***
Back inside the tower.
At the center of a vast golden platform edged by a colonnade of super large columns with white shaft, a golden base and golden capital; Skylar lying on a large luxurious bed opened his eyes wide in a single motion, looking alert.
In the next instant, he looked to his right and saw someone he instinctively identified to be Shallbell—though she doesn't have her wings—sitting with her back to him at the edge of the bed, singing a literal angelic healing music that is soothing his spirit and calming his will.
Maybe because she sensed he has woken up, Shallbell stopped singing, then turning around, she starts crawling towards him with her divine eyes locked onto his own that are locked to the cleavage of her proportionately huge breast that is partly revealed by the low neckline of her white top—looking like the two are admiring as each other with the atmosphere turning sweet and holy quiet.
Reaching him and towering above him while still kneeling on the large bed, Shallbell blinked her dark golden eyes set on his, and Skylar with a rare smile of happiness stretched his right hand and frame her literal divine face, unlike any any man can envision.
"You really shouldn't exist." Skylar commented, looking lost while analyzing the countours and dimensions of her face he could only find perfect, despite his eyes operating on overdrive.
"Young lord..." Shallbell replied, sounding deliberately sweet and gentle.
"You are just too beautiful... and I think it wouldn't be farfetched to say you were fashioned by an alien supergod..." Skylar continued, caressing her divine face. "Perfect symmetry and golden ratio in dimensions, curves and angle... even your skin is technically poreless just like the purest crystal..."
"Young lord, you will definitely be more pleased when you are capable of beholding my form in my divine glory."
Shallbell replied, to which Skylar instantly frowned, squinting his eyes.
"Did you do it?"
"No, young lord. It was Helen." Shallbell quickly replied. Then she went down—placing her head on Skylar's heaving chest, and starts singing her angelic song that set to calm his spirit.
After a short while, she stopped the music and projected her voice.
"Young lord, do you know my first and only wish?"
"Mmm...to be happy?" Skylar guessed and starts fiddling with her super lustrous golden divine hair that is glowing faintly.
"Something similar, young lord." Shallbell responded. "I wish for young lord hour of transcendence to come quicker..."
About to respind but before he could, Skylar sensed a presence to his right, and turning his head, he found Helen in a plain white flowing gown that has a golden bertha collar, smiling warmly at them while standing close to the edge of the bed that is covered entirely in divine-looking white satin fabric.
"I was busy with some work, that's why I am late." Helen reported as she sat on the edge of the bed, very close to Skylar who seems not to be listening to her, and is now looking at the blue moon half hidden by the cloud in the night sky. "I have already seen to the issue. The reason I called you is to upgrade your interface. You can go and check it out... its now as functional as that of others..." She added.
"Helen, you are the CEO of Tribes?" Questioning, Skylar interjected as he glanced at her.
"Yes, its public knowledge." Helen replied, looking puzzled.
Skylar sighed deeply, "Then why is it I am treated differently? Why do I still appear here and not at the tower lobby at the ground floor like the others? What's even this place? Helen..."
Helen smiled helplessly, "You will always appear here because you chose me as your guide. Sky... you are not the only special one... there are others like you that get this treatment..."
"Okay, let's say, I truly belong to some special group as you said... what is it that actually set us apart from the rest..?" Skylar glanced at Helen. "Why are you my guide and not the guide of many others? There should be a reason right? Helen..."
Helen smiled at Skylar and looked up. She paused for a while and then turn to look at Skylar's face, smiling helplessly, saying:
"Its the tower's orders. I am only following what we were ask to do."
"If you ever meet a tower manager, you should ask them... they know more than me." She added.
Ah.. Interesting...
A contemptuous smile formed on Skylar's face. He chuckled amusingly and glanced at Helen, saying: "I guess I will never meet one, you sneaky bastards."
Still chuckling, Skylar turned his focus to Shallbell who still has her head on his broad bare chest, cozying up to him.
He lightly patted her divine hair, "Shallbell, if someone dies in the tower, why don't they return to the real world?"
"Death inside the towers doesn't count; the towers are like a point zero..." Helen replied instead of Shallbell.
Tucking a tendril of her golden hair behind her ear and placing her divine pale legs on the bed, completely sitting on it, she continued, "Although its very much unlikely for bravers to die in the tower, but if it does happen... the person will respawn where they died after a few minutes... That's how the stream was designed."
A few minutes of silence—during which Skylar did not respond nor did Helen continued and Shallbell cozying up to Skylar seems to have falling asleep, drifting to the land of dreams—passed until Skylar sighed.
"Helen let's play a game, If you answer one question from me truthfully, I will answer one of yours too. Are you in?"
Helen glanced at Skylar, "Sky, what are you up to? I hope you are not trying to get secret information from me?"
"I see, let's forget it." Skylar responded dismissively and then closed his eyes, completely ignoring Helen who has an imperceptible frown on her thoughtful face.
...
Few minutes after Skylar left the tower.
Helen, while sitting on a golden chair in front of a white crystal table, raised her head, and saw a figure in a glowing and flowing gold satin gown, and a golden celestial crown with four vertical long and pointy spikes on her head that is also completely covered by a white cape veil that ended below her shoulder, stand next to a chair at the opposite side of the table.
["You have come."]
