Inside the Blue Sphere

Vernom's hand moved swiftly as he pulled a decorative knife from his forearm and flung it at a nearby jutting rock. A black, rune-inscribed pillar erupted from the ground, shaking loose debris as it ascended.

The space around it warped and bent upon its arrival. The ground beneath Ged darkened into an inky void, his footing slipping away.

He didn't hesitate. Grappling onto his Peg, he propelled himself a great distance and didn't stop.

They didn't trust him enough to explain anything.

They ignored his questions, continuing to leave him in the dark.

So why bother? He had his spoils. He was going to run.

Vernom had just reached for another decorative knife when he caught sight of Ged's sudden escape.

A vein pulsed on his forehead.

With an annoyed click of his tongue, several Soul Sprouts erupted from his body, surging into the City Governor's dismembered arm. The massive limb came to life, hovering in midair, its incredible shadow looming overhead. With a flicker of movement, it intercepted Ged's escape and clamped down, its football-field-sized grip crushing him in an instant.

The force sent shockwaves of pain through Ged's body. He let out a strangled yell.

Vernom sneered.

"Bastard… This is why I didn't want to give you your rewards so soon. Have you no shame? Running away before we even start?"

The hand tightened its grip. Ged gritted his teeth, barely holding back a scream.

Gore's face darkened. He had hoped giving Ged his rewards earlier would foster some trust. But the boy still had too many misgivings.

"Vernom, stop!" Gore ran forward, trying to defuse his partner's fury. "Don't go too far. We can still get him to cooperate."

Vernom shot him a scornful glare. "I warned him several times. My patience is not to be tested. Even you seem to have forgotten how delicate this operation is. Every wasted second increases our risk of failure and certain demise. He isn't taking this seriously, so I just taught him a small lesson."

Controlling his Soul Sprouts like marionette strings, he loosened the grip on the Governor's arm.

Ged's body slumped onto the ground, broken and battered. His limbs jutted out at unnatural angles, fractures and bruises marking his form.

Time was slipping away, and Gore knew it. He jumped onto the Governor's massive hand, kneeling beside Ged with a solemn expression.

He sighed.

"Why did things have to come to this?" Gore shook his head in disappointment.

Ged glared at Vernom, hatred burning in his eyes. His breath was ragged, but his resolve had never been stronger. Vernom would pay. He would make sure of it.

Gore reached into his abs and pulled out a net filled with nodes, each connected to tendrils that swayed like jellyfish tentacles. He carefully laid it across Ged's broken body.

The nodes latched onto Ged's skin like suction cups. Then, channeling his core heat into the device, Gore activated a series of electrical pulses.

Agony ripped through Ged's body. He let out a guttural groan as his muscles convulsed under the shocks. Each jolt sent fresh waves of pain searing through his already broken limbs.

But the therapy worked wonders.

Within minutes, his grotesquely misshapen form was restored. The fractures reconnected, the bruises faded, and his strength gradually returned.

Gore spoke seriously, outlining the situation, "We are in a dangerous position here, Ged. You need to understand all our lives are currently on the line. What we're doing is highly illegal, and we cannot slip up an inch."

His expression hardened.

"This gulf of the Black Tar Sea is disputed territory," he said, gesturing toward the vast stretch of black waters in front of them. "Even being on the outskirts is dangerous for us."

"Beneath its waters is the Blue Water Sphere. The target of our mission."

"The tensions between the two Slices over the rightful ownership of this land are not to be dismissed. The Black Tar King claims the entire Black Tar Sea as his domain, while the Rock Emperor insists that since the gulf lies within the planetary boundaries of the Rocky Slice, it belongs to him as well. In response to each other's claims, both sides sent settlers and body sorcerers to defend their territories. The result? Skirmishes. Then, eventually, all-out war."

Ged tested his newly repaired limbs, not sparing Gore a glance

Gore barely acknowledged Ged's disinterest and pressed on. "That was all in the past, however."

