The moment Tristan’s Attack struck the glass jar containing the crystal, a multi-colored reaction occurred. Something glowed within the crystal—cards, he thought. The violet light of Chaos sparked, followed by the red light of Fire, then finally the white light of Air.

Then, he went into his [Binder] and pulled out all of his [Lockdown Access Keys] to make sure it worked. Sure enough, he could still use his cards without them. He put them back into his [Binder] and quickly flipped through the new cards he’d acquired. He replaced his damaged equipment with fresh ones and added three new cards to his deck.

[Adept/Order/Support] — Enforce: Reveal: Upon successful cast of this card, information about the affected target will be shown. (CASTS: 3 | DURATION: UNTIL COMBAT IS CONCLUDED OR A NEW TARGET IS CHOSEN).

[Adept/Air/Support] — Jetstream: Apply two stacks of the [Quickening] buff to your cards. Also increases your movement speed. (CASTS: 2 | DURATION: 1 MINUTE)

[Adept/Dark/Attack] — Midnight Javelin: Launch a powerful javelin formed of dark energy. If it successfully lands, afflict the target with two stacks of [Bleed]. (CASTS: 8).

He replaced [Wolf’s Grace], [Bleeding Hamstring], and [Slumbering Stalagamites].

Now, he had to save the hostages and deal with the captain. Hopefully, with their decks freed, they were able to resist and fight back. Though he prayed that Eila would remain out of it, safe.

He had enough [Adept Perkshards] now to unlock a new one. He wasn’t sure what he wanted yet, though, so he would save it for later. After he got rid of the remaining pirates.

There’s a [Teleport Stone] in the next room. He’ll use it to get up to the dining room floor and end this.

A voice came to life over the speakers in the ceiling, making him pause.

“Tristan Ford of Cabin 47A, Topaz floor,” said a familiar voice, making his blood chill. “This is Captain Dennier of the Scapegoat and Serenity. Please come down to the dining room floor. I have a very special passenger here who is dying

to see you.”

—🃁—

“Tch, tch, tch,” Dennier said, looking around at the dining room. Gripped tight in her hand was that girl Eila’s hair, who she’d knocked unconscious. “What a mess.”

Of the forty men she’d brought to take over the Serenity, fifteen were dead in this room, plus an uncertain amount on the eighth floor with that rat who’d managed to break the lockdown. Now, she only had the ten in this room watching the hostages, plus another group in the Scapegoat watching the ship.

She looked at the beaten, bloodied passengers and crew remaining. She couldn’t remember exactly how many people were on the Serenity. Close to 300, she believed.

Now, there was less than fifty. An absolute slaughter, which wasn’t good for morale. She could see in the faces of some of her crew that they weren’t comfortable with the amount of death that had occurred here. She had them bind the rest and separate the more rebellious ones from the others.

Which was silly. All of these passengers were dead the moment she boarded the ship. Her crew knew that. But it was her duty as captain to do this kind of dirty work, so she begrudgingly understood.

She also had to admit that she was impressed. The hostages had put up a shockingly good fight despite their lack of cards. They’d managed to overwhelm the twelve crewmates she’d left behind to guard them, and one of them had even been Boll. The man was a dullard and a drunk, but he was a good cardbearer.

Now, he was dead. So were the other eleven. Plus three more in the fight to subdue the hostages after they’d got their decks back. And however many more on the eighth floor. A shame.

Things were spiraling out of control, she had to admit—and that bothered her more than anything. Control was very important to her.

The worst part was, she would have stopped this whole revolt sooner if her employer hadn’t reached across space to demand an explanation for what the hell she was doing.

—🃁—

She’d been walking to the [Teleport Stone] on the fifth floor, on her way up to the eighth to deal with the rat, when suddenly a portal popped into existence beside her. A violet rip in the air, jagged and pulsing with Chaos energy.

Shit, she thought. News of her little heist must be taking the Continent by storm. She didn’t really blame the Flight Marshall for that; news of this nature tended to leak like Air energy through a gap.

Her client was likely pissed. No, he was definitely pissed.

She took a deep breath and stepped through.

A disorienting sensation like using a [Teleport Stone] took over her. Except instead of feeling vertigo and disorientation, this felt more like tiny hands were ripping apart her body and then shoving the pieces back together on the other side.

When it ended, she was in an undulating square room. Or was it a circle? A triangle. It seemed like the room itself didn’t know what it was.

This tale has been pilfered from NovelBin. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

The room was dark violet and studded with stars, as if some god had ripped a swath of space out and shaped it into a liminal space with body dysmorphia. An unnatural aura whispered up-and-down her body, like fingertips tracing faint lines on her skin. She shuddered.

Atop a throne formed from the same space-void-fabric was a figure formed out of rippling shadow. She could just barely see the vaguest impression of a face.

I thought I asked for discretion, her client spat, glaring down at her. His words boomed in the shape-changing room. Every longcomm across the Continent is screaming about the goddamn Serenity Takeover.

Dennier had spread her arms, trying to be casual, though her heart rammed like a [Furysworn Bull]. With all fairness, sir, she said, there’s not much discretion one can employ when it comes to hijacking an airship. I believe I made you aware of that before I departed.

