Mephisto calmly sipped his tea under the dwarves' suspicious, scrutinizing gazes, then snapped his fingers. A strange gust swept across the room, and under everyone's stunned stare, the outline of a woman began to form. Kargan's eyes widened, and he staggered forward with tears streaming as Falka appeared, looking around in confusion—until she saw him.
"My love, what have you done!? I was supposed to stay dead! Did you dabble in dark magic!?"
Kargan wiped his eyes with his forearm.
"No… don't worry. I just missed you, my love…"
Falka's panic softened instantly—she could feel Kargan's grief. She tried to hug him, but her hand passed through his chest. Mephisto spoke then:
"I'm sorry, madam, but you are currently in a spiritual form. You do not have a physical body yet. If your husband completes his task, you'll be reunited."
Falka frowned at Mephisto.
"And who are you supposed to be?"
Mephisto bent forward in an exaggerated, elegant bow and spoke with a smile:
"I am Mephisto—dream of women, envy of men, the number one handsome soul in existence! A fearless warrior, a mad sorcerer, the peak of insanity, rabbit enthusiast, cat admirer, the Joker's 19th cousin, and Tony Stank's number one rival in narcissism… though you probably don't know any of those names. Anyway—I'm your husband's employer."
He paused, placing a thoughtful hand under his chin.
"Hm~ actually, calling myself his employer's employer may be more accurate… since they'll be working for Igris. Ah well—point is, I made your husband an offer and he accepted."
Falka's eyebrows narrowed.
"Are you some kind of demon?"
Mephisto giggled.
"There are many demons and devils that share my name, yes—but I can easily kill every one of them. And proudly, I must note: I'm more handsome than all of them. As to your question—maybe I am, maybe I'm not. Sometimes I'm evil. Sometimes I'm good. But for now, just consider me a guide and intermediary."
As he spoke he checked his watch. Falka turned toward Kargan, panicked.
"Don't trust him! Playing with the dead is dangerous! Nothing comes without a price!"
Kargan answered with sorrow.
"I have to do this, Falka. Breathing hurts without you and our daughter."
Falka's eyes widened.
"What happened to Ilyana?"
Kargan looked down, unable to speak. Mephisto chuckled.
"Yes, favors without return are foreign in your world. Even Geralt gets shunned whenever he does something good without expecting payment—funny, really. Anyway, your husband has already agreed. Don't worry, you won't regret this."
Falka's body slowly turned into smoke. Kargan panicked, but Mephisto explained:
"Time's up. You can't stay in spirit form too long… well, maybe in the Bleach-world you could, but there are risks and—ugh, I'm getting off topic again. You'll reunite when the time is right. Hopefully."
Kargan reached for Falka but couldn't touch her. He swore to her:
"No matter what, we will meet again. And this time, I will protect you to the death."
Falka tried to warn him and tell him to reject the deal, but she vanished before she could speak. The dwarves watched the entire scene in stunned silence, each feeling the weight of Kargan's grief. Zoltan was both shocked and bitter—he felt genuine pity for Kargan. Ciri felt conflicted too; she had those she wished to see again as well.
Mephisto clapped his hands.
"Right! Back to your seats! It's briefing time!"
The dwarves sat and waited quietly. Mephisto gracefully lifted his cup and began:
"Yes, normally we'd immediately brief you on the other world and send you to Igris. But he asked something of us first."
He sipped his tea. Zoltan frowned sharply.
"What did he ask? That bastard! Why is he making decisions about us!?"
The others grumbled too, but Mephisto spoke calmly:
"I can't blame Igris. To be honest, he knows your world very well—and despises it."
Ciri and the dwarves frowned but stayed silent; truthfully, they didn't like their world much either.
Mephisto continued:
"To be frank, Igris was human—but his people were the only nation in history that did not colonize or assimilate others. Ironically, they never forced their way of life onto anyone, yet in modern times they began to deteriorate… abandoning their identity, becoming more like their enemies."
He drank again. The dwarves listened, bewildered; Ciri, intrigued—she had never heard of such a people.