"An uneasy truce was formed. Both sides withdrew their claims, and now no one technically owns this land. But patrols from the Rocky and Gooey Slices still roam the outskirts, ensuring the other side keeps its promise. If either party catches us here, we won't leave with our heads attached."

Gore sighed. "This is why Vernom is being so difficult with you."

"We have timed the Rocky and Gooey Slice patrols down to the second. Our window is small, and every delay increases our chances of getting caught."

He fixed Ged with a sharp look. "Trust us and do as we say. Now, come. We don't have more time to waste."

But Ged barely listened. His mind was elsewhere.

Vernom had crossed a line. And he needed to pay the price.

Ged's gaze locked onto the smug-looking Vernom as he declared, "No. I'm not moving. Not an inch."

Vernom scoffed. "Yes, yes. I know. Always the same… petty, stubborn, predictable." He pulled out 50 stacks of Blue Water and flicked them toward Ged with an impatient sneer. "Take your settlement and move. Gore's right, we don't have time for this."

But Ged's eyes didn't waver. He silently stored the 50 stacks of Blue Water in his abs. "Apologize, and I will move."

Vernom smirked. "A liability like you doesn't deserve an apology. You got your remittance, you don't need anything more."

Ged's expression only darkened.

Gore became frantic.

"Vernom, stop this. Just apologize," he tried to mediate.

Yet Vernom wouldn't back down.

"Ged, please. Just this once, look the other way."

Ged didn't glance in his direction.

Gore exhaled sharply, realizing they had reached a dangerous impasse.

Time was slipping away.

With clear reluctance, he reached into his abs and withdrew a Celestial Rock, holding it out to Ged.

"Ged. Let it go. Take this as an apology on behalf of Vernom. We don't have time for this," Gore begged.

Ged's eyes narrowed, but the Celestial Rock was something of great value to him. This wasn't an apology. But for now, he'd take what he could get. He stored away the Celestial Rock and nodded in cooperation

Seeing Ged's compliance, Gore sighed in relief before announcing to Vernom.

"Ascend the pillars. We will continue the mission with greater haste."

Vernom narrowed his eyes, his mouth in a deep frown, but said nothing more. Moving quickly, he pulled out more decorative knives.

One by one, he threw them at strategic points in the rocky terrain. The moment the knives struck, the ground hummed violently.

Three massive pillars erupted from the earth.

The rocky landscape began to shift.

Slowly, it transformed into a bubbling, murky swamp.

Vernom pulled out one final knife. As it struck stone, the sixth and final pillar emerged.

Ged's eyes narrowed at the mesmerizing scene before him. The land seemed to shift and ripple, as if something hidden beneath the murky waters was finally being revealed.

Vernom wasted no time. With no more pillars left to summon, he reached into his abs, pulled out two steel coffins, and dropped them to the ground with a heavy clunk.

"Put on the gremlin suits," Vernom commanded, his voice sharp and urgent.

Gore reacted first, unlatching the hooks on the coffin marked with his name. With precise movements, he opened the container, revealing a humanoid gremlin suit designed to fit him perfectly. It twitched slightly as if adjusting to his presence. Without hesitation, he stepped inside securing the suit around himself like a second skin.

Ged hesitated. The idea of wearing something living unsettled him, but he had already agreed to cooperate. Gritting his teeth, he retrieved his own gremlin suit from the other coffin.

Up close, the creature was revolting. A damp, fishy odor wafted from its surface, making Ged's stomach churn. But as Gore fastened his own suit with practiced efficiency, barely reacting, Ged forced himself to endure.

Slipping into the suit was strange at first. The gremlin adjusted around him, conforming to his shape, its presence still lingering even after it settled.

Now, he and Gore stood transformed, their reflections like grotesque aliens.

Vernom observed them with cold indifference. "These gremlins are Eagle Spawn, born in the Black Tar Sea," he explained. "They're considered taboo to own, so once this is over, dispose of them properly and never speak of their existence again."

Ged flexed the gremlin's hands, testing the suit's responsiveness. "And where's your suit?" he asked.

Vernom smirked. "My job is simply to create an opening for you two to enter the sphere. But I am a busy man. Once that's done, I'll need to complete my shipment of the Governor."

