Fate, Games and Hounds

"What do you think about fate?" Lumière's question, emerging from the serene quiet that had settled between them, caught her off guard. Her mind, a whirlwind of thoughts since arriving in this new realm, had not yet touched upon the concept of destiny.

Alice found the question intriguing. Her past was a tapestry of moments where she had bent the wills and perceptions of those around her to her advantage, often unseen, always calculating. The idea of fate had always seemed to her a concept for those who did not have the foresight or ambition to seize control of their own destinies. Yet, here, in this realm beyond her understanding, the question took on a new weight.

"I've always believed that we make our own fate," Alice responded carefully, her voice steady despite the tumult of emotions within her. "But this," she gestured vaguely to the surreal landscape around them, "makes me question if there's more to it. If there's a design or purpose beyond our comprehension."

Lumière nodded, its form shimmering slightly as if pleased with her answer. "Indeed, the fabric of destiny is woven with threads of individual choices and cosmic design. Here, in this realm, you'll find that the concept of fate is more fluid, influenced by forces both within and beyond one's control."

Alice pondered this, her intellect grappling with the notion of a destiny that could be both shaped and yet somehow preordained. It was a puzzle, and she loved puzzles. Perhaps, she thought, this was part of the journey Lumière spoke of—learning to understand the balance between control and surrender, between shaping one's fate and being shaped by it.

As they continued their walk through the surreal landscape, Alice's thoughts returned to her family and those she had left behind. They had never understood her, never seen the depth of her intellect or the extent of her manipulation. They had dismissed her as naive, unaware of the strings she pulled from the shadows. Here, in this new world, her past manipulations seemed trivial. She was starting anew, her slate wiped clean, but her skills and cunning remained, ready to be applied to whatever challenges this realm presented.

"And what do you think about games?" Lumière asked again.

Alice paused, considering Lumière's new question. "Games," she mused, her lips curving into a thoughtful smile. "I've always seen them as a microcosm of life itself—strategies to be devised, opponents to be outmaneuvered, and outcomes heavily influenced by both skill and chance."

Lumière suddenly halted, catching Alice off guard. His gaze fell upon her, stirring a peculiar sensation within her. She had always relied on her other senses to discern when others observed her, but recognizing it visually was an entirely new and odd experience.

"What if I told you that this new reality you're about to enter is a game in itself, or rather, The Game?" Lumière proposed, his voice imbued with a hint of mystery.

Alice pondered this revelation silently. 'A game? How could an entire world be a game?' She struggled to grasp the concept. Fortunately, Lumière elaborated, "This game differs vastly from anything you've known before, and explaining it will take some time." As he spoke, he gestured with his hand, and suddenly, a quaint table with two chairs materialized from nowhere, accompanied by tea served in two immaculate cups.

Alice realized with surreal clarity what these objects were. How did she instantly recognize with her eyes a chair, a table, and two cups of tea?

"Care to take a seat?" Lumière invited, indicating the prepared setting. "This will be a lengthy conversation."

***

As they progressed deeper into the labyrinthine network of the cavern, Dante and Virgil stumbled upon another vast, open expanse. The space unfurled before them like a subterranean amphitheater, its vastness reminiscent of a giant termite nest. The walls and ground of this cavernous chamber were pockmarked with innumerable holes and tunnels, each roughly a meter in diameter, creating a honeycomb-like pattern that spread across the entire area.

These tunnels, seemingly burrowed with meticulous care, vanished into darkness, hinting at a vast network that lay beyond what the eye could see. The ground was uneven, with mounds of earth and rock scattered haphazardly, as if the architects of this space had been in a rush or had abandoned their work abruptly. The air here was cooler, and the echo of their footsteps hinted at the chamber's impressive size.

Dante was visibly amused by the sudden shift in their surroundings. "Finally something different! I was really getting tired of those same old skeletons and archers all day," he quipped, his voice light and tinged with humor. The monotony of their previous encounters had worn on him, and this new environment provided a refreshing change of pace.

