215: A Desire For Peace From A Vengeful Heart

A Desire For Peace From A Vengeful Heart

With her business on the 10th Floor done, Neve gave Aphria one more look before she walked through the portal. 

She was curious where she'd end up. Whether she'd be back in Starlight City or not. But, as Tamira said, they had to talk. 

And, predictably, that meant that as Neve walked into the portal, she ended up in a grey room with nothing inside of it. 

Nothing but one single chair sitting before a pole. 

Neve walked forward and sat down. 

"What? No bonus battle? No extra boss?" Neve asked. 

"Nope," Tamira replied. "Though, you could certainly think of this as one more test... In a way." 

Tamira appeared and flew to the pole, wrapping her body around it. 

"Neve Stephens," Tamira said with a grin. "Class: Priestess. Level 76, though you have not yet leveled up. You have beaten the Final Challenge. Not just that, however. You've also completed every Floor Quest! This means you get to do something that, perhaps, future victors will not be able to. You get to change one thing about the Final Challenge."

Neve heard the sound of unenthusiastic applause, though no one was around to make it. 

"Now, to be clear," Tamira quickly added, "I will only grant you your request if I deem it reasonable. So, if you ask for, let's say, to have no enemies within the Final Challenge, I will not grant you that request. Understand?" 

"I guessed as much," Neve replied, crossing her legs. 

"That should make this conversation a little bit faster, then. So, Neve. What do you want?" 

That was a loaded question if Neve had ever heard one. 

Perhaps it was for that reason that Tamira asked it. 

It was one that even since before Neve arrived at the Final Challenge, she'd been struggling to answer. Even before the Unity Trials began, Neve did not know what her purpose was. 

For better or for worse, though, Neve had been given an answer throughout this journey. 

She'd had this answer for a while. 

The only reason she'd been bothering to do these Floor Quests. 

"I want to change the reward for beating the Final Challenge," Neve declared. "That's all." 

"Oh?" Tamira tilted her snake-like head. "What do you mean by that?" 

"The current reward for completing the Final Challenge is that all monsters disappear for 10 years, right?" 

"Indeed. By the way, the monsters have already disappeared. So, there is no pressure on you. We can take our time with this discussion." 

Neve nodded. 

"Simple. Instead of 10 years, I want the reward for completing the Final Challenge to be for all monsters in my world to disappear permanently. That's my request." 

"Heh, so, effectively," Tamira quickly replied, "you want the next success at beating the Final Challenge to mean your world beats the Unity Trials? Because you know I'm not going to make that the reward for your success today, right?" 

"Pretty much, yeah." 

That had been Neve's idea. 

She could change other things, sure. The amount of EXP gained per monster kill, the amount of tokens, the penalty for killing other players, but this felt like the best option. 

"Interesting... Very well," Tamira replied, "let's negotiate on it. Firstly," Tamira continued, "if I do accept this request, I will be raising the difficulty of the next Final Challenge in order to compensate for the reward. It will be a lot harder than it was for you, Neve. Oh, and, of course, you will not be able to enter the Final Challenge again." 

Neve stopped. 

"Wait, what? Why?" 

"Like I showed you with Aphria," Tamira told her. "There is no unity if everyone just relies on you. Your will is unquestionable, Neve. I have come to understand that. I have no doubts that you could likely succeed at the next Final Challenge as well. But, your world wouldn't learn anything. Your world wouldn't change. People would just get lazy and say 'don't worry, Neve will handle it'. And, I will not allow that." 

Admittedly, Neve hadn't been expecting that specific restriction. 

But, it was one she was willing to accept, if it meant her request was passed. 

"Fine." 

"Also," Tamira continued, "if this is to go through, then to ensure the next Final Challenge is fair, you will not be able to donate tokens to any other players. You can still spend them at shops and all, but I don't want you giving someone in the Final Challenge all of your tokens to make things easier for them." 

Again, that had been something Neve wanted to do. So, it hurt to hear that Tamira thought of it, but Neve gritted her teeth and replied: 

"Sure." 

"Then it's settled!" Tamira replied gleefully. "Humanity's next Final Challenge victory will result in the permanent erasure of all monsters. But, of course, it will be made far, FAR more difficult to compensate. To be fair, I will leave dungeons open for players to go in and practice, and keep leveling up, but monster outbreaks themselves are paused. I must say," she looked at Neve with half-lidded eyes. "I'm surprised you didn't ask for something else." 

Neve crossed her arms. 

"Like what?" 

"Like killing me," Tamira grinned. "After all I've done to you, have you finally found forgiveness in your heart?" 

Neve smirked back at her. 

"Nope." She shook her head. "Not quite." 

"Oh?" Tamira unwrapped herself from that pole, hovering in front of Neve. "Care to let me know why you look so smug all of a sudden?" 

"Because," Neve said, inhaling sharply. 

It was time. 

"I'm going to do something to you that's just as bad as killing you and your superiors." 

That statement only made Tamira's curiosity grow even more intensely. 

"Which is?" 

Neve paused. For some dramatic effect, of course. Then, with complete certainty in her words, she said: 

"I'm going to make humanity boring as fuck." 

"..." 

Tamira burst out laughing. 

Her cackles filled the void they were currently in. She laughed so hard it sounded like she was having trouble breathing. 

