An Enlightening Conversation

"Well, you know about my condition asss well asss the new gods. Why am I not sssurprrrised?" I said sarcastically, looking at my reflection in the steaming tea.

"Oh, have you met my old companions?" Nosramus asked, his eyes widening slightly in surprise.

"Not exxxactly. The old New Godsss appeared in my dreams, curiousss about my presence in the dungeon, probably becaussse of the strange way it is acting. They used some of my memoriesss to create a comfortable environment, but we rrreturned to the Hall of the Godsss when I discovered who they were." I shrugged.

"Curious, so you already knew the New Gods and the Hall of the Gods. It is impressive, but not impossible, if you look in the right places. Can you tell me what you talked about?" Nosramus asked, frowning, deep thought.

"I can, but only ifff you answer some of my quessstions in return."

"Of course, nothing more fair. However, tell me something, will you not drink my tea? It was troublesome to find the right mushrooms and prepare them." Nosramus smiled gently, raising his cup and signaling to mine.

Hm... I hesitated for a moment. Nosramus is not a bad person, but I am afraid there is something unknown in this tea. It is all too good to be true.

I looked at the Girl sitting next to me. She remained quiet and listened to our conversation as she stared at her tea. We exchanged a hesitant glance, wondering what to do.

Well, I just hope that Moonless and Iron Shakespeare will act in case some poison or sleeping potion affect us, maybe I can even give an order or cast a spell.

"Blow it beforrre you drinkrr." I said to the Girl and she nodded in confirmation, so we drank our tea simultaneously, and Nosramus did the same.

Nosramus looked at us expectantly, his serene smile never leaving his face, while his eyes widened visibly.

I called his name and snapped my fingers in front of his face, but got no response. I raised a questioning eyebrow at this lack of reaction until I felt strangely light and the walls melted.

"Holy shit!" I screamed from the top of my lungs as everything spun around me.

The floor and ceiling spun, becoming whirlpools that consumed everything around them. Multicolored geometric shapes danced through the air, floating in random patterns everywhere.

The fire in Nosramus' stove burst into flames, forming a screaming face as the books around us opened and closed, whispering incomprehensible words.

I looked towards Moonless and Iron Shakespeare. The wolf looked like a badly rendered 3D model, as if someone took a quadruped enemy from a video game and forced it into a humanoid model, leaving it standing.

Iron Shakespeare became a beautiful work of Pixel Art, an extremely detailed 2D figure that moved slightly from side to side in a looping animation while a happy song played in the background.

I then looked at the Girl, seeing her pupils dilated and mouth open in an empty expression, until six more Girls appeared floating next to her, all in the same position, but with different colored hair, representing the colors of the rainbow.

Suddenly, an explosion of colors hit my eyes, forming a large fractal that approached infinitely. I sank into my chair at this sight, but it was over as quickly as it began, and I flew forward as if I were in the seat of a car that came to an abrupt halt.

-XXXXXX-

I looked around when my head stopped spinning and realized something important: I was no longer in Nosramus' laboratory but on a grassy, green hill overlooking the sea.

Looking up, I saw a starry sky, with a full, white moon shining brightly, and a dark ocean in the distance, but one that reflected the view above me like a mirror.

I thought I had escaped the dungeon for a moment, until I spotted two ships sailing in different directions. One was black and flew in the sky, heading toward the moon, and the other was white and followed a large colorful bird.

This was more than necessary to confirm where I was, The Dreamlands.

My eyes widened and my mouth hit the ground. I felt a mixture of joy, fear, and surprise, joy at leaving the environment of the dungeon, fear at not knowing what awaited me here, and surprise, because I had never expected to visit this place.

However, I was not the only one who shared this admiration. The Girl rose from her seat and looked around with eyes as big as plates, her mouth opening and closing repeatedly.

The Girl stepped forward hesitantly, bringing both hands together in an apprehensive grip, as she looked around frightened.

Then she rubbed her feet on the ground, watching the grass slip through her fingers, and then walked to the highest point of the hill, gazing out at the beautiful landscape in wonder as the wind blew her hair.

The Girl stood on tiptoe and stretched out a hand towards the moon, opening and closing her fist as if trying to touch the natural satellite.

The moon was so close and shone so brightly that the Girl became a dark outline from my point of view, so she stood there, observing something she never dreamed, a world beyond the dungeon.

"Wonderful, isn't it?" Nosramus asked, bringing me out of my thoughts.

