Chapter 312

The Angel Express, New York - 6:01 PM

“I can’t believe I ever trusted you,” Jamie said, her nose wrinkled as she adjusted her new shirt.

“Yeah, I’m an absolute garbage person,” I replied, trying to hide my amusement by looking out of the window. The scenery passed us by as we headed towards Maine, where we would start our journey over the Atlantic.

“I think you look fine,” Ash interjected, leaning back in her chair to look the woman over. “But I’m also a bit pissed off that you’re leaving us again.”

“Orders are orders,” the Weapon Master grumbled.

“And you didn’t have to follow them if you didn’t want to,” I responded with a shrug. “Unfortunately, you’ve already accepted, so there’s no use lamenting your fate now.”

Sighing, Jamie looked up at the ceiling and closed her eyes.

Jeff entered the dining car and Corwin jumped up from under the table to greet him. Now that he was clean and his equipment was being mended, he was wearing comfortable clothes with branding from the University of Stanley. “Hey. What’s everyone…” he trailed off as he saw Jamie. Frowning, he pointed at her but looked at me. “You’re letting people into the Seven-Tenners now? Can I get in?”

I gave my friend a thin smile, remembering how he went bowling with me and Coe in the Golden Dream. He was, sadly, pretty terrible at the game. I was lucky that I had a better excuse than that.

“Sorry, man. My plan works best if I’m the only member of the bowling team, but there’s leeway for one person to join,” I told him honestly as I looked back at the text boxes in front of me.

<<<>>>

[[Notice]]

Jamie “Summer Shrapnel” Summers has joined the Seven-Tenners.

A Bowling Shirt for your team, complete with all patches won so far, has been generated.

[[Item]]

Seven-Tenner Bowling Shirt

(This item has 1 Patch; +2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, Heavy Strike passive acquired, Anchored passive acquired)

[[Passive]]

Heavy Strike

Any projectile thrown underhanded will deal 25% additional damage at the moment of impact.

[[Passive]]

Anchored

Treat your Constitution as 1.5 times higher when resisting forced movement.

<<<>>>

I turned my attention back to the newest member of the team. She was now wearing the same bowling shirt I was, which hadn’t changed despite being woefully underpowered. It was black with two white stripes going down the right side, which was interrupted by the numbers “7-10” stitched over the chest. For a marine used to armor and fatigues, she looked very uncomfortable in what she perceived to be a uniform.

“Franklin is having me go around defeating monstrous bowling teams,” Jamie said, and it sounded dangerously close to pouting.

“Oh dang, like some kind of Space Jam situation but with pins?” Mercury asked from behind me.

His stealth broke, causing Ash to jump in her seat. “Don’t fucking do that!” she yelled, reaching over me to bat at the ninja. I dodged out of the way, and he chuckled even as she smacked him on top of his head. “How many times do I have to tell you to quit that nonsense?”

“Sorry. Couldn’t help myself,” he said, grinning as he stroked his surprisingly immaculate beard. Mercury nodded upwards towards Jamie. “So what’s the point of this?”

“Alright, so, Filbins,” I started, turning in my seat so that I could include him in the conversation. Jeff sat next to his wife, kissing her on the top of her head as he settled. “They’re small, medium, and large hairy bigfoots of various colors that are absolutely obsessed with bowling. Teams of them roam from alley to alley, destroying the place as they play the game, and move on every time the lanes get too bad.”

“So it is a Space Jam situation?” the ninja asked, laughing. “I was just kidding about that. Pretty funny.”

“Yeah, you nailed it,” I replied with a smile. “The bowling shirts get better with patches, like the one from the Iron Anchors, as does the boss’ ball. Both the blessings and patches have to be earned, and the only thing we really have to barter as a two-person team is this.”

Raising my hand over the table, I summoned the large, regulation-defying 30 pound sphere from my inventory.

<<<>>>

[[Item]]

Boss Anthony Franklin’s Golden Bowling Ball

When used as a shield, this bowling ball allows the bearer to block blows as if their Strength were three times higher than it actually is. (Seven-Tenners Blessing)

When used as a thrown weapon, you can choose to envelop this bowling ball in fire. This adds fire damage equal to your Dexterity stat on top of the bludgeoning damage it would already deal. You may use this skill up to 12 times per day. (Iron Anchor Blessing)

Once per day, the spirit of Boss Steener will inhabit the bowling ball in order to block a fatal blow against the wielder. Every time this ability is used, there is a small, stacking chance that Boss Anthony Franklin’s Golden Bowling Ball may shatter completely. This ability may be activated when the item is in your inventory, but this will cause the bowling ball to shatter immediately after use.