He remained relaxed and unperturbed, his confidence in Virgil's capabilities unwavering. Observing Virgil's next move, Dante couldn't help but smirk. Virgil sent a skeleton warrior forward, using it as bait. Dante found this tactic not just clever, but also slightly humorous in its straightforwardness. "There goes another brave soul for the team," he joked lightly, watching the lone skeleton march towards the unknown with a mix of sympathy and amusement.

As the skeleton ventured further into the open space, a rattling sound began reverberating throughout the cavern, heralding the arrival of new adversaries. Emerging rapidly from the tunnels were large skeletal hounds, their appearance adding a new element to the battle. These hounds were grotesque amalgamations of bones, assembled into canine forms that moved with predatory grace. Their eye sockets glowed with an eerie light, and their jaws, lined with jagged teeth, snapped menacingly. Despite their skeletal nature, they moved fluidly, more like living beasts than reanimated bones.

In moments, the cavern was transformed into a frenetic battlefield as it filled with these creatures. Their numbers escalated quickly, swarming the area with their sinister presence. Virgil, maintaining his composure, watched as the skeletal hounds swiftly overwhelmed the lone skeleton. He immediately dispatched another to continue the reconnaissance, adapting to this new challenge.

The battle raged on, with Virgil strategically deploying skeleton after skeleton into the fray while remaining at a safe distance. Despite Virgil's adept control over the skeletons, they were outmatched. Their low level, combined with the sheer number of hounds and the lack of experience fighting non-humanoid enemies, posed a significant challenge.

After a period of observation and analysis, Virgil seemed to have gleaned all he needed about the enemy's tactics and patterns. With a satisfied nod, he blinked into the fray. And then … it was a massacre.

Virgil moved through the hounds with a deadly grace, his form a blur as he blinked rapidly from one point to another. He used his skeleton warriors more as diversions and bait than for their combat prowess, for he required little beyond his own abilities. Wielding his mace with lethal precision, he dismantled the skeletal hounds with ease. Each hound met its end with no more than two well-placed and impeccably timed strikes.

Not more than a couple of minutes had elapsed before the last of the skeletal hounds crumbled into a heap of disjointed bones. Yet, it wasn't the victory itself that brought a wide grin to Dante's face. Amidst the heat of battle, he had received a notification, one he had been eagerly anticipating for hours:

Virgil leveled up

"About damn time," Dante thought, a mix of relief and satisfaction coursing through him. As he reflected on the recently concluded battle, he found himself momentarily conflicted about which skill to enhance. The temptation to further empower Virgil was strong, whether by leveling up a boost skill or enhancing the conjured weapon.

However, after some deliberation, Dante decided to stick with his original plan, primarily motivated by the prospect of expanding their summoning limit. This strategic choice would allow them to handle larger groups of enemies more effectively and add a new dimension to their combat tactics.

Summon Skeleton Warrior (R1 L4)

 Summon a rank 1, level 4 skeleton warrior to fight by your side. Limit: 3, duration: 360 s, MP cost: 25, cooldown: 120 s.

This upgrade, Dante knew, would significantly enhance their battle strategy. The ability to summon higher-level skeleton warriors in greater numbers provided them with more flexibility and strength on the battlefield. Each warrior, though still relatively low in level compared to the enemies, would now possess improved combat abilities, especially after the boosts, making them more than just mere distractions for their enemies.

The addition of 5 points each in Might and Finesse through two boosting skills had brought the skeleton warriors on par with enemy warriors two levels higher. Coupled with more effective blunt weapons and Virgil's refined control, these enhanced skeletons could now competently challenge their level 7 opponents. However, Dante felt a tinge of dissatisfaction that the skeleton warriors didn't come equipped with default shields until level 5, a feature he had observed in their enemies. This absence put them at a slight disadvantage in defense.

'Well, just one more level to go,' he thought optimistically, already anticipating the potential of further enhancements.