Chapter Forty

Gareth explained as they walked. The man wasn't just about the numbers. Odds were inconsistent when you didn't know the details of what was going on before a match. Did a fighter have a lingering injury before a bout, had their girlfriend just dumped them, maybe they'd had a leveling breakthrough? You had to have the information to predict the odds.

"Eric is planning a coup. Kenny still feels grateful to you for saving his life, so he let me know. The little goblin is stirring up trouble against me and you, and it's only working because he's so unpopular no one considers him a threat." Gareth explained.

For the first time since evolution, she didn't get an impulse to kill the man as a solution to this problem. That was an improvement. Murder was always a messy way to clean up an obstacle anyway. It also wouldn't win her many favors.

"We've retrieved more mimic rewards. Are you sure we can't bribe us to safety?"

Gareth let out a long sigh. "That would build future resentment while undercutting the contribution system, and show that you can be squeezed for resources. Considering you've lost your armor on this little hunt, I can't imagine that was easy to come by. No, I was never going to win the Games. I know my own limitations. Right now, Ms. Solstice will be the first person voted off, and you and I are battling for second place.

[Recall] reminded Harmony that the woman had been in third place during the first competition, and she'd barely met the woman. "What did Erin do?"

"That's it. Nothing. She built a shelter, doesn't socialize, and refuses to do any tasks. Her path is elsewhere, but it isn't here. Competent enough to be a threat, but lacking all social skills."

She'd love Hyacinth's grumpy opinion on all this, but his buzzing snore next to her heart was so adorable, and waking him up early only produced an extra-grumpy opinion that was less useful. This time of day was his version of the middle of the night as it was. Tyler, walking along, hadn't joined in on the conversation. How to show she trusted him?

"What do you think, Lord Tyler?"

He nearly tripped, managing to catch himself with the help of a hand from Loap. "Gareth's plan keeps you safe. You'd need two immunity totems to stop both of you from going home, and then we could swing the vote to Eric. It's noble of him to sacrifice his position here for you."

Like a damsel in distress. Except this time in distress from an angry mob of idiots, jealous or fearful competitors, and one boy who wouldn't look her in the eyes. How many social skills did she need to combat this kind of treatment? How many bodies would she need to step over? [Keen Investigative Awareness] was happy to keep her from fooling herself with that flawed logic, but knew that Gareth's plan was nice and safe. Safe wasn't necessarily right for her, though.

Counting Gareth's contribution slips, she turned them into two equal piles and handed half back to the bookie. "I'm not ready to give up yet. Since this deal to join my household is only good while I'm in the Games. I'm assuming more will want to collect on it?"

"One or two others that I know of do. Most of the tourists are out. A future favor outside of the games?" Gareth murmured as he got the introspective look he adopted when thinking about odds and numbers.

"Now that you've gotten to know people, if you can think of what I can offer that might swing a decision, let me know. It's not time to vote us out yet."

A crowd waited expectantly at the newly forming wall. The low-priority defensive structure was good for grinding out contribution points. Those waiting were primarily those with pets who needed the nutrition bars to keep them from starving. Owlsley waited with her sloth, Socks. Benny and his purple ooze, Jenny and her slug. A few contestants were anxious about any continued need to eat the gaggingly chokable stew.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

"How did it go? Owsley asked anxiously.

Tyler held up the rewards. "Success, but we'll need a better plan to deal with a new kind of mimic. We'll have a tribe meeting to discuss that later."

Eric stepped out from behind the sloth. "Tell us now. Don't think of holding information hostage for votes. You lords are always trying to keep us down." A social skill made the accusation more pointedly. The kind that opened up others to his rhetoric. Tyler was clearly on his elimination list. It also attracted more competitors to the commotion, as a few dropped their tasks and moved closer or paid more attention to the unfolding drama.

