blueteamnovel 80. The Archetype at the Golden Casino
80. The Archetype at the Golden Casino
80. The Archetype at the Golden Casino
Frost immersed herself within the city streets.
Wide lanes of yellow paths flanked by lavish double-storied homes summarized the City of Diamonds. It was like walking through a historical neighborhood, save that nearly everything was adorned with gold and every person dressed like it was their last night alive.
The erotically dressed bunny-women were nowhere to be found on the streets to her relief. Patrols of horse-drawn carriages carrying people from the Golden Middle periodically drove around certain blocks like guards.
The civilian life was highly lavish within the City of Diamonds, which saw beautiful sights no matter where she looked. The city itself was designed heavily around each of the five towers. The DJ Sector for instance was the internal city Sector belonging to the Golden Thumb and saw little variety in combatants.
Only the City Defenders were spotted in this sea of life. Even at the cusp of midnight she saw countless faces drinking at open-roofed bars. The irresistible scent of coffee and sizzling meat were wafted over by an invisible wind from massive bistros and restraunts.
“Even the citizens here are considered personnel of the Golden Index, huh.” Frost, although speaking to no one in particular, was quickly answered by the only person who deeply insisted to tag along.
“They’re the luckiest people in the world. And you fit right in here with that get up. Aha. To think I’d be walking alongside you personally. An Archetype!” This voice belonged to Cer.
This woman, despite her obnoxious personality, was actually quite reliable when it came to this kind of informational work. While Frost was confident that she’d eventually reach the Carpal Tower on her own, there were certain avenues, twists, and turns that she would not have understood.
The city was, after all, not built on one horizontal plane. It consisted of multiple stairwells that led to networks beneath the streets. At some point they reached a stone bridge that crossed a near endless pit where massive pipework and sewerage lines protruded like the veins of the city.
“I feel like I’m in a completely different world. This all leads into the ocean I’m assuming.” Frost’s voice echoed in this vast, hollowed place where little light reached.
“Straaaaaight into the ocean where the gravity wells gobbles them right up. You know, you always struck me as a devourer of knowledge. Asking this, wanting to know that. Do you really need to stick your nose into everything?” Cer said judgingly, leading the way on this thin bridge with her hands held behind her head.
“I mean, there’s little I know of this world to begin with. Not to mention I was betrayed by a Star who you, by the way, told me I could trust with my life. Put yourself into my shoes for a second.” Frost suddenly complained with vice as they then exited this strange, vast abyss and entered a semi-underground section just beneath one of the main streets.
The bustling sound was muffled by ceilings of brick and soil, entering through ventilation and sewerage gaps. This wide tunnel they traversed was similar to the ancient city tunnels found in modern cities back on Earth.
Except here even these places were polished to the same standards as above.
Frost held some degree of spite towards the triplets for this misinformation, but it was ultimately very little since it wasn’t their fault to begin with. And after her encounter with Iscario and that unapologetic Red Giant – Stars were no longer trustworthy to her.
A Beholder on the other hand? There was potential. After all, these people were of the highest order within the Nexus. If she could at least speak to one directly then perhaps she’d understand the Ateliers situation better.
And also why the fuck they were so inactive in the first place, aside from being in the equivalent of a total cold war with one another. From what she also understood, the Director had also personally spoken to Beholder Carpalis.
This was why she was also looking forward to meeting this Beholder, for better or worse.
Not more than the potential Archetype, however.
“I hate the way you speak. This world? You talk like you’re not from Elysia. But it wouldn’t be the first time someone spoke like that.” Cer stated.
“If I said I’m that I’m actually from a different world then would you believe me?”
“My instincts tell me yes. But I got a brain. The brain of a hunter. Testing me for my loyalty? Nice try. I’m 30 steps ahead of you.” Cer dismissed this, tapping at her head as she took multiple steps forward. “You can at least tell me the name of your fictional world. Live the lie. You’re good at that, aren’t you~?”
