As Zafron trudged away from the Fight Pit, the crystal gauntlet heavy in his hands, a thought struck him like a bolt of lightning.
"Hey Calista," he muttered under his breath, "how come you seem to know so much about this place? Back on the platform, the system was as clueless as I was."
[My capabilities are not without limits, my lord,] Calista replied, her tone as flat as ever. [In an open world, there are countless knowledge sources to tap, giving the illusion of omniscience. The world as it existed at the point of my creation was known to all, leaving little hidden.]
Zafron's brow furrowed. "But this place..."
[Indeed. This prison, the magic used in its construction, and all its inner workings are unique. It differs greatly from anything the world outside knows.]
A chill ran down Zafron's spine as he contemplated the implications. 'Whoever the Empire used to build this place must be one scary magical powerhouse,' he thought. 'Makes you wonder what else they're capable of.'
[Your deduction is sound, my lord. Though I would advise against dwelling on matters beyond our current control.]
"Right," Zafron muttered. "One terrifying revelation at a time."
As he approached Matilda, her face lit up with a mixture of relief and excitement. Before he could say a word, she threw her arms around him in a tight embrace.
"You did it!" she exclaimed, her voice muffled against his chest. "I can't believe you actually won!"
Zafron chuckled, wincing slightly at his bruised ribs. "Your faith in me is truly heartwarming."
[Perhaps she simply has a firmer grasp on probability than you do, my lord.]
'Not now, Calista,' Zafron thought, rolling his eyes. He was starting to hate commanding his assistants to be on standby. The only reason he did this was because if he missed anything, surely they wouldn't. And if it was something he needed to know immediately, he'd be informed.
But the free rein that came with them was something he genuinely despised sometimes despite how much of a company they proved to be.
Their moment of celebration was cut short by the arrival of Shadow and Whisper, their glowing masks doing little to hide their surprised expressions.
"Well, well," Shadow drawled, "looks like the new meat has some fight in him after all."
Whisper nodded, her eyes fixed on the crystal gauntlet. "That red slime power of yours is quite the trick. Never seen anything like it down here."
Zafron smiled tightly, instinctively moving closer to Matilda. "Just full of surprises, I guess."
He turned to Matilda, noticing her unusual quietness. "Hey, you okay?" he asked softly. "You're being awfully quiet."
She nodded, perhaps a bit too quickly. "Of course... of course I'm fine."
[Her elevated heart rate and micro-expressions suggest otherwise, my lord.]
'Not helping, Calista,' Zafron thought, making a mental note to check on Matilda later when they had some privacy.
Shadow cleared her throat, drawing their attention. "Right, well, you've certainly earned your keep. Here," she tossed a small pouch to Zafron, "your share of the winnings. We kept the rest for ourselves, of course."
Zafron caught the pouch, feeling the weight of the crystal units inside. "Of course," he echoed dryly.
[How magnanimous of them, my lord. Truly, their generosity knows no bounds.]
Zafron bit back a smirk at Calista's deadpan sarcasm.
"Now," Whisper said, all business, "let's get you two properly outfitted. You'll need masks and air purifying crystals if you want to last more than a day down here."
Zafron blinked, looking at the masks the twins were already wearing, with crystals embedded in the bridge. "Wait, the two are separate items? Why in the hell do we need to buy both parts separately?"
The twins exchanged a look that could only be described as amusement mixed with condescension.
"Oh, honey," Shadow said, her voice dripping with false sweetness, "that's just how things work down here. Don't question it if you want to keep breathing."
[A most logical and satisfying explanation, my lord. Truly, their wisdom knows no bounds.]
'Calista, your sarcasm is showing,' Zafron thought, but he had to admit, he was enjoying it.
As they made their way through the winding streets of the Undercity, Whisper began to explain the intricacies of their new home.
"See those towers?" she pointed to a series of crystalline spires that seemed to pulse with energy. "Those are the distribution nodes. They're what keep this whole place running."
Shadow nodded. "Raxus controls the main hub, of course. From there, the energy flows out to these nodes, powering everything from the air purifiers to the food processors."
Zafron's mind raced, piecing together the implications. "So, the closer you are to a node..."
"The better off you are," Whisper finished. "Houses near the nodes barely need to use their personal purifiers. Meanwhile, the poor saps in the lower levels..." she trailed off with a shrug.
[A most equitable system, my lord. I'm sure the "poor saps" appreciate their struggle for basic necessities.]
Zafron coughed to cover his snort of laughter.
They finally arrived at a shop that looked like it had been cobbled together from scrap metal and crystal shards. A grizzled old man with more cybernetic parts than organic ones greeted them with a grunt.
"Two masks, two air crystals," Shadow said, tossing a handful of units onto the counter.
The old man grunted again, disappearing into the back before returning with their purchases.
As Zafron fitted the mask over his face, he couldn't help but notice how much lighter it felt compared to Crusher's gauntlet.
"Now," Whisper said, "these crystals will run out of power eventually. You'll need to charge them at the closest distribution node. Or buy new ones if you're feeling flush with units."
Zafron's eyes widened as an idea struck him. "Speaking of units," he said slowly, "how much would you say this gauntlet crystal is worth?"
The twins' eyes locked onto the crystal, a hungry gleam in their gaze.
[Ah, capitalism at its finest, my lord. Nothing brings people together quite like the promise of profit.]
Zafron bit back a grin as he turned to the shop owner. "You seem like a man who knows his crystals. What can you tell me about this one?"
The old man's cybernetic eye whirred as he examined the gauntlet. "Well now," he said, his voice a mechanical rasp, "that there's a BTX-5 Power Amplification Crystal. Top of the line, that is."
"And the value?" Zafron pressed.
The old man chuckled, a sound like grinding gears. "Depends on the grade, don't it? Lowest tier, you're looking at about 500 units. Highest? Could fetch up to 2000, maybe more to the right buyer."
Zafron's eyes widened. He glanced at the twins, who were trying (and failing) to look disinterested.
[I believe the colloquial term is "jackpot," my lord.]
"I don't suppose you'd be interested in taking it off my hands?" Zafron asked the shop owner.
The old man's organic eye gleamed. "Might be. Let's have a closer look, shall we?"
After a tense few minutes of examination and negotiation, during which Zafron silently thanked Calista for her running commentary on the crystal's specs, a deal was struck. The gauntlet changed hands, and Zafron found himself the proud owner of 1800 units.
"Well," he said, pocketing his newfound wealth, "I guess drinks are on me tonight."
Shadow's hand shot out, faster than Zafron could track. "Now, now," she purred, "let's not forget who brought you here in the first place. I think a finder's fee is in order, don't you?"
Zafron met her gaze steadily. "I think the 'fee' you already took from my fight winnings more than covers it. This," he patted his pocket, "is mine."
For a moment, tension crackled between them like one of Crusher's energy blasts. Then, surprisingly, Whisper laughed.