"What is this nonsense now?" Control asked with a sigh. "You have achieved a great feat by killing one of the oldest demons that exists. You did it with your own hands like you so frustratingly cling to. What reason is there to be so melodramatic about it?"

"You don't get it, Control," Passion snapped in a way that seemed personal. "The fires that burn hot can't stay hot. Warmth would mean nothing if you didn't know the icy touch of cold."

"Each time they feel that intense emotion, they want to feel it again," Want added. "This time, only stronger. Say, Ishmael, did this kill feel any different from any other important kill in your life? Or, are you still chasing the emotional high you felt when you killed for the first time?"

I stared downwards at the lifeless corpse of Wrath and thought about Want's question. In truth, I couldn't even remember how that first kill made me feel. Whether or not it holds up in my mind for sentimental reasons, I could not properly say. All I knew was that each triumph was more fleeting than the last. Once Wrath perished in my grasp, the rush of emotions disappeared far too quickly. I felt like I ate a gourmet meal too quickly and hardly remembered any of the beautiful flavors I spent so much to obtain.

All that remained in my mind was a simple question: now what?

"Why are we like this?" I asked. If these were not creators, they, at least, knew more than I did. "Why is my heart a pit that always starves for more?"

"Without hunger, there is no growth," Want answered. "You are required to grow."

"To what ends?" I demanded. "What purpose is there to you needing us to grow? Does a larger population make you stronger? Do you feed off of something that we provide?"

"If you complete your mission in this place, we will tell you," Control said plainly. "Knowledge is the privilege of the victor. All you need to know is that the purpose of any creation is to exist for as long as possible in every situation. Your endless and ever-expanding desire is a by-product of that purpose. But, ultimately, your choices are your own. We may whisper in your ear and wish for you to choose a direction, but we have no ability to force your hand."

"Even without our influence, killing is a part of nature as death is a part of nature," Ecstasy added. "You were doomed by the constraints of the universe; constraints that we hold no authority over."

"But, that is not why we're here," Nostalgia continued. "We are here because you achieved something that we challenged you to do. I like how you did it, no powers reminds me of the early days when we still didn't know how we wanted this realm to take shape; back when the transformations were far less severe."

Quest

Swallowed Anger (Complete)

You have successfully defeated the one that tried to clip your wings from the beginning. Never mind that most of the decisions were done by middlemen and bureaucrats, it was all done in the service of Wrath. Now, you are the most violent of the demons, relish in your victory.

Reward: Something fun

"What does 'something fun' even mean?" I asked as I finished reading through the description.

"Firstly, we'd like to ask you, is there anything that you wish for?" Control asked. "Something that you could obtain to make you stronger?"

The first word that came to mind was more. I struggled to think of anything but additional stats, additional abilities, additional gear; anything and everything in excess. Wrath was close to dominating me by virtue of time and experience. When that gulf was removed and we were rendered two men of mortal strength, the result turned into a coin flip.

"What do the others have that I lack?" I asked in response.

"The better question to ask is what they don't have," Want answered with a chuckle. "They have existed for hundreds if not thousands of years in this place. They have scoured for the best abilities and slowly acquired the best weapons and armor. They have accumulated stats for years. I gave you a way to bridge that gap and make it take decades, but with the speed that you've been taking this, the gulf between you and the rest could still be considered wide."

"Then my answer will be remarkably simple," I said. "Give me whatever I need to win."

A chorus of laughs echoed throughout this part of the city. The Follies wiped the tears from their eyes before giving me a serious look.

"I admire the greed," Want complimented.

"Why should we gift you something so great for this accomplishment?" Control asked, commandeering the conversation. "It is not our fault that you failed to accumulate power properly. Why should we bail you out instead of leaving you at the mercy of your rivals?"

I laughed in return at Control's question, causing the beings to look at me as though I'd grown a second head. I felt confident that I could afford to be audacious. There was something about all of this that gave me the feeling that I had more power in this conversation than they were letting on. To ignore it for a safe boon would be a waste of the opportunity.

Ugh, I couldn't even thinking of that word without it evoking thoughts of Herzblatt.

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"It's because you need me to win," I answered.

"We do?" Control asked incredulously.

"You do," I reaffirmed with a grin. "I know that your attention upon me as been far higher than anyone else I've met. Instead of working with the superior Wrath, you gave me the opportunity to kill him. Want gave me an ability worth far more than the achievement I received just to reach this point faster. The way that I see it, I'm the only contender that has no committed idea of what I would do with the throne. Which means-"

"You're the only person we can negotiate with," Ecstasy finished my statement with a cackle. "What an interesting statement you've just made. What makes you think that you're the only one we can use?"

"I can't speak for every faction, but I do know that you and Wrath didn't have a good relationship. I know that Mikha'el is strong, but craves Heaven. If you supported his cause, you would have given him the same boons you gave me and this would already be over. The first quest that you provided me gives this away. These demons were trapped in a gridlock, none of them willing or capable to bring the conclusion to Hell that you are envisioning. Only I can provide you with what you want. The only issue is that there's no guarantee I won't change my mind."

