Catpurr 17: A Good Night's Rest

“You want him to participate in the trials?”

“Yes yes, I said this twice already haven’t?”

“It’s just… once this starts Eli… there’s no going back. Not for any of us. Are you sure this is what you want? Once Voltain and the others find out, they won’t be happy.”

“Pah! Do you know one of the chief problems with immortality is Freya?”

“Everything gets boring after a thousand years?”

“It’s having a song stuck in your spiritron from the eleventh millennium and being unable to get it out because you’re the only one in existence that remembers the song but doesn’t know how it ends.”

“I don’t understand your point.”

“The point is! I’m tired, Freya. I’m truly tired.”

Catpurr 17: A Good Night's Rest

“Dloh mih nwod ylthgit!”

“M’i gniyrt!”

“T’ond truh mih!”

“GAH! LET ME GO! FLESHBAGS!” Adam squealed, trying to squirm away as the group of catnappers attempted to hold him down.

"Ruoy gniracs mih!" Another woman screamed.

"Hguone." Suddenly the raven-haired woman was up from her chair, she bristly walked, moving over and grabbing Adam by the face to bring his golden eyes to her purple.

Eyeing her, there was a certain familiarity to her facial features that calmed Adam, reminding him of his teacher as she glared at him.

"Eb llits."

[PARALYTIC SKILL DETECTED! EYE OF MEDUSA!]

[VITALITY CHECK FAILED! YOU ARE BEING PARALYZED!!]

NOT THIS AGAIN!

All of Adam's muscles seized up, his body failing to respond as he went limp and splayed out on the floor.

"Od ti." The woman barked, letting Adam's face hit the floor and walking away, her heels clicking against the wooden floor.

Suddenly Adam's interface lit up, a system message offering him a choice.

[Compatible Skill Crystal Detected!]

[Jewel of Linguistics{Rigellian}(Gain the ability to understand and mimic common tongues native to this region)]

[Accept Skill? Y/N?]

Well that's new. Adam thought. This was the first he'd ever heard or seen of skill crystals.

Or the language Rigellian for that matter.

Accept.

Immediately his screen updated, showing Artificial Linguistics{Rigellian} under his new skills list.

"Sti enog! Did it work? The crystal disappeared."

"Well it's hard to tell cuz the boss paralyzed him."

I can understand them!

"Try blowing on his ears."

"What's that supposed to do?"

"I don't know, I'm just spitballing ideas here."

"Well go be an idiot elsewhere Sehn. Do we have a room to place him Ruebella?"

"E-every room is b-booked. I-I can take him into mine-"

"SAY less Ruebella!! I shall accompany this youth for the night and warm his puny body with my majestic pectorals!"

Please no. Adam inwardly groaned, his face still planted into the floor.

"OR we could just leave him in the basement."

"Y-you mean l-lock him in here?"

"Well it beats him wandering around and someone stumbling across him. Let's just keep him down here for the night until the Medusa glare wears off."

Adam was rolled over, laid on his back where four sets of eyes looked down at him.

"Hello, can you understand?" The woman with green hair asked.

"You ask, knowing he's still paralyzed and I'M the idiot." The man in leathers snarked before being punched in his shoulder.

"He can still hear ya dingus." The woman said before turning to Adam with a gentle smile. "If you can understand me, please know that we're doing this for your safety and ours. We're going to keep you in here for the night until the skill wears off and then return. But I promise you we don't mean to harm you. We only want to help."

Adam layed there, eyes staring up at the green-haired woman, still unable to move.

"It's going to be ok."

Easy for you to say. You aren't the one paralyzed and surrounded by strangers!

It didn't take long before the group finally dispersed, leaving Adam alone and staring at the ceiling where a glass fixture lay spilling light.

This sucks. Adam groaned. None of his capturers having the foresight to move his head away from the light.

Fortunately, after a few moments, the light inside the glass fixture thankfully died down, making Adam curious about the technology of this foreign nation.

The light source wasn't flammable in nature, that much was certain, as there was a lack of the tangy resin smell typically accompanied by torches. Instead, it released a glow, albeit a VERY bright one that irritated Adam's eyes.

If Adam had to guess, it was some form of electricity, a technology his master had experimented with as an early concept of illumination and power.

Sadly, it never came to fruition as technical problems coupled with the Inquisitors hounding them made it nigh impossible to work…

But it was still good to see humanity progressing.

Suddenly the sound of a hatch being unlocked and opened drew Adam's attention.

"H-h-hello, I brought a-a blanket and pillow for you." The red-haired maid said as she leaned over Adam and draped a light blue blanket over his body.

How nice…

"I uhm. Sorry about Lady Valentine s-she's a really n-nice person just under a lot of stress." The maid said before introducing herself. "I-i-I'm Ruebella Antoniette, the Chief receptionist of the Vilenciel Branch Guild Office. In a couple hours the effect of the Mistress’s skill will wear off. Until then j-just bear with, ok?"

Ok. Adam said inwardly despite the woman unable to hear him. She fluffed a pillow, carefully lifting his head to place it beneath him. Despite his entire body being numb, he could tell the item was soft but oddly, there was also a smell, one of lilacs.

"T-there you go." The woman smiled, patting Adam on the head and making him feel strange in the pits of his stomach. Kindness, that's what Adam was exposed to for the first time in a long while.

And it was strange. Making Adam mentally short circuit.

"W-well figure o-out accommodations for you tomorrow." The woman said, flashing a smile and taking off toward the entrance.

“T-THank!” Adam suddenly groaned, making the woman pause. She pivoted, the frills of her dress spinning as she turned to Adam with wide eyes.

“Thank you..” Adam spat out, causing the woman to smile.

“Relax, we’ll smooth out everything in the morning.” Rubella said, leaning down over Adam “If you need anything, just bang on the hatch o-ok?”

"O… keh." Adam slurred with the woman finally leaving.

With the sound of the hatch closing, Adam blinked, the effects of the paralytic beginning to wear off.

After what felt like an eternity, the lights inside the underground finally dimmed, allowing Adam a modicum of comfort.

"Ugggh…" Adam let out as his eyes darted across the now-darkened room.

Adam wiggled his fingers, the sensation of feeling returning to his body. He moved his arm, attempting to massage his aching eyes but only managing to slap his face with his coordination still lacking.

[WELCOME TO TRIAL 4!]

[MANDATORY QUEST GIVEN!]

"Grrgrate…moah sufhering…" Adam moaned.