned reputation for bucking the System and all that it represented.
As painful as it was, perhaps showing a little admiration for the artwork of a fellow rebel would further enhance his reputation throughout the Dominion. Maybe that would gain him patronage in the future, though it was just as likely that it would simply increase the difficulty of whatever challenges he faced in the days ahead.
"Fine," Pete said. "Let's do the art thing then."
Silkfeather chuckled. "Yes, indeed. We shall do art together, Vault Breaker!"
For the next few minutes, they moved through the strange gallery, examining one painting after another. Just like the first image, each painting showed a bloody scene of rebellion with some mythical beast or monster at the center of the revised historical snapshot, protecting the rebels and attacking forces from the Belch Corporation.
"By calling to mind the pantheon of monsters and beasts from the legends of our people and those more broadly in the Dominion," Silkfeather said, "Spanksie implies that myth and history support these rebellious efforts. Each piece also harks back to a simpler time in our history when local legends were more vital to everyday life, before the homogenization of existence by corporate interests and the vast machine that is the Tongsly Belch Corporation."
He pointed to a vivid image which was painted onto a jagged slab of slate which showed a vast, crab-like creature with a vivid blue shell standing on top of a large hill, vicious pincers snapping at enemy soldiers while a band of heroic rebels stood on its head firing projectile weapons from their position between two large eye stalks.
"In this instance, the Great Cackrel stands directly against the Corporation and all that it represents. The Cackrel itself is a lesser-known member of the pantheon, but I believe this choice was intentional for Spanksie in this piece. The rebellion itself wasn't covered by mainstream media and, until this piece was discovered, went completely unnoticed by the Dominion. This was partly because the Corporation sought to suppress details, of course, but it is also because the rebellion on Ignius Minor lasted little more than a single day. It was violently suppressed, claiming thousands of lives, but with such efficiency that it failed to make the day's news."
Pete nodded. "But this Spanksie figure went there anyway and painted this?"
"He did, indeed. And that act highlighted the rebellion out of obscurity. What better monster to portray aiding the beleaguered rebels than a creature from an obscure myth which almost no one throughout the Dominion will have heard of?"
A gasp drew Pete's attention to the right of the piece they were looking at. He saw Craig standing in front of an image that looked like it was painted onto a large metal sheet that resembled the side of a huge ore cart from an old-timey mine.
Craig was standing a short distance away, staring wide-eyed as he reached out and gently touched the edge of the painting. A light green glow rose from the area where his fingers touched the image, suggesting that there was a forcefield in place to protect the artwork.
"Ah, yes, of course," Silkfeather said, walking over to the other goblin and nodding toward the painting. "The Foundary on Artemis Prime. Site of one of the most brutal skirmishes in recent Dominion history. The world was prized for its natural resources, in particular the abundance of a particular metal which is used in the fabrication of Belch Bucks."
"Coinium," Craig said mournfully.
"Correct. For a century or so, Artemis Prime existed as a free and rather prosperous goblin world, trading coinium to other worlds and empires for various uses in construction and industry. But when the Corporation began to spread, the leadership of that world signed an exclusive agreement with High Baron Tongsly Belch, stating that all of its precious coinium would be sold only to the Corporation."
Pete walked over to the painting. It showed hundreds of tiny goblin figures lying dead on the ground, with rolling hills and lush forests in the background. A monstrously large beast that looked a little like a hyena stood hunched over, teeth bared and open paw showing as a small group of goblin miners huddled beneath it.
"We were tricked," Craig said. "Lied to."
"While the details are contested," Silkfeather continued, "it is clear that the deal soured and workers began to feel the brunt of the new situation. They rose up, demanding better pay and the right to sell coinium to other entities in the hope of raising its price once more and gaining more profit in the process. The Corporation-rightly, from a legal standpoint-suppressed the rebellion in one of the more brutal campaigns in Dominion history."
"Ten million dead," Craig whispered, voice quivering. "Ten million sent to die in the Dominion Ultrimax Contest. And the survivors enslaved, forced to work the penny mines until their dying day."
The little art critic nodded. "Given that the rebellion represented a clear breach of contract, the Corporation quickly moved to implement harsh penalties, effectively claiming ownership of the planet and its inhabitants and directly governing the mining and processing of coinium from that moment forward."