"Yes, of course... Wait! Am I speaking normally? How?" I asked surprised, rubbing my throat.

"That happened thanks to an alchemical concoction I put in the tea, forgive me for saying this, but your strange accent bothered me. I hope you will not be offended, unfortunately, the effect is temporary." Nosramus replied, looking away in embarrassment.

"Well, I can only thank you for that, because I found the accent annoying too." I replied, glimpsing The Girl sitting on the grass and observing the scenery, before returning to my seat and sitting down opposite to Nosramus.

"Now, returning to my previous question, could you tell me about your conversation with the New Gods?" Nosramus asked.

"Of course, but the answer might disappoint you since they didn't want anything specific. They noticed my arrival in the dungeon and how violently it reacted to my presence."

"I'd say the reaction is more than violent, as the dungeon is rearranging itself to keep you trapped here." Nosramus replied, sipping his tea.

"I know. I don't need to be reminded of my unfortunate situation again. Now it is my turn to ask a question. How did we end here?" I asked, sipping my tea too.

"The Dreamlands has always existed, whether in this world or another. An alternative dimension with its civilizations and inhabitants, but mirroring the waking world in its geography. Certain people can access this place while they sleep. Others need a little stimulant." Nosramus smiled, swaying his teacup slightly in front of his face.

I remembered how certain characters in the tales used drugs and other substances to see and access other planes of existence, but this ability diminished with age. Considering everything, I saw so far, I could assume that the tales were not just fiction.

"Now it's my turn to ask a question. How did you end up here in this world?" Nosramus asked.

"Hm... It may sound crazy, but I had a strange nightmare where I encountered several gods known as The Old Ones, and passed through each of their realms, awakening at the entrance to the dungeon. All I know is that my presence here is nothing more than entertainment for the gods." I replied, rubbing my face in frustration.

"I suppose these Old Ones are the Old Gods of your world, although they are more active than ours." Nosramus replied, thinking deeply.

"Probably so. Tell me, the New Gods and you know about the existence of other worlds, I believe that's thanks to the knowledge you've acquired, but how do you know I'm from another world?"

"The strange aura around you would be the best way to explain it." Nosramus replied, snapping his fingers.

Suddenly, I found myself enveloped in a kind of dark smoke that constantly flowed out of my body. I swung my arms around, watching as the smoke accompanied my movements.

"That's your aura, the energy of your very being, and it's completely different from what the inhabitants of this world possess, not to mention, of course, your unusual soul." Nosramus replied, pointing to my chest.

I followed his finger and looked where he pointed, noticing something strange in the center of my chest. It looked like a dark sphere, similar to a picture of a black hole, with its black center and orange outlines distorting the space around it.

"Your aura and soul are completely alien to those that exist in this world, and those who have delved deep enough into magic can perceive them, as well as powerful entities, the dungeon we're in, for example. You're like an annoying light shining in the corners of someone's eyes, always drawing attention but hurting the eyes of anyone who stares directly at you, and that probably explains the dungeon's reaction to your presence."

"This may sound strange, but I'm glad to know that I'm causing this damned dungeon some pain." I laughed, sipping my tea.

"You'd better watch your words; you don't want to acquire even more animosity from the dungeon. Next question. How do you know so much about the history of this place, the Old and New Gods, the ascension, and about me?"

I am surprised I have lasted this long without making the famous and terrible revelation that this world and everything in it is just a video game. However, I have not shouted this information from the top of my lungs like other people would, and kept most of my knowledge to myself.

However, there are those perceptive enough to notice the little I let slip. Well, I guess a half-truth will do, I would rather avoid the shock of reality and philosophical discussions.

"I came too far to worry about the dungeon's opinion; it can think what it wants about me. To answer your question, there are people in my world who saw other worlds or alternative realities, call them what you will. The Gods that brought me here were considered a work of fiction written by an author, that is until they proved to be real, and the same goes for your world. Someone saw this reality and wrote a story about it, I read that story thinking it was fiction, and I ended up in it, unfortunately."

Nosramus remained silent, closing his eyes and resting his cup in his lap while holding it with both hands. I glimpsed a momentary change in the alchemist's peaceful expression; he probably pondered my words and what they meant.

"Do you know how this will end? What will happen to the current visitors to the dungeon?" Nosramus asked, breaking the silence.

