When Gabriel next woke up, he was in his room. There was no light coming from his windows. However, Olivia was by his side, and her single bright green eye let out soft light; it was enough to illuminate the otherwise dark environment, for his enhanced sight at least.

“Did they escape?” He asked with a hoarse voice.

“Gabe, how are yo-”

“Did they?”

“Red Tom did; the other has been captured,” she answered.

Gabriel shook his head as he sat up. He was mostly naked under the sheets; only a blood-soaked short remained covering his intimate parts. Liz was sleeping by his side, she did not wake up when he did, she seemed very tired.

“I’ve failed, Olivia. I let him go; I didn’t even pose a challenge for that bastard…” he stated.

“Gabriel… how can you say that? Didn’t you see Harper barely managing to get him to stay on the defensive, and I don’t think he was even fighting seriously? They were there for something entirely else Gabe, the Witch doesn’t know what, but it’s something that won’t bode well for us.”

“I- I just can’t care enough about that, Olivia, I’m sorry… The truth is, I need to free my mother. Where is the bastard we caught? Are they interrogating him?”

“The Reevers have taken him in custody; however, Gabe, it’s useless you go; there are experts caring for him. We need to think about something else....”

“What should we even care about more than this?”

“You are in danger, Gabriel, again. You cannot stay here, the Witch, she says something terrible is about to happen here, something even she can’t foresee, which means that the threat is greater than her.”

“What? She is one woman, no matter how powerful, there are multiple Tier six and seven here, I guess. Why should we worry about what she sees?”

“Because she’s a Transcendent being, Gabriel. A Tier 9. The only thing she cannot seer is the Gods, Gabe. What does that tell you?” She said, growing slightly hungry, her posture shifting to one of aggression.

“Gods? I don’t care. I need to-”

“Enough with your bullshit!” Olivia shouted, waking Liz up. “If we don’t leave, we die. If we die, what the hell does everything else matter!? You can’t save your mother if you are dead, asshole!”

Gabriel did not answer right away. He closed his eyes and sighed. Then he opened them and placed his gaze in hers, “I will not go on another run with you, Olivia. I’m sorry. One was enough.”

“You… you are just a heartless bastard… you’re thinking only about yourself…”

“I? I’m thinking only about myself? That’s rich!” He answered.

“What? What? Are you trying to say it’s not so? Have you ever done something that did not benefit you and your needs?”

“Who are you to say that to me!? You’ve tricked me, fucked with me literally and figuratively to get me to do what you wanted, lied to me from the start, and all that to gain personal power! And I’m the egoistic son of a bitch!?”

“Whatever I did, I did it for the greater good. If the Priests are wiped out, peace will reign over both Alter and the Earth,” she said, extremely convinced.

“You sound exactly like one of those people brainwashed by the pro-church propaganda, only you’ve been brainwashed the other way around,” he said, shaking her head.

“What do I care about their fights? They will have it no matter what. It’s always happened, and it always will! Wars, economic wars, cold wars. We are always fighting over who gets more of what; why would I care who wins!? What does it change to me? Eh? What? Do I get my father back? My sister? My goddamn mother!? No! So why would I throw my life away for your principles? What’s really in it for me? And don’t come to talk to me about power and other such bullshit; I’m not one to care about such things. And never I will.”

Olivia did not answer right away.

“I should have left you to die of your poison… You… disgust me, Gabriel,” saying so, she closed her shiny eye shut and headed to the door, “I hope you’ll find whatever it is that’s worth something for you because right now, you are just a child looking for his mommy’s tits.”

She left, slamming the door.

Gabriel wanted to scream ‘Fuck you,’ but something was stopping him. She had been the one curing him back then. He didn’t know. Nobody had told him.

But why would I care? If it wasn’t for what I’m worth to her, she wouldn’t even have cared.

“Right… Liz?”

The lizard did not know what to say.

Gabriel got up and headed to the window.

The glass showed only the vague braziers brightening the otherwise dark Cradle; the darkness helped to reflect his image.

There was a little scar at the height of his solar plexus. He touched it with his hand; it was hot.

I thought I couldn’t get scars anymore. What happened?

As Liz got up to stand near him, he could see she had the same sign, both on her back and at the center of her chest. Gabriel turned around to look at his back. He saw the exact same scar and touched it with the back of his fingers; it was hot, just like the one in the front.

The Angels stabbed me right through, and it left a scar that doesn’t heal? Can it be because my tissue was burned to a crisp?

He couldn’t know, but again, who had healed him this time? He passed out because of the attack and didn’t even summon Healing Hand, he would have died right then and there, so somebody had to have healed him. Was it Olivia again? But then why not say it now that she revealed she had freed him of poison?

Maybe it was… Hey, he suddenly thought, who burst through the Dungeon’s shield?

Something told him it was his Syandra; however, the thing that had attacked was a creature of nightmares, maybe… Maybe I did indeed see her on her cursed form.

