"Oh my gods, no," said Lyra with a groan. "I don't want a date, I want an engagement."

  Isabelle sighed her trademark sigh.

  "Wait, are you disappointed? What?" said Lyra, Great Oracle of the Damned. "Look, Isabelle-"

  "Fucking alternate reality tradwives," said Isabelle, sighing again as she rolled her eyes. "When will I ever fucking learn. Of course you want a ring first."

  "I am so confused," said Ignis with a huff.

  "Me too," said Lyra, Great Oracle of the Damned.

  "Also me," said Oglo A, who was still there and obviously waiting patiently to launch into some sort of evil monologue or something. Although, as time wore on, he was clearly getting progressively more and more embarrassed at his apparent failure to launch.

  "Okay, to clariy for EVERYONE HERE," said Lyra, Great Oracle of the Damned with a sigh of exasperation. "I want to be clear that in no way am I looking for any sort of romantic entanglement with you, Isabelle. Zilch. I've just been watching you very intently, as have a number of gods, goddesses, demons, et cetera, but I wanted to make first contact. Basically, I called dibs. I want to work with you, Isabelle, and assist you with my otherworldy powers."

  "Romantic entanglement? So that's what you think of getting engaged, how insulting," said Isabelle, rolling her eyes. "Just kidding. Kind of. Look, Liar, I-"

  "Lyra, it's Lyra," said Lyra.

  "Sure, whatever," said Isabelle with a sigh as she rolled her eyes again. "Look, what's the catch?"

  "Catch?" said Lyra. "I don't think there's really a catch in the traditional sense from the act of pledging your patronage to me."

  "Ah, there it is!" said Isabelle.

  "There's what?" said Lyra.

  "You want me to 'pledge patronage' to you, huh? Sounds like giving up my power. Subdjugating myself to your rules, to your weird bullshit, that's what it sounds like to me," said Isabelle.

  Everyone, Lyra included, stared at her slack-jawed.

  "What?" said Isabelle. "Did I stutter?"

  "No," said Lyra. "You didn't. I just... well, this is going to be difficult for me to explain. Okay, look, I'm an evil villain goddess, and I'm here to offer you a deal, you and ONLY you. Everyone else is... irrelevant, if I'm being honest. Now, your 'patronage' would be, well, your 'patronage,' I guess."

  "What do you mean, my patronage?" said Isabelle.

  "Isabelle," said Lyra with a sigh. "You're thinking like this is some kind of 'evil goddess seeks to subjugate a hero in exchange for power' type of situation. It's not. I'm evil, I'm the villain, but it's more of a... sponsorship."

  "So you just want to put your name on my jersey?" said Isabelle.

  "Yes!" said Lyra, Great Oracle of the Damned with a sigh of exasperated relief. "That's it! That's a perfect way to put it."

  "Okay," said Ignis, stepping forward. "I'm sorry, but what the fuck? I'm a dragon, and I am so fucking confused right now."

  "Okay, look," said Lyra. "Ignis, you're a dragon, and dragons in Beaubinte are, in essence, living incarnations of chaos, correct?"

  "I am, yes," said Ignis with a huff.

  "Right," said Lyra. "Well, I'm a goddess. A very, very powerful one. But, I'm not omnipotent. I need to keep my 'brand,' if you will, relevant in the world of Beaubinte. I need 'influencers,' if you will, and I am not an omnipotent goddess. I am, for all intents and purpose Isabelle."

  "So," said Ignis, huffing. "You want to put your name on her jersey."

  "Yes," said Lyra. "Precisely. So, what do you say, Isabelle?"

  "Eh, I'll think about it," said Isabelle with a shrug.

  "Think about it?" said Lyra. "Isabelle, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. This is a chance to become a champion of a goddess. To wield power beyond your wildest dreams. To reshape the very fabric of reality. And you're going to 'think about it'?"

  "Yea," said Isabelle. "I will."

  Lyra stared at her, her ethereal form flickering with frustration. She had faced down ancient gods, bent the laws of physics to her will, and orchestrated the downfall of entire civilizations, but this... this was a new kind of challenge. This was a stubborn, chaotic, and utterly infuriating mortal who refused to play by the rules.

  [Updated: Become a Patron of the Great Oracle of the Damned]

  [Objective: Decide if you want to become a patron of the Great Oracle of the Damned]

  "Fine," said Lyra, her voice tight with restrained anger. "Think about it. But don't take too long. The Great Builder is not a patient entity. And neither am I."

  With that, she dissolved back into the swirling vortex of data, leaving them alone in the blinding white expanse with the ticking of the cosmic clock and the silent, brooding presence of Oglo A.

