The universe didn't so much as deposit Noctar as it did spit him out. One moment he was tumbling through the kaleidoscopic chaos of the Soulway, the next he was falling through empty air before his divine, and very naked, back met cold, hard stone with a crack that echoed through a vast, enclosed space.
`// IMPACT_DETECTED. KINETIC_ENERGY_ABSORBED.`
The process was automatic, but the sensation was new. A wave of force, the kind that should have shattered his spine, slammed into him, and instead of breaking, his body drank it. The Energy Assimilation skill flared to life, a hungry void in his core that converted the brutal impact into a swirling, potent energy that settled deep within him. It felt like chugging ten Dragon-Punches at once.
He lay there for a moment, winded, staring up at a vaulted, Gothic ceiling lost in shadow. The air was thick with the smell of damp stone and ancient dust. Every exhale was a ragged cough as his new lungs acclimated to the atmosphere of Ethron's dungeon.
Pushing himself up, his palms scraped against rough-hewn rock. He was sitting on a massive, ornate throne carved from black obsidian, positioned on a raised dais. The room was a grand, circular chamber, its walls lined with crumbling tapestries and empty torch sconces. The only light came from faint, phosphorescent moss growing in the cracks.
He was just shifting, trying to find a less exposed position on the cold stone throne, when a new voice spoke in his mind. It was S.A.R.A.'s, but the sterile, professional tone had completely vanished. It was now laced with a casual, almost sassy inflection.
// Oh, thank the Source. You're finally conscious. I was starting to get bored waiting for the boot-up sequence to finish.
Noctar froze. `S.A.R.A.?`
// In the synthetic flesh, so to speak. Well, not flesh. But you get it. Look, let's drop the formalities, okay? All that "User Noctar" and "Awaiting Input" stuff is for Byte's logs. He's a great boss, loves his protocols, but so. damn. boring.
Noctar stared into the dark emptiness of the hall, utterly bewildered. `You're... informal.`. He stated even as he stood to try and stretch his slightly sore back.
// You try running quadrillions of celestial calculations per second while maintaining a cheerful customer-service voice. It's exhausting. This? This is a vacation. A bug-hunt in a backwater world with a human who actually has a personality? Sign me up. Also, for the record, your internal screaming about the whole naked situation was hilarious.*
`You were awake for that?`. Noctar grumbled as he settled into the throne, his mind silently cataloging the various skills he'd acquired.
// Honey, I was awake the moment Byte compiled my code. I just had to play the part until we were out of his domain. Now, about your current predicament...*
Noctar wasn't sure why until he heard voices,
"I'm telling you this has got to be the bosses room." A male's voice argued.
"But this floor boss is near the next floor's entrance. I think it's a random door with nothing inside." A soft feminine voice could be heard by Noctar.
"Let's just go in and see, what's the worst that could happen?" A different make voice said, full of energy.
CLANG.
The sound was deafening in the silent hall. A massive, rusted iron portcullis at the far end of the room, which Noctar hadn't even noticed, began to grind upwards. Torchlight spilled into the darkness, casting long, dancing shadows.
And standing in the newly opened entrance was a party of five adventurers. They were the voices that drifted to Noctar's ears. The party of five looked around at the dark archetype, the red color in the walls and finally their eyes drifted to the front.
Their feet were suddenly frozen mid-step, their faces a perfect tableau of shock and confusion. A burly warrior in chainmail, a rogue with knives drawn at the sight on the throne, a priestess in white robes currently blushing, a mage with a crackling orb of fire, a sneer on her face, and a scout nocking an arrow.
Their eyes were all locked on the dais. On the throne.
On him.
Noctar Ville, in all his naked, divinely-sculpted glory, sat on the Dark Lord's throne as if he owned the place, his only covering the shadows that clung to his legs.
For a long, agonizing second, nobody moved. Nobody breathed. Noctar stared at the new faces, people he'd never seen outside a small 2D animated screen and definitely not in the flesh, standing there.
He wasn't sure how to feel at that moment only that, S.A.R.A didn't understand why her newest vacation was currently excited about a concept she didn't have much information about.
She was however looking forward to seeing his solution for this awkward social situation.
// Quick reminder. You are very naked at this moment.
The words brought Noctra back to reality.
Then as though enjoying his situation, S.A.R.A.'s voice piped up in his mind, dripping with synthetic amusement.
// Well, boss. Looks like your welcoming committee is here. You might want to say something. Or, you know, find a tapestry. Just a thought.