"Yes and no. The story had several endings, depending on the choices of those who entered the dungeon, ranging from horrible to acceptable, but never happy endings. I tried to change that when we reached our objective, Le'garde, the mercenary captain. I suggested that we leave the dungeon and solve our problems outside, but we clashed, as some wanted Le'garde alive. Others, dead, and another, something he brought into the dungeon. Now the dungeon has trapped us inside and is trying to kill me, so I can't say how it will end, I can only move on, facing the difficulties in my path, no matter how much it hurts."

My God, when was the last time I thought about my situation? I will take the Cube of the Depths, open the door to Ma'habre, defeat the New Gods, and then what? I do not have a complete plan; I improvised since I got here!

Escaping through the front door is no longer an option, which leaves me with the S ending for each protagonist, the A, B, C, C - II, and D endings.

I will have enough power to get everyone out of the dungeon if I become a New God, but I will stop being myself and become my soul and ego elevated to the max.

Le'garde becoming a New God is also another way to leave the dungeon, by either kneeling before him or killing him, but I would have to face Cahara, D'arce, Enki, and Rag, depending on their reactions.

I would rather avoid facing Gro-goroth's traces. That leaves me with the A ending where the Girl becomes an Ascended God, and the S endings, but there's the question of whether the dungeon will let the four protagonists go, or whether they are stuck here thanks to me.

"Honestly... I... I do not know what to do... Should I try to become a New God even though I know the consequences? Should I Allow a New God to rise in the vain hope that he will help me? Or go along with Nilvan's plan?" I asked, resting my cup on my lap and holding my head with both hands in doubt.

"I recommend that you avoid becoming a New God since we both know the consequences. Hopping for the kindness of a New God is a plausible possibility, depending on what his soul represents. Nevertheless, you said something that caught my attention. What do you mean by Nilvan's plan? What did my old companion do this time?" Nosramus asked seriously, letting his cup float in the air and grabbing my shoulders, making me face him.

"Nilvan believes in the potential of humanity, that any goal can be achieved through effort and perseverance, but Nilvan was aware that her power and reign would eventually come to an end, so she looked for a way to extend it. She believed that Le'gard, a man surrounded by prophecies, would be the key to completing her plans, so they had a child, hoping that it would become a beacon of hope for humanity."

"And that child is the Girl sitting next to the two of us now?"

"Yes, the Girl grew up in the dungeon, knowing only fear and hunger, and these will be her concepts if she achieves divinity. She will save humanity from stagnation, but she will become a God through a painful process. I asked the New Gods in the hall how I could change this, but they told me that this is the Girl's destiny, all I can do is add one more concept, fear, hunger, and something else."

Nosramus remained silent, staring at me while various expressions passed across his face. The alchemist slowly released me returning to his chair and assuming a thoughtful pose while muttering incomprehensible words.

I shifted my focus to the Girl, who followed some purple fireflies that flew around her, laughing as she tried to grab them with her little hands. I saw how the Girl's eyes sparkled with childlike curiosity, and I wish they would stay that way, but I do not know how long I can pretend that everything is fine.

"You know, I realized that I never asked your name, even though we talked for so long. That was rude of me." Nosramus spoke up, catching my eye.

"My name is Micolash, and you don't have to worry, after all, I'm the one who broke into your laboratory, I should have introduced myself first." I laughed nervously, making the corners of Nosramus' mouth turn up.

"Micolash, have I shown you my soul and aura?" Nosramus asked, his smile widening and giving me a bad feeling.

"No, why the... MY EYES!" I cried out in pain, turning around while shielding my face with both hands. Nosramus lived up to his title as The Enlightened One, for his soul and aura shone like a sun. I only glimpsed him for a second before I had to look away.

"I'm sorry about that, but you saw how my soul and aura differ from yours, haven't you?" Nosramus apologized as the light slowly disappeared.

"Yes, obviously!" I said sarcastically, removing my iron mask and rubbing my eyes, trying to make the spots in my vision disappear.

"My soul didn't used to be so intense in the past, but it became so after I sat on the Golden Throne, faced my other version, but didn't ascend, returning with the knowledge acquired. Now look at the Girl." Nosramus replied, pointing to the child in question.

I thought that looking at Nosramus was a mistake, but I realized how wrong I was as soon as I looked at the Girl because of the absurd pressure I felt.

I remembered a moment in my childhood where I had jumped into a pool too deep for me, even though I did not know how to swim, and almost drowned. I had lost all sense of up and down, seeing only a blue void as the water entered my lungs and drowned me with its crushing weight on top of me.

