Ultimate Level 1
Chapter 485: Tower Choices

Chapter 485 - Tower Choices

“I’m not looking to fight,” Max replied. “I’ve fought and killed many things before, but I prefer not to end lives if I don’t have to. Instead, I’m trying to figure out why that goblin, Zenk, wants us to try to kill you.”

The giant gnome bent over slightly, lowered its staff, and spit. A green glob of liquid landed on the metal, causing it to bubble and pop.

“That liar!” it roared. “He is the one who should be punished and die! He stole my crystal, and now what I am commanded to do doesn’t work right! Do you know how many lives have ended because of his actions?!”

Max frowned, seeing the gnome's metal face contort and change in several different ways. At first, it appeared angry, as both eyebrows narrowed and its lips curled together. Then, its expression softened, looking hurt at the last words it had spoken.

“What crystal? Why do you have to cause problems?”

Banging the bottom of its metal staff against the floor, the gnome started to have smoke escape from both its ears.

“The great crafter made me and gave me a job. A single task. Keep the weather and ensure the valley below flourishes. For so long, I did that and those below flourished. Then one day that wretched gnome came and stole my crystal, which is the source of much power! Now he enslaves those below as his own, and I cannot imagine how he mistreats them! You are not the first to have been sent here to try and take my life.”

“I’m guessing they all failed?” Max asked.

The tendrils of smoke faded and the gnome shook its head slowly.

“Some defeated me. Yet my death will never be permanent. As long as the crystal remains, I too shall remain. We are bonded. Not being together causes horrible things to occur.”

Max couldn’t help but frown, sensing that there was some truth to what he was being told.

“This crystal. How large is it and where would I find it?”

Both blue eyes grew, and the gnome took a step closer.

“You would retrieve my crystal?”

“If I can, I will.”

“And will you slay that goblin?!”

Frowning, Max shook his head from side to side.

“I’d prefer not to, only because at this moment I am taking your word against his. If I am forced to fight, and he dies, that is his choice. My biggest fear is those below who call him father. They–”

“Are enslaved, bound by the crystal’s power!”

Max waited until the giant gnome settled down and then nodded.

“I can see how that might be the case. Tell me what the gem does to them. What exactly is it?”

A mechanical grunt came as the giant leaned against his oversized staff.

“A gift from the creator. The power in it is beyond what most can imagine. It provides life or can bring death. Order and chaos. When it is not where it belongs the world below and up here suffer greatly.”

His mind began to race, trying to imagine something so powerful, how it was designed, and what its purpose was.

“So… how then did it get stolen? I mean… why would Zenk keep it?”

“Did you not listen? I told you the kind of power it possesses!”

The giant’s voice boomed as it spoke, the force of it washing over his body.

“I heard you… I just…” Max paused and waved off the thought he had. “What will happen if I can retrieve it and return it here?”

“Balance and order will be restored.”

The simple back and forth was getting on his nerves, and Max wanted more answers, knowing each floor couldn’t be simple anymore.

“I mean to those below. What will happen to the ones Zenk calls his children? When we were down there we saw actual children and others of different… ages. I would prefer not to harm any of them. My real concern is what happens to them upon its return, and what will prevent Zenk from retaking it?”

The giant stood there, blue eyes radiating with light as it stared at him.

“Do you assume I would allow myself to be stolen from again?”

A hint of anger or something was in its tone.

“No, but I assume you didn’t ‘allow’ it to be stolen the first time. I’m also not one for needless games. Will you swear that life for everyone above and below will be better if the crystal is returned?”

“That logic is impossible to promise. While I would say yes, Zenk will say no. All I can say is that the creator gave me the crystal, and it is my duty to carry out my task. Only when I wield it will the weather return to normal and life as it should be in the valley.”

Rising to its full height, the giant banged its staff again.

“Either do what I ask or try to slay me. Until you have decided which path to take, begone. The longer I stand here, the sooner I must do what I was created for, and I do not wish to damage the valley again so soon.”

It turned, leaving him hovering in midair. It stepped into its home's shadows and slammed the metal door behind it.

Well, that wasn’t pleasant.

Max flew quickly to where his friends were and saw the expressions on each of their faces.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“So… what’s the plan?” Fowl asked for what seemed like the hundredth time.

“I’m not sure. Something is off, and it feels like whatever we choose will have a fallout of some kind. The giant wants us to retrieve some crystal and says the creator gave it to him to ensure the valley is cared for. Zenk supposedly uses it because its power allows him to turn the beings below into followers. Somehow, it was stolen, but the giant wasn’t in the mood to talk.”

“Typical gnome,” Batrire muttered.