The man stared at her before grunting and leaning back on his throne. Fair enough. Well, tell me you have accomplished the mission. Do you have the [Disable Crystal]? Are you on your way to the rendezvous?

Dennier braced herself. Unfortunately, we had to proceed with Plan B.

He frowned. Plan B?

I’m going to have to bring the entire Serenity instead.

The room suddenly shuddered. Dennier quailed under the force of it, her client’s anger palpable as it rushed through the void-like room like a wave and flattened it, creating a singular plane. She couldn’t help it; she looked over the edge and saw nothing but more violet void.

You said you were up to the task, Captain, her client raged. You said you could get this done if I delivered you the [Lockdown Access Keys].

She had lied, of course. There was a reason no other pirate had taken this job despite the exorbitant payment. It was impossible. But piracy was becoming increasingly unprofitable, she was low on funds, and her crew was crazy—or loyal—enough to believe she could do it. The plan was always to bring the Serenity instead of the crystal and deal with the consequences after.

Look, Dennier said, stepping forward. I know this is not exactly what you had in mind. So what? I’m going above and beyond here. She stabbed a finger at him, which was unwise, but she was too fired up to care. You asked for one [Disable Crystal]. I’m bringing you that plus six [Engines], four [Shields], and a [Control]. Not only that, I took the senior engineer too. She’s highly knowledgable and will surely be able to help you in whatever the fuck you’re planning to do with these things.

Her client stared down at her. She stared back, breathing heavily.

After a moment, he turned to the side and started speaking silently with someone she couldn’t see. Likely his liaison, the person she’d been in communication with regarding the details of the mission. She didn’t know who either of them were, or at least their real identities.

Though, having the capability to do something like creating this spatial room really narrowed down the options. She didn’t even know what card existed that could do something like this.

She stared at her client, who seemed to be in the middle of passionately defending himself. His shadowed arms were pointed at his chest, then towards Dennier, then thrown in the air in frustration. The room rippled again, becoming a spiraling cork extending into infinity.

Her client slumped down in his chair, chin on his fist. Dennier had the striking realization that she was not dealing with a man, but a boy. A young, rash boy who looked as if had just been told off by an authority figure.

That made the situation even more dangerous. Youth combined with god-like power made for a very bad combo.

The Serenity is too big, her client finally said, sounding petulant. And now, with the news of your heist spreading all over the Continent, she’s too recognizable.

Dennier gestured to the space they were in. Can’t you just ferry the ship into one of these things?

It is impossible. It— Her client was cut off by whomever was beside him. A heated exchange began, her client visibly getting upset again. The conversation went on for some time; at some point, her client got up and left the boundary of this room, leaving her alone. She began to worry that he had just forgotten her, and she was doomed to spend the rest of her life in this haunted space. Not to mention the timing was just terrible. She needed to get back to the ship and deal with this rat infestation.

Just when she was contemplating using her cards to cut through this room, he returned. He sat back down on the throne and cleared his throat.

You will bring the Serenity to the rendezvous, he intoned. Now that she’d heard what he really sounded like, this fake, imperial voice sounded a little silly. Ensure that this engineer you have captured is delivered safe and unharmed.

Yes, sir, Dennier said, relieved that the conversation was over. She sketched a bow, and when she looked up she could tell that he was pleased.

Go. Do not fail me. He made a gesture with his hand, and the back of the room split, creating another portal.

Dennier walked towards it, then paused. She turned around.

What do you even want the crystal for? she asked. She didn’t know why she was asking; she didn’t ask why when she took the job. But having actually met the client now, she found herself curious.

Her client paused, as if deciding whether or not to be offended by the question. His head turned to the side, clearly listening to someone speak.

Then, he grinned. The shadows of his face split apart, revealing a set of white teeth.

A war, Captain Dennier. A war of the gods.

—🃁—

Now, she was here. The moment she stepped out of the portal, her shortcomm had buzzed, telling her that the hostages were mutinying. She’d immediately went up there and saw the fools had gotten their decks back, which could only mean the rat had somehow gotten past all of her crew and taken the crystal out.

She crushed their petty rebellion. She thought about just killing them all, then thought again. This rat was likely the hero type, and a hero’s greatest weakness were innocent civilians.

But still, she was in a rather precarious position. There was only one [Disable Crystal] left. She realized she’d forgotten to tell her client his information had been wrong; then she remembered that terrifying smile he’d shown her and was glad she forgot.

The airship was already enroute to the rendezvous and would reach there by tonight. A small, secluded atoll. Her orders had been to leave the [Disable Crystal] there, and upon successful retrieval, her payment would be delivered to her anonymously. She was going to leave the Serenity there now and wipe her hands with this.

There was only one problem now. The rat in her hull. It was a stroke of providence that the girl Eila was still alive and not killed in the mutiny; apparently, she had been the one to take out Boll. Surprising, considering she was only Novice.

Albas had done a good job of tracking down her existence. She was going to pay him a blue for his work. Now, she had further leverage over the rat.

As if she’d Summoned him, the doors to the dining room opened.

On the other side, a rather short young man stood in a mismatch of different equipment. Clearly taken from the [Binders] of her crew that he’d killed. Blood was splattered all over his body. His deck swirled around him, and Dennier saw that he was only Adept. He looked furious.

She grinned. This was getting interesting.