  "Well," said Ignis, breaking the silence. "That was... something."

  "She wants to sponsor me," said Isabelle, a look of dawning comprehension on her face. "She's not evil. She's just a goddess of chaos who wants to use me to further her own agenda. She's just like me, but on a cosmic scale."

  "Oh, she's definitely evl, Isabelle. She made that abundantly clear," said Tahsi Senior as he chomped on a baguette, his eyes wide with a mixture of fear and excitement. "So, are you going to do it?"

  "I don't know," said Isabelle, her mind racing. "I mean, it's a tempting offer. More power, more chaos, more... me. But it also feels like a trap. A cage with gilded bars. A way to control me, to use me for her own purposes."

  She looked at Oglo A, who had been watching the whole exchange with a look of growing amusement.

  "And what about you?" she said, turning to him. "What's your angle in all this? Are you just going to stand there and look smug, or are you going to tell me what the fuck is going on? Gonna try and kill me? What?"

  Oglo A smiled, a cold, calculating smile that didn't reach his golden eyes. "My angle, Isabelle, is simple. I am the original Oglo replicant, the replicant made from a partition of Oglo Prime. It was I who took your loot and paralyzed you back when you were but a mere Citadel fighter, a prisoner of Thres slinging blood and iron just to shave a day or two off your sentence. The sentence you never completed, you fucking criminal. I aim to destroy you completely and entirely, Isabelle. This moment with Lyra has only sealed the deal further. If evil gods and goddesses want your patronage, just think about what they might want from someone who could slay you. And if forty thousand of my replicants can't do it, heh, well then I'll just have to take matters into my own claws!"

  [Boss fight activated]

  [Combat mode v2 activated]

  Isabelle was in shock as her vision was filled with a bright flash of light in the already white landscape. Suddenly, it was just her and Oglo A standing there, facing one another. Isabelle's party stood off in the distance, it was giving a peanut gallery vibe.

  "Well, well, well," said Isabelle with a sigh. "Look what we have here, a boss fight."

  "Indeed," said Oglo A, pulling out a staff that was unlike anything Isabelle had seen. It was topped with a massive, pulsating gear of shimmering, iridescent metal. "Do you like my staff? The Chronos Cog. And your fight with me will be the final thing you see before you die. Heh heh."

  If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  Isabelle readied her katana, the Overlord's Flaming Yellow Katana, its blade humming with latent power. She could feel the heat radiating from it, a familiar, comforting presence in this strange, sterile world.

  "A staff? Really?" said Isabelle with a sigh. "You're going to fight me with a fucking stick? I've seen baguettes scarier than that."

  "It is not a stick," said Oglo A, his voice a low, dangerous purr. "It is an instrument of order. A tool of precision. And it will be the instrument of your demise."

  He raised the staff, the Chronos Cog glowing with an intense, white light. The ticking of the cosmic clock grew louder, faster, more insistent. The very fabric of reality seemed to stretch and warp around him, the geometric patterns shifting and reforming in response to his will.

  "Let's see how you deal with a little bit of temporal distortion," he said, a cruel smirk on his face.

  Isabelle braced herself, her senses on high alert. She could feel the change in the air, a strange, unsettling pressure that seemed to slow down her movements, to dull her reflexes. The world was moving in slow motion, but he was moving at normal speed.

  "Fuck," she said, her own voice sounding distant and distorted. "This is not good."

  [Stamina 97%]

  "You see," said Oglo A, circling her with a predator's grace. "I am not like the others. I am not a simple copy, a mindless drone. I am the original. The one who holds the key. The one who can bend the rules of this world to my will. And you, my dear Isabelle, are about to find out just how flexible those rules can be."

  He lunged, the staff a blur of motion. Isabelle tried to dodge, but her body was sluggish, unresponsive. It was like trying to move through molasses.

  The staff connected with her side, a sharp, searing pain that sent her sprawling to the ground.

  [You lose 25 hp]

  [You are slowed]

  [You are disoriented]

  "Get up," said Oglo A, standing over her, the Chronos Cog glowing with malevolent energy. "This is just the beginning. I want you to suffer. I want you to feel the same despair, the same hopelessness, that you have brought upon me. I want you to understand the true meaning of oblivion."

  Isabelle pushed herself to her feet, her body protesting with every movement. She was at a disadvantage, a huge one. But she was not one to give up. She was not one to surrender.

  "You talk too much," she said, her voice a low growl. "And you're a shitty villain. You're all exposition and no action."