"Igris's people founded sixteen empires and over seventy-four states. They ruled with justice. They didn't suppress belief, lifestyle, or culture—never enslaved, never assimilated. Instead, they said: give us your tax, we will protect you, and as long as you obey the law, live however you want."
He sighed.
"Until their last empire fell due to their enemies' plots. A tragic collapse. Their enemies celebrated for a long time after… Anyway—we're drifting."
The dwarves stared, skeptical; such an empire sounded impossible. Even Ciri had never encountered anything like it.
Mephisto continued:
"The point is: Igris despises your world because everything he stood against exists there. But—he adores witchers. In fact, they might be the only group he respects."
Ciri and Zoltan shared a bewildered look.
Mephisto continued:
"Igris thinks dwarves are pathetic."
Before he could elaborate, the dwarves exploded:
"WHAT DID YOU SAY!?"
"HOW DARE HE!?"
"WHO GAVE HIM THAT RIGHT!?"
The room roared with outrage—until Mephisto clapped sharply.
"He's right. Sorry, but you've forgotten what being dwarves truly means. In the world you're going to, dwarves are honorable warriors. They do not bow easily. They'd rather die than lose their honor."
The dwarves fell silent.
Mephisto giggled and spread his arms wide:
"And THAT is why we're here! I will teach you what dwarves truly are! The noble people of Durin! HAHAHAHAHA!"
He stopped laughing abruptly, staring at each dwarf intensely.
"Now then! The name of the world you will be going to—!?"
Mephisto suddenly stopped speaking and glanced at Ciri, his eyes twitching.Ciri instantly tensed up—she realized he had just noticed her.
Mephisto rubbed his own eyes, then looked back at Ciri again.He suddenly began counting the dwarves quickly.
"1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9… 36, 37, 38… 44, 45, 46!"
Mephisto froze in shock.The dwarves stared at him strangely.
"Forty-six!? There were supposed to be forty-five dwarves!"
He hurriedly pulled out the list, scanned through it wide-eyed, then muttered while staring at Ciri,
"But she isn't even a dwarf!"
Ciri had been trying to sit low and avoid attention since the beginning, shrinking her posture purposefully—but she'd been discovered.Mephisto grinned, half-angry, half-mischievous, then spoke in a threatening tone:
"We've got a stowaway rabbit aboard!"
Ciri jumped back, trying to put distance between them. Zoltan stood up anxiously and tried to explain.
"She came with me."
Mephisto simply snapped his fingers—Ciri instinctively tried to reach for her sword, but her arms didn't move. She felt something strange and looked down in shock.
Her hands were bound behind her back.Her legs were shackled tightly together. Chains wrapped around her entire body, from ankles to wrists, pinning her in place. She tried channeling her power to break free—but the chains completely suppressed it.
Ciri was stunned.
Meanwhile, Mephisto turned to Zoltan, curious.
"I'm sorry, what did you say?"
Zoltan stared at Ciri in panic—she had been restrained before even drawing her sword.If anything happened to her, he could never forgive himself, nor face Geralt again.
"She came with me! She can travel between worlds—and she's the adoptive daughter of a very close friend of mine. When she found out I was leaving, she threatened me and I had to bring her."
Mephisto studied the dwarf carefully, then pulled a parchment from his back pocket and checked the list again.
"Cori, Colt, Dumin… Kargan… wait—ZOLTAN CHIVAY!"
He stared at Zoltan in disbelief, then looked at Ciri—jaw dropping.He pointed at her dramatically with trembling fingers.
"CIRILLA FIONA ELEN RIANNON! PRINCESS OF CINTRA! DAUGHTER OF PAVETTA AND DUNY! GRANDCHILD OF CALANTHE! CHILD OF TIME AND SPACE!"
The dwarves stared at Ciri in shock—some frowned, clearly displeased with her heritage. Even Kargan stared blankly at Zoltan.
Mephisto, however, was trembling from excitement.
"FANTASTIC! BOMBASTIC! HAHAHAHA! THIS MEANS I'M FINALLY GOING TO MEET GERALT!"
