Overpowered Wizard-Chapter 273: B3: C63: I’m an Ultra God

“I’m still pissed at you, man,” Gilbert grumbled, trailing behind Zarian as they walked along the top of the two-mile tall wall. “We’ve talked about how you want to do better. You said you’d make up for the Darkrun Apocalypse and stay on a better path. You said you wouldn’t be like your little sister.”

Zarian nodded along, suspecting that Gilbert had more to say than just that.

As Gilbert muttered and bellyached to himself, not yet ready to come out swinging again, Zarian paid attention to the unique environment.

It was easy to forget how fantastic the World of Castles and Caverns could be. Zarian and the others had grown familiar with the way nature fused with stone formations of man-made castles, fortresses, gardens, statues, and such.

Finding something else breathtaking – like walking along the edge of a mega-wall, where an immense and dark ocean covered the direction east as far as the eye could see – was getting harder.

Zarian looked up as blocky thunderclouds clamored, reaching capacity, then bursting open. A deluge of rain fell on his bare torso and his unkempt and kinky hair. He didn’t bother summoning his hat, not yet, at least.

He didn’t bother using Aura Mastery to stop the rain from soaking his uncovered upper body. The legendary magic in his dark elven pants and boots kept them dry and warm, almost a little toasty, making them a comfortable fit.

Para played around in the rain, flicking in and out of mundane view, taking on different forms. Sometimes she would be more like a shapely humanoid woman with no face. Sometimes she would become a monstrous hydra-like creature with over a dozen snake heads.

Sometimes she would become something akin to Medusa from Greek legend, with many scaly, claw-tipped hands, one big serpentine lower body, and a large torso and head that towered over both Zarian and Gilbert.

Every time she faded into view and became more corporeal, she would sometimes stop the falling rain. Then, when she faded out of view and became incorporeal, the rain would come crashing back down again.

Zarian smiled a little, enjoying the constant shapeshifting and play of his closest companion.

He adored Bianca. He admired Hannah. He appreciated Gilbert. He loved Naomi. But when he thought about Para, he treasured her as much as he treasured himself.

I think it’s time I step up just a little more, Zarian thought. I think it’s time I try to grow as a person. Be the person I want to be.

Zarian came to a stop near the corner. He had the fathomless ocean to his left and the largest break in the wall to his right.

Immense oceanic swells thousands of feet tall crashed into the wall below. The breaking waves sent sea sprays shooting up in great geysers that reached the top of the wall.

Sweeping winds carried the briny scent of the ocean and whipped about the thundering rain above.

Or maybe I should stop treating myself as a mere person, Zarian thought critically. Maybe there’s something in Ariana and Luciana’s approach that has a few nuggets of truth that I’m not acknowledging.

Para stayed invisible and incorporeal for a longer stretch than usual. Then her voice hissed through Zarian’s mind.

This is an intriguing angle, a philosophy you haven’t employed. How will you incorporate the ways of ultra gods for the better, my dearest host?

Para was clearly all for it.

Zarian’s lion tail swept from side to side with more perkiness. Para reappeared again with a more stable form, solidifying into something more corporeal, more weighty. She slithered around as a single thick-bodied snake that could swallow a man whole and wrapped her slightly translucent dark red form around Zarian protectively.

Rearing up, she aimed her serpentine head down at Gilbert, her fork tongue flicking casually. She didn’t have to say anything to show her support of Zarian.

Regardless of her newfound power as a phantom, she was still his parasite, a skill that was supposed to kill and consume the user. Yet, she remained his closest supporter. She knew who she would always stand beside.

“I’m disappointed with you, Zarian,” Gilbert said. “People died because of the nonsense with the moons and all that world shaking you did only a week ago. You did what you said you wouldn’t do. You gave in to the evil inside of you and your little sister.”

Zarian remained standing on the edge, facing the dark and nebulous ocean while also looking over the biggest breaks in the two-mile tall wall. Roaring rainwater cascaded down into the gap like waterfalls. Crashing ocean waves hurled white foaming sprays through the gap and into the island region within the wall.

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Something monstrous, bigger than even Shadowfell’s Toy Knight +1, lurked in the nearby depths. The latest doomsday creature was moving with an army of monsters that could wipe out the entire kingdom once they breached the break in the wall. Zarian let them be for now, more focused on the words he wanted to say.

“You know … I was afraid of hearing your disappointment,” Zarian said. “But I’m not so afraid anymore. I’m ready to acknowledge it and move forward.”