Without further elaboration, Vernom pulled out a hula hoop-sized ring and walked over to Gore, lowering his voice.

"I'm confident this improved tunnel will hold for as long as you need to search," he murmured, his tone dropping to an icy whisper. "Have the boy man the inside. If he sees anything he's not supposed to... handle it appropriately."

Beneath the shadowy confines of his gremlin suit, Gore's expression grew solemn with understanding. A faint light flickered inside the creature's mouth, blinking on and off like a dying bulb.

"I'll follow through as promised," he replied softly.

Ged narrowed his eyes at the exchange. They were hiding something. But they were adamant about leaving him in the dark, forcing him to follow behind and do his best to keep up.

After briefly discussing Ged's role in the mission, Vernom cut the chatter short.

"Let's go. The time is right."

Vernom went first, stepping into the Governor's palm and commanding its fingers to clench around him. The slime beneath the arm slithered forward, dragging him and the colossal limb into the depths of the Black Tar Sea.

Gore followed next, slipping below the surface.

Ged hesitated for a moment before finally descending after them.

The Black Tar Sea was nothing like Ged had expected.

Though it bubbled viciously on the surface, the depths were eerily silent and ice-cold. The gremlin suit insulated him, shielding his core energy from depletion. Without it, he would be dead within minutes.

Swimming through the tar was an immense strain, like pushing against solid quicksand. Every movement required tremendous effort, a continuous full-body workout. If this place had more heat, it would be the perfect sanctuary for building muscle.

Shaking off the thought, he pushed forward.

The gremlin's eerie, inhuman eyes allowed him to see through the Black Tar Sea, giving him just enough visibility to keep track of Gore and the distant Governor's hand.

Then, through the murky depths, their target appeared.

A massive blue sphere, rotating with spiraling streams of Blue Water, emerged.

The Blue Water Sphere.

Gore and the Governor's hand halted before it, moving with surgical precision, as if following a carefully rehearsed sequence.

The hand opened, spreading three fingers as if preparing to grip a pitcher's knuckleball. Then, slowly, it punctured the outer layer of the sphere with its index finger.

The moment it breached the surface, the Black Tar Sea quaked violently.

A deep rumble rippled through the sea, shaking Ged's insides.

More violent than an earthquake, it felt as if reality itself was splitting in two.

Gore moved instantly, pouring core energy into the hoop. It warped into a cone as he wedged it into the tiny opening left by the Governor's finger.

The hand retracted, and Blue Water flowed back into place, brushing against the hoop.

Then, suddenly, the shaking stopped.

The hoop stabilized the disturbance while leaving an entrance just large enough for Gore to fit through.

With a quick signal, he beckoned Ged over.

As Ged swam closer to the Blue Water Sphere, hallucinations of raindrops began forming in his vision.

His mind's shadow reacted instinctively, snatching each droplet before they could land.

He recognized that the intensity of the hallucinations was close to the effect of eight stacks of Blue Water.

Ged's eyes narrowed as he observed the whirling energy of the Blue Water Sphere and how Gore stood so close, seemingly unaffected by its maddening effects.

"Why is Gore unaffected?" Ged pondered.

By the time he reached the hoop, the hallucinations had intensified to twelve stacks of Blue Water. As he took over, he focused his core energy to keep the hoop stable.

Gore signaled Vernom to leave. The Governor's hand withdrew, clenching shut, leaving Ged and Gore alone.

The tunnel spun violently, its impossible speed a death trap for anyone unfortunate enough to get caught in its gale. Gore secured a rope to the hoop, then fastened the other end to himself.

With a sharp inhale, Gore activated a muscle ability in his chest. His entire body compressed inward like a coiled spring, storing kinetic energy. Then, with a precise release, he shot forward, hurtling into the sphere.

Ged, gripping the hoop, cautiously peered inside, searching for Gore.

The sphere's interior was nothing like its chaotic, swirling exterior.

An infinite expanse of white marble stretched beneath Gore, tiled in an eerily perfect grid.