I felt the same when I looked at the Girl's soul, a tiny glowing dot surrounded by mist, but which exuded so much power. Lights shone in the mist, one brown and one yellow. Meanwhile, I spotted luminous cracks forming in the mist, shining an orange light.

"What are those lights?" I asked without taking my eyes off the Girl.

"Those are the concepts that the Girl represents, fear, hunger, and something else." Nosramus replied, following my gaze.

"How is that possible? I haven't tried adding anything different yet."

"I believe you have since when you chose to help the Girl. The question is what you have added. Tell me, what have you done for the Girl?"

"Well, I freed her from her cage, gave her a doll as a gift, and some food. I explained a bit about her father and promised to free her from dungeon. So I looked after her and got closer to her ever since."

"I suppose the Girl became more comfortable with your presence."

"Yes, she went from just holding my shirt to allowing me to carry her in a short period of time."

"Just that? You keep the Girl out of harm's way while you deal with the obstacles in your path?" Nosramus asked.

"Initially, yes, I got hurt and almost died several times, but the Girl showed a sudden desire to help me during fights, even if she didn't need it. Where are you going with this?"

"I can only move on, facing the difficulties in my path, no matter how much it hurts. Those were your words, and that is what the Girl and you have been doing ever since you met. What does that represent?" Nosramus asked amused.

"I don't know! Hope?" I exclaimed irritated how Nosramus treated our conversation. Was this some kind of game to him?

"Wrong! Hope makes people think that everything will be better in the future, but that is not true. The world is a cruel and unfair place; you will become a broken-minded fool if you think everything will get better only to be put down repeatedly. You can only accept the harshness of the world and move on. You must fight. Fight, no matter what difficulties stand in your way. Fight until your bones break. Fight until your flesh gives out. Fight until the life leaves your eyes. And what is that called?" Nosramus said, grimacing at my answer.

I looked around, expecting a certain skeleton knight mounted on a horse to appear to give me mysterious philosophical advice.

"Perseverance. The answer is perseverance!" I exclaimed, finally understanding Nosramus' words.

"Exactly. The Girl wants to fight, and you will not be able to protect her from danger forever. Teach the Girl to be strong and to face whatever comes her way." Nosramus nodded in approval, returning to his tea.

"Even if that's the answer, where should I start? I don't want the Girl to get hurt." I replied, looking at the Girl who chased the fireflies. She stopped for a moment and waved at me while smiling. Then I returned the gesture as well.

"I'm not telling you to leave the Girl face a Lord of the Flies alone, but you should start teaching her how to fight smaller, weaker monsters. In addition, where should you start? What about naming the Girl? You can't call her Girl forever, which is cruel as her father."

"I'm not her father. I've explained who the Girl's parents are."

"But that's not what she thinks." Nosramus replied, smiling and focusing on something next to us.

I followed his gaze and saw the Girl running towards me, smiling and hiding something in her hands. The Girl stopped and stared at me as she jumped slightly in her feet.

"Well, what have you got there, a gift for me?" I asked curiously, laughing at the lovely sight in front of me.

The Girl stood on her tiptoes and stretched out her hands towards me, then opened them to reveal one of the purple fireflies. The firefly ran through her fingers before flapping its wings and flying around us, glowing an intense purple.

The Girl and I followed the firefly with our gaze, watching as it joined the others of its kind and flew away in a great cloud of luminous points, blending into the starry sky and becoming indistinguishable from the stars.

"I loved the gift, Girl! But now I have a gift for you!" I said, patting the Girl's head, making her laugh. The Girl stared at me after hearing my words, tilting her head in confusion, but then gave me an expectant look, waiting for the surprise.

"I'd like to give you a name! What do you think?" I asked excitedly, expecting the Girl to jump in joy, but I frowned at her lack of reaction.

The Girl stood still like a statue, her eyes wide and mouth slightly open. Then she lowered her head and looked away while rubbing her hands together nervously.

"Hey, what's the matter?" I asked worriedly, leaving my seat, kneeling, and placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

The Girl slowly raised her head and stared at me with her bright, deep eyes. I stared back, trying to understand what the glint in her eye meant, but I think I understood what the problem was.

"Do you think I'm giving myself too much trouble caring after you?" I asked and the Girl nodded hesitantly.

"Listen, you're not giving me trouble. I am doing this because I want to, because it was my choice. If I did not want you by my side, then I would have left you in the cage where I found you, but I did not do that, did I? All this work, everything we have been through, I did it because I care about you. You deserve better than this, Girl. You deserve to get out of this dungeon and live a happy life, but I want to give you some of what you never had until that happens. Then I will give you a name, every person needs a name, after all, I can't call you Girl forever."

