CHAPTER 10

Matrix had a short conversation with the giant and produced armor from his pocket dimension, clothing him against the desert's harsh elements. He always carried extra clothes, acutely aware that a battle could leave him stripped bare, and a naked king while humorous, was hardly an honorable sight.

Matrix then found himself forced to carry the giant back to the others. It seemed the transition to human size had disrupted Dejebi's sense of balance, making walking nearly impossible.

"This is Dejebi, the giant. He'll be joining us on this expedition," Matrix announced, his introduction falling a bit flat.

Dejebi's gaze swept over the group, scrutinizing each of them in oppressive silence.

"So… where to next?" Se'mudara asked, breaking the tension.

"I have one more person to recruit," Matrix said.

"Who?"

"Scarlet Dust."

"Wait… what? Do you even know where she is?"

"Of course. My generals have not been idle," Matrix replied, gesturing with his arm.

Baryons flowed forth like an obsidian tendril, gathering in the distance. The fabric of reality rippled, tearing open to create a portal large enough to accommodate their group.

"And with what words do you intend to convince her?"

Se'mudara questioned, skeptical about teaming up with someone she loathed.

"I still don't understand why you chose her."

Matrix shrugged. "It's not like I have many options. I'd rather pick a brave enemy than a cowardly friend."

"And… I really don't need to convince her. Many say, actions speak louder than words."

"You know what I say? Actions speak, rather than words."

*

Scarlet Dust sat in a large silver chamber, quietly observing her newly acquired powers. From time to time, a smile flitted across her face. The power she gained was more profound than she could have imagined.

It made her wonder why that strange being had chosen her, of all people in Oblivion, to receive this gift.

Suddenly, her eyebrows arched, and she tilted her head, straining to hear. A whistling sound grew louder, indicating that something—or someone—was approaching at breakneck speed. Before she could decipher it, the intruder crashed through the ceiling, sending a shockwave rippling through the room.

Reeling from the impact, Scarlet Dust regained her footing and fixed her gaze on the dust and rubble in the center of the room. A silhouette emerged, and anger flared within her. She charged, eager to confront whoever dared to invade her stolen abode. But when she saw who it was, her blood ran cold.

Matrix had plummeted from the sky like a meteor, his weary gaze scanning the room for Scarlet Dust as if the tumultuous situation was of no consequence. Actually, he didn't need to search; she'd come looking for him soon enough. She might even be in this very chamber. He couldn't care less.

Thanks to his generals, he had been able to pinpoint this location. Their profound mind connection didn't work over long distances, but he had ways of tracking them down, and they, him.

Now that he was close, he could communicate directly.

"I'm here, but not alone. Se'mudara and the others will find you shortly. Stick with her. She knows the plan."

Actually, Matrix hadn't wanted a grand entrance. He simply needed to create enough of a distraction for the others to operate unhindered.

Very good.

Matrix smiled, grabbed Scarlet Dust, whirled her over his head, and slammed her against the pristine floor of the chamber. Cracks webbed beneath her. The force of the blow cleared away the dust from his entrance, revealing her beautiful… no, serpentine face.

Damn. What's wrong with me these days

Actually, Matrix had been acutely aware of her presence. But he needed to feign ignorance, both in thought and action. Due to the nature of her powers, if he projected the aura of a clueless prey, physically and mentally, her abilities would be diminished. But if he acted like a predator instead, it would stir her power. This method was eerily similar to how he activated the god-slaying blade, a technique he had perfected. Of course, she was blissfully unaware of his strategy.

"How did you find me?" Scarlet Dust asked, her voice laced with a pout.

"Shut up and listen. We need to talk," Matrix voiced, his tone unyielding.

"You never talk. You only throw your damned fists around like a maniac. What's this all about?"

"Sit," Matrix said, settling onto a sparse cloud of baryons that formed beneath him. Moyin, the Scarlet Dust, mirrored his action, seating herself upon a cloud of her own scarlet dust, as if to measure up to the World King.

"The Immortals are back," Matrix declared, the words dropping like stones into the tense silence.

Scarlet Dust recoiled for a moment, surprise flickering across her face. Then, her annoying serpentine smile returned.

"So? How's that my business? Sounds like a 'you' problem. Your father locked them away. Now they're coming for you. Instead of wasting your time disturbing my peace and quiet, why don't you go find a nice hole to hide your ugly face?"

That was why Matrix hated pointless conversations. If he had simply ripped her head off, her corpse would undoubtedly be more silent. But he needed to say something , at least for the sake of diversion. He sighed, burying his resentment, and continued.

"Well, unlike you, the Immortals aren't stupid enough to charge at me directly. Whatever they used to kill the gods of those times didn't work on my father. I imagine they're out there, searching for more powerful relics."

Scarlet Dust grimaced, her expression sour. Matrix flashed a faint, amusing smile and continued.

"Eventually, they'll narrow their search to the most powerful and popular relics in all the realms. The god-slaying blade, which I possess. The power of the pendant that dwells within you. And… I could have mentioned the god-killing spear, but I might have broken that," Matrix said, retrieving the two halves of the sundered spear from his pocket dimension. He flashed them before the bewildered goddess and tossed them back, a gesture of both arrogance and contempt.

He wasn't done yet.

"Obviously, they won't be coming for me initially, since they need the relics to kill me. But the same can't be said for you. They'll rip you apart, bit by bit, until they find what they're after. Doesn't seem like a 'me' problem now, does it?"

Scarlet Dust paled. She searched for the right words, but found none.

Matrix didn't pay her mind as he continued, his work nearly complete.

"Sadly, even evil gods like you deserve salvation. You can either choose to hide your ugly face, or work with me. Together, we might actually win. Who knows?"

"Never! You bloody liar!" Scarlet Dust yelled, struggling to reject what the World King was saying, but it was too logical, too reasonable to dismiss.

Matrix stood and prepared to leave. With a final smirk, he turned back to Scarlet Dust, his voice piercing her already shattered composure.

"Did I make it sound like a choice?"

Suddenly, the door to the chamber blasted open. Scarlet Dust leaped to her feet, her eyes bloodshot,