The Genesis Game

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Within the dark recesses of his mind where Seraph had retreated into unconscious, he began to stir, vaguely becoming more and more coherent, but not yet awake, and not sure he wanted to be. Seraph could only imagine what was happening to his body as images of and things he had never seen before began to creep into his mind. Images of his legs being flayed by razor sharp teeth and his back being torn open while the Abyssal Elemental liquefied his body and destroyed his organs before consuming him.

Seraph was unsure what to make of each piece of horror that his mind presented to him. It seemed that his mind was conspiring against him, wanting him to be present in the moment, while he just wanted to remain asleep, unconscious, and dream some more of the past. Though his mind might be betraying him, he managed to disassociate from each horror that it brought against him..

"You need to wake up." Said a voice from within his conscious. "You need to wake up now."

With the command, Seraph opened his eyes and immediately felt sand give way under his back, as he saw a trail left in the sand from dead. Paul was hunched over in a squat, dragging him under the arms, a look of grim determination on his face as he stared forward in front of him at the tendrils of black looming and waving through the air, so much closer he could see ivory bones beneath the oil like surface within those tendrils what he thought might be thousands of eyes staring back at him.

Seraph noticed that Paul's face was covered in thick scar tissue, a recent wound that had been healed by the dungeon but not repaired back to its original state. A recent wound that hadn't been there when last he had seen his father earlier in the inprocessing center, and as surprised as Seraph was to see him, he was more surprised that neither of them was dead yet, not with that wound on his face.

"Not like I'm doing any better." Thought Seraph as he looked at the stump that remained of his left arm. While the dungeon had healed the wound, it had not replaced the hand he lost. That was not his only loss though he realized as he glanced down at his shredded legs and screamed.

Without hesitation, Paul struck him, and knocked him out for a few moments to keep moving him towards safety.

When he came to, they had stopped a few hundred feet away from the shore.

"Sorry about having to hit you kiddo, you were starting to struggle a lot and with that thing right on our tails, I couldn't have you get us killed by freaking out" Said Paul in a low hushed voice, his eyes and face never away from the monstrosity mere feet in front of him as he continued to drag Seraph further away from the waterfront.

But even though the Abyssal Elemental was right in front of them, it didn't reach them. Seraph could see that it had strained it's tentacles to reach as far as it could and even though it's bloodl.u.s.t was evident, it could not harm them, for the moment they were safe, though neither of them felt that way.

Seraph felt an intense amount of relief knowing he was still alive, and the further inland they got, the safer he felt and once they were far enough away from the shore, Paul carefully laid him down and sat down beside him.

"I watched part of your fight today, you got lucky kiddo. I thought it was good thinking to blow the bridge, but you're being reckless, I don't care about your restart ability, you need to take better care of yourself, I mean look at you, your legs are a mangled mess, your hands have been torn open, and the other hand is gone, up until a few minutes ago you were bleeding from cuts all over your body. You're lucky I came along when I did, if I hadn't been nearby, that thing would have killed you, and if it had been anyone else, they would have left you to die." Critiqued Paul, worry evident on his face in spite of the circ.u.mstances from when they parted ways.

"What happened?" Asked Seraph, pointing to Paul's face with his good hand, calmer now that his wounds were being healed and the damage to his legs was starting to fade.

Paul touched his face with his hand, wincing. "You passed out, fell over, I'm not sure, but that thing was on you by the time I reached you, I dragged you, fighting with it the entire way as it had your legs, it took part in my face when I got you away from it."

Seraph could only stare in awe at what Paul was saying. To do such a thing required an iron will, the ability to move through pain and think under pressure, all things that Seraph admired, all things that Paul admitted that he did for him. "How did you survive that? You should have died, we both should have died."

"Almost dying trying to save you unlocked a skill for me." Explained Paul without offering any sort of explanation or follow up.

Judging by the awkward silence that settled between then, it became apparent to Seraph that, Paul hadn't forgotten the reasons for their parting of ways.