  "Is that so?" said Oglo A, raising the staff for another strike. "Let's see if you're still so cocky when I've reduced you to a puddle of quivering flesh."

  He struck again, the staff whistling through the air. But this time, Isabelle was ready. She focused her will, her chaotic energy, pushing against the temporal distortion. It was like trying to swim against a strong current, but she was not one to be easily deterred.

  She managed to sidestep the attack, the staff grazing her shoulder instead of hitting her full on.

  "Nice try," Isabelle said with a sigh. "But you'll have to do better than that."

  "Oh, I will," said Oglo A, a flicker of anger in his golden eyes. "I will."

  He began to chant, the words a strange, guttural language that resonated with the ticking of the cosmic clock. The Chronos Cog glowed brighter, the light pulsating in time with his words. The world around them began to warp and twist, the geometric patterns shifting into a nightmarish kaleidoscope of shapes and colors.

  "Let's see how you handle a little paradox," he said, a triumphant smirk on his face.

  [Oglo casts 'Spacetime Paradox']

  Isabelle felt a strange, disorienting sensation, as if she was in two places at once. She could see herself standing there, facing Oglo A, but she could also see herself lying on the ground, her body broken and bleeding.

  [You lose 22 hp]

  [You lose 55 hp]

  [You don't lose any hp]

  [You lose some hp]

  Isabelle was so confused. Was her system even rendering her hp loss properly? She tried to take a step forward, to swing her katana and attack Oglo, but every move she made seemed mirrored, incorrect, and reversed, sending her tumbling down on the cold, white ground. It felt like marble. It was weirdly cold.

  "What the fuck?" she said. The world was a mess of confusing visuals. For a second, she thought she saw a memory, a flash of something from a life before, a woman with her hair in a tight bun, looking at her with disappointment. Then it was gone.

  "Confused?" said Oglo A, a cruel laugh escaping his lips. "Good. I want you to be confused. I want you to be lost. I want you to be trapped in a maze of your own making, a prison of your own perception."

  He raised the staff again, the Chronos Cog glowing with an intense, malevolent light. "And now, for the final touch."

  [Oglo casts 'Inevitability']

  Isabelle felt a wave of despair wash over her, a cold, creeping dread that seemed to seep into her very bones. She knew, with a certainty that was both terrifying and absolute, that she was going to lose. She was going to die. There was no escape, no hope, no chance of victory. It was inevitable.

  She was going to die.

  [Your will to fight is severely compromised]

  [You are filled with despair]

  "Fuck you," she said, her voice barely a whisper. "I am not going to die."

  But even as she said the words, she knew they were a lie. She could feel the fight draining out of her, the spark of defiance in her eyes flickering and dying. She was a puppet on a string, and Oglo A was the puppet master.

  "It's over," said Oglo A, a look of triumph on his face. "It's all over."

  He raised the staff for the final blow, a beam of pure energy crackling between his fingers. It was aimed at her heart, a death sentence from the creator to the created.

  Isabelle closed her eyes, bracing herself for the end.

  Wait, what? No she fucking wasn't.

  Isabelle hated Oglo. And she wasn't a fucking quitter. This wasn't the first time the world of Beaubinte had tried to box her in and make her feel like shit. And it wouldn't be the last, either, or Isabelle wasn't the mage of fuckedy fucking shadows.

  [Core sequence activated]

  Isabelle could feel powerful shadows coiling around her eyes like a mask. In a gasp, she realized she'd done it. She was using her increased shadow magic level. She'd clearly put that raw essence to good use last time she leveled up.

  [Mana 90%]

  [Shadow Magic Event: Chaos Unleashed]

  Isabelle opened her eyes, a look of pure, unadulterated rage on her face. She raised her katana, the Overlord's Flaming Yellow Katana, its blade now ablaze with a fire that burned with the intensity of a thousand suns.

  "You talk too much," Isabelle said, her voice a roar that echoed through the void. "And you're a shitty villain. You're all exposition and no action."

  She lunged, the katana a blur of motion. Oglo A, caught off guard by her sudden resurgence, tried to dodge, but he was too slow. The blade connected with his chest, a clean, precise cut that sent him staggering backward.

  [Critical hit]

  [Oglo A loses 250 hp]

  [Stamina 93%]

  "What?" said Oglo A, a look of disbelief on his face. "How? How did you... ?"

  "You're not the only one who can bend the rules," said Isabelle, rolling her eyes and sighing, her voice that of a thousand angry ancestors. "I am the chaos that you seek to control. I am the disorder that you seek to impose your will upon. And I am the one who is going to send you back to the nothingness from which you came."