Silkfeather leaned over to Pete, holding a hand up to his mouth as though delivering some delicious secret but speaking at his regular volume.
"In the wake of the rebellion, rumors suggested that the entire affair had been instigated by the Corporation. It was said that spies and rabblerousers were sent to stir up rebellion and even helped to structure and orchestrate the earliest moments of the uprising."
This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
Pete snorted. "Makes sense. The Corporation wants a monopoly on this coinium stuff, and it doesn't want to pay for it, so it just makes up an excuse to take over the whole planet."
"Entirely justified according to the letter of the law," Silkfeather said, "even if the rumors are true. Technically, it was the mine workers who first rose up and thus breached their contract with the Corporation. Regardless of how it started or what suspicious part the Corporation may have played in the uprising, the people were in the wrong, and all that followed was justified."
"Muck!" Craig spat, turning on the other goblin. "Utter mucking muck!"
Silkfeather held up his hands in surrender, a grin spreading across his lips.
"From a legal standpoint only. I am not condoning the wholesale slaughter of innocent goblins, nor the Corporation's claim of ownership of Artemis Prime. I am merely stating that they had a legal right to their actions."
Pete chuckled. "And let me guess, the Corporation wrote those laws?"
"In consultation with the High Council of the Dominion, yes. Although High Baron Tongsly Belch heads both organizations, so I take your point."
"Yeah, just like the contract Earth apparently wasn't even required to sign. The one that says you bastards can invade our planet and force us to fight in this bullshit contest while you enslave our people."
Silkfeather blinked, pressing one hand lightly against his chest.
"I did no such thing, Vault Breaker. Nor did the vast majority of my people and the wider Dominion citizenry. You would do well to remember that most of us have been swept up by the Dominion Ultrimax Contest and the surrounding laws and statutes just as much as you have. We all serve the Company, one way or another."
"Well, the Company can kiss my ass," Pete said, conscious that he was to play the part of rebel and determined to make the most of that role. "I'm never going to serve the Company, and if I ever come face to face with Tongsly Belch...we'll have words."
He stopped short of a direct threat of violence, sensing that this would have been a step too far. The goal here was excitement, after all, as it always was with the System. He needed to keep things interesting, but he also needed some runway to escalate later on. If he went too hard too early, there would be nowhere to go once he was past the Novice Arena and beyond.
>> STRATEGY PROFICIENCY +1
>> NEW PENNY PINCHER CLASS SUB ATTRIBUTE UNLOCKED!
>> Processing...
"How wonderfully crass," Silkfeather said, turning back to the painting. "Tell me, Craig, does this evoke particular emotions, given that it depicts a seminal moment in the history of your homeworld?"
>> Processing...
"It is the greatest shame of our people," Craig replied. "The Company has shackled our citizens and forces them to labor in the mines their entire lives without hope of breaking the cycle. We are little more than a slave world."
>> Processing...
"And yet," Silkfeather replied, "you managed to escape the fate of your brethren."
"Through luck, and nothing else. Besides, if it weren't for the Vault Breaker, I would have been cut to pieces by Dice Barons or slaughtered by some other NPC. I was tricked into coming to the contest, lied to by a coward who promised a bright future, with wealth enough to pull my family out of doomed servitude... and orgies."
He spoke that last part in a voice that was barely above a whisper.
>> Processing...
Silkfeather rubbed his chin as he considered the painting beside Craig. Pete stood behind the pair, waiting for the Mammon System to confirm what was happening to his attributes.
>> Processing Complete!
NEW SUB ATTRIBUTE DETECTED: EVASION
Congratulations! You have achieved 120 individual proficiency points and have thus triggered a new sub attribute unlock for your Penny Pincher Class.
>> UNLOCK COST 1000 Belch Bucks.
>> Would you like to unlock: Yes/No?
Pete blinked, re-reading the message again to make sure he hadn't missed anything.
[Pete] Did you see that?
[Craig] See what?
[Pete] The notification I just got. It says I've unlocked a new sub attribute.
The goblin turned around to face Pete.
[Craig] A sub attribute? What is that?
Pete grinned.
[Pete] I was hoping you'd be able to tell me.
[Craig] Never heard of it. Has the System given you any explanation?