Lowering her head, Helen returned her attention to the book with glowing golden celestial characters on the table. Then, the figure standing as tall as her with thier face completely concealed by the cape veil, took a seat on the chair opposite her in an upright position.
["How was it? You succeeded"]
Helen flipped the page of the voluminous book she didn't stop reading. Then she replied the ether-transmitted voice of the veiled figure that then result into a conversation.
["The seed should germinate; that will give us enough time..."]
["He scares me... that man."]
["I felt it too... this as much as we can do; the one from beyond won't allow direct interference, unless its at your end."]
["I know, but I don't know why I feel this way... maybe its because I am closer to him."]
["They won't be the first that will get in the way of our plan; we must always be prepared."]
["You have seen him? The one from the side of order."]
["We should let him grow first; we might be able to put him to use, but the one from the east is our top priority at the moment; he might soon come to the west; he can't stay in one place for long and the west is where everything will play out ultimately."]
["You have a point, but it should be easy to deal with him; he has families and friends he is attached to... using her sister and fiancee against him should block his path, if not break him totally... no..."]
["....Breaking people like us is virtually impossible—we can only be delayed. So if we can't take their lives now, we either slow them down or be far ahead of them, even then, success is not guaranteed...only by removing all obstacle can there be a way forward."]
["... Its really exhausting, rising to the throne?..."]
["Our predecessors should have also gone through all this, if they can succeed, we should also be able to succeed... we just have to be perfect in all the decisions we make... if there are any loopholes... we leverage them, anyone useful... we exploit them, and anyone in our path... we destroy... Its as simple as that...]
***
Meanwhile, Skylar as he exit the flying vehicle garage spotted Yami standing close to the rear entrance of the executive guild building of lavender in front of him, looking like she has been expecting him.
Has she been waiting for me? He smiled.
Accelerating, he sped up and reached close to her in the next second, leaving no disturbance behind him—looking kind of stealthily.
"Yami, what's up?" He went around her and wrapped his hands around her somewhat plump yet firm waist, hugging her from behind and placing his chin on her right shoulder.
"Sky, how are you? Are you okay?" Yami replied, sounding soft and concerned.
However her question made Skylar paused instantly and narrowed his eyes, falling into a brief contemplation.
Is she really omniscient? Or she's related to the creator of the simulation in some way? maybe she is the creator herself? nah... That can't be... She is definitely...
"Sky." Yami called gently, drawing his attention as she placed her hands on his big ones held to her somewhat fleshy but firm bare belly, while also snuggling her cheek to his warmly.
"I am okay. Why shouldn't I be?" Skylar questioned. Then he disengaged from her, coming around to stand next to her, consequently facing the rear of the executive guild building just like her.
"Sky, were you scared?" Yami questioned.
Skylar chuckled, "Scared of what?" Replying, he poked her full round chubby cheek playfully, "What's going on with you?"
"Hee—hee—hee..." Yami giggled. "Its a secret. I have a surprise for you."
"Oh..." Surprised by her reply, Skylar eyes skimming the beauriful colorful vines on the building wooden structure widening briefly before he smiled.
Then dragging Skylar by the arm—leading him towards the building rear entrance—Yami continued, "Let's go in first. I have something to show you."
As they neared the wide open entrance, which beyond it is the grand staircase that leads to the upper floors, Yami halted.
"Let's take the elevator, she is lying in wait on the stairs."
She changed their course, moving towards a spot beside the entrance and on the black chameleon glass wall of the building rear.
Skylar chuckled, "She is really stubborn?"
"Everyone says that. And now that you are her primary target, they will be thankful to you, including Ila..." Yami responded. "She is unrivaled when it comes to annoying stubbornness. How are you going to deal with her?"
Yami glanced at Skylar. Meanwhile, they reach the part of the wall and after she placed her palm on it, it opened, allowing them passage inside an illuminated space inside it, which is the inside of an elevator.
"Well, what can I do?" As they entered inside, Skylar replied. "If she were a boy, I would have knocked her hard on the head already, putting her in place... Things like this is why I don't roll with children and the opposite sex—they are so annoying and there is little you can do about it..."
He glanced at the roof of the ascending elevator, where the light is coming from, continuing, "But if she doesn't know when to stop, I will just throw her out, I am not a babysitter."
Right away, as Skylar concluded, Yami dived into his arms like she got scared of something.
"Sky, are you going to also throw me out?" Sounding like she is sobbing, she raised her head and meet Skylar's eyes that is looking down at hers expressionlessly. "You know, you always say I am annoying..."
"Can I?" Skylar responded as he tilt his head.
"Hee-hee-hee-hee-hee." Yami giggled, smiling brightly and sweetly. "Absolutely no way, wherever you are, I exist. Hee-hee-hee-hee..."
Skylar chuckled at her response, feeling amused.
I will definitely be stuck with her for a very long time, wait...
His eyes narrowed.
Where does she even come from in the real world?
I pray she never knows where I stay, I gotta be careful of what I say, I must never leave a clue for her... she is a sharp one too.
Concluding his thought, Skylar reciprocated—hugging her tighter. And he starts patting her pitch-black straight hair that has been cut in a blunt lob with blunt bangs. And in this manner, quiet and feeling each other breath, they remained until the elevator stopped and open its door, to reveal a ridiculously wide corridor.
"We are here."