Gabriel crashed on his bed; everything would find an answer the day after; he just had to sleep it over, if he managed to.

***

A hurried series of knocks on his door woke him up, “Come in…”

It was Greta. “Why aren’t you answering the damn paper!?” She asked.

“I’m waking up now, Greta. It was a tough day yesterday. But what is it? I don’t think I’m late.”

“It’s not about that!” Greta answered as Bjorn escaped from her and manifested in the middle of the room; he headed for Liz, which jumped from the bed to on top of him.

“Bjo- Oh, do what you want! Gabe, listen; the Reevers have acknowledged the exchange and will personally supervise our plans. They knew it all along…”

“Oh, well, given the shadow always following me, I didn’t doubt. But why the change? What happened with the Priest? What did he say?”

“What priest?”

“You don’t know?”

“No. What are you talking about?”

“I guess they kept it secret then; something must be afoot,” Gabriel realized, “Let’s go and gather your people. We need to meet with the Reevers.”

He turned to dress up before turning again and raising a finger, “But first, breakfast.”

***

“What is it, lad? Why the hush?” Commodo said, whispering in turn, as he got closer to him.

From the other side of the counter, Gabriel had finished his breakfast; Greta had already eaten. He got close to the Dwarf’s ear, “Make preparations for trouble, Com. Something might happen, something bad. I’m talking about… I guess city leveling bad. Spread the word to Varcivald as well.”

“What is this abou’?” He asked back.

“Not here, not now. We can’t create chaos, just… be ready to use your… device if it comes to that.”

Commodo’s eyes shot right and left, “Laddie... we don’t talk about that, not so soon in the day, anyway.”

“And we won’t, but before the day’s over, well, it might not be a tomorrow if things come to worse. Just know that Olivia’s offered me to run away with her, and she did it yesterday.”

“The lassie left yesterday… Was just about to say it to ye. She closed all her tobs, took her things, and left. Just like that, ‘seemed really strange too, as if there was something she wanted to say to me.”

“Maybe she wanted to warn you Com, but she thought you might not trust her.”

“She’d be wrong then! I would have listened to her! She’s a good girl, Lad… she really is…”

Gabriel didn’t know what to answer to that, he had contrasting feelings about that statement, but she didn’t think Olivia was necessarily bad, maybe just… Oh, I don’t know.

Soon later, Gabriel and Greta left; they headed directly for the Dungeon. The others were waiting for them already.

***

“I don’t understand,” said the Yamamoto elder, to the Elder himself. “Why now? What has changed?”

“I don’t know, my old friend. But it’s better this way, isn’t it?”

What are they talking about? Gabriel thought as they reached the heap of people standing by the north entrance of LL Dungeon.

“Gabriel, Greta, here you are.” It was Greta’s mother, Helen.

“What happened, mom?”

“They have… refused our exchange. They say they are going to release one prisoner for each month of peace we give them. We managed to bring it down to one week for each prisoner, and thankfully they are going to release the higher level first. Which are our Sato, Prisha, and Fred.”

“You managed to bring it down to one week?” Gabriel asked, then his gaze reached that of the Elder.

The Elder nodded; there wasn’t half an ounce of deception in his look. However, Gabe knew that it just meant, ‘that is what they have to know.’

“I guess there’s no need for action then, but that makes what? Nine months of wait? Isn’t that too much for those poor people that will be released for last?” Gabe insisted.

Sato’s Father answered, he was named Touma, “The problem is that they don’t want anything to do with the Herald anymore. They did not listen to half a proposition we’ve given them. They said, and I quote, ‘We have considered that with your advanced level of Space Magic you could snatch him from us the moment the exchange is concluded.”

Gabriel closed his eyes in acceptance. The Priests had won.

In the distance, through the portal, the figure of a howl-form unconscious Sato escorted by a couple of what looked like Elite level Bastards and a Champion behind them was about to reach the opening.

“Sato! What happened to him?” shouted his mother.

The Bastards could be distinguished by the level of armored skin they showed; the one answering her was the Champion. “He did not comply, so we knocked him unconscious. He’s fine.” He turned his gaze at the Elder, probably sensing his power, “To next week then, Spirit jailers.”

Spirit jailers? What’s that about?

***

Gabriel and Greta waited for Sato to wake up on his own from the infirmary based on one of the treehouses.

After a couple of hours, his Spirit Fusion ended; his Spirit, although awake, remained close to him, not leaving his body for an inch, and growling to everybody who got close to him.

When Sato finally woke up, he felt confused.

“Sato…” Gabriel started, “I’m really sorry things turned this way. I’m sorry. Today we would have made the exchange, we were ready to rescue you all, and we,” he said, pointing at himself and Greta, “would take your place.”

“You don’t have to justify yourself, Gabriel. If I had been in your place or in the upper echelon place, I would have not chosen to exchange the Herald for… anybody really. You are too precious for us to risk losing for a Dungeon. Now I know,” he said.

Slowly, his family and friends entered the room, and Sato straightened up; he knew he would have to answer many questions.