Harmony moved, [Style and Grace] kept her movements smooth and precise as Eric was focused on his latest target. [Manipulate Dead] let her tighten Eric's spider armor and make it easier for her to grip it as she struck. Not quite as smoothly when she could synergize properly, but it was a good example of her many hours of hard work. Grabbing Eric at the waist, Harmony hauled the boy into the air with one hand, the strength vital body provided her straining a touch at this move, but didn't quiver or sway under the direction of her physical skills.

"Eric! Just the man I've wanted to see. I hear you're planning to give me an early exit?!" Harmony announced tapping into her authority.

"Help! You can't do this!" Harmony felt him fumble towards his skills. [Final Silence] shut him and his screaming down. Of all the skills not to be sealed, the long silence was one of the more shocking ones to be left alone.

"I think you'll find that I can. You're not liked enough to receive help. You want a reason to vote me off. I'll give it to you." With that, she tossed him away before he could speak again, trusting Tyler, Loap, and Gareth to cover her. "This elimination vote gives us an opportunity and choices. I'll be modifying and adding some rewards to the contribution table. This will also be a good time to decide if you want to stay in the Ascendant Games. You'll want to hear what happened in the mimic wastes and Loap's discoveries about the obelisk. But first," Harmony raised one of the reward bars, "We feast!"

Warm buttered bread and a slab of beef with gravy. If you didn't look at what you were putting into your mouth, it hit all the right spots. The texture was almost there if you let your memory fool your body. It helped that she used more than the minimum of the full meal bar to flavor the camp stew; between his bribery and the pet owners needing it for their bonded, the ones they gathered wouldn't last as long as she'd hoped.

Taking off the edge of hunger created by being unable to stomach the last two meals had made everyone in camp more amenable. Eric glared at her from the far side of the communal eating area as everyone else relaxed. At least he was meeting her eyes this time. Harmony flashed a smile back.

Almost everyone was here. Harmony set down her empty bowl. [Shadowed Graves] stretched out to capture everyone's attention with a hint of shivering awe. "We're revamping the contribution points prizes in anticipation of tonight's vote. I'm lowering the price to enter my household, and while employment might not be everyone's cup of tea, we've added the option to purchase favors from contestants that can be used outside the Ascendant Games. Only purchasable while the player is in the game for those who agree. Gareth will explain the details of what we've incorporated into the work and reward list."

Harmony let the bookie do his work. He wasn't without social skills and had a natural talent for reading people that eclipsed even her [Keen Investigative Awareness]. More importantly, he knew what others wanted, and this was an opportunity to sell them on those rewards.

The impulse to lean over and ask Adric if he thought this plan would work stung with his absence. Gareth outlined changes that would bring their little tribe out of the necessity phase and towards paths of growth that will let them succeed. Training as a group, and new positions of power for those who could prove competent at tasks they might expect in forthcoming challenges. "And now Tyler, Lord of the Rising Sun, will tell you about changes with the mimics."

Tyler stepped up to talk about the creatures' new skills to copy contestants, accessing skills without morality, attacking without restraint, telling secrets, and bypassing seals that kept the strong contained. "It took three of us to take down a copy of me, and we needed to use the elemental explosives we brought, and in its eyes, it held madness and even control over my bonds. We'll need a solid plan when going back, and that is assuming they don't come to us. The obelisk warns of worsening times. Loap has offered to put a voice to her work."

The beast kin added her contribution. A last-minute addition to their plan. She always joked about the bloody and cryptic nature of the warnings, but she agreed to help set the tone before the vote. "When all have become decimated again and again, bonds will be tested, and dangers rise. Who will sacrifice safety for a prize? How will they see the ones who twist truth into lies?"

She stressed crazy challenges and dangerous omens, trying to paint a picture so that maybe the faint of heart might choose to agree to be voted off. It was a shot in the dark. If they'd faced what they had in the mimic wastes, maybe they'd be convinced.

Harmony let [Keen Investigative Awareness] seek out those who might be swayed in the audience. It was time to play politics.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.