Each of them deciding to move the conversation back to safer territory, away from each other's capabilities. "I don't know what that thing was, but judging from the little bit of it I saw, it's not something either of us wants to have to deal with again, so how about you let me team up with you and watch your back until we can find a way out of here."

Seraph nodded his head as best he could as he lay on the ground healing. His racial attributes making the process last much longer then it would be for most. "No you're absolutely right. I had thought of it as an Abyssal Ocean originally, think of it as a spawn point for high end monsters that can kill you on touch. I was wrong, some similarities, but I think it was an Abyssal Elemental instead. This entire waterfront is one large corrupted elemental. This was something I've never come across before."

A strange and pained expression came across Paul's face as he was talking to Seraph, and Seraph could only guess what was the root of it, he imagined for the man his life had taken some very traumatic turns recently.

Seraph looked at him expecting as the man rolled around words on his tongue as he prepared what he wanted to say.

"Seraph. That's what they called you right? That's what you call yourself?" Asked Paul, his expression grim as he held his hands together to hide their shaking.

"Yeah, that's what they called me." Replied Seraph wearily as he stared up at the sky, hoping to avoid another confrontation. He was tired.

Paul looked down in contemplation before responding. "Then I guess I need to start calling you that too, and I need you to call me by my old gamer handle, Calibur."

"Why? What changed for you? Asked Seraph curiously.

"Well I was angry, I still am. I know what you did, and she didn't deserve that. You killed her, and I should have let you die out on that pier but I can't do that, because if you die, any chance I have of ever getting my kid, my actual kid back dies with you. But I'm not your dad anymore than you're not my son, you're just wearing him like a suit. So please, have a little sympathy and just don't call me that anymore." Explained Paul, his voice emotional as Seraph could see the desperation on his face as he struggled to contain his emotions.

"When I left the improving building, I took off towards Hometown on the lit path and was able to pick up a replacement weapon, by spending all the Sol I earned from the tutorial. This time I went with a sword and shield." Paul explained as he showed Seraph the iron sword at his side and the wooden shield he had paired it with. "I'm trying to work on unlocking this legendary class I was granted. The elves are fairly helpful in that regard, they directed me to go to the dungeon and start grinding. They warned me in advance though about the pier, there's no guarantee that something will summon that monster, but guaranteed that too much noise and movement would summon it. Basically the opposite of what you did."

"When I saw it was you, I just knew I had to help. I couldn't let you die, and the thought came to me that if you were in that position, it's because you hadn't experienced it before, you didn't know, which means you need help, and I'm willing to give it conditionally." Continued Paul looking at Seraph.

"What's your condition… Calibur." Said Seraph as he allowed the man the simple comfort he had requested.

"At the first chance you can. I want you to leave that body and give me my kid back. I want you to take better care of that body, find a way to fix the damage you've already caused, and act at least a little bit like you can give a shit about people."

Seraph pretended to consider it. He could take better care of the body and try to be more empathetic to a point, but he could not surrender the body, it was after all his, but he could play into the narrative that Paul was suggesting and use it to his advantage. "Calibur, I can return this body at the first chance, but if I win the game I can and will gladly. If I were to leave this body before the game is over, you and everyone you've ever loved, including the child whose body I possess would die without my protection. I'll leave, but only after the game is secured. This I promise as a binding oath."

Seraph awkwardly held out his remaining hand to shake on it, and as Paul reached out and grabbed it, they shook to seal the deal as both received a notification.

Notification: Seraph has made a binding promise to leave his inhabited body once The Genesis Game has been won

Seraph received an additional notification, that made him smile. He was not sure what conditions he had reached, but apparently he had met them.

Notification: An ability of the Black Seraph has been unlocked. "Prince of Lies".

Notification: Prince of Lies - Allows the possessor of this ability to break a binding oath, promise, or contract with any person with whom the possessor of this ability has an equal or greater Luck status.