D.E.M.O.N.S: Getting Summoned Weekly isn't so Bad

Chapter 2040: Chapter 2040 First

--- Kat ---

Kat was on her way back to Steel’s house when Thyme started to speak. ”It seems that SOMEONE has been eliminated. What a shame. Who could it be? I won’t be telling you. Either you already know, or you’ll have to deal with the worry!”

Kat broke into a sprint, before quickly deciding the streets were too busy for that and jumping into the sky. She didn’t mind getting spotted or thought of as strange she needed to ensure that it wasn’t Hedera that had been eliminated. She was rushing... at least until Lily spoke up. [Um... why are you worried? We’ve still got that barrel of orbs and Hedera went to sleep a while back. Even assuming the worst case scenario in that she forgot to fill up before that AND she got called into the duel AND she lost... she still wouldn’t have been eliminated just yet.]

Kat froze in midair. *Oh. Oh you’re right. I thought that she might’ve lost and been eliminated but I was forgetting about the fact you can be healed for a moment there. Huh... so I guess I was worried about nothing then. Still worth mentioning to Hedera once we see her I suppose, but there’s no rush.* Kat started to move again, but she was basically gliding. There was no rush after all.

--- Skye --- (Five minutes earlier)

Skye sniffed at her shoulder and then wrenched her face away. She was disgusting. *Don’t trust the bitch enough to take off my armour to fucking bathe. I sleep in my armour and practically shit in it too and it’s now disgusting. Days of sweat and grime that I can’t fucking wash off. The only upside is that if being gross attracts predators one of them might get her.*

Greaves was currently sitting near the fire, butchering their meal for the night. *I suppose that’s one good thing, I’m not being starved. Ok two good things. As much of a bitch as Greaves is she does know how to cook some good monster meat. Doesn’t make up for the fact that I barely getting any sleep, haven’t washed since the tournament started and feel like I’m one wrong move away from being gutted.*

Skye also wasn’t sure what she was going to do. They still hadn’t run into anyone else. Well, no that wasn’t quite true. They’d run into Strigor, one of Greave’s teammates. She certainly wasn’t going to even THINK about betraying the bitch to her own teammates. That was just going to get her killed. Which was another worry. Greaves wasn’t giving her any allowance with orbs. Not even when they’d found a nice storage ring. More accurately SKYE herself had found one.

*And it got ripped from my hands the moment I did. Sure I doubt I could’ve kept it, and maybe Greaves would’ve noticed it in that hidden room but I found the room AND the ring before she did but no. Can’t have good things, and certainly can’t have a way to hide the fact I have orbs from her. That would be ’bad’. *

Skye found her mental tirade cut off when Thyme’s voice sliced through the air. ”It seems that SOMEONE has been eliminated. What a shame. Who could it be? I won’t be telling you. Either you already know, or you’ll have to deal with the worry!”

Skye paled slightly at the announcement. *That’s not good. Or is it? I’m confident in my team but I have no idea how confident I should be. This... this is the FIRST elimination of the tournament and somehow I suspect it’s not Greaves that’s lost someone. Who is it though?*

Sky glanced over at Greaves, who hadn’t so much as twitched at the announcement. Skye decided she might as well ask. It’s hardly like her treatment would get any worse from a simple question. Insulted for thinking to ask it sure, but nothing more than that. ”Do... do you know who that was?”

Graves shook her head. ”Nope. The team’s long distance communicators barely work, as you know, and the most I can tell is that it’s none of my people. I’ve got other ways of double checking for that. Still... someone’s finally bit the bucket ey? I wonder if they’ll get to watch the rest of the event.”

”Do... do we try to speculate?” asked Skye.

”Bah, no sense wasting our time on that. With only one person gone it’s too hard to tell,” Greaves said with a shrug before dumping a huge cut of meat on the portable stovetop. ”I reckon it’s nothing to really worry about.”

Skye didn’t say anything... though she did notice that Greaves glanced at her bracelet before she’d said as much. *Perhaps... are we running low on orbs? I admit to not keeping the best track once I realised things weren’t going well for me. Perhaps that was a mistake...*

Skye glanced over at the nearby river and considered her options. I can’t flee... but perhaps I should consider just dunking myself in the water? It’s not really going get me properly clean and I’m not going to be able to take anything off... it’s also probably not good for my equipment long term... but do I really want to stay so filthy? We have a good fire going...

--- Gareth --- (Five minutes earlier)

Gareth rubbed his hands together and breathed on them a bit. He hadn’t thought he’d ever be happy to be back underground. They’d moved around a lot over the last few days. Mostly sticking close to the centre and making good time. Now they were in the winter biome, that way Fluffles wouldn’t have to deal with any unreasonable heat. Of course, while Fluffles was having a good time outside Gardor and Gareth were freezing.

Gardor hadn’t actually said anything but based on the fact Gareth had noticed the shivering the dwarf didn’t actually need to say anything. They were resting in a newly formed cave that Fluffles had dug out for them to get out of the wind and rest for a bit when Thyme’s voice rang out, letting them know what just happened.

”Did you know we were meant to get warning about that?” asked Gareth.

”Might’ve been one of the rule changes?” Gardor said uncertainly as he rubbed Fluffles side. ”Not sure how to feel about it to be honest.”

”Me neither. I have to trust that my team is strong enough for it to not be one of them... but I honestly don’t know. It’s been weirdly quite. Though that might just be that we spend a good chunk of it travelling underground,” said Gareth with a sigh.

”Sorry about that,” replied Gardor. Gareth winced. *Did I sound accusatory there?* ”I know humans don’t always like travelling underground. Though I did think you’d be happy about it, what with you being an earth mage after all.”

”I’m not a proper mage, I can only really activate enchantments,” admitted Gareth. ”Besides, I wasn’t trying to make it sound like an accusation or anything. Your insistence on staying underground has kept us in good standing. I’ve got a new set of armour, we’ve got plenty of orbs, you got a weapon and Fluffles got that weird stuff for his coat. Did you ever work out what exactly it’s meant to do?”

Gardor shook his head. ”Not really. I mean, Fluffles clearly likes when I use it and the tin, small as it seems, might be close to bottomless because I never seem to run out of the cream. There’s no explanation for what it does though. Only the fact that Fluffles seemed so interested made me check it out, and he was practically rubbing it on himself to start with. Seems HE knows what it is... but won’t tell me.”

Gareth laughed and patted the molebear on the side. ”Well Fluffles has been a good companion so I suppose if he’s interested in it, then he can use it. I’ve certainly got no one to share it with.”

Gardor raised an eyebrow. ”If you really think that why don’t you try applying the stuff? The scent might sink into this big lugs coat quite well but it lingers on me fingers something awful. I swear I can taste it from yesterday...”

”Hey, if you want to make dinner I’m fine with that,” said Gareth with a shrug.

”Deal, agreed Gardor,” with a nod.

--- Green ---

”It seems that SOMEONE has been eliminated. What a shame. Who could it be? I won’t be telling you. Either you already know, or you’ll have to deal with the worry!” Thyme’s voice echoed in the nothingness around her.

Green looked around. She was still trapped in this floating hellscape of colours. She had a good stockpile of orbs... and no way out. ”So... what nothing changes then? Thanks for telling me what time it is I guess?” Green just shrugged and went back to her dozing. No reason to waste energy after all. A quick glance at Timmy showed he was doing the same thing. Timmy knew what was up.