Chapter 87

Fractured (I)

“Right, right, and then she ran up the mountain...”

“I still can’t believe they canceled the season, man...”

“What would you want them to do? Half the players got Classes and they literally blow the ball up every time they touch it...”

“I also heard they are trying to put up some tournament for the Conquerors but need the government’s permit...”

“Ah! Mommy! I need to wee-wee!”

“Me too! Me too!”

“Alright, alright, come with me...”

The lively dining table never turned silent, hours passing. Despite the fact that there seemed to be three-four different conversations happening all at the same time, it hardly appeared chaotic and disruptive, and, rather, looked as though it had a natural flow to it. Cain mostly enjoyed it from the sidelines, dining on some lamb and beer, occasionally chirping in with a quip or two.

Everyone seemed to have let go of the tension they built up in the Tower, where they constantly had to be high on alert, especially so during the last part when a single mistake, no matter how minute, could have cost them their lives. It felt refreshing, seeing the unrestrained laughter and the outburst of emotions from everyone, even Senna who was just as talkative as the rest of them.

Cain’s phone buzzed again, causing him to groan as he reached into the pocket and saw that it was Rick. Sighing, he put it away and finished the can of beer before standing up.

“Where to?” Emma asked, glancing at him.

“Rick’s getting restless,” he replied. “Be right back.”

“A’right. Later.”

“Later.”

Kissing Lana goodbye, he quickly left the apartment and the building itself where a car was waiting for him. Boarding it in silence, he closed his eyes as his mind drifted toward the future. He genuinely had no immediate plans and just wanted to relax for at least a few months, especially since Lana’s birthday fits into that time frame.

However, that didn’t mean that he could just empty his head completely and forget about the Towers. Nobody, really, could. Is there anything we absolutely need from other Towers? Aah... even if there is... I don’t really know. Save for the big ones, I barely remember anything about them... as I thought, it’s pointless to think about them. The next one that I can even barely remember is on the 14th floor anyway.

Sighing, he lowered his head, drifting further. The memories had already begun to fade, he realized, replaced by the newer ones he was making every day. Luckily, he had enough foresight to jot down the most important facets, events, items, bosses, and so on. It was like his personal library of the future, so much so that, on occasion, he even got surprised by some things when he read them over again.

Before he even realized it, the car had stopped, the driver informing him they had arrived. Stepping out, he nearly stumbled and fell, finding himself standing in front of a genuine fortress -- high walls, watchtowers, multiple sets of gates, countless guards... shit, did a war break out while we were in the Tower? What’s with this paranoia?

Despite the seemingly countless checks visitors had to undergo, he was let through immediately, left alone to wander off toward the mansion at the center. Rick was waiting up front, on the porch, looking as though he’d lost at least a couple-dozen pounds since he last saw the man. Uaaa, just how had have things gotten, man? Seriously!

He approached cautiously and with a smile, yet still somehow startled the old man who nearly fell of the chair, barely hanging onto the bolted desk as Cain rushed over and helped him.

“What the hell, dude? You ain’t starring in a horror movie, chill out.”

“Aah... Cain...” Rick replied, pulling himself up and sitting down, Cain following in his footsteps. “You’re finally back...”

“What’s wrong? You looked half ready to move to the mountains and live out the rest of your life as a hermit.”

“’cause I damned-well am!” Rick cried out. “The pressure is insane! Way, way bigger than anything I’ve experienced in my life! Every day--every day... I have conference calls after conference calls... I... I had to learn nine new languages! NINE! And... and... every day! Every day there’s someone sneaking around, spying and shit! People requesting info on you guys, my businesses, my deal with the government... bwaah! Wouldn’t you wanna run away from it?!”

“... ah, have a drink and pipe down,” Cain sighed, barely holding back a bout of laughter. “What’s the situation?”

"... chaotic," Rick replied after a momentary silence, seemingly regaining his calm. "No... that's underselling it. The whole world... has gone mad."

“...”

"Wars are raging practically across the entire Europe," Rick added with a hardened expression. "So much so that some countries have started employing Conquerors to fight for them. Russia and China, too, look just about ready to toss down the gauntlets with how palpable friction is, and India's borders are already going up in flames, regular skirmishes happening daily."

“...”

