«Shall we go about my plight together, just so we are on the same page, we truly never are. First amongst my list of priorities is finding the source of that voice. Before I left the mindscape, the Whisper Stalker offered me a deal-»

"Hey, Valen, I'm talking to you, man," Dynatós said heavily, bringing Mr. Valen back to reality. They were in a low-ceilinged alcove, one they had hiked hundreds of stairs to reach, the slave quarters.

There were no doors, just a rusted gate that they could open at any time. It was dim, as there were no windows; in fact, the only light in the room came from a sputtering oil lamp mounted high on the dripping wall outside for them and the other rooms along the hall to use.

Everything leaked, and the floor was wet, like a small stream, the just bare rock, sloping towards a central drain clogged with filth.

Three metal shelves, stacked three high, served as bunk beds, but Mr. Valen was not seated; instead, he stood, his sandals soaked.

"This bed is hella uncomfortable, but it's better than rock," Dynatós spoke, a chuckle escaping him.

Looking at the bed, Mr. Valen felt his eyes narrow. The beds were stuffed with straw pellets, crawling with lice; it really did look uncomfortable. This was why he decided to stand.

«No, I don't have a problem with uncomfortable situations; it's the lice that bother me. How did lice even get here? I'm in another world.»

«Then again, straw should not be here either; this planet does not have the conditions for fostering crops like wheat, rice, or oats.»

«They could create the environment but that'll be too much work, and the material would become too valuable to be used by normal slaves, if they could even find value for such mundane material, I believe that these people have somehow established a trading relationship with people from earth, it would explain a lot of things—»

"So I told old Joe to get lost, haha, I'm sure that they're still burning with jealousy," Dynatós' voice rang out once more, his ramblings peeving Mr. Valen slightly, but the man still did not speak; rather, he just frowned slightly, a warning more than anything else.

Glancing down at him, Dynatós rolled his eyes and resumed lying down, his face scrunching slightly. 'I know he's not much of a talker, but now he's just being plain rude... What did he discuss with the High Scioness? Was it... About me? And his strength, do you mean to tell me that all the strength he displayed before was only his normal ability? He hadn't even stepped on the path yet?'

Meanwhile, with the absence of Dynatós' conversational efforts, Mr. Valen let out a shallow breath, closing his eyes as he attempted to rest while standing.

«Now, where were we? Ohh, right, the voice, apparently, the main reason the Whisper Stalker initiated my breakthrough was so I could seek out the source of the voice, it's offering me 10 points should I succeed.»

«My schedule is rather full. First, I have to find the voice, then I have to understand my powers.»

«I understand that I am capable of facing off against Cerberus's and other soldiers of their level, I'm just not sure what that level is, so my monster powers are at least that strong, for my Wizard powers, it appears that I'm still at the lowest level, I am now able to sense hell energy more clearly.»

«I will also need to create contingency plans for Sophia's three sisters but that can wait, and most of all I don't want that Whisper Stalker taking over my body so I need a way to acquire points, I can see that I'm overwhelming you; or you may enjoy my ramblings I really don't know what goes on in that head of yours.»

«Speaking of points, I believe it is time I told you what my bet is, or rather, let me show you, care to wait with me till midnight?»

And so Mr. Valen stood, while listening, waiting.

In his wait, he heard the subtle thump of nearby engines, the drip of water from the ceiling, the rattling coughs from unseen slaves in other cells, and the grunts of labour from more slaves working in the tower.

Sometimes he would hear that strange voice again. "Help. Me. Please," but he ignored it for now.

The smell was even worse; it smelled like wet stone, human sweat, urine, mold, rancid grease, coal dust, vomit. He could go on, but it just got more unbearable the more he thought of it, so he retreated to the recesses of his mind.

And so, Mr. Valen waited, and waited, and... Waited.

---------

After many hours of waiting where Mr. Valen stood but slept, he heard a strange but familiar voice echo in his head, like the whisper of a demon.

{The Voiceless Reach or The Serpent's Parlor?}

Sighing slightly, Mr. Valen thought to himself. 'Is it midnight already?'

His legs already felt sore from standing so long, and the water numbed his feet, but other than that, he was fine. Dynatós could also be heard snoring from the side.

«So where were we? Ah, midnight. Of course, that insistent, silent voice that only I seem to hear means it's decision time.»

«My bet has two names, The Voiceless Reach or The Serpent's Parlor. Sounds dramatic, almost poetic, I know but please listen.»

«Do not be fooled by the fancy name, it's a cage with two very different sets of bars. Allow me to explain the terms, since apparently, you're my silent witness now, the only one to know my weaknesses, do not tell anyone, I beg of you.»

«Option One: The Voiceless Reach. It has simple rules but brutal execution. From that midnight chime until the next one, my voice is… irrelevant. Worse than useless. I cannot speak. Cannot write. Cannot even attempt to convey an idea using more than a single gesture. One hand movement. One nod. One finger pointed. That's the entire lexicon granted. If I fail? If I... slip up? Try to mime 'hungry' and accidentally use two motions? That's a fifty-point penalty. Note that at the moment I only have one point, and if I slip up, that'll be -49. Zero points means the Whisper Stalker gets to take over my body, forever.»

«Brutal, I know, and if I survive the day without breaking? I gain one miserable point. A pittance. The real challenge, the only way to make this purgatory worthwhile? Is to convey a complex idea. 'Danger coming from the east, use the back stairs, avoid the man in grey'… with one gesture. If I achieve that impossible feat? I gain ten points.»

«Option Two: The Serpent's Parlor. Ah, now this… this has potential. Here, my voice is free. I can speak, argue, whisper, shout. Words are my tools again. But my hands? They are bound by stricter chains. I cannot physically harm anyone. Cannot set a trap with my own hands. Cannot even look at some thug and say, 'Break his legs for me.' Direct causation is forbidden.»

«If I do it anyway, fifty points vanish. Survival nets the usual single point. Tedious, yes. But the art... the true game within the game? Manipulation. Using words like scalpels and poisons. Planting an idea so subtle, so insidious, that someone else reaches for the knife, springs the trap, delivers the blow… all believing it was their own glorious idea. If I Achieve that? If I orchestrate violence through pure, untraceable suggestion? I gain ten points. A reward for elegant malice.»

«So, there you have it. My new nightly dilemma, one point for enduring. Ten for excelling. Fifty lost for failure. The math is cold. The choice… pragmatic. Additionally, it would seem that a number of points are required for future advancement in strength, and if I fail to choose a state, the demon will choose for me, wouldn't want that now, would I?»

{The Voiceless Reach or The Serpent's Parlor?} The Whisper Stalker asked again, its tone flat.

'The Voiceless Reach,' Mr. Valen chose in his head before uttering a sigh, with that, the Whisper Stalker's voice faded with a chuckle. {You have 2 points.}

'For now, I'm in unfamiliar territory, the ability to defend myself remains crucial,' Mr. Valen mused.

"Help. Me. M-mother." That strange voice resounded in his ears once again pickling at his curiosity.

'What is that voice?' Mr. Valen asked himself truly, he looked to Dynatós and saw that the man was fast asleep, somehow managing to find peace in the lice-infested bed.

'I could probably evade the guards, in this tower it would be simple really with my training. But I'm not sure if there are any mystical elements to consider. I really need to learn more about this world,' he frowned.

«What do you think? Is this a good idea?... Don't answer, by now you should understand that your opinion is irrelevant.»

With those thoughts, Mr. Valen moved from his still position, quietly stepping towards the exit of the dim room.

He had to satiate his curiosity.

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