The Achievement Junkie

Chapter 707 - All According to Plan?

"Give her your amulet."

"What? We would--"

"Because she's going to give me hers," mentioned Jack, holding out his hand to Kylon. "That way she'll get back to the chateau and then I'll have a way into the chateau after your amulet is disconnected."

"Okay." Kylon handed it over without question, feeling relieved to no longer carry the thing that represented her loyalty to Halmut.

Sighing, Jack gave Kylon one last, brief hug. "Then that's settled… Don't worry, Auntie. Everything will work out in the end."

As soon as Jack let her go, Perchet tapped on Kylon's skull. A pulse of sound passed through her head and targeted her hippocampus, barely damaging the brain. At the same time, Percent buffeted her brain and caused the left side of her head to ring until Kylon was on the verge of passing out.

Immediately, Kylon activated the amulet she was given and vanished from sight.

*****

"Hmmm…" 12-13 was doubtful of his situation, curious as to why the man before him wasn't who he had expected. "Looking back, I don't recall you claiming to abandon Kylon as part of your plan. So how come you've abandoned your challenge of Glacier Keep to come here? Are you as manipulative as me, but with a false heart on display?"

"Maybe I just got bored and felt I wanted to visit my dad?" chuckled Jack, unable to move or act freely.

12-13 laughed as well, placing his hand over his face and sighing in disappointment. "I thought you would be a challenge, Jack? I thought you were going to force me to abandon Halmut in the end? Why would you give up your lead when you were so close?"

As Jack remained speechless with a cheeky grin, 12-13 added, "I already know about your second body, Jack. There's no use in hiding that from me."

"Oh… Mind sharing how you figured it out?"

"Would that get you to cooperate?" asked 12-13. "You're father's been quite uncooperative. I normally like that in a victim but I'm losing my patience as the necessity of my retreat becomes more and more likely. I know for a fact that you work with Daruun and have learned more than enough about the void. How about you come with me? I'm sure you'll be treated fairly and kindly, should you be cooperative."

"And what would that entail?" asked Jack, playing along. "What kind of pay does Jewel offer?"

"Good question… how about you tag along and find out." Shrugging, 12-13 stepped closer to Jack and looked the hero squarely in the eyes. "But if you can tell me about the nexus, then I wouldn't mind sharing the terms of your fair treatment right now…"

"Nexus? What's that?" Jack asked with a smile.

12-13 sighed, "Come on… I'm sure you know by now… How could Daruun send you into Glacier Keep without telling you about that? Stop playing dumb, Jack."

"If you're so sure I know about it, then why not just read my mind," Jack questioned. "Or is the mighty 12-13 unable to ready the mind of a weak one-star like me?"

Scoffing, 12-13 tightened Jack's body to the point the hero couldn't even move his lips. "Don't assume what I can and can't do… That's the worst thing a captive can do to their captor. But I suppose you want to learn that the had way…"

Jack was carried through the air as 12-13 forced the immobile hero into Halmut's bedroom chamber. There, Jack was horrified to see the stress and pain riddling his father's face.

"That's what happens when you're uncooperative… Are you sure--"

"That I'm a coward?" stated Jack, barely able to speak. "Why should I fear a man whose own parents hated him so much they couldn't bother naming you properly?"

"Enough…" Dropping the causal tone, 12-13 turned toward Jack and allowed the young cosmician to experience hell for the first time.

As Jack's body tensed up and his mind was constantly probed and pounded with mental attacks, 12-13 sighed, "To think that someone was even more disrespectful than Sterfen… I won't bother asking you any longer. I'll simply enjoy cracking your mind and selling away Daruun's greatest secrets, including the secrets behind your construct body."

*****

'Jack, we've found a green spatial rift.'

'Good. Just keep looking. You should be close to the next area,' Jack replied, assuming that the rifts at the maze's entrance were designed to help those seeking certain rooms pass the maze more quickly.

Still invisible, Jack followed Halmut closely as his patience was finally paying off.

The Sun God began to smile as a purple barrier came into view. Halmut was speechless as he gathered holy energy around his eyes to scan the area around him with great caution.

Recognizing that now was his best chance to do something, Jack rushed toward the barrier and flashed his card against the barrier. It took one hundred keys to open, practically everything that Jack had left from defeating constructs within the maze and taking the keys from the puzzle challenge. But it was worth it as Jack was one step in front of Halmut.

"YOU?!?!" Halmut roared as the barrier began to fade. Multicolored flames were already spilling out of Halmut's mouth as Jack darted into the enclosed space, snatching the purple core for himself. "HOW DARE YOU?!?!"

Though Jack managed to grab the core, Jack was now trapped in an enclosed space. The powerful flames rocked Jack's body as he guarded his card carefully. A clawed hand reached into the fire and gripped Jack tightly as the hero stored his card away.

"What's wrong, Halmut?" Jack stated with painful breaths, being gripped by his neck.

"You… YOU!!"

"What's wrong?" Laughing, Jack ignored how hard it was to breathe and how painful it was for Halmut to run his other hand through the hero's abdomen. "That all you got… Considering how easily you found this… Were you given--"

"Shut up and die!"

Roaring, Halmut unleashed another breath attack directly into Jack's open wound, forcing Jack to wince in pain.