Mephisto vanished from his spot and appeared beside Ciri, kneeling next to her, pulling out a camera.
"Smile! Cheeeese~!"
A flash erupted. Ciri froze in utter confusion.
Mephisto took a selfie with her, then proudly admired the photo.Ciri frowned.
"What did you just do?"
Mephisto smiled mockingly.
"Oh~ pardon, pardon! You don't have this kind of technology."
He showed her the picture.
"Think of it as a machine that paints pictures—but far better than anyone could!"
Ciri stared at the clear, sharp image in disbelief. In the picture, Mephisto was flashing a peace sign with a playful grin, while Ciri sat kneeling on the floor, chained from head to toe.
Mephisto shrugged, pulled out his memory album from his chest pocket, and slipped the photograph inside.
A nearby dwarf whispered to another,
"How does this guy fit all that stuff in his pockets…?"
The other dwarf only shrugged.
Zoltan rushed forward, pulled out his axe, and glared furiously at Mephisto.
"Let her go right now, you *******! Bastard!"
Mephisto looked at Zoltan sentimentally.
"Ohh, how touching. You never compromise your honor, Zoltan."
He pulled out a handkerchief, wiped his eyes dramatically, blew his nose, then snapped his fingers.
Zoltan's axe turned into a bouquet of roses.
Ciri and Zoltan both froze in disbelief.
Mephisto casually took the roses.
"Wow! You made me a rose bouquet? How adorable, little dwarf~"
He sniffed the flowers and winked. Zoltan shuddered.
Mephisto let out a theatrical sigh.
"I'd love to let her go, really—but if my boss finds out I released the stowaway rabbit, he might cut my yearly salary."
Ciri glared sharply.
"Who are you calling a rabbit!?"
Mephisto ignored her, pinched her cheek playfully, and grabbed his radio.
Click!
"Hello! Boss! We've got a runaway here."
A calm male voice answered:
"What now, Mephisto? Are you joking again?"
"Absolutely not, boss! I'm always serious! I was about to give these dwarves a lesson in history, but I noticed a white rabbit aboard! You'll never guess who she is!"
Ciri was about to object again—but Mephisto snapped his fingers and a carrot flew from the table straight into her mouth.
Zoltan rushed over to help her, stunned.
The man on the radio sighed.
"I don't have time for games, Mephisto. Our enemies are raiding and harvesting nonstop. If it's hostile, eliminate it. If not, erase the memory and return them home. Didn't you do the same with that lunatic Deadpool?"
Mephisto trembled at the mention of Deadpool. The only man he had ever found crazier than himself. He stunned him, erased his memories, stuffed him into a suitcase, and threw him into the Pacific Ocean in the Marvel world.
Mephisto cleared his throat.
"The girl arrived with a dwarf named Zoltan Chivay. She is Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon—the adopted daughter of the White Wolf, Geralt of Rivia."
The tone on the radio shifted instantly.
"What? The Child of Time and Space is here?"
Mephisto said proudly,
"Yes!"
"I see… Very well. Mephisto, grant Cirilla special privilege. She will attend the history lessons with the dwarves. But do NOT put her in the simulation—that stays exclusive to the dwarves. She may watch the simulation from outside. I have matters to deal with."
Mephisto stared in disbelief.
"That's it!? You accept that so easily!?"
"Yes. Consider that we already paid Zoltan an advance—and besides, we didn't do anything. Cirilla came here with her own power."
Mephisto frowned. He snapped his fingers, forming a soundproof barrier.The dwarves stared in surprise but kept silent.Thankfully, they were not the dwarves of Middle-earth—otherwise silence was impossible. These dwarves were far more patient.
Meanwhile, Zoltan was still desperately trying to remove the carrot from Ciri's mouth and undo the chains around her body.Kargan rushed to assist him.Inside the barrier, Mephisto spoke.
"That can't be the only reason. What happened?"
There was a moment of silence before the voice sighed.
"…The Asmodos race is about to breach the barrier surrounding Arda. Middle-earth, chaotic as it already is, is about to become a complete mess."
