Lair by Carl Stubblefield (recommended reading TXT) 📕

“Yes, Master Gus?” Stuart purred.

“Can you send some staff to clean up the remains of these zombies so I can feel comfortable in this area again? And are there any droids that could do maintenance on the front doors?”

“Of course. Anything else you may need at this time?”

“Lift the blast doors and that should be it. Thanks, Stuart,” Gus said.

“My pleasure,” Stuart said and went quiet. Gus trotted to the remains of the bag of holding and severed the weave of the rim. While it was functional for his plan, he didn’t like the risk the large bag had and as soon as he had untied the knots, he watched as the rim unraveled, like fuses fizzling as they raced around the edge of the rim until they met and the whole construct evaporated. Gus watched entranced as the weave degraded. Gus wondered if there were zombie bodies floating through the void somewhere. Soon thereafter, the big brothers of the beach cleaners rolled out of a service door that was practically invisible halfway to the beach.

The large robots functioned much the same way as their beach brethren and removed the black decaying corpses and body bits of the zombies. Even the decaying smell was gone, replaced by the faint hint of ozone. Gus marveled that just a short time ago, the area was a zombie apocalypse and now the only evidence that anything had happened was the circular patch on the grass where the bag of holding had scooped up the zombies.

Not long after the bag had totally disappeared, one of the large balls cleaned up the drone remnants, and evened out the trim of the grass, and the circle from his initial attack was barely visible.

Gus headed inside to clean up and get ready to see what was beyond the forest. Thinking back, he realized that he hadn’t slept in a long time. He hadn’t felt the usual effects of exhaustion and fatigue that he had while pulling night shifts as a henchman.

“It’s thanks to your Energy Absorption Nth ability. They can utilize energy that would be wasted, like heat, and absorb solar energy as the sun hits your skin and transfer that directly to your cells. They also have a greater capacity for constant cellular repair, so you need to sleep less. Your brain will need to recharge and dream, but typical fatigue for you is one less thing you have to worry about as long as you take care of yourself,” Nick answered before Gus could ask. “That was a freebie. You still haven’t answered the riddle.”

Gus checked his watch and the countdown timer. 1:49 PM. Nine hours and change to fix the volcano. He looked over and saw that some lava was just beginning to seep down one side of the crater. The smoke and ash had increased noticeably. His body craved sleep but he knew he had to press on. He tried to focus on the riddle and ignore his weariness.

Gus tried to guess. “An astronaut? An alien? The moon? A werewolf? A vampire? Frankenstein? A worm? The sun?”

After each guess, Glitter Nick would shake his head.

“I don’t know,” Gus finally admitted defeat.

What loses its head in the morning and gains it again after it gets dark? Gus turned the question over and over in his head as he went back into the manor. He would grab some food to gain a final buff and then see what was at the end of the path. He had no doubts that Methiochos was probably there, waiting for him.

“Keep at it,” was Nick’s only reply.

Gus imagined his bed calling to him as he ate mechanically. Ah damn, it’s a pillow! He realized, sitting up and smiling. Nick was right, it did feel better to figure it out by yourself.

+1 intelligence

Gus’ grin grew even wider. Even better!

Chapter Forty-Three

The Final Countdown

Methiochos finally had his answer, Basileus! He would have to exact his revenge if the boy still lived. Anger welled up the more he thought of it and planned the myriad ways he would get justice. In the midst of his plotting, he became aware that he was receiving nothing from his mental links. Absolutely nothing. His mind remembered the pains he felt during his reminiscence but couldn’t be distracted. He had left his troops without guidance! His anger surged again. Always someone trying to take what was his! Never again! Methiochos flexed his tentacles and rose to his full height. This would end now.

###!###

Day 10 2:24 PM

0:08:46 remaining

Gus felt satiated by what would probably be his last meal. He was decidedly not excited about what the day had in store. It was time to reset whatever had happened with the lava flows and see if he could sort out this mess with the volcano. It was a good bet that Methiochos was there, along with the answer to what had happened to him way back when. Gus hoped he was done with Dark Nth, but he’d have to prepare some goodies just in case.

“Gus, if you are going off to meet Methiochos, he’s got regeneration skills, and I can tell you, they’re super handy. Unless you’re fighting against someone who has them, then they suuuuck! He may have gained some other abilities too, so be on your guard. Just FYI.” Nick warned.

“Nothing’s ever easy, right?” Gus replied as he got to finishing his preparations.

“If it’s any consolation, the sync has been completed! The hybrid-Nth are interlaced over your existing armor, providing an adaptive shielding. They’re synced with your abilities as well, so as you level defensive skills, you will improve the armor as well. I would recommend a short training in the arena just to familiarize yourself with how it works.”

“That’s a good idea, but I don’t think I have the time.”

“Then make the time. It should only take thirty minutes or so if you hurry. It could mean the difference between life or death, but your call,” Nick urged.

“Fine. Can you remotely queue things