1,000,000 Karma: My Reward Is a Quiet Life-Chapter 89: Quantum Anomaly

Having his hand raised as the crowd showered him in praise as did the confetti, he reunited with his friends outside the colosseum. As soon as he entered the halls, he was jumped by both twins–

"Woah..." He reacted, though with a bit of exhaustion.

Astrid and Otto both embraced him, though somehow while the mage was more expelling her worry, the archer was utterly excited in the victory.

"You’re a champ! Seriously!" Otto said.

"Uuuee...I was worried," Astrid sighed.

After some assurance, he managed to free himself from their grasp with a laugh. While his companions shared in the triumph with him, he couldn’t help but feel the question gnawing at the back of his mind: "What happened beneath the arena?"

"Noah?" Otto called out, looking at him.

"You’ve been blanking out a bit. Are you alright?" Astrid asked.

"Well, it’s not surprising. That Sylvan was a tough opponent–you’re probably worn out," Rain theorized with a light exhale.

Noah dismissed their worries with a smile, though didn’t outright reject the idea, "I think I’m going to head to the infirmary, actually. Just to be safe, y’know?"

"That’s a good idea," Astrid agreed.

"Health is paramount!" Redrum shared his bountiful knowledge with vigorous nodding.

Agreeing to meet back at their suite, he walked the tunnels of the vast interior, holding the question on his mind like a mountainous burden.

’Maybe they’ll know something,’ he hoped.

Entering the healing quarters, the chamber was steaming like a sauna, with moist, pale tiles and sleek, white walls that made it almost entirely void of color. Atop beds that resembled pork buns, those in care relaxed, easing into the plump cushions.

Even just being inside the room, he could feel his tired muscles being soothed by the gentle warmth, as if being massaged by the air itself.

’What is this place...?’ He questioned.

Quietly, he approached the first bed, only to find the elven man was already awake, staring right at him.

"I thought you’d show up," Lamore tiredly said, sitting up as his tired bones cracked. "Congratulations, Champion." 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

"Thanks. News gets around fast, huh?"

"It’s hard not to hear that announcer through the walls," Lamore explained.

The elf was wrapped in bandages, though were quickly undone, showing only bruising and light lacerations beneath with minimal scarring. From what he could muster in his memory, Lamore was practically on death’s door last he saw.

"The healing here must be pretty effective, huh?" Noah asked.

"You can say that, for sure," Lamore confirmed. "It’s a Blessed Chamber. The little one is still asleep, so let’s not wake her."

Noah glanced over to one of the round beds a row down, seeing the tiny goblin fast asleep with a light snore. If anything, it looked as if Ogatrina was taking in the healing effects a bit too well.

"So, what do you remember?" Noah asked, leaning against the empty cushion behind him.

"It’s foggy for me, too, trust me," Lamore recalled, tapping his head. "But, there’s no mistaking that we encountered the Followers of Goetia, and that the Quantum Tomb was opened."

"--" Noah stayed quiet, recalling that much, at least.

The elf rubbed his sore arms with a quiet exhale, "I’m sure you’ve noticed it too, but it seems nobody besides the ones that were down there at the time of the tomb’s opening remember any attack."

It was on his mind since he found himself sitting in the waiting room: the atmosphere was far too jovial for what had transpired.

"That makes sense, looking back at it..." Noah said. "Did they leave our memory intact for a reason, you think?"

"I doubt it was by their own choice. I imagine it’s because we observed the Quantum Tomb," Lamore theorized, adjusting himself on the cushion.

"The Quantum Tomb...What is it, exactly?" Noah asked.

Of course, posing that question felt pointless as one look at the conflicted face of the elf told him he wasn’t alone in his ignorance.

"There’s no information on it," Lamore answered with complete honesty. "The only one who seemed to know about it was that man...Descartes."

That name immediately drew the bitter memories forth from his mind, remembering that smile that made his skin crawl as if a thousand maggots writhed on his body.

"Descartes...I couldn’t do anything to stop him," Noah lamented.