Mephisto narrowed his eyes.
"But there were supposed to be more than 480 years left. The barrier was forged with the soul of a Dragon King."
"The Raiders interfered."
Mephisto scowled deeper.
"What!? What happened to the treaty about no direct conflict or interference!?"
"Do you think they care? I've said since the beginning—it was a foolish treaty… but a necessary one.If the two main groups went to war, the multiverse would collapse, and countless unpredictable phenomena would occur."
Mephisto sighed.
The organization known as the Raiders were not mere pirates—they were a dark force that harvested, enslaved, and consumed entire universes and dimensions.Mephisto's alliance, on the other hand, was the exact opposite—a coalition of Guardians.
The two factions had battled for hundreds of thousands of years.
Mephisto asked again:
"How much time does Igris have?"
A pause. Then:
"…Approximately 150 years."
Mephisto cursed sharply. One-hundred-fifty years might sound long to a human—but not in Arda. Not in its current state.
"This is not good,"
Mephisto muttered.
"The Asmodos may not be overwhelmingly powerful individually—but overall, they are still stronger than those of Arda. If the first Reincarnator hadn't arrived in that world when he did, Arda might have already fallen."
The voice sighed again.
"Yes. The dragon race unrelated to Morgoth himself—he was the one who originally brought them into Arda. He spread the use of aura. He planted the first World Tree there."
Mephisto frowned again.
"Yes, but he also caused drastic changes in that world. I'm not complaining, but many races migrated there because of the portal explosion he caused, and settled there."
"Yes."
"So, dear boss—what's the plan? Igris can't stand against an invasion before he forms his own army. Even with his hybrid nature, he's still a baby. Sauron and his followers are still active. Sauron learned from his last defeat—he's executing several secret plans simultaneously. And we can't interfere directly because of dimensional laws and the treaty."
"I know. But we can exploit the loopholes in the System. I will send four people to assist him. But we must do it periodically… If we're noticed, there will be consequences."
Mephisto chuckled and asked,
"There's another problem, isn't there?"
"Yes… let's just say the interference has caused the monster population in Arda to increase significantly."
Mephisto sighed heavily.
"Understood. I hope you resolve it. I'll take care of things here—we'll meet later."
"Agreed."
Mephisto turned off the communicator and dissolved the barrier. He smiled, looking at the waiting dwarves—and at Ciri, whose mouth was still stuffed.
He snapped his fingers, and Ciri was freed. She rubbed her arms in shock—the chains had been painfully tight, suppressing her chaos energy completely.Each time she tried to use her power, the chains burned her.
Mephisto grinned.
"YES! GOOD NEWS FOR YOU, LITTLE BUNNY! THE BOSS GAVE YOU SPECIAL TREATMENT! HAHAHA!"
Ciri frowned.
"Why?"
Mephisto shrugged.
"Let's say the boss is doing Igris a favor. He thinks you could be his assistant. But just so you know, since you're a stowaway, you won't be eligible for the official offer."
Ciri sighed—she expected as much. Still, there were people she wanted to see.
Her mood dropped, but Mephisto tried to recharge her energy in his usual mocking tone:
"Now then, little bunny—please sit.It is time for the history lesson."
Ciri scowled.
"Don't call me a bunny."
Mephisto snickered.
Zoltan stepped in front of Ciri and glared.
"What did you discuss with your boss?"
Mephisto shrugged.
"Private matters! Now, let's sit. It's going to be a long day."
All the dwarves quietly moved into position and waited.
Mephisto sat down, sipping his tea calmly.
"Now then~ since we dealt with the little bunny, let's return to our actual subject."
Ciri frowned again—she hated that nickname, but considering what had just happened, she kept quiet. She understood she could not oppose Mephisto.He did not radiate a threatening aura—yet Ciri's instincts screamed at her.The way he suppressed her uncontrolled power so casually had shocked her deeply.
Mephisto cleared his throat and spoke—this time more seriously.
"Now. Where shall we begin? Ah! Yes. Let's start with the First Ages."