Gilbert grunted loudly over thundering rain and breaking ocean waves. The man shifted around with pent up anger growing inside of him.

“So, does that mean you’re becoming what your little sister wants?” Gilbert accused. “God help us all, then. God help me. I can’t even keep up the front like the others if that’s how you turn up. Yeah, sure, the ladies will change their mind real quick for you. But I got to stand on what I believe in, man, and I can’t be your friend and joke around if this is how you’re going to be.”

Still facing away from Gilbert, Zarian decided it was time to hit back. “Can you do this better than me?”

“Pardon me,” Gilbert muttered.

Para let out a monstrous hiss that was louder than the rain and the ocean. Then she went silent, knowing not to speak for Zarian during this most touching time.

“If you had Overwhelming Darkness, would you do better with it than me?” Zarian asked.

No words. No response. Through the rain, Zarian could hear Gilbert shifting ever so subtly as he struggled to come up with something.

Zarian kept going. “Maybe that’s too vague of a thought experiment. Let me paint you a picture, Gilbert McDonald. Let’s say it was you who turned out to be the son of ultra gods and was hearing the voice of your evil little sister. Would you, with how you grew up, be able to handle the responsibility and the burden that comes with having Overwhelming Darkness?”

“You haven’t been able to,” Gilbert said. “You’ve failed countless times. For who knows how many times with all those loops.”

“So, are you saying you would do better?” Zarian turned slightly to look at Gilbert.

Regardless of the darkness, the rain, and the clouds fogging their vision at this high altitude, Zarian’s void-like gaze remained a dominant presence that even Gilbert could clearly feel. The man, despite having free for real +5, and all of his buffs that included Willpower, shivered in response to Zarian’s gaze.

“I can’t say that I would,” Gilbert muttered. “I can’t say much at all about how I would handle it if it was me. I’d probably failed more times than I can count. But God damn me if I don’t say something, because if this is your attempt to silence me, it isn’t gonna work. I’m not the one with all of that power, but I’m here to help serve the Big G’s purpose.”

“My purpose,” Zarian said.

“Don’t you dare, Zarian.”

“Actually, Gilbert, I’m going to dare. Because let’s be real with each other. I think half the problem is I’m not acknowledging a part of what Ariana and Luciana are trying to say. And that is … I am bigger than any god that we can mundanely understand. Most likely bigger than the Big G you’re so fond of.”

Gilbert tensed like he was getting ready to fight. The one thing that held him back was the deep gaze of Zarian’s darkened eyes.

Zarian rolled his shoulders and tried to relax as he continued.

“I know how big I am. I know how big I can get. I spent countless years with myself, a harrowing memory that is probably the main reason the Funnest Granpapa didn’t erase memories. It wasn’t for everyone else. It was for me to remember what I’ve done and what I’ll become and what it’s like to be an out-of-control devourer of worlds, galaxies, universes, multiverses, systems, gods, primordials, and more. I still remember the first bite between my dark teeth, and how this world went ‘crunch’ like a piece of cereal, and how all of you died.”

Heart racing, Zarian snapped his finger.

“Just like that. The world ended. You all died. Then I kept spreading and consuming until I broke the System, freed Ariana from her dragon body, and rode out with her and Luciana to conquer dimension after dimension. So, yes, Gilbert, I will dare. It is because of my purpose that you are here. Not to serve. Not even to play as merely a healer. But to grow with me, because even with all the power I have, I’m still unable to control it all.”

Zarian sighed. “I remember how I tried to fight it with all of my might, and outright failed each time. I remember the loneliness. And the sense of weakness and the temptation to give up. And I fear what will happen if I fail again. Because we don’t know the true nature of these loops. We don’t know if we’ve restarted again and again, or if the loops work by other means. We don’t know because of my lack of control and my inability to succeed, which is my weakness, my flaw, and my fault as an ultra god.”

“I don’t worship you,” Gilbert muttered, his body slacking, the tension leaving him. “And my God is a perfect God.”

“I don’t care if you worship me or not, and I will acknowledge that I’m far from perfect. But I’m right here in front of you, aren’t I?” Zarian tilted his head, his dark gaze weighing even heavier on Gilbert. “So, I’m not tiptoeing around the subject anymore. I’m a freaking Ultra God. And a lot of things revolve around me, even if not everything.”