“Earth. Sometimes called the ‘Big Blue’. Lots of oceans, cities like these. Around a few billion years old.”
“Billions? You’re not making your lie any more believable. But... heh. That snake’s got something in common with you then.” Cer chuckled, tilting her head back enough to meet with Frost’s eyes.
“Beholder Galia? She knows what Earth is!?” Frost inadvertently yelled at the notion of Galia being another person from Earth. It caused Cer’s ears to twitch as she growled in minor pain, right before she wore a somewhat conflicted face.
“Oi. If you’re gonna yell, then at least yell my name! Tch.” She shook her head like wet dog and slowed herself until she was by Frost’s side. “Not sure where she’s from, but you... how do I put it. You remind me of her. We go waaaaaay back in the day. To think it’s almost been 30 years already since...”
Cer’s mouth suddenly sealed shut as her voice betrayed her. She seemed rather hesitant to speak, but as she scraped a single nail along the wall, she began talking again.
“Frost. Listen. This is kind of out there, but you’re lucky. Lucky that Iscario was your only threat, and probably still is. But I don’t know that. I’m just running my mouth to get shit out of my head.”
She breathlessly uttered, her nail digging deeper into the wall, scraping straight through like a hot knife through butter.
“If Grandis was as bad as it was 50 years ago, then trust me, you would’ve transformed into something worse than those Wandering Healers. The world’s antagonist I bet. And rightfully so~”
These words alone carried the emotional storm that surged in her heart. Unspeakable things had happened to Cer, and she sounded like she had also witnessed other harrowing transformations. Perhaps of the Wandering Healers themselves.
Cer was an interesting person. Despite her insisting that she despised helping others, she gave Frost some valuable insight. Just like any receptionist would. Her crude way of talking was also charming and felt more like advice stemming from true experience, rather than something pulled out of a book or script.
“Me as the antagonist? I don’t know about that.” Frost was a little offended by this.
“That’s what they all say until they become the most violent. How about you hit me to prove me wrong!” Cer slapped her flat chest and presented herself, begging to take a strike.
Frost could only shake her head and place a warm hand onto the woman’s head.
“Cer, I think I might have to heal your brain. That’s not how reverse psychology works.” Frost could almost hear Res apologizing to her for this little troublemaker.
“Heh. So you’re smarter than you look. How about this, hit me and we’ll be on our way again!” She abruptly stopped them in their tracks.
“Look, I get you have certain kinks... wait a minute, is this why you bothered the fuck out of the others just to tag along!?” As she said this, she could feel a number of people gather right above them.
It was then she realized that their voices could be heard.
“Naturally!”
Frost, annoyed by this little wolf, inexplicitly whacked the top of her head with [Goodnight], marking her first ever act of battery against a person. And as per Frost, she immediately apologized before they carried on their way.
Cer was left dazed in place, her eyes sparkling with delight as she stared at the back of Frost like a starstruck dame.
* * *
Whatever the case was – Frost was glad to see these familiar games. But she didn’t have the luxury to pick a seat and play. She needed to find a way to reach the top. And so, she followed the green carpets towards the main staircase and began to climb through each floor one by one.
Various people of all kinds greeted her along the way, many of which recognizing the card she held in her hand.
“You have a personal meeting with the Consigliere of our leader!? That magician is something else!”
“Please, do have a drink before heading up. It’s on the house.”
“Lucky you! That magician of a man is such a delight! And a snack for the eyes!”
“Four swords huh? My late brother was given a card with 10 swords a day before his accident. Apparently those cards resonate with people or something like that.”
“Up, up – up you go! Head up darling! Oh, my – what a fancy dress as well! It really accentuates your chest!”
Frost was... taken aback in many more ways than one to say the least. Each floor, while near identical with the others, each had their own unique quirk to them as well as a designated number and suit.