And yet, Neve's face remained the same, looking back at her with the mirth of someone who knew something the other person didn't. 

"You're serious?" Tamira asked as the laughter subsided. 

Neve nodded. 

"Oh? Could you explain this to me? I am very curious what this is about," Tamira said. 

"I can't kill you," Neve said, shaking her head. "You and your superiors are higher beings or some shit. Anything I throw at you will pass right through your body. I know that," Neve said. "But, what I can do is make your lives miserable. Because I know what *you* want. What your kind watches humanity for."  1

Neve tilted her head. 

"Entertainment." With a hand under her chin, Neve kept going. "You watch us because it's fun. You put us in horrible situations because it's fun. You force us to fight and die to monsters because it's fun. So, a little while ago, I was wondering something. What if I could stop that from happening? What if I could make a world where no one suffers? Where monsters don't pose a threat? Where the people of Earth don't stab each other in the back at the first sign of conflict? Then, you'd have no fun. You'd be sadists who can't cause pain. You'd lose your minds, wouldn't you?" 

Tamira grew a little more serious, though she still had that usual grin on her face. 

"Before you continue, I should clear something up," Tamira told her. "I thought you'd realized it by now, but I guess you didn't. Neve," Tamira got closer. Closer enough to whisper into her ear. "I don't have any superiors." 

Neve pulled back. 

"It was a lie," Tamira said, giggling. "The assistant stuff as well. I only said that so the players would trust me. But, there are no 'superiors'. I am in control. I brought the Unity Trials to you. I, alone, am your opponent now, Neve. Is that clear?" 

"... Crystal," Neve replied, holding back the anger she felt. 

"Now... That is an interesting plan. I can see your logic, but, I have to be honest, I don't see how you'll manage such a thing." 

Neve stood up from her chair. 

"Watch me," Neve said. "I'll bring the whole world together. I'll reduce casualties, I'll make players better, I'll make humanity even stronger than Aphria's people were. All..." 

"All not because you care about others, or you want to make the world better," Tamira cut her off, "but..." 

"To mess with you," Neve replied, cutting her off as well. "And, who knows, maybe I'll bore you just enough to where you finally fuck off and leave Earth." 

Tamira narrowed her eyes with a grin. 

Then, she started laughing again. The warmth with which she looked down at Neve then made the healer almost squirm, but Neve stayed standing up firmly. She kept her eyes and Tamira's locked. 

The laughter eventually subsided. 

"... The entire way through, you've been the most interesting player I've laid my eyes on. Go ahead then," Tamira said, opening a portal behind herself. "Humanity is waiting for you. Tell them what you have in mind." 

"I will," Neve replied, walking over to the portal in a hurry. 

She stopped, however, at the last moment. 

"Oh, and, Tamira." 

"Yes?" 

"Fuck you." 

With those graceful words, Neve left that void, walking in, leaving behind an amused snake. 

That portal did not take Neve to another foreign world, this time. It did not take her to some hellhole filled with nightmarish creatures. But, instead, it took Neve back to that sectioned off zone she'd walked through at the beginning. 

There were only a handful of people here. 

Neve watched as a car arrived, bringing a few more. 

Players who likely noticed that the monsters disappeared were coming, all curious to see if their guesses were correct. 

And, Neve watched as tears slid down the faces of those who confirmed those suspicions. 

She took a deep breath. 

[... I'm out,] she thought, looking behind at a portal that wasn't activated anymore. A timer appeared, then, counting down the 10 years humanity had been granted. 

Neve did not relax just yet, though. 

She hadn't been bluffing. She intended to transform the world in its entirety, as it was the only way she could land a blow on Tamira. 

And, she was going to get right down to it. 

[Let's get started,] Neve thought, as she picked her phone up from her Inventory and called a certain journalist. [I have a lot to do.] 

"Hello? Neve?" Charlotte asked, on the other end of the line. Her voice alone communicated her feelings. 

"Yeah," Neve replied. "It's done." 

"..." 

Neve heard Charlotte inhale sharply. 

The emotion she felt upon hearing that was tangible. 

Neve, however, remained perfectly calm. 

Before Charlotte could say anything, Neve added: 

"Hey, could you help me set up a conference or something?" 

---

{Tamira}

"Well, there it is," the snake said to herself, returning to her pole. "What an entertaining individual." 

Everything Tamira assessed as she'd been watching Neve's journey unfold came true. 

A large part of why Tamira came up with the Unity Trials was for one simple reason. 

To better understand sentient beings. 

And, watching Neve, one thing had become clear. 

Neve as an individual had it in her to do great things. But, only on one condition. Only if she had an enemy. Only if she had a rival. Someone, or something, to take down. 

It was when Tamira realized this that she'd gone out of her way to make Neve hate her. Because, she guessed that when Neve killed Thomas, she would no longer have the drive to complete the Final Challenge. 

Unless she had an enemy. And, Tamira purposefully slotted herself into that role. 

Just to see how Neve would respond. 

[... Well,] Tamira thought, [you did it, Neve. There's just one more question. Now what? How will you prepare humanity for the next Final Challenge? How will you go about erasing conflict, like you wish to do? I suppose all I can do is float over your head and watch... Hehehe.] 

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