More abilities may unlock as certain conditions are met.

Win 2 more crew battles against gold-ranked crews to upgrade this item.

Authorized wielders: Anthony “Perfect Game” Franklin (Adopted Filbin Elite), Jamie “Summer Shrapnel” Summers (Adopted Filbin).

<<<>>>

“We bet this, and any Filbin team is going to salivate over the chance to win it,” I said as I Pushed it towards Jamie. She grabbed it in both hands, frowning as she looked it over. I knew that the line about Boss Steener wouldn’t appear for her since that had been something for me specifically, but the rest of the text would be there.

“Defeat two more gold-ranked crews, then move on to three platinum-ranked crews, and then as many diamonds as I can before you get back,” the Weapon Master reiterated. “Also, don’t put on any of the patches I win. As the team’s boss, any you apply to your shirt after reaching platinum will be automatically given to me.”

I nodded. “That’s right. I know you don’t care for the bowling shirt, but the patches will help and you can wear it over your armor. You should be able to change the logo to Sol Ligatus’ in the guild menu, just wait until you’re done first.”

“Yeah, I got it,” she replied, plucking at the shirt. “Honestly, it’s not a bad deal. It just feels weird wearing a different uniform.”

“You’ll get used to it,” I said, having already known that was her problem with it.

“Wait, so you’re not coming with us?” Jeff asked.

“No, I’m staying in the states,” she answered before nodding at me. “Franklin needs the ball to be diamond-ranked for one of his plans. Plus, most of the places that Filbins are still roaming around are out of the way. That means there are less people, whether they left or were killed, so there should be some easy MVPs to grab. That’s why it’s not a bad deal.”

“Plus, now we don’t have to worry about the train being attacked when we’re going through Europe,” I added.

“Can we be attacked in the safe zone?” Mercury asked.

“Yup. Raid bosses can appear if the circumstances are right.”

Kayla tapped the table in thought before glancing at Jamie’s scales. “Right, you mentioned that we would run into trouble if the golden Dragon egg was used to change someone’s race. I had almost forgotten that we were supposed to hatch it.”

“I didn’t,” Ash grunted. “Could have used a little Draconic buddy at the forge. Not that I’d want Jamie to be a Demon, though. This is a good alternative.”

“This way is a win for everyone,” I said as the Weapon Master put my bowling ball in her inventory. “Jamie gets the chance at extra MVPs, I get more patches and blessings so I can take out one of the Big Three, and we don’t get waylaid by the Gold Scale Consortium.”

“But we could,” the Monstersmith said. “You know, for parts.”

“Yeah, no,” I told her without a shred of hesitation. “The GSC is a huge family of Gold Dragons that follow their nature and actively help the people of Europe. If we kill one, the rest will want to come after us. It’ll net us a lot of good loot, sure, but there will be a point where an Awakened Raid Boss shows up and we’re not going to be able to handle it at our current level. It’s best not to get involved. Or, instead, let Kayla stab Jamie a few times.”

“Excuse you?” the Weapon Master asked, crossing her arms.

“She’s got Credibility and Moxie,” I explained, gesturing towards the Double Agent. “And I already told you they’d consider you an abomination. If she can convince them that she put you down, it’ll likely help both her and Jeff when they’re running around.”

“Instead of just outright stabbing you, could you donate some blood?” Kayla asked diplomatically. “I can see where it could come in handy, and they just might be able to smell you on us anyway.”

Jamie looked from me to Kayla before sighing. “Sure, whatever. I can donate some blood, so long as I’m not getting stabbed with one of your big ass daggers.”

“Thanks.”

“Anything for our queen, I suppose.”

Jeff chortled at that, but the Double Agent had long since gotten used to being called the queen of Sol Ligatus. He turned towards me. “Okay, so no getting ambushed by big scary dragons. What’s this about a Big Three and how does that help you?”

“There are a trio of Filbin crews at the top of the rankings,” I answered. “One of them is headed by Boss Perfect Game.”

Jamie furrowed her brow and swiped open her menu. “But that’s the name you picked for yourself.”