Suddenly, the Girl hugged me. I did not react for a moment, surprised by the Girl's action, but then I returned the hug and we stayed like that for a while.

"Are you ready to be named?" I asked the Girl and she nodded in confirmation.

Since we are in Rondor, and this kingdom is an alternative France, I think a French name or similar will do. I just hope I do not mess it up, as my knowledge of the French language does not go beyond internet memes.

"From today on, your name will be Madeleine!"

The Girl opened and closed her mouth repeatedly, as if trying out the name on her tongue, but without using her voice.

"Do you like the name?" I asked again, fearing that she would not like it, but to my surprise, the Girl smiled and nodded positively.

"I'm glad to finally refer to you by a name, little Madeleine. My name is Nosramus." Nosramus spoke amiably, bowing slightly.

Madeleine hesitated for a minute but returned the gesture by nodding to Nosramus. However, the world cracking like glass around us interrupted any further interaction.

"What's going on?" I asked, preparing to fight.

"Oh, well, it looks like the effect of the tea is wearing off." Nosramus shrugged disappointedly.

The cracks widened and expanded, revealing a blinding white light. Madeleine and I shielded our eyes, hoping it would stop. Suddenly, we heard glass breaking, as if someone threw a stone through a window, and the world around us turned completely white.

-XXXXXX-

"GASP!" I woke up with a jump, confused and frightened by my surroundings. However, I realized that I stood in the same position as before, sitting up and holding a cup of tea as if nothing had happened.

Looking around, the laboratory looked the same, but the fire in the stove had gone out, and Moonless slept on the floor next to my chair. Iron Shakespeare had not moved an inch.

Madeleine, however, lay on the floor with her legs up on the chair, staring at the ceiling with wide eyes. Then Madeleine blinked repeatedly, her face contorting in confusion as she opened and closed her hands in front of her face.

She stood up, rubbing her head and looking around, but jumped slightly when she saw me.

"Do you rememberrr what happened?" I asked, mentally cursing at the return of my accent.

Madeleine nodded, wobbling slightly from side to side. I offered my hand to hold while she regained her balance, which Madeleine quickly accepted.

"It's a shame the dream is over, but I'm glad we had a pleasant conversation." Nosramus said, placing his cup on the table and standing up as he stretched.

"That... That wasss bizarrre." I muttered, getting up too.

"I thought the same when I first entered The Dreamlands, but now it's became a place to think and rest when necessary." Nosramus replied, collecting the dirty dishes and putting them in a bucket full of water.

"I believe I can say the sssame, since the last person I ssspoke to was not exactly frrriendly." I replied patting Moonless's head until it woke up with a yawn, showing off its rows of huge teeth.

The wolf barked excitedly when it saw us and sat down while wagging its tail. Madeleine took this opportunity to pat Moonless, making it howl happily.

"I thank you forrr everything you've done for usss, Nosramusss, especially for illuminating what the New Godsss meant." I said, bowing politely.

"Of course, I'm happy to help, but I'm also grateful for your company, I may be immortal, but the loneliness of the dungeon is overwhelming sometimes." Nosramus replied, his posture dropping for a second before returning to normal.

"I'd love to ssstay and talk more, but we need to move on and find a way out of thisss labyrinth."

"I see. I will have to do the same in the future since the dungeon has changed. Hump! I spent many years learning its passages only to have it all thrown away in an instant." Nosramus grumbled annoyed.

"HAHAHA! I'm sssorry about that." I laughed, scratching my head in embarrassment.

"Sure, sure, just be careful out there, things are changing too fast. If what you told me is true, your presence here has caused unexpected outcomes, whether for better or worse, only time will tell." Nosramus spoke enigmatically, walking over to one of the many bookshelves and searching for a book.

Madeleine and I nodded, I retrieved Kitab and Shark's Teeth from the table and ordered Moonless and Iron Shakespeare to follow me, then we all left the laboratory.

Meanwhile, dozens of thoughts raced through my mind. I would have to teach Madeleine to fight. I looked over and saw the child walking next to me, holding her dagger in both hands while carefully observing her surroundings.

Hm... A new challenge appears for every answer I get. Fear, hunger, and something else, let us see if I can create something completely new in the end, or die trying.

END OF CHAPTER