Zarian turned away slightly. “With all of that said, want to see my Three Percent Darkness that I nearly lost control of? That’s the reason the moons got smashed. I nearly put the universe in jeopardy again and cost Ruvaria an arm and an eye. Things could’ve been worse. So, I’m curious to see if I can do it better now after I did some training.”

Zarian summoned his Intense Arcana Hat +1 and began to unseal his darkness.

Gilbert’s defiant stance crumbled and shifted into a worried one. Eyes widening, he tried to step in, throwing himself hard and fast to intervene.

All of those buffs from his many abilities, especially when he was in the middle of a rescue – such as the one the universe might need – made him extremely fast and strong. Maybe faster and stronger more consistently than everyone else, except for Naomi.

He closed the distance and nearly reached Zarian before the wizard could finish hand signing and chanting. He couldn’t stop the process, however, since Para interjected herself with a quick cast of the classic Quagmire Pit fused with Void Domain.

Gilbert could only move so fast while the ground under him became a sinkhole into nothingness. He did have the benefit of Para going easy on him while also having a lasso he could summon for wrangling the spell.

The golden rope and loop went taut, and the sinkhole of nothingness squeezed close to being shut, popping him free and back on solid ground.

“Zarian, no, I’m sorry for coming at you like I know it all! I don’t understand your perspective, but don’t take this out on everyone else!” Gilbert shouted, knowing he was too late. “Zarian, no!”

When Zarian finished unsealing Three Percent Darkness, every source of darkness grew attentive to the demands of their master.

The thundering rain cleared away, because the darkness pushed it aside. The ocean became still, because the darkness stopped all motion in the depths. The darkness in the skies dimmed out the light from the stars and the broken moons.

The darkness in everyone’s homes expanded, choked out all of their lights of fire and magic, silenced their cries of fear, and embraced them. The darkness blossomed, expanded, and took over miles and miles of ocean, sea, and islands.

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The darkness waited, with an eager hunger, bowing and scraping to the son of Ultra Gods, hoping he would unleash the true terror of the unfathomable darkness. The darkness almost seemed to pray to Zarian for him to unleash himself and bring another apocalypse across the stars and many realities beyond.

The temptation to do so, while at the center of his overwhelming power, was so great that Zarian nearly buckled. But he didn’t do ten days of dark cultivation and cursed aura training for nothing.

He breathed in. He breathed out. He pushed and pulled while under a great strain that wanted to rip apart his mortal container and free what was inside of him.

Zarian refused.

Zarian fought his darkness. Zarian slipped, stumbled, then caught himself, and regained control. He struggled and struggled, but he remained at the helm of it all, providing him just enough leeway to pull off a few moves.

He cast Void Domain and Void Waltz while tapping his foot rhythmically, pulling Hannah all the way from the capital to the two-mile wall overlooking the east of the Windy Strider Kingdom.

She didn’t fight the process. In fact, she gave herself to his power. Upon appearance, she immediately went to work on the wall with nothing more than a brief exchange of information through the spider network.

Zarian would focus on her later. First, he peeled away his darkness that had Gilbert wrapped up.

Then Zarian spoke with a voice that resounded from everywhere, reaching halfway across the world. It was a voice so loud and godly, the only known equivalent they had was something straight out of biblical text.

“Gilbert, I’m not saying your belief is wrong. I’m saying that my belief, as of now, is at the center of things. I’m saying that my belief, as of now, is the one I must uphold and believe in before I could do better at dealing with my flaws. Because if I keep bowing my head and acting any lesser than what I truly am, then it’s easy to make the same mistakes again and again with a power that you cannot even fathom nor appreciate.”

Zarian slid close, right up to Gilbert, looking up into the bigger man’s face from a shorter height. “I’m not a fallen angel. I’m not a mere devil. I’m not some idiotic kid. I can be fallen. I can be devilish. I can be idiotic. But first and foremost, I’m an Ultra God. And I must embrace that before I can be a better version of an Ultra God, the one who must lead my little sister, my annoying wife, and all those who are free to follow me.”

Gilbert opened and closed his mouth. He tried to utter another word, but he couldn’t. He fell silent, having nothing more to say, and that was a fine answer of itself.

Zarian needed to hurry onward. He couldn’t endure the pressure Three Percent Darkness had on his body and spirit any longer. The blighty inside of his soul waged a war against its container to break free while channeling this much darkness.

Turning toward the ocean, Zarian focused.