It went from the lobby, which was the Ace of Clubs, to Diamonds, Hearts, and then Spades. Each suit also had their color scheme shift to match, as well as the dresses of the casino workers. Each floor upwards from the 39th saw the security tighten and required her to show each guarding person the card in hand.
Their levels quickly climbed with each floor and before long, people with levels reaching as high as 110 were present, named only as Casino Soldiers. Eventually, upon reaching the black carpets of the 51st floor, she came face to face with a floating suit reminiscent of the Diamond Suit.
Spade Suit Receptionist
< Head of Security >
Soul Rank: Black | Atelier: Golden Index
LEVEL : 120 ORIGIN : Fairy
HP : 0
ATT : 20 MAG ATT : 1,750ATT DEF : 1,000 MAG DEF : 15,000
MP : 500,000
RESIST : 75AGI : 15
Their encounter was brief, brisk, and straight to the point. The man did not exchange a single word and simply floated aside after inspecting the tarot card in hand. This spade-faced individual had insane magic stats, and left her intrigued as she explored this near empty floor.
0 HP as well, like all the fairies. I’m guessing their MP replaces it.
“Indeed. Magical races utilize MP instead of HP. They are essentially immune to all physical attacks. Save for certain effects. Like your bite, for instance.”
Are you egging me on to eat them?
“No. I merely wished to remind you that your bite bypasses all forms of defenses and immunities.”
Except for when the condition explicitly grants a Corrupted invulnerability. Like the One Thousand Eyed Bird... thanks Nav.
“For what?”
Giving me a heads up. Depending on how things go, I might have to bite this Carpalis Beholder.
Frost eventually climbed the final set of stairs, reaching the 52nd floor in this grand tower after a total of 30 minutes worth of exploration. She imagined it would take the average person around an hour to an hour and a half just to reach this floor.
Nothing save for a single table situated in the distant center was present.
It was a rather featureless place, and the light were significantly dimmed. A spotlight seemed to shine over the table as the card in her hand grew warmer with each careful step she took.
Could this be an ambush?
“Unlikely. I am hearing the voice of someone nearby. They wish for you to sit at the table with them.”
Who could it be?
“Unknown.”
And then at some point she felt like she had just pierced through something. Like she had walked into a wall of plastic wrap. It was a barrier of some kind, and upon freezing momentarily to fathom this sensation, the world around her began to swiftly change.
The floors became transparent, revealing the entire length of the casino below as vibrant lights suddenly illuminated this dim room, vanquishing every shadow imaginable. The tarot card then suddenly slipped out of her grasp the moment she reached the poker table, and as her eyes followed the fleeting card in the air –
– A man dressed in a fabulous golden suit strolled towards her with a diamond-encrusted cane in hand.
“It seems that fate has chosen for us to meet in this most esteemed place! But the strands and gears of such a preposterous mechanism has no place in a world that desperately requires hope, don’t you think~?” His voice was smooth and the kind that one would expect a highly regarded butler to wear.
It was neither deep or high and fell into a perfect middle ground.
This man caught the card between his black-gloved fingers as he bowed like a respectable gentleman, pulling his golden top-hat to reveal a head that was no more than a giant pale card with eyes that revolved like a slot machine.
“Four of Swords my Amalgam friend! This is but a sign of respite before your departure to the uncharted roads ahead!” He announced, waving his hat and cane around as his left eye landed on the roman numeral equivalent of 4, and his right on the symbol of a sword.
Frost needed a moment to process this. Not because of the strangeness of it all.
But because this was indeed another Archetype.
The Magician
< Archetype of Hope >
Floor: Hope
Advent: ???
Beholder: Carpalis LEVEL : 20ORIGIN : Archetype
HP : 350
ATT : 100MAG ATT : 200ATT DEF : 5,000MAG DEF : 2,500
MP : 10,000
RESIST : 45AGI : 50
“Now then – shall we play a card game as an icebreaker, my friend~?”