“Yup, because he’s been my target since the beginning,” I replied with a grin. “He’s the only one in the Big Three that’s solo, and he’ll only play against others who are also solo. Or, those who have taken on an apprentice.”

“Which is why only Jamie could join the Seven-Tenners,” Mercury guessed.

“Got it in one,” I told him. “Boss Perfect Game is the cream of the crop. I’m talking never missing a strike. The stuff he drops is prime, and I absolutely have to take him out to get it. Likely after Washington D.C., but before the Patron’s Ball.”

“What’s he drop?” Ash asked curiously.

“Spoilers,” I said cheekily, and she rolled her eyes. I laughed. “I’ll let you in on this, he uses telekinesis just like me. He can stand there and bowl straight strikes on every lane in an alley simultaneously. Boss Perfect Game is basically the ultimate Filbin, and I have his attention because I claimed his name. Our battle has been set in stone from the moment I stepped foot in my first bowling alley.”

“And then you stopped challenging them, and now I have to do your dirty work,” Jamie added.

I shrugged. “None of the places we went to had gold-ranked crews. At least, none that survived other people. Filbins might love bowling, but they’re still menaces to society no matter how much I like them.”

The Weapon Master looked down at the bowling shirt again, plucking at the loose fabric, before sitting down across from Ash. “Guess I did sign up to save the world, or whatever, even if this doesn’t feel like that,” she said.

“That’s the spirit,” I replied, giving her two thumbs up. She sarcastically returned the gesture as Bethany returned in her new dress and hat, beaming brightly. With her arrival, I started signing when I spoke. “Now the team’s all here. Who wants to tell Jamie and I what happened in the Emperor’s Ascent?”

“We absolutely rocked,” Jeff answered.

“Ross kind of dragged us down, honestly,” Mercury said at the same time.

“Scorpio’s scorpion?”

“Didn’t even manage to sting us.”

“Sagittarius’ flaming centaur?”

“Nothing but cinders.”

“Capricorn’s mountain goat?”

“Fell off a cliff. Still got its horns.”

“Aquarius’ Fountain Golem?”

“Actually really pretty,” Mercury said, disrupting their cadence.

“It was, actually, yeah,” Jeff agreed.

“But got plugged up regardless.”

“Pisces’ twin fish?”

“Mama Callie turned them to sticks after we caught the slippery bastards.”

“You dorks plan that out?” I asked, snorting in amusement as I waggled my finger, pointing at the two of them in turn.

“Unfortunately,” Kayla sighed, patting her husband on the chest. That did nothing to remove his and Mercury’s grins, and she shook her head. “Jeff continued the training sessions after you left, and Tanvi even apologized to us for falling for the administrator and her Patron’s lies.”

“But not Arthur,” I guessed. Leo had been the biggest pain in our asses, and his avatar had done nothing but facilitate it.

“No. He only showed his face whenever he was going to the next room or coming back from one,” she said. “We’re pretty sure he and Tanvi had a long discussion about what had happened, but we don’t know what came of it. Leo’s factions were shunned after your apparent death, and everyone else came together. Even those who just watched before.”

“Yeah, it was crazy,” Mercury added. “We were getting faction leaders who hadn’t even said one word to us coming up and offering their condolences. Jill Rawley? Taurus’ avatar? Nearly as big as Jeff here and she just about cried on Kayla’s shoulder.”

“She’s a Primal Powerhouse, and her size is a part of her class,” I said before tapping the table in thought. “If I remember right, her brother was a part of her faction.”

“Yes, and she lost him not long after your apparent demise,” Kayla confirmed. “Jill regretted not joining in on your training sessions, saying that his death could have been avoided if they hadn’t been so proud.”

I nodded and sighed. “Tale as old as time, unfortunately,” I said, lowering my head. “Nothing to do but pick yourself up and keep moving. Sad, but this train wreck doesn’t stop for feelings. I’m assuming Bishop Riggens’ service picked up steam?”

Virgo’s Avatar, Dennis Riggens the Saint Commandant, had come to me for advice. Despite his lofty position, he had trouble reconciling his faith with the horrors going on around him. I had suggested that he start a service for those who perished in the Emperor’s Ascent, allowing people to honor their dead, and he had started the very next morning.

“It helped a lot,” Jeff answered. “There were a lot of people there for you, too.”

I smiled at that, remembering the Great Artwork outside of the event, and nodded.