Through the nearly impenetrable darkness, a half mile tall titan with a fish head and a man-like body waded through the water. Large glassy eyes turned toward the break in the wall that Hannah was working on fixing. With each immense stride, the titanic monster drew closer quickly, while leading a pack of ravenous monsters behind it.

The titan itself was a Master Ranker at Level 140. The many monsters following behind it were also Master Rankers in the Level 120s. There were too many of those for anyone to fight without some preparation time. Unless they had an overwhelming power like Zarian’s darkness.

“It would be easy to just win every fight just like this,” Zarian said, aiming his hand. “But then I’ll lose what matters most … seeing the people I cherish grow greater along with me.”

Darkness from below. Darkness from above. Darkness from all around. The many shades of darkness gathered into an orb the size of a softball that was blacker than black in front of Zarian’s outstretched hand.

Then with a single flex of his power, Zarian released the charge and darkened everything that was in front of him with a torrent of darkness and force that he propelled forward through sheer guts, protecting the wall and everyone on it from his own overwhelming power.

Just like that, Zarian wiped out over a thousand Master Rankers and accrued three more levels, hitting Level 123.

By the time he sealed away his darkness, the vastly wide and horizon-reaching scar Zarian had left across the ocean floor was getting refilled with rushing water that got blown away for miles in all directions.

Nothing remained of the monster army that had tried to take advantage of the breach. To anyone witnessing it, the scope of the display was so astounding it was hard for most mortals to grasp.

Gilbert remained silent for quite some time, while Zarian gave the destruction of over a thousand monsters in the Master Ranks his brief attention.

He wore a bored expression on his face.

“I don’t want the achievements,” Zarian declared. “There was no real challenge. No real satisfaction. It was just an execution. I would’ve rejected the experience if it wasn’t automatic.”

The Star System replied with a public notification box.

<I cannot, milord. Per my parameters, an achievement must be given.>

Zarian huffed. “Star System, you unruly thing. I suppose I’ll have to take it.”

The achievement, Peak Lesser World Massacre, rewarded Zarian another Divine Revival Charm. The golden medallion dangled from his fist with a circle of colorful jewels embedded in its face, every facet glimmering in the dark with divine power.

He already knew who should get it.

Glancing up, Zarian noticed the public notification lingering longer than usual.

Zarian arched an eyebrow. “Do you have anything else to say?”

<Your origins have been updated and now includes ‘Ultra God.’>

“What do these titles mean in our origins? Do they have anything to do with our Feats of Adventure?”

<I cannot explain. That goes against my main parameters.>

“What are your main parameters?”

<I cannot say. That goes against my main parameters.>

Zarian flashed a toothy smile. “Excellent. You aren’t a complete lapdog. You may go.”

<Yes, milord.>

Zarian smiled as the notification boxes winked out. He looked up at a clear night sky with twinkling stars and broken moons. He kept smiling even as his body tore up and failed him.

Despite all of his training, he still had to lean heavily on using Lion Prince to control causality at the price of his own health. That way, he could call up Three Percent Darkness and seal it away without Ruvaria’s assistance.

It was still a step forward in progress, but it was a reminder of how long of a road he had to travel to control his overwhelming power.

Para became more corporeal, more solid, while coiling around him to hold him up as his body failed him. Blood poured profusely from the tears in his flesh before a powerful healing force stymied the bleeding, fixed up his vitality, and rejuvenated his broken body even while up against the negative odds of Lion Prince.

Gilbert strode over, hands on his hips, his eyes set on the crashing ocean waters and spinning whirlpools where Zarian had excavated the sea floor all the way to the horizon.

“I think my God is real,” Gilbert said.

“He probably is,” Zarian replied.

“I believe in him and his son who died for my sins. But … I guess there are more out there that I don’t know. I’ll have to keep journeying and learning and praying.” Gilbert let out a long breath. “And I have to do better, too, instead of speaking the platitudes of a hypocrite from my glass castle.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“I think it’s about time I abstain from a few things and finally take up meditation with Bianca. Or just prayer while she’s meditating,” Gilbert said. “Who am I to judge? It ain’t my place. Not my place whatsoever. It’s my place to help as best I can. So, yeah, I need to become better, too.”

“Don’t we all?” Zarian smiled, Para’s serpentine body uncoiling from around her host.

Mostly healed up, Zarian offered his hand and clapped it against Gilbert’s before firmly grabbing on.