“So, do you think we should go and talk to Zenk?” Tanila asked. “Hear his side of the story?”

Rubbing his head, Max shrugged.

“I’m not sure we’d get the full truth from him either.”

“But we can’t leave or pass this tower floor until we do one of those? Right?” Cordellia asked.

Max cocked his head at their archer and then smiled.

“Maybe… or maybe we can find a third option.”

“A third option?”

Chuckling, he moved closer to Cordellia, put his hand on her shoulder, and gave her a playful shove.

“I think you helped me see another path.”

“Which is what?” Fowl asked.

“Perhaps we take the crystal and see what both sides do after we have it.”

***

Hovering far above the city, Max stared down at the town, watching as the darkness of night caused the view below to twinkle like stars.

“Do you think they sleep? I mean, they’re automatons,” Fowl said as he peered out of the dimensional space.

“I haven’t got a clue, but they act like normal beings. Regardless, I would expect fewer of them on the street, and since we know where Zenk’s place is, we need to get inside and try to scout around.”

“You mean, you’re going to scout around while we hide in here?” Cordellia said.

“Potato, patato,” Max replied. “Now then, unless you want to be strapped to my back for this next part, back up while I shut the door.”

Once they were all safe, he dropped like a rock, not worried about the speed for now as he plunged toward the city.

Bob… wherever you are, I hope you’re doing okay. I miss these moments of conversation.

Lost in his thoughts, Max activated stealth as he drew near, using his Wind Mastery to slow his descent and make his way toward a window he saw open in Zenk’s place.

Inside, darkness was everywhere, but his Sonar made it easy for him to see and detect the pair of guards standing like statues less than ten yards away in the hallway he entered.

Neither of them seemed to detect his presence, and without a sound, Max made his way down the hallway and used Everett’s noise-canceling item to open and close the door.

The stone room was nothing special; there were no decorations or chairs, and it was simply an area again with no lights and four guards, one each stationed in a corner.

It’s like they’re sleeping, but they aren’t.

His mind started to consider what he had seen with Sonar: all the rooms were lifeless, with no art or decorations, just like the one Zenk had met them in.

A cold shiver ran up his spine as Max considered what he saw and the lack of any display of life in this building.

Without waiting, knowing that his stealth would end soon, he found another doorway, trying to use his mental image of the building and the place he had entered to find a place to reset.

Slipping into another hallway through a door, he found it empty, only twenty feet long and with a single door on the opposite end.

Letting stealth drop, he took a few deep breaths and tried to still his mind.

If you were here, I’m 100% certain this would have gone faster.

Slowly, he reached out, trying to sense any kind of magical power within the area around him.

The cold stone was like a shield; his sonar told him nothing.

With great care, he activated his Stone Mastery and created small holes in the hallway, the tiniest of openings, allowing his ability to reach more through both walls and the floor.

The tiniest trace of magic was from below, and Max began to widen the hole, letting his sonar reveal more of the room beneath him.

No sound came, and the small area of detection he had came back with nothing but a floor, unable to sense a wall or anything else.

Activating stealth and trusting his ability, Max descended below.

[ Demonic Teleportation ]

Immediately, the room exploded in his mind, his Sonar revealing stone counters, tables, and an assortment of what had to be body parts of the automatons that moved around town.

He could sense no movement and bending down a slight layer of dust told him this place wasn’t used often.

Seeing a door on opposite ends of the room, Max picked the one that would take him toward the center of the building.

Like before, he created a hole in the wall, scanning the next room, trying to sense anything he could.

Seconds passed, and Max didn't detect or hear anything other than an increased sensation of magical power.

Without waiting any longer, he opened the door, finding that the room was dark again.

No lights of any kind were activated, yet he sensed a few of them scattered around.

It was a large shop with a dozen stone tables, each with more automatons of different sizes and shapes, all unmoving and in various stages of completion.

Metal wires ran from a section in the center of the room to each table, the soft, steady pulse of power coming through them.

Only a single door was in the room, and Max was sure he had found the space where Zenk must be either repairing or creating new creations.

So… either these are his children or something else…. But that means the giant lied? Or…

Frustrated by all the questions running through his mind, Max moved to where the cables disappeared into a wide tube in the floor. The sensation of what he knew had to be the crystal was now easily detectable.

Nothing in the room appeared to be a place he could open to descend below, so he decided to make his own entrance, moving stones into his storage.

As the first one came free, a yellow light appeared from below, and Max sensed the sound of movement.

“Father?”

His heart missed a beat as a child-sized automaton sat up, still missing a leg, and looked at where he was stealthed.

Goblin shite…

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