"Don’t kick yourself for that. Not a thing I could do either. Marquis like him are troublesome...You’d need the strength of a Saint to overcome one in open combat," Lamore admitted. "If you’re up for it, I’d like you to accompany me."

"Accompany you? Where?" Noah asked.

The elf stood himself up with a slight wobble, though declining a helping hand from the youthful champion as he balanced himself.

"To the tunnels beneath this place," Lamore answered as he managed to hold himself up with his recovering legs. "...More specifically, to the Quantum Tomb."

It felt wrong helping the clearly exhausted man out of the healing chambers, though he wasn’t going to deny the elven warrior’s wishes. He walked alongside Lamore, keeping an eye on his condition as the proud, long-lived man used the wall to catch his balance at times.

"I was thinking...You seem pretty knowledgeable about this cult," Noah brought up, glancing over.

Lamore kept his gaze forward, taking some strides before responding, "I have history with them. It’s been centuries since then, but...They took everything from me."

’Centuries?’ The sense of time dawned on Noah, only able to guess how far the activities of the nebulous group went back.

"I’ve made it my life’s purpose to track them down and destroy each follower. Let me be the first to tell you they’re crafty and elusive, to say the least," Lamore informed with a look of pure spite written on his face. "It’s not often they show themselves, but they’re there."

"The way you’re saying that..."

"It’s exactly what it sounds like," Lamore confirmed, looking at him. "These "people" blend in with those everyday faces you pass by. I wouldn’t doubt they had someone working inside this place, too."

"You’re really saying it goes that deep?" Noah asked for certainty.

In those empty, quiet halls built of ivory material, their words bounced off the walls, making them each cautious of who might hear their conversation. A bad situation only seemed to swell, imbuing the wind with a tinge of dread at the thought of what could’ve transpired.

After some walking, they both came to a stop at where the entrance into the abandoned tunnels beneath the arena were. There was nothing there, only a flat surface along the wall where a door should be.

"I’m not crazy, right? There was definitely a door here," Noah asked.

"Here," Lamore led, finding a loose panel in the wall.

It opened up, revealing the passage leading into the innards of the structure. Both men shared a look as if knowing they were venturing into a place that was likely prohibited, if not by legality than by nature.

Noah walked in front, descending the dim steps into the tunnel, "You’re still hurt, so if there’s a fight, I’ll handle it."

"What do you take me for, kid? I’m not helpless," Lamore protested, though didn’t exactly decline the kind offer.

It was impossible to know how much time had passed since the opening of the Quantum Tomb. While from their combined recollection the Championship round was two days after the quarter-finals, because of the sudden jump, it might’ve been longer than hours. The idea of confronting the cult made his skin crawl over with a chill, one that he’d never felt in his life.

’I’m fortunate enough to say I’ve led a pretty easy life. I never encountered murderers or things like that in my previous go at it...So, something like this is a shock to the system,’ he thought, keeping his eyes peeled while navigating the dark tunnels.

While he kept his fingers laced around the handle of his axe, waiting for even the subtlest sound, there was truly nothing but silence. He glanced back at the elven man, who gave him the same confused look, as if already having expected a fight to come to them.

Retracing his own steps, he found his way to the passage where he encountered the masked cultist, though there was no sign of a body. There wasn’t so much as a drop of blood, though looking at the walls, he found carvings along.

’The scissors,’ he thought.

"What is it?" Lamore asked.

"Nothing," Noah brushed off, continuing on the path.

The expansive network of tunnels led through a series of empty rooms before going through a downward slope next to old pillars. Through a lightless passage at the bottom, he entered, sensing a dreadful familiarity with the chamber–

"This is it," Lamore recalled behind him. "The Quantum Tomb is sealed in here."

As they both stepped through, Noah looked ahead at where he remembered the ancient chains being shattered. He stared, but couldn’t see it–there was nothing to be seen. A flat wall of rigid, gray stone stared back, housing nothing but erosion.

"It’s not there," Noah observed.