The Ultra God and the Christian looked into each other’s eyes firmly before breaking away to go about with the rest of their night. Zarian remained near the edge while Gilbert strode off to find the rain slicked staircase leading down to the walled city hanging below.

With the Rescue Ranger out of focus, Zarian centered his attention on Hannah, who was almost finished filling the largest break in the wall with her many craft-orientated abilities. With a simple mental nudge on the spider network, Hannah gave away all the new abilities she’d earned.

Zarian eagerly reviewed them in his head.

Hannah had combined the traits Lore Eater (Epic), Unstoppable Research (Epic), Hell Rune Reader (Epic) for an ability that felt like a kindred spirit to Zarian’s own uncanny traits. It was to where Zarian wondered if Hannah was mirroring him a little, and if she was, it was fitting.

<Eldritch Analyst (Legendary): Your insatiable hunger for knowledge is scary. Through your aura, you can easily absorb more information from people, things, and places, sometimes by force, if you must. Your mind is both weirdly twisted and nearly impregnable, blending all you’ve learned in unique ways. You also get +75% to Willpower and Wonder when this is in effect.>

She’d also combined the traits Warcraft Master (Legendary), Destruction Mistress (Legendary), and Hell Crafter (Legendary) for another ability that was scary on Hannah. Now there was really no doubt why Hannah could eliminate twenty thousand adventurers so easily and be considered a frightening tyrant.

<Mass Destruction Designer (Mythical): Regardless of what runes you use, heavenly or hellish, you are scarily effective at making destructive crafts. Your Willpower, Agility, Wonder, and Mysticism all get +100% boost when creating and using weapons of mass destruction.>

Third, for traits, she’d combined Runic Mystic Intensity (Epic), Runic Inventive Genius (Epic), Masterful Artificing Uplift (Mythical) into another ability that made Zarian smile further. The buffs from this alone should place her at the peak of most crafters.

<Savant of Runes and Crafts (Mythical): Masterful. Genius. Inventive. Your excellence is the envy of many. When dealing with runes and crafts, especially in the art of artificing complex magic technologies, your Wonder and Mysticism get +200% boost. You can also push your craft-based skills harder than most others.>

She’d also advanced two traits naturally, turning Weakness Sensor (Uncommon) into Impotence Seeker (Rare) while also turning Side Quest Rich (Rare) to Side Quest Monger (Epic). These new traits weren’t as impressive as her legendary and mythical traits, but they certainly added to Hannah’s obvious nature as a powerhouse.

<Impotence Seeker (Rare): Seeking the weakness of other designs is easy for you and maybe even fun. This pairs greatly with other abilities that can observe structures, people, and objectives around you. You also get +25% to Agility and Wonder while doing so.>

<Side Quest Monger (Epic): You can attract side quests and trigger side quests for others by sending them on tasks that are challenging enough for their level and/or range of power. You can acquire a steady portion of experience from others who complete side quests for you.>

As for the skills, she’d first combined Enchantment +3, Rune Alteration +3, and Rune Scan +3 for something extraordinary. In fact, Zarian could visibly see the skill at work now, flowing around her in columns of neon green symbols.

<Rune Craft Matrix (Level 8): Summon a runic matrix. With this matrix, you can scan, alter, bank, and manipulate the runes in your enchantments and crafts easier. You can also do the same to others within your reach, though it is harder with enemies. Scales with Wonder and Mysticism.>

Then she’d combined the Level 0s Tranquil Mind, Summon Wizard Hat, High Rune Mindframe, and Enhance Focus for something that was so perfect for her Zarian couldn’t help but smile seeing it on her face.

<Solid State Spectacles (Level 8): Summon a pair of spectacles that immensely enhance your mental and aura capabilities, as if you are a high-speed aura computer. Scales with Willpower and Mysticism.>

Beyond that, she was now a Level 110 Runic Artificer Master ranked as a 123rd Crafter. Zarian wondered if she’d get a higher rank by the turn of the new season. She probably would. He imagined they all would climb higher in the ranks even if that wasn’t a big deal for them right now.

Thrilled about Hannah’s growth, Para’s serpent body slithered excitedly in loops around Zarian. The wizard and phantom followed the artificer on her journey to fill in the gaps. Clouds of swirling cube particles streamed out from Hannah’s smart-suit-clad body, one which was five feet tall and shapely.