“Ross was also able to finally mourn his daughter, and he certainly didn’t bring our team down,” Kayla said, giving Mercury a chastising look. He had the sense to look sheepish, scratching the back of his head. “He was a bigger mess than he let on, but I think he’s in a better place now.”

“He’s a strong dude,” I replied. “Not just because he’s Magical Girl Star, but mentally, too. He faltered a bit because he could see that there was someone else who could win this whole thing, and he took some time for himself. Honestly, he needed it, and he’s going to be better for it.”

The Double Agent nodded. “He wanted us to thank you, by the way,” she continued. “The fact that you were alive slipped out, and he took it in stride. That secret’s safe, at least.”

“Whether it is or isn’t doesn’t matter anymore. My legacy is there,” I said with a smile. Ross was a good person, though there were plenty of those in the Emperor’s Ascent. Callie, Brandon, Dennis, and Trevor all came to mind, but there were many others. “How’d the final boss go?”

The Emperor of Constellations stood at the top of the mountain after all of the Zodiac floors had been cleared. He was a humanoid galaxy that wore a regal aurora borealas cape and a supernova crown above his head. All of his attacks were based on the stars, not just those of the Zodiac constellations, and he could use the signature attacks of the floor bosses if necessary as well.

“Without Ross, we would have been practically doomed,” Jeff admitted with a chuckle.

“It wasn’t that bad,” Mercury argued. “We could have survived that big bang attack without him.”

“Just because we could have doesn’t mean it wasn’t going to hurt us,” Kayla said.

“The most important thing to note is that his crown is sitting in my forge as my new source of heat,” Ash interjected, grinning. “It’s a damn fine thing, if I say so myself.”

“What kind of big bang attack was it?” Jamie asked, leaning forward onto the table.

Mercury did the same. “So each of the Zodiac constellations were prominent in the sky, right?” he started excitedly. “They all grew even brighter as the stars connected, and they each shot a beam towards the top of the mountain. Not towards us, but above us.”

“It was bright as hell, and we had trouble seeing,” Jeff said. “This whole time the Emperor was firing off arrows at us using Orion’s Bow, which was made of stars, and Ross created a giant barrier to protect us.”

“The laser that came down once it was charged looked a lot like the one you used against the Writhing Nautilus,” Kayla added. “It looked like its purpose was to destroy the whole mountain, and only the boss could fly. Even with my buffs, Ross almost couldn’t stop it since it lasted so long.”

“Yeah, that’s a nasty bunker buster,” I said, shaking my head. “There’s a second phase of the fight inside the mountain, but if he stopped it then you had an easier time with the fight. The whole thing would be hollow, and he’d summon some of the constellations that weren’t the Zodiac as mobs. So, a Phoenix, the Ursas, Orion and a whole slew of other Greek-themed ones, too.”

“Sounds like a good time,” Jamie remarked, leaning back in her chair. “Kind of makes me wish I didn’t miss it, but I’m pretty sure I made out better at the Star Spangled Shadow Invasion.”

“Lucky,” Mercury muttered. It seemed he was still bummed that he didn’t get to go.

“Your own loot should have been good enough, yeah?” she asked back. “Plus, there’s the stuff we brought back. You have anything for us?”

“Kayla’s got a new passive that increases the power of her buffs depending on how many people she’s affecting,” Jeff said, perking up. “And Mercury’s got that aurora cloak, but it can turn invisible.”

“And we have a new crown for Anthony,” Mercury added. “It comes with requisites that he naturally meets by owning a guild, and it hovers over the head so it doesn’t take up a slot.” 

“We also have a few skill books for you, Jamie,” Kayla said, noting the woman’s frown. “Pisces also dropped a pair of fish charms that’ll boost the power of Silhouette and Firefly.”

That placated the Weapon Master, and she nodded. “Good. Loot sharing is one of the better things about Sol Ligatus, so I’m glad no one’s getting left out.”

Bethany reached over and patted the woman’s shoulder, and the Half-Dragon blinked in surprise at the comforting gesture. She was quickly offered some tea, which she accepted with a smile as she performed the sign for thanks.

“Now’s a good time for it, then,” I said, pulling out the skill books I had gotten from the Star Spangled Shadow Invasion. Jamie followed suit as Kayla began retrieving loot from her inventory. That included a shining silver crown that hovered in the air with a single star hovering over the highest point in the front. “Alright, presents for everyone!”