"You are not uniquely special," Control asserted. "All demons that reach this echelon have major blessings from us. If those that currently reside on this plane won't reach the conclusion that we desire, we will just wait for the next one."

"Do you have the time to do that?" I asked.

"What?"

"From what I have heard from all of you over the recent years, you have a complication, one that may not be held at bay long enough to negotiate with my successor. I don't think that you are as confident as you say you are."

The Follies grew quiet from my words. They exchanged looks and mental words; having a conversation that I could never hear.

"I knew I liked you," Passion said, breaking the silence. "Even if you do not choose what I wish, I believe you will still provide me with something I'd like as you have continuously entertained me since your arrival. For that, I will go along with your proposal."

"Passion," Control said through gritted teeth.

"We are not a monolith, Control," Want stepped in. "Life is a lottery, not everyone is gifted the same chances. Very rarely do I have the opportunity to gamble myself. This is the only bet that has odds of winning. For that, I will go along with your proposal."

"These two are right," Ecstasy said. "How often have our words been ignored once the scepter is grasped by the next ruler? I will not be the jilted lover again. I would rather throw my lot in with the suffering romantic than the rest."

"I'm glad that we're getting along," Nostalgia said with a smile.

Their siblings all folded to my assertions. I expected Passion, but the rest were a surprise. Only Control remained. The Folly was not happy that negotiations were against them; it was a violation of their very essence to be on the wrong side of a deal. I could see it boiling within the human flesh it wore as a disguise.

"What are our guarantees?" Control finally asked. "What will you do for us if we give you the power required to win?"

I smirked, of course Control couldn't leave without something in hand. Antagonizing him further would only push him away from the table.

"I will make a binding vow that I will not make a single decision until I've heard everything you need to tell me," I said. "If I disobey, you can obliterate me then and there. But, if your suggestion does not interest me, I will have to do my own soul searching."

"Fine," Control said. Their hand reached out and touched my chest. "This will cost you the blank ability page you earned by reaching here."

Notice

You are now under a binding vow. In exchange for power from the Follies, you are required to win the fight for the throne and listen to the Follie's wish in its totality. Failure to do so will result in the obliteration of the soul and a return to Level 1 with appropriate debuffs.

"So, what will you give me?"

Passion went first. The warrior stood before me and pressed his hand to my head. A warmth sensation passed through his fingers and into my skull. It felt like wires flensing my brain.

"I will give you an unbreakable mind and body to anything made in Hell," Passion said. "Any spell that is designed to warp your perceptions or rob your free will is rendered useless and any attack designed to cripple your body will fail. You are not invincible, take too much punishment, and you will die like any other mortal."

The warm tendrils burned hot. They seared my mind and caused my legs to go limp. It felt like soup was being made inside of my skull. My eyes bulged and vibrated, threatening to pop like water balloons as the pain traveled downwards. Each bone felt like it was being charred in a furnace. I felt like I was mistakenly thrown inside a crematorium. The pain reached such heights that it stopped making sense in my head until it mercifully ended.

As I still panted on the ground, Ecstasy gripped onto my skull and turned my head to face them. They planted a kiss upon my forehead.

"I will give you my frenzy, my war will," they said. "I will give you the ability to dull pain. Once you dig your teeth in, you will never lose sight of your target. Even if they are worlds away, you will know their exact location."

An intense high filled my body like the best orgasm of your life. But, it kept going, striking higher and higher until my body started twitching; each muscle gaining autonomy as the signal from my brain went haywire. The please filled my mind, pressing harder and harder until it didn't feel like anything at all. Excess turned to numbness.

I found myself on my back. I lifted up my head to see Nostalgia skipping over. They leapt up and planted both feet into my chest.

"I will give you the power of memory," Nostalgia said. "Remember the terrible things that you shove to the back of your mind? You're not alone. Everyone has something they're afraid of. I will allow you to delve into someone's mind to show a fear of theirs. Whether or not you can use it properly, is up to you."

Suddenly, Nostalgia's weight grew heavier and heavier and the room around me grew smaller and smaller. The world went black. It felt like I was in a coffin buried deep underground with no way to escape. Sensations of insects and spiders and snakes covered my body. My lungs filled with water and my body caught on fire. I found myself naked on a stage in front of an endless sea of people in suits. I was thrown from a plane. I was made to face death itself.

I did not harbor those fears. But, for a brief moment, I had all of them. I felt rigid, glued to the ground helplessly as Want now stood over me.

"I will gift you the ability [Blood Wager]," Want said. "Anything can be turned into XP, even your own health points. I have also increased the XP caps to your [Hoard]. After all, there is nothing more valuable than stats."

Want's gift was merciful on my body. Only a slight sensation of wriggling within my skull met me. Was it Ecstasy and Passion's boons that spared me? All that remained was Control.

"I will give you the ability to deprive your enemies," Control said unceremoniously. "You can remove a single ability from your enemy. Choose that ability wisely in combat. Now, we have all given you our boons. Failure will not be tolerated."

In the blink of an eye, they were all gone. Control's gift triggered nothing within me. Not even a slight amount of physical feedback.

"You must really hate me."

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