Chapter 123 A Human Among Giants
"I'm grateful for that, but I still know nothing about this group though," John began, the words tumbling out before he could catch them. A wave of surprise washing over him. "I can practically feel the power rolling off each of you. Your wealth is obvious and no doubt matches your strength. And then there's me. I'm not powerful like what you are nor am I close to being as rich as all of you seem to be. I even know that if those damned gods ever took things seriously or if a moderator took more direct action against me I'd be dead and crushed in a blink of an eye well you lot seem strong enough to either survive it or escape. A single imp creature, barely a minion to the, almost killed me a while back and I only survived because their boss got involved." He paused, taking a breath. "So, I apologize if this comes out wrong, but I don't see how I could contribute to a group like this besides being a form of humor to you guys. Nor do I understand why you would even welcome me so openly."
He stared at them, eyes slowly widening as a sudden panic took hold. "Why did I say all that? Why am I speaking my mind and feelings so openly!"
A moment of stunned silence hung in the air but was quickly broken by laughter from everyone else around the table, a rich, booming sound that deeply confused him. He glanced from face to face, searching for an explanation.
"It's part of this place," Arwin explained, a wide grin stretching his face. "Or rather, it's the tables. No secrets. No lies. It compels a person to talk openly and honestly from there very core." As he spoke, a waitress approached, placing a generously sized crumbed steak with chips and onion rings before John, along with a large cola. "It also automatically orders your meal and keeps the drinks flowing, its perfect for meetings and a means to judge people."
John blinked, taking in the delicious aroma before looking back at Oleg. "And to answer your question," Oleg said, his voice deep and resonant as he carved into a large slab of meat that was placed in front of him, "I brought you in because you seemed… interesting. You harbored a god fragment inside you that was slowly eating away at you, yet you kept going and even proved to be able to resist it. Your soul shows clear signs of patchwork but not like a chimera, it's something far more intricate, different and unique. Then there's echoes on you as well, traces of multiple places and experiences plus your chains that I have never seen before." He paused, chewing slowly. "Not to mention, you even asked for a way to get a good figure again, that more than anything showed me you're a good person. You're something of great interest, an enigma. One I felt I should share with my friends here and even if you don't have strength or wealth yet the potential is there."
John picked up his cola, taking a long drink, the cool liquid a welcome sensation before he cut into the steak, finding it perfectly cooked. "And that happened by getting me added to your group as a member? Wouldn't being an outsider, with you all watching and interacting as you wish be a better way for entertainment and trying to unravel my secrets, a better way to judge my potential?"
Oleg let out a soft chuckle. "Oh no, your inclusion was quite unexpected actually. Arwin gives everyone that 'test' as a joke though, it's not a real assessment. But it seems your thoughts and attitude truly match everyone else here. As for being weak, poor and all that other stuff? I won't deny it. But your tone and your initial comments made something quite clear and you seem to have struck your own blows towards them. You hold disdain for the god-like beings, a deep hatred. They caused something extremely bad to happen to you so now for an important question. What do you really know? "
John frowned, a chill running down his spine despite the warmth of the room. He looked at those present. Their laughter had faded, replaced by an intense, focused gaze from each of them. The casual air gone. This was no longer a friendly chat, but a form of interrogation. He felt a primal instinct to hold back, to protect himself and keep what he knows to himself yet the honesty compelled by the table felt like an inescapable current, pulling his truths to the surface and making the choice for him.
"I do," John admitted, his voice firm, tinged with a bitterness he rarely let show. "I hate them more than I can put into words. I've already made it clear I want to kill those who have ruined my world, maybe even all of them if there really cut from the same cloth. I feel a burning anger that they toyed with my world, for the things they did, for what they took from me. For my family. For warping my brother. For taking someone I was starting to feel strongly for from me due to the hell they had turned my world into, for twisting people into monsters." He took another bite of his steak, trying to rein in the surge of emotion. "As for what I know… it's a lot and somehow also nothing all at the same time. I don't know what is real and what's just meant to misdirect me or those who work to make it all happen. I was told my world is meant for entertainment for those god-like beings. That there's another, a cosmic captive who they have drugged up and are using as a constant source of rebirthed worlds and that's one of the things I question."
