“What kind of service will I be doing for you?”

  Oh, I’m sure we can work something out. You know, had you accepted my Domain invitation, this conversation could have been much smoother.

  “You were threatening me into a pact!” Suna pointed out.

  Well, then. How about I invite you for a proper conversation? Let me give you an option, human. Come to my domain, or if you're too intimidated by me… I can send some of my [Knights] down the moment you cross the Gateway. We can communicate that way.

  “I want something more,” Suna said, resolute in not backing down. “If you’re a god… then offer me more. You should know, I’m much stronger than most of my fellow Integrators.”

  Such confidence, but well, yes… your Stats did indeed speak for themselves. Maybe I wouldn’t be able to recruit someone better than you. But I shall not bend over backward to cajole you. What do you desire?

  Of course, needless to say. By sending you there as part of my Faction, I will prepare you. Skills, Equipment, My Order Name, Maybe even your own Sub Order?

  “Sub order?”

  Yes, a branch of some sort. Under the Order of the Lunar Knight.

  That's it. Be my Grandmaster of your planet. You shall have my blessing to recruit and build one under my name.

  This would mean Suna would never reach the Second Stage of Drowfication. Honestly, he did not desire it too badly. This might not be a bad offer. But he didn’t know anything about the [Lunar Rabbit].

  “Can you tell me about yourself? Your order? How did it come to be?”

  What is this? Apprehension? Do you wonder if I’m an evil god?

  Suna nodded.

  If I told you everything without proper context, I’m afraid you would be horrified and reject it. So I shall refrain from doing so.

  “And that's supposed to reassure me?” Suna exclaimed, taken aback by her response.

  Oh, trust me. What I’ve done in my entire life is absolutely warranted. I’m just not confident in telling it the way it would shine an innocent light on me. How about this? Accept the quest, and I shall send some of my [Knight] to accompany you. To learn. They seem to be able to tell it better than I.

  “So, I can have the cloak without you hunting me?”

  Only if you accept the quest. Regarding whether you will be my Grandmaster—that can wait until we meet. Of course, you can hop into the Domain, but yes… there’s no guarantee you will survive the First Stage. I’d rather not invite you until I’m absolutely sure you pass. I do not need a weakling, after all.

  Ah, and let me make this clear. If—If you, after hearing this, decide just to wait until the First Stage passes, then you can be sure I’ll no longer be interested in you. And if you still decide to take the cloak, then I shall hunt you down.

  “You can be sure I’m not going to wait around,” Suna said, not worried about that. “The quest, however, I’d like to keep just a quest—no pact, no surveillance on me. I’ll eventually bring this grass to you.”

  How do I know you will keep your word?

  “You don’t,” Suna said. Well, he didn’t know what kind of power the [Lunar Rabbit] had, so she might still be able to find a way.

  I will need you to deliver it before you decide to return to your planet. And from there, we could continue the deal, after I knew you survive.

  “I can do that. Though I will not promise to join your order.”

  That will be satisfying enough. I can’t bestow a skill on you—the System blocked me. But find one of my altars once you pass the gateway. I can offer you something as a token of goodwill. For now, you have my permission to wear the cloak. I bid you good luck, human. I will eagerly await our meeting.

  Orbs of light began to manifest atop the sacrificial stone platform.

  Suna's eyes wandered to them, taking their light. They formed into something...

  He wondered if this was worth it. For now, he was tired. Not just because of his body, but because of the heavy future that awaited him. Still, there was an excitement in looking forward to it, a clash of emotions inside him.

  [Spirit Rabbit Cloak][Legendary]---Woven from the skin of the [Lunar Rabbit], the Spirit Rabbit Cloak possesses dark factors akin to shadows. The wearer shall be granted a fragment of power that will slowly trickle into them from the [Lunar Rabbit] herself.

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  The Rabbit’s ears shall move when the wearer is threatened and give them a sense of where an attack comes from, as a rabbit must always be wary. It offers the wearer healing properties of darkness, allowing them to bathe in shadow while wearing the Spirit Rabbit Cloak to heal their injuries. All Stats +500. [Required Class: Archer or Beyond].

  As the light gathered atop the sacrificial stone, they slowly lessened. Suna’s eyes followed each of them as they fluttered away into fabric.

  Suna had prepared himself to get some silly-looking item, but instead, what greeted him was anything but that.

  The fabric held a blue sheen that ran down its alien texture, dark blue like the deep sea, yet almost translucent in a way. Suna could swear he saw the reflection of the stone altar beneath the cloak.

  He picked it up, feeling its faint thread; it felt like touching a drifting river. The cloak ended with a hood, and two ears unfurled at its top. They bent apart, shifting as if alive.

  Suna tried to wear it on top of his Mage Cloak, but the moment he did, something stuck. He tried to push his arm into the sleeve, but a rippling force blocked him.

  Then a prompt appeared.

  [Spirit Rabbit Cloak refused to be worn over another cloak.]

  “What the heck?”

  Suna scowled at the cloak. Did it somehow have the [Lunar Rabbit]’s personality?

  Well, whatever, he could give the mage cloak to Jack.

  Suna took off his blue Mage Cloak and donned the Spirit Rabbit Cloak. His hair began to move. Perhaps that wasn’t quite accurate—something atop his cloak was moving. Suna reached up; one of the ears was pointing at something.