Neon green symbols of many runes and various styles scrolled rapidly in columns around her as she turned her head left and right, the Solid State Spectacles shining like well-polished round mirrors in front of her eyes. The spectacles reflected the dizzying array of symbols that would sometimes stop, flash, scroll away, or depart as one collected projectile in the direction of Hannah’s choosing.

She not only filled in the breaks in the walls, she enchanted them to make them more durable.

It didn’t take her long, either, which was the most impressive part. Such a project would’ve taken years, but Hannah handled it all by herself within half an hour.

By the time she finished, she fixed the damages and made this section of the continental wall the strongest it had ever been. Then she turned to face the Ultra God fully while floating in the air across from him.

Before Zarian could say anything, she flew straight into him and cinched a hug around his waist.

“I didn’t know how much I valued you and Para until I found myself surrounded by people who can’t match my mind,” she whined, her words carrying a hint of her old Alabamian accent mixed with the Floridian one. “I found myself getting distracted with portal research just so I can yank Rhea here to at least have someone around who can understand me. Sometimes I can get the Star System to reply, but it’s obvious he can’t commit fully to conversation. So, damn it all, these last three months have been hard without you.”

“But you made it through, Hannah,” Zarian said, combing his fingers through her brown locks. “And I’m here now. Para’s here, too. Lots have changed. And there’s a lot to go over before we head into our next major quest.”

“I missed you, too, Hannah. And I will be available to listen and discuss with you at any time and place,” Para said, fading from view while her words resonated in the surrounding air.

“I just looked over Zarian’s changes and … wow … It’s all incredible. Para, your new evolution is the most impressive of all. I can’t even begin to wrap my head around the way something like Lion Prince works, but your growth and rising complexity is something I’ll love to study. There’s so much we have to catch up on!”

Para giggled. “Of course, Hannah.”

Hannah nuzzled her face into Zarian’s chest before finally backing off. Her skill-summoned spectacles remained perfectly placed on her face. The mirror-like finish faded and revealed the glowing bronze eyes behind them.

They looked at each other for a while before Hannah turned to observe the dark ocean where Zarian had eliminated a threat in one go. Her lips quirked into a proud smile.

“You’re so powerful,” she said.

“Yes, I am,” he replied.

She let out half a snort. “Are you happy with my progress? Am I doing enough?”

Zarian smirked. “I’m pleased. You are doing more than enough.”

“And the others?”

“Great. More than great. Bianca really is a monster. And Gilbert has only fallen behind in level, but not in quality. In fact, he’s got the best rank. He’s the 9th healer.”

Hannah’s eyes widened in surprise. “I … was afraid to ask. He’s that well off, then?”

“Yes, he’s well off. He’s more spread out than the rest of us, but that comes with its own benefits that fit him. More importantly, he can survive long enough to help the rest of us, maybe even rescue us, when we’re too focused on what we do best.”

Hannah nodded shakily, her hand pressing against her chest. “So, we’re all on track, because I imagine Naomi’s growing quickly, too. Maybe more so. I was afraid we’d disappoint you, but if that’s not the case, I can breathe easier.”

“Funny, I was afraid I’d disappoint you.” Zarian smiled down at the ocean. “But I think the times are changing, and it’ll be smart to change with them.”

“Yes, I agree.”

Zarian nodded. “Come along now, my cute little artificer. Let’s get some late night drinks and hear some of your thoughts before catching some shuteye. I want to get some sleep before Bianca screams her morning scream and the next round of craziness finds us. Also, this is yours. Absorb it into your soul.”

Hannah’s eyes widened behind her spectacles. Before she responded, he draped the Divine Revival Charm over Hannah’s head and let the heavy medallion hang heavily on her before she absorbed the entire item into her soul.

Zarian turned away from a flustered Hannah who flew after the Ultra God stiffly. He had to stifle a laugh at her reaction, knowing Hannah’s quite sensitive about these things, especially with how she’d admired him so much.

Along the way to the inner edge of the wall, Zarian caught something dreadfully familiar in his peripherals. Then he heard a voice he’d remembered from that very day where he made the biggest mistake in his current loop of a life. It was a voice he would never forget. A voice of a jokester with a slight Haitian accent mixed with a Central Floridian.

“The boy is truly becoming a man now,” said the Funnest Granpapa, cackling like a loon while somehow dodging Zarian’s full gaze. The Funnest remained a mystery, his words cryptic and ominous. “Now he and his friends can go further into the deep end.”