Ged watched as Gore moved efficiently, securing a tethering device to the marble surface. Once the rope was taut, he turned back, signaling for Ged to follow.

Ged hesitated, eyeing the spinning tunnel warily. But after a steadying breath, he gripped the rope tightly and followed behind.

As he inched his way across, nearing the event horizon of the Blue Sphere, the hallucinations of Blue Rain grew fiercer. Thirteen, fourteen, fifteen stacks of Blue Water. By the time he reached the center of the tunnel, his mind's shadow could no longer catch every drop, and flashes of the Absolute began piercing through.

Visions of himself drifting along the silver river, drawn toward the unfathomable Blue Sphere, flooded his mind. His grip on the rope weakened.

Biting his tongue, he jolted himself back to reality, barely regaining control. Forcing his body steady, he pushed forward, traversing the remaining length of the rope.

Finally, he tumbled onto the floor, panting, his eyes glowing a bright shade of blue.

Gasping for breath, he glanced around the room, taking in the endless horizons of white stretching out in all directions.

The only disruptions to the pristine expanse were Gore's patient form and the floating tunnel, an otherworldly portal back to the Black Tar Sea.

Gore's face lit up with anticipation when he saw Ged was still conscious.

"I can't tell you how much your help means to me," he said in an almost reverent tone. "You have no idea how many people failed to even get within a meter of the sphere. I've been at my wits' end trying to search this place, but I could only do so much alone."

Ged finally caught his breath. He eyed Gore with growing uncertainty, wondering what his old mentor had been up to since he had vanished from the underground.

"How come the Blue Water doesn't seem to affect you?" he asked.

Gore only shrugged, his expression unreadable.

"You're not the only one with a high tolerance. It seems I still have you beat in some areas," he said playfully.

But his words didn't quell Ged's doubts. If anything, they only confirmed his suspicion that Gore was hiding something from him.

"You will man the exit while I explore, just as we discussed."

Ged stared at him in silence but didn't move immediately.

"Listen to me, Ged," Gore's voice sharpened, unwavering. "Do not look around too much in here. This is for your own safety. There are things in this place that could kill you if you see them too closely."

Ged's eyes narrowed, but ultimately, he nodded. Pushing himself off the ground, he took over for Gore, channeling his core energy into the hoop to keep the tunnel open.

Taking off his black tar-drenched gremlin suit, Ged decided it would be best to follow Gore's advice.

Gore was hiding something. That much was clear. But he hadn't been openly hostile. Ged could only assume his warnings held some truth.

Keeping his gaze fixed on either his feet or the doorway, he waited for Gore's return.

In the blink of an eye, several hours passed.

Ged stood in front of the spinning tunnel, mesmerized by its motion. But after a while, dizziness crept in, forcing him to shift his focus back to his feet.

The job was simple.

But frustration and boredom were beginning to mount.

Letting out a deep sigh, Ged muttered, "Where the hell is he?"

A faint buzzing flitted past his ear, like the wings of an insect.

He had heard this sound before. But this time, it was close. Too close. It hovered near him, unnervingly persistent.

Then, suddenly, it landed on his neck.

Without hesitation, Ged slapped at it, his reflexes sharp and ruthless. Lifting his palm, he checked to see what he had just killed.

But his palm was empty.

"Strange," he muttered, shaking off the unease.

He was about to brush it aside when, in the silence, the sound of footsteps echoed from behind him.

Gore.

Relief flooded through Ged as he exhaled, his shoulders relaxing.

"Gore… finally, you're back. Can we leave now? Did you find what you were looking for?" he asked, his voice laced with exhaustion. "I followed your instructions. I haven't looked up once—"

Pain shot through his chest.

Ged's breath caught as he looked down to see three rib bones jutted into his torso.

Confusion paralyzed him.

Then, a sharp click.

The sound of a switch flipping on and off.

The floor beneath him pulsed with a devilish red glow, illuminating the stark white room before fading back to its normal color.

Heart pounding, Ged turned to face whatever had just struck him.

And what he saw shook him to his core.

"Who are you?"