He snapped his fingers.A projection unfurled in the air, like a floating curtain.The dwarves and Ciri stared in amazement.
"Do not worry—you will later receive the necessary knowledge directly into your minds. But first, we must cover certain preliminary subjects. Otherwise the data influx would fry your brains. Knowing the basics makes the transfer easier."
The dwarves gawked at him.
"Fry our brains…!?"
"ARE YOU MAKING FUN OF US!?"
Their outrage was justified. Ciri glanced nervously at Zoltan. He stayed silent—he had weighed the risks and accepted them. Besides, he didn't want to antagonize Mephisto because of Ciri. He understood the privilege Ciri was being granted—and he did not want to lose it.
He looked at Kargan. Kargan stared steadily at Mephisto, awaiting quietly.He would not be stopped—not after seeing the possibility of being reunited with his wife and child.
Several other dwarves shared the same resolve and remained silent.
Mephisto clapped his hands, shutting them all up.
"I assure you, our methods are completely safe. In hundreds of years, we haven't fried a single brain. Now, please—silence. We have lost enough time."
As he finished speaking, he was smiling, but a faint threatening aura leaked out.The dwarves and Ciri froze—some went pale, others trembled. For the first time, Ciri genuinely felt threatened.
Once everyone fell silent, Mephisto returned to normal and continued:
"Now then—The history of the Dwarves of Arda goes far back. But their true records are written in their own tongue—Khuzdul—and are rarely shared.However, what is known is this: the dwarves originate from seven fathers. These fathers awoke at different times and founded different clans.Each established their own 'house.' The most renowned among them are the Longbeards—the folk of Durin. They would later build the great kingdoms of Erebor, Khazad-dûm, and beyond."
As he spoke, scenes appeared on the floating screen. The dwarves listened in awe. Zoltan observed neutrally and quietly.
Mephisto continued:
"The first to awaken was Durin I—later called Durin the Deathless. His life lasted far longer than the others, and it is believed that he was reborn in later ages. Durin's folk carved out Khazad-dûm deep in the heart of the Misty Mountains. For thousands of years, it was the greatest and richest of all dwarven kingdoms."
Images shifted. The dwarves were stunned. Their own world had nothing comparable—or so they believed.
Kargan's eyes glimmered faintly.
Mephisto pressed on:
"The remaining six fathers traveled eastward and northward, founding their own lines. Among them were the Firebeards, Broadbeams, Ironfists, Stiffbeards, Blacklocks, and Stonefoots. Each founded mines and cities in different mountain ranges. However, these six houses never achieved the same prominence as Durin's folk throughout history."
Mephisto paused, took a refined sip of his tea, and bit into a slice of meat before continuing.
"The dwarves have always loved mountains, stone, and metal. They built their homes deep beneath the earth, carved into solid rock. Their favorite metal was mithril—a silvery substance that held its own inner light. Difficult to shape, but the items crafted from it were so beautiful and indestructible that other races believed them magical. To the dwarves, however, it was simply craftsmanship—sacred craftsmanship."
The dwarves of the Witcher world nodded in agreement—except for the home-underground part.
Still, they listened eagerly—because before them lay the glorious history of dwarves…
…and soon, they would meet their kin from that world.
---
Author's Note: Don't worry! We're not going full multiverse or anything like that! At most, we might raid the Asmados' planet—that's it! I don't have any plans to send everyone hopping into random worlds. I just wanted to show you a little glimpse of the people behind the System.
Also, Mephisto and his organization will appear in a few of the fanfics I'm planning, but only three of them will actually interact with them directly.
In my stories, when there's a System involved or when a character gets new features—for example, if their bloodline evolves—but there's no system, then you can assume that was the organization's doing.
In these chapters, I just wanted to give you a bit of insight into the source behind the System.
Our main focus will always remain Arda—Middle-earth.
Honestly, if everything goes according to plan, the total chapter count will be at least 500+, and at most 2500+. If I can pull that off, it'll probably be one of the longest Middle-earth-themed fanfics ever written...
…well, assuming nothing happens to me on the way. 😅