He leaned forward, the words flowing more easily now. " I also know that other realities exist alongside our own. That some kind of 'big bad thing' or things exist that consume worlds or realities and other realms trying to war with our own, things the gods supposedly used to fight but again I don't know what is or isn't real anymore. Then there's the whole setup including my world was once a means to train fighters to try and put up some kind of resistance but now it's just a game for their entertainment before letting the world be consumed at the end and everything starting over anew. There's supposed to be multiple levels to this cosmic structure and my own is considered the bottom of the barrel, a breeding ground for their monsters and resources to be used on the more interesting levels. The original copies, the true versions, are somehow kept safe so they can keep being used as templates."
John shook his head, frustration clear in his eyes. "It's honestly a lot and even then, I feel there are so many holes in the logic here and again, like I said I don't even know what is or isn't real or true. Stuff just doesn't add up. If this big bad or other realms or a big consuming entity exists and they don't fight it anymore why is it all suddenly dormant now? Why not press further now that there's less resistance? Are they content to be fed like a pet? Do the gods really grow with the fall of their chosen by absorbing back more than they gave, or is it something else that fuels them? What are the power levels like on other floors? How strong are they? And why, for all their power and control, would they allow regressors in the first place? That last one is something I know for a fact was allowed since I met one already." He finished, exhaling slowly, surprised by the sheer volume of information he had just divulged.
"Ya got a shitty hand, dats fer sure," Thoris chimed in, his rough voice cutting through the sudden silence. He took a swig from his own tankard. "Each o' us had it crap at the start, believe me. Took years for us to get a foothold. From there, it was one thing after another till we built our empires and fortunes. After dat, it was still rough, challenge after challenge. But we overcame. We still ain't on the level of those gods though but we have established control of each of our worlds an currently working towards bigger things. Or in the big green's case, multiple worlds."
Thoris gestured around the table. "Us meeting was also by chance here, after stumbling our way here into this very place and finding one another we began to work together and grow together. First was me and the rock gorg. Then the overweight, rejected elf, Arwin stumbled his way into our lil group." Arwin merely smirked, unoffended. "Lastly was both Oleg and his fairy girl arguin' with the gold crusted mini-me of his. We just joined together from there after realizing how shit had gone. We got richer. Used what we got here ta get even stronger. Cut em gods out of our places bit by bit as we grew our control n influence. But that caused issues, since even now we still got there worshipers tryin' to bring 'em over or screwing with us. And there are still places that they can use to get inta our worlds, like little cracks in the foundation or chosen who give themselves over entirely."
"We help little humi do same? Get strong, rich and take? Me think we do," Gorg rumbled, his voice like grinding stone, his gaze fixed on John.
Squib, Oleg's small, intense companion, leaned forward, his eyes sharp. "How serious are you of your choice to fight them? Will you really do all you can or stop and grow content once you accumulate power?" he asked, his voice unexpectedly precise. "And do you even have a way to get to them or even a plans to try and breach their realm?"
John met Squib's gaze with unwavering resolve. "Serious enough about it to try and piss them off any chance I can get, even if it's a fucken stupid thing to do at this stage without a solid foundation." he said, the conviction resonating in his tone. "And if I go down which I know is more than likely to happen? Well I want to drag at least one down with me if I can, or failing that wreck as much of their shit and plans as I can, even just being a fly in their eye would be satisfactory if nothing else." His fist clenched instinctively beneath the table. "But no, I don't know how to get to where they are yet. The closest I've been was where the Administrators and the ones in charge of the imps are, even then it was because of this jester looking creature who seemed to be in charge of my world got involved when one of the imp things crossed the line."
At that admission, the entire table seemed to go silent. Even Oleg's chewing stopped. All eyes, previously intense, now widened with naked surprise. The air crackled with a new kind of interest.
"And once more," Oleg said, a slow, delighted laugh building in his chest, "you add even more interest to yourself. No one here has been there before, or even come close to that place and you speak of it like it's nothing special."