[Pete] It just says the new attribute is Evasion. I'm guessing that's because Agility is my main attribute. So, you've never seen sub attributes before when you've been watching the contest on the feeds?
[Craig] No, never.
A fake cough drew their attention back to Silkfeather, who was standing and looking down at the head of his walking stick, twisting it between his fingers.
"It is quite rude to conduct a private conversation while in company, you know."
Pete frowned. "Sorry. I just got a weird notification and-"
The little goblin held up a hand.
"Keep it to yourself, Vault Breaker. I have little to no interest in the Dominion Contest or the various intrigues of your current situation. I am here to shed a little light in the darkness and to provide you a brief and extraordinarily undeserved glimpse into one of the artistic giants of Dominion culture."
Pete frowned down at the little goblin.
"Well, no offence, but I don't give a rat's ass about Dominion culture or these paintings or any of this art shit, so you're just gonna have to pause your little art show for a second while Craig and I chat, okay?!"
He hadn't intended to speak so forcefully, but Pete suddenly realized he'd clenched his fists as he'd spoken. The little goblin didn't seem the least bit intimidated, however. He simply waved at Pete with a backhanded gesture, rolling his eyes as he turned aside.
Pete turned back to Craig. "What do you think? I should take the new sub attribute, right?"
Craig nodded. "If it can give you an advantage in a fight, then yes. Of course."
"But what if it's a trap? I mean, you've never heard of something like this."
"No. But you possess a unique class which was built by a professional level player. They must have written this sub-attribute into the class structure for good reason, so it is worth exploring. I cannot believe that a player who went to the trouble of building a unique class like this would then place a trap within it."
Pete nodded. "Well, I could sure as hell use some Evasion. If I can avoid getting hit, I won't need to drop so many points into Constitution or wear heavy armor later on."
"Then I would accept immediately," Craig replied.
"Yeah, the thing is, it's gonna cost 1000 Belch Bucks though, and I'm nowhere near that."
The goblin smiled, shaking his head. "You saved my life, Pete. You need not feel ashamed of asking me for coin."
A notification indicated that a thousand Belch Bucks had been added to Pete's wallet.
"Thanks. I just... It feels like I'm always taking money from you guys."
Craig shrugged. "But think of what you have already brought us, Pete. The enhancements to the vehicle alone have saved our lives countless times, and they were only possible because of your Penny Pincher class and your access to Orin Tithebreaker."
"I guess you're right. I just always feel like that guy who gets invited out to dinner and never has any money, you know?"
The little goblin shook his head. "I do not. But I take your meaning."
Pete navigated to the announcement and paid the required sum.
>> NEW PENNY PINCHER CLASS SUB ATTRIBUTE INSTALLATION PROCESS INITIATED
NOTE: Your Liquidity [Agility] attribute will be taken offline while the new Evasion sub-attribute is being installed.
>> APPROXIMATE DOWNTIME: 1 to 3 hours
>> DOMINION ULTRIMAX PLAYER PROFILE
NAME: Pete - Vault Breaker, Dice Doomsayer
CLASS: Penny Pincher
LEVEL: Novice [27 Attribute Points]
>> CORE ATTRIBUTES:
Credit Rating [Constitution]: 5
Asset Leverage [Strength]: 11
Liquidity [Agility]: 0
+|Evasion: 0
Market Insight [Intelligence]: 0
Capital Stability [Wisdom]: 2
Investor Confidence [Charisma]: 2
Speculative Yield [Luck]: 8
"What the fuck!" Pete blurted as his body slumped.
It felt like he'd just gained twenty pounds, he was wearing two left shoes, and his entire body had grown a little bulkier and more unwieldy. Pete flexed his fingers, noting that his whole arm felt wrong, like he was wearing someone else's body. It reminded him of the strange sense of dislocation he'd felt while he was momentarily inhabiting Sam's body.
"I just lost all of my Agility," he said, in answer to Craig's unspoken question. "All of it!"
"I don't understand."
"The System said Agility won't be available until the new subclass is installed. Fuck! If we get into a fight, I'm screwed."
Craig grimaced. "Then I suggest we don't get into a fight."