"There's also high pressure on us," he continued. "To open up the borders despite our earlier promises. Honestly, I'm even surprised we managed to hold off without a war for so long. It's mostly 'cause our government let in some of the big shots, letting them get Classified. On the other hand... Brazil..." Rick sucked in a cold breath for a moment. "Effectively doesn't exist anymore."

“... doesn’t exist?” Cain asked, surprised. It’s too early...

"Ah, maybe it's a bit hard of the wording," Rick elaborated. "But the government collapsed about a month ago, and due to a massive influx of people from the surrounding nations, it was impossible to re-institute anything remotely resembling a national defense army. Right now, it's pretty much a free-for-all over there. I think it's also one of the key reasons why we've stayed relatively war-free thus far."

“’s that so...” Cain mumbled, frowning. I knew it would be bad... but the pace is increased. Why? It has nothing to do with us clearing the floor faster than before. All these things occurred well before that. Wait--could it be Rick’s monopoly? Last time, I believe that most of the land around the Towers was divided between eight-nine big corporations and they used to funnel non-native talent which delayed the tensions somewhat. Now... with him having a virtual monopoly on the revenue... did they look for other avenues? “What about your earnings?”

“Eeh~~ if there’s one thing keeping me calm, it’s that,” Rick said with a prideful look. “We’re swimmin’ in profits, Cain! Swimming! Right now, I’m needing to buy new warehouses on weekly since we keep filling them up. I’ve also managed to trade up for some decent ‘A’ and up ranked items, so you guys can check ‘em out when you’d like. Ah, but I’m also fielding quite a lot to the Army... in return, I have quite a few perks -- one of them includes giving people citizenship. I’ve scored two decent talents for you, so be happy, you bastard.”

“Eh... I’m more interested in those items...”

“What?! You don’t trust my scouting eye?”

“If you scouted anything worthwhile, I might...”

“Tsk,” Rick clicked his tongue, taking a sip of whiskey. “What about you guys? Everyone made it back okay?”

“Yup.” Cain nodded.

“I’m guessing it was you lot who cleared the floor?”

“...” Cain merely smiled.

“It’s changing the dynamic; more and more people are rushing in, trying to get to the second floor. Was it okay for you guys to leave?”

"Eh, it's fine," Cain shrugged. "Try as they may, they won't catch up to us. Besides, we got into some ugly jams in there, old man. Can't I just relax for a while? We're friends, right? I'm not your slave, right? Do you want me to just stay in the Tower and pile on your non-pyrrhic wealth, right?"

“I don’t think that’s a correct use of that--never mind, it’s fine. Take your sweet time and relax.”

“If you need help,” Cain said, taking a sip. “Just ask for it. The world is often stranger than fiction, old man. As such, it’s best to have more people on your side to decipher what’s going on.”

“... do you think I should retaliate?” Rick asked through gritted teeth. “I’m almost certain I know who’s behind attacks and robberies and all that. But... I keep giving in ‘cause I don’t wanna spark anything big, especially without any certainty of victory.”

"... worst-case scenario," Cain said in a chilling tone, startling Rick who looked up abruptly, meeting the pair of usually playful, blue eyes. Right now, however, they were cold -- as cold as the frigid winds, void of any and all emotions. "You just kill them all. Don't be mistaken, Ricky. You're no longer living in a reality where being super-rich is worth much. The money will only get you so far. I imagine those targeting you believe their wealth has built up a wall nobody else can breach. That's wrong. If I wanted, I could kill all of them in a single night, without breaking a sweat. Don't cower here. If they punch, you stab. If they stab, you shoot. If they shot, you drop a goddamn nuke on them." Rick found himself shaking without even realizing it.

It was the primal fear, he noted; the sort that a prey feels when targeted by a predator. Those eyes... looked past the chains and binds of humanity and morality without blinking. Cold, indifferent, hollow.

“Ah, but then again,” just as quickly as they appeared, however, they vanished, and the same, playful eyes that he befriended returned. “It ain’t good to just randomly start killing people. Just suffocate them; don’t trade with them, don’t sell anything to them. If they try to go through proxies, just threaten to make an exclusive deal with the government. If they go hard at you, just gimme a call. We’ll figure something out.”

“A-ah... yes...”

“Right,” Cain grinned innocently. “Now, let’s talk about some ideas I have in mind. Like establishing our very own multi-faceted, guild-like Task Force...”