  She raised the katana again, the blade still blazing with a fiery light. "Now, let's see how you deal with a little bit of unpredictable, reality-bending chaos," said Isabelle. And this time, the voice was just Isabelle's.

  She struck again, the katana slicing through the air with a speed and a precision that defied the laws of physics. Oglo A tried to block the attack with his staff, but the blade cut through the Chronos Cog as if it were made of butter.

  [Critical hit]

  [Oglo A loses 250 hp]

  [Chronos Cog is destroyed]

  "No!" said Oglo A, a look of panic on his face. "My staff! My power! My... my... "

  He trailed off, a look of utter despair on his face. He was just a kobold now, a small, scaly creature with a fancy hat and a broken stick. He was no longer a god, no longer a master of time and space. He was just a failure.

  "Wow, sucks to suck, Oglo, you fucking bitch," said Isabelle. She was trying not to focus on the fact that she had wanted to loot the Chronos Cog from Oglo after she won the fight and slaughtered his scaly ass.

  "Guess I'm fucked," said Oglo. "NOT!"

  "What?" said Isabelle.

  Before Isabelle could process what was happening, Oglo equipped a small, purple pouch and tossed it on the ground. In a flash and a puff of smoke, Isabelle's vision went dark and then faded back to normal. Oglo A was gone!

  [Combat mode v2 deactivated]

  [Combat mode deactivated]

  [Updated: The Nature of the Oglo Replicants]

  [Completed: The Nature of the Oglo Replicants]

  [Updated: Enact Revenge on Oglo A]

  [Objective: Ask Oglo replicants about Oglo A's whereabouts]

  [Achievement unlocked: Enter combat mode v2]

  [Achievement unlocked: Use a shadow magic event in combat mode v2]

  [Notice: You're ready to level up]

  Well, Isabelle was fucking thrilled. All that drama, and then a chance to level up all over again. It was a real relief after what had seemed to be an endless draught of her own upleveling wherein she had never seemed to progress. Now it was all happening, and happening so fast, and yet Isabelle had just let Oglo and his stupid clock weapon slip through the cracks. Well, oh well. She'd level as a consolation prize.

  [Congratulations, you've reached level 72!]

  [Notice: You have attribute and skill points to spend]

  [Would you like to spend your points now?]

  [Y/N]

  Isabelle thought yes.

  Attribute Points to Spend: 70

  Hp: 938

  H-Regen: 2.4/5sec

  Mana: 500

  M-Regen: 4/1sec

  Stm: 845

  S-Regen: 0.7/sec

  Here was an easy one. Isabelle wanted to bump up her mana, so she did. 70 points worth of bumping it up, in fact.

  Skill Points to Spend: 79

  Str: 487 Int: 360

  Dx: 434 Wis: 366

  Const: 448 Char: 300

  Isabelle was divided on this one, so she divided up her points. 9 points to int just for fun, 34 points to wis, and 36 to str because Isabelle always needed to be nice and strong, she figured.

  [Congratulations, you've finished leveling up!]

  Character Status

  Name: Isabelle

  Gender: Female

  Level: 71

  Class: Shadow Mage

  Race: Human

  Alignment: Chaotic-Evil

  Affinities

  Slots: 2

  Shadow Affinity (I)

  Predation Affinity (I)

  Attributes

  Hp: 938

  H-Regen: 2.4/5sec

  Mana: 570

  M-Regen: 4/1sec

  Stm: 845

  S-Regen: 0.7/sec

  Skill Points

  Str: 523 Int: 369

  Dx: 434 Wis: 400

  Const: 448 Char: 300

  Magic Ability Levels

  Enchant: 3 Summon: 2

  Heal: 3 Destroy: 13

  Transmute: 3 Confuse: 3

  Shadow: 4

  Normal Ability Levels

  Crafting: 8 Sneak: 12

  Archery: 11 Lockpick: 5

  Armed Combat: 18 Melee Combat: 4

  Speech: 17 Sleight Of Hand: 6

  Perfect. Isabelle was thrilled to have leveled up again.

  "Nice job, Isabelle," said Tahsi Junior. "What are you gonna do about the Spire's Core, though, now that Oglo A has left?"

  Isabelle looked down at the fiesty kobold-dragon, and then she looked over to the shimmering, pulsing crystal that Oglo A had been standing in front of. It seemed to radiate a strange, powerful energy. She stepped closer.

  [Spire Core - Active]

  [Raw Essence detected]

  Interesting. Isabelle's system not only allowed her to focus and learn more about the Core, but it also detected Raw Essence. Isabelle smiled as she focused. It was time to put this thing to use.