A tapping sound drew their attention back to Silkfeather. They turned to see him gently tapping the end of his walking stick against the floor while he casually inspected a holographic display that was hovering over his left wrist.
"I apologize for interrupting your clearly vital discussion, but it seems that my time here is almost at an end. I would have enjoyed examining each piece in more detail, of course, but my contract for this event was quite specific, and I am not to exceed my allotted time."
He grinned broadly.
"Now, as we come to the conclusion of your tour," Silkfeather said as Pete frantically tried to bring back his Agility attribute score, "you are left with a single decision to make."
The goblin motioned to the various paintings lining the walls of the chamber.
"You must choose one painting from this exquisite collection. You may only choose once, and that choice will be final."
"What will happen to the painting after we choose?" Craig asked.
Silkfeather shrugged. "In truth, I do not know. I believe that there is a significant amount of betting currently taking place related to the outcome of the choice. Doubtless, fortunes will be won and lost on the back of the decision, but other than that, I do not know the significance of this process with regard to the larger contest."
He motioned to the far wall, where a dark corridor led out from the chamber.
"I do know, however, that once you have made your choice, you must exit through that passage. Once you pass over the threshold, I will leave this place and be translocated to the High Palace on Fortunis, where I am expected to deliver the keynote address for this season's Prime Benefactorum award ceremony."
Craig turned to Pete, who was still wrestling with his display, trying to undo what he'd done. He supposed that this wasn't the worst time to have his stats drop like that, given that there were no enemies nearby, but the thought of being suddenly without his greatest asset for two or three hours was chilling.
"I say we pick the painting with the least harmful-looking monster in it," Pete said, finally giving up on his attempt to negate the change in his abilities.
Craig frowned. "Why is that?"
Pete shrugged. "Because chances are, we're gonna have to fight the damned thing. I mean, that's the only explanation I can think of as to why we'd be shown all this stuff. We look at all the paintings and choose one, then they lead us into a big underground chamber where the monster is waiting for us."
The little goblin frowned up at Pete. "Surely not."
"That's how this contest works. It's got its own weird logic to it. Basically, imagine the worst-case scenario, and that's what's gonna happen." He pointed to the dark passage on the other side of the chamber. "Chances are they've got one of each of these monsters penned up somewhere down here, and they're just waiting for us to make a choice."
"But these monsters aren't real, Pete," Craig insisted. "They come from fables and myths that have existed for centuries. Even if some of the creatures did once exist, they would long ago have been killed off."
"So they'll use holograms or stick us with hallucinogenic drugs or throw us into some kind of virtual reality chamber. There will be some way they can do it."
They both turned to Silkfeather, who was looking under the nails of his right hand, either very good at hiding what he knew or genuinely disinterested.
"I can neither confirm nor deny anything," Silkfeather said. "Both because I know nothing about the broader contest and because I have no interest in it, as I have already said. Simply make your choice, and my part in this will be done."
Pete shook his head. "You don't know anything at all? You didn't overhear something before you came down here?"
The art critic looked up at Pete, a soft smile appearing on his lips, golden hair sitting perfectly on his head.
"My dear, I cannot help you because I know nothing of this contest, as I have said several times now. I will say, though, that it is clear you labor under a false assumption."
"Yeah," Pete replied. "What's that?"
Silkfeather's grin widened. "You assume advanced planning where there is none. You assume that the System has mapped out contest obstacles and encounters well in advance and that you are simply stumbling into them, following along an essentially pre-set path."
The art critic shook his head.
"You are limited by the nature of your own species and the limits of human technology. The System need not plan ahead. It can adapt and change a moment before a situation presents itself and rearrange reality to suit."
He held his hands out, indicating the chamber around them and the priceless artworks. "Consider all that you see here. You might think that this room was hollowed out over hours or even days. Each of these paintings was carefully removed from its place deep in the bowels of the Propaganda and Merchandising Division archives and then shipped through the cosmos to be placed here for this tiny aspect of the larger Ultrimax contest. But how could that be? The paintings would have had to have been brought from where they used to reside all the way to this world."
Silkfeather looked up at the ceiling theatrically.
"Stored up above in one of the Dominion game ships, so that they could be carefully delivered to this place, buried beneath the ground while lighting was arranged, and the various other details of this chamber were organized."
He shook his head.