The process prolonged until a few hours past midday.

When finally most left, Sato asked for his family, Gabriel and Greta to stay; he had something to say to them.

“The seal they imposed us…” he started, “It worked some type of transformation, evolution if you want, on our soul and consecutively, bodies.”

“What did it leave on you, child?” Asked the Yamamoto elder, in his gaze lingered a look of resignation, he was ready to have to forfeit the destiny of the one child he could count in taking control of their house one day. The best of them.

“What is left on me has turned out to be… a blessing more than a curse,” he stated with a half-smile.

“I can now feed off bare water and a few elements in the soil to stay in full power; I can connect with everything that’s made of plant fibers, and most importantly, I have been bestowed with an irregular Perk that gives me control of every shade of Life element.” He paused to take his family’s unbelieving looks, “I believe this will turn into a Bloodline ability. And the same can be said for all those that survived the transformation,” he finished with a smile.

To prove so, he raised his hand, and from it, roots slowly started manifesting; they were connected to his skin, and they wove themselves into forming an intricate bow that looked exactly alike the one he used.

“Although this process is heavily reliant on Mana, this is just the tip of the iceberg of our new abilities. I believe that given time, a new generation of Druids, tied to Yggdrasil much more strongly, will come to life,” he stated.

The roots detached from the bow, and he offered it to his elder to analyze.

“This is… incredible, Sato… incredible!” Said his father touching the bow.

“I have a long road ahead of me to develop full control over it, but I guess I’ll be sure to take lessons, and Gabriel,” he said, turning toward him. “I think I might have understood what it was that they wanted from you, the Bastards.”

Gabriel marveling at what Life magic could do, and being even more sure that that was the Soft Magic appropriate to bound to his Recovery, was drawn out from the stupor. “Let me guess,” he answered. “They wanted for me to help free them from the Dungeon.”

“...Yes, did you already know?” Sato asked; this time was his turn to be taken aback.

“Let’s just say I had previous experience with those requests, and sadly or maybe not, I still don’t know how I feel about it; I have no idea how to even start doing something like that,” he admitted.

Sato smirked, “Then it’s good things went this way.”

Gabriel snorted, “I don’t know about that, Sato. Because… Hey, Harper. I think they should know about it, no? These families have been sponsored by your family, after all.”

“Go ahead, although we shall debrief them later too,” said an ethereal voice from nowhere.

All of them, but the elder Yamamoto, reacted surprised, “Yesterday, something happened,” Gabriel started, “Somebody broke into the Dungeon, murdering the south outpost in the process.”

“So, that was the turmoil,” Sato muttered to himself.

“Those that broke through were Priests of Lore, and they handed something over to the Dungeon people. We managed to stop one of them, and right now, he’s still under interrogation. I believe whatever the actual bastards might have brought to the Dungeon Bastards will be something we were not expecting, something potentially dangerous enough to escape the both the Seer of Carnage and the Witch of the Depths visions.”

They all looked at each other after Gabriel was finished with his story.

”I believe we are in one hell of a lot of trouble, madams and sirs.”

***

“Do you think Sato’s okay?” Prisha asked Fred.

“I hope so, Pri. All I know is that they’ve changed their plans after whatever happened yesterday. Now they’ve taken our leader from us, and I know I should take his place, but I have no idea where to start…”

“Fred… don’t worry, okay? I’m here with you; we’ll be doing this together; whatever comes our way, we shall face it together.

Fred looked at her straight in the eyes. “Thank you Prisha, I don’t know what I’d do by myself here.”

“I believe you’d do great, Fred. I’ve known you for years. You just need to let that sleeping lion in you wake up once more. I believe it’s still there. No, I’m certain of it.”

“My sleeping lion?” He asked.

“Oh, you were such a huge prick, not listening to anyone when you first joined us, but Sato and Nastia tamed the lion. They taught you how to behave, maybe a little too well. But now we need that lion back, Frederick. We really do.”

Fred did not answer; he turned his face to the front, lost in thought.

Prisha held in a sigh. She could be strong when she needed it; no, she knew she too was strong, but if Greta had been there, she would have the courage to spare for both of them. I hope I’m doing the right thing, she thought.

On the other side of the Sanctum, the Bastards, of every rank, were in full activity. They went in and out from the Inner Sanctum. They bought things from the outside, they looked spent when they left the Inner Sanctum, and those that got in were freshly rested.

They rooted themselves to the ground to recover, and the process repeated each time.

What’s changed? Prisha asked herself.

Light exploded from the Inner Sanctum, and a wave of Mana, reaching even up to her, washed them with pure Ambient Mana.

Suspectful of what had happened, Prisha linked her roots to the ground and touched them to the sleeping monsters; she tried to delve into their communication channel. She did it for hours on top of hours until she understood part of their secret communication system.

Oh god… they are ranking up… they are ranking up like crazy! The Dungeon itself is gonna level up like this; I can feel it! What is going on!?