  They pointed down the path that probably led into the second depth, connected by another bridge.

  Something awaits them there… Suna could sense it. Something dangerous.

  Then came another effect. A sudden urge stirred inside Suna. The waterfall was too bright, and worst of all, it gleamed upon the crystalline altar. They seemed to prevent something good from happening to him.

  It didn’t take a genius to realize that the Spirit Rabbit Cloak was trying to heal him.

  “Suna!” an excited voice called.

  Suna turned to see Jack grin so wide it nearly split the [Spearbearer]’s face.

  “A legendary item… It’s the first time I’ve seen one,” the Tiefling exclaimed. He peered closely, yellow eyes examining Suna’s darkly shimmering cloak.

  “And you may be about to get one too,” Suna said, trying to calm Jack’s enthusiasm. Then his face turned grim. “Jack, there were options… that you might have to face. And some of them were bad. So… consider not taking anything if it is bad.”

  Jack’s mouth opened, as if he were about to protest. But he slowly closed it and gave Suna an understanding nod. “Of course, I will not underestimate this altar.”

  The Tiefling moved with Uzu’s corpse. He laid the [Reaper] down on the stone altar. A similar orb of light appeared, consuming Uzu’s body.

  Jack would certainly take his time like Suna did, so maybe he should go find some darkness now. Suna’s eyes wandered, settling on the further dark cave that stretched below. As he was about to walk there, however, a voice stopped him.

  “Amazing!” Jack exclaimed.

  The Tiefling had made his choice in a split second. Suna’s mouth fell open, intending to chew him out. But then he saw what Jack held.

  He let go of his normal spear; it clattered against the altar and bounced into the shimmering lake.

  Replacing it was a shadowy spear wrought from dark flame and shrouded in a dark cloud. Jack spun it, and a trail of darkness circled around him.

  [Umbral Ripple Spear][Legendary]—Formed by the death of the [Undead Reaper] and brought into being through the power of the Moon Altar. The Umbral Ripple Spear shall possess strength against the Undead, capable of shearing through life as if it were paper, and is imbued with the properties of dark flame, enhancing its power even further.

  “Jack!” Suna exclaimed. “Did some mad god demand something from you? Threatening you? Cursing your ancestor? Did you have to take some kind of curse?”

  “What?” Jack stopped spinning the dark spear, and the trail of darkness followed it to stillness. “There’s no such thing.”

  “What about choices? How many do you get?”

  “One, did I suppose to get more?”

  --

  “That was unfair,” Suna mumbled as they walked deeper into the cave.

  His Spirit Rabbit Cloak had dimmed its dark blue color, and it had adjusted to the surrounding atmosphere. Not only that, Suna felt energy swirling around him; his earlier tiredness was lessened.

  “You still going about that?” Jack muttered behind him, still playing with that spear.

  “Are you sure you didn’t do anything? I need to know.”

  “No, I swear it just offered me one item,” Jack said.

  Suna bit his cheek; there must be something. Or perhaps Delia’s body was just worth more? He wanted to figure this out before he eventually challenged the Drow [Seeker] and offered her body to the Sun Altar. Now that he knew such an advantage existed, there was no way he wouldn’t return to the upper world first and use the Sun Altar.

  They eventually walked into an opening that turned into a wide-open cavern. The hollow was not huge, but big enough to house a seven-foot door. The door pulsed with the color of ice. Suna’s Rabbit ears twitched; they sent a warning straight down to his body. And Suna could sense that whatever danger there was, it was not behind the door, but much farther.

  They wouldn’t be in danger anytime soon.

  “We probably should catch some sleep here,” Suna said, looking around. It was dark and comfortable, despite the rough ground; this place should be safe enough for them to sleep.

  “Sleep?” Jack tilted his head, not liking the idea. But something made him shrug and say, “Go and sleep, Suna. I’ll get used to this spear in the meantime.”

  Before Suna could even sit down, Jack had already thrust his spear into the air.

  Suna could see the Tiefling's body rippling, and a set of serious eyes glowing in the dark cave.

  He was eager to find Floundea.

  But despite Suna’s body being healed, he still felt tired. Maybe this was a side effect of Drowfication.

  Suna sat down, resting his back against the cold, hard rock wall.

  The air rushed, responding to Jack’s shadow spear, blasting energy through like a ripple of darkness.

  “Sorry about this, Jack.”

  “Don’t apologize, my friend, you just took some of our biggest thorns. And you still want to fight with us, so don’t apologize. It's just, let me lose some of this eagerness,” Jack said, sending a rush of air and eventually dark flame forward.

  Suna's mind drifted apart, still watching Jack.

  He wondered how strong Jack would be now. What if the System hadn’t shackled him? And what if, like Delia, he had been born into a world filled with adventure and discovery?

  He pitied Jack, how he would be stuck here forever. But perhaps it wouldn’t be too bad; after they were done here, the Tiefling would have control of the upperworld, a city of their own. Maybe Suna could visit again sometime? Yeah, if that happened, he couldn’t wait for it. Which was why it was important to get this deal done fast. But if it fell apart, then… Suna’s hand clenched on his Spirit Rabbit Cloak’s sleeve.

  He pressed his cheek against it, feeling its spectral texture.

  “You will help me, won’t you?” he whispered to the cloak. “To take down the [Necromancer].”

  Feat Gained…

  Feat Gained…