"No, my pet. Such changes can be arranged instantaneously. We are not bound by such mundane obstacles such as time or distance. For the right price, anything can be accomplished in the blink of an eye."
Silkfeather pressed a hand against his chest.
"I myself was given barely a moment's notice before I was whisked all the way to this grubby little world. I was presented with a contract, given thirty seconds to read and either accept or refuse, and then, upon accepting, was translocated to this very place."
Pete considered the goblin's words, putting the pieces together.
"So, the System doesn't need to plan ahead? It can make decisions on the fly and just make anything happen?"
"Within reason, yes."
Pete pointed at the dark passageway.
"There could be nothing down that hallway because the System hasn't decided what it's going to do yet."
"Correct," Silksong agreed. "Now, you really must make your choice. Betting has apparently been locked, and penalties will be announced if you do not choose within the next sixty seconds."
Pete turned to Craig. "I still say we go for the weakest monster, rather than choosing a painting that's more meaningful or one that looks better."
"Agreed," Craig said.
Sixty seconds wasn't nearly enough time to make the choice, and each of the monstrous creatures portrayed in the paintings was terrifying in its own way. Each possessed giant tentacles, pincers, claws, teeth, spines, and those were just the most noticeable physical characteristics. There was no way of knowing what other abilities the creatures would have if they had to fight against one of the monsters.
Silkfeather's words lingered in Pete's mind as he considered the choice. If what he'd said was right, then the System might not yet have decided what was waiting in the next chamber. It was also a distinct possibility that it might do exactly what Pete suggested simply because that was the most exciting and narratively consistent path ahead. Pete might literally have just made the situation much worse than it would otherwise have been if he'd kept his mouth shut.
Then again.
"This one," Craig said, pointing to a female figure hovering above a battle, her wings shimmering in sunlight, feminine features beautiful despite the carnage. "Seems like the least problematic. Just claws and talons for the most part by what I can see."
Pete considered the painting. Craig was right. Of all the monsters displayed throughout the chamber, this one seemed the least harmful.
"Alright, we choose that one."
Silkfeather nodded with a wry smile. "Morrikal the Shrieking Maw? Truly. Well, the choice is made, and with that, I make my leave."
The little goblin walked up to Pete and offered a hand. Pete shook the offered hand as the art critic considered him for a moment.
"You were not at all as I expected, Vault Breaker."
Pete grinned as he let go of the other figure's hand. "In what way?"
Silkfeather tilted his head to one side as though considering Pete for the first time, appraising an art object.
"More inquisitive, thoughtful. It is a pleasing difference, I assure you."
He turned and nodded to Craig, who responded in kind.
"I leave you with one of the few written slogans Spanksie has ever included in his work." He spun around, walking stick in one hand, his other held out to the side like a Shakespearean actor about to commence a soliloquy.
"The revolution needs no investors."
He kissed his hand and offered a little wave as shimmering golden light surrounded him. Silkfeather's body became insubstantial and then, a moment later, he was gone, leaving Pete and Craig alone in the chamber.
"Right," Pete said. "So now we've got to face whatever is waiting for us at the end of that tunnel, and I'm shit out of agility."
"You still have your other attributes though, right?"
Pete nodded. "Yeah, but I've lost more than half my core attribute points." He raised his left leg up and down. "Feels like I'm walking through oatmeal, and my balance is all out of whack. How the hell am I gonna fight like this? I'll probably end up cutting my own hand off by mistake."
"It's fine," Craig said. "We'll just wait here until your Agility comes back online. We can wait a few hours."
>> EXIT CHAMBER IN 30 SECONDS
>> Failure to comply will result in disintegration.
"Then again," the goblin said with a frown. "Perhaps we don't have a choice."
"Fuck!" Pete shouted, pulling the machete once more from his inventory.
The weapon felt ungainly in his hand, unfamiliar as though this was the first time he was picking it up. His fingers also felt too short and too long at the same time, and he had the distinct impression that he was leaning heavily to the right, as though he might topple over when he started walking.
>> EXIT CHAMBER IN 23 SECONDS
>> Failure to comply will result in disintegration.
"Let's do it then," Pete said, wondering whether the player who had built his Penny Pincher class was really a friend or if this was all some bad joke.