Pandora Unchained - a Cultivation Progression Fantasy

A dreadful wind whipped through Delphi's streets, tearing up signs and throwing down clay roofing shingles. Corruption-filled rain fell from the sky, infecting man and beast alike. Mutations were rampant, and irrational violence was the new norm.

New groups were forming. Old alliances were crumbling. A revolution was underway. Delphi's major powers hunkered down and watched on with fear as the city they once lorded over became an inescapable and deadly prison.

"I for one am super glad we're getting floated off to the shrine," said Lawrence, who was currently flying alongside Sorin with the help of Elder Marik. "I mean, I'm all for chaos and social upheaval, but murdering someone because they tipped less than 18% doesn't really sit well for me."

"You tip less than 18 percent?" said Gareth, who was also part of their formation.

"Reee!" Lorimer scolded form atop Sorin with bare fangs.

"Service workers need to make a living, you know!" called out Stephan, who was flying not far away from them on a giant eagle.

"Well, I'm not made of money," grumbled Lawrence. "I don't have unlimited funds and my own personal elder escorting me to the shrine."

The elder Lawrence spoke of was naturally the eagle Stephan was riding on. He was a peak Flesh-Sanctification cultivator just like Elder Marik and was one of the top-ranking members of the York Clan. According to Elder Marik, being able to perform an early Aspect Transformation and fully unseal one's silver bones was a big deal, one that had propelled him up his clan's unique leadership ladder.

"You don't have to be made of money to tip 18%," said Sorin. "Though in my opinion, this could all be done away with if service workers were all just paid a decent wage."

"There's no incentive for it," called out Daphne, cutting short her discussion with Astley. The two were flying on Daphne's personal carriage. "Our White Tower Group tried it. Customers are fixated on menu price and don't consider tips. Working tips into the price ends up making the business less competitive."

"So… a little chilly up here," said Sorin, choosing not to pursue the age-old discussion further. "Got any interesting news to pass the time?"

"A few interesting things did happen," said Gareth. "One of them even involves bears."

Stephan groaned. "We are not talking about bears. I hear enough about this every day."

"Choose the bear!" said Lawrence, pumping his fist. Sorin wisely chose not to delve any deeper.

It wasn't long before their convoy arrived at the base of the shrine, where a small but growing group of heroes were hastily making their way up the steps. Sorin and company rapidly ascended the staircase, and were surprised to discover that among those present, most had secured higher level blessings. Those with lower blessings were either absent or missing. The ratio didn't improve as precious minutes trickled by.

"Michael and Charles are here, but I don't see Melinoë," said Sorin to his companions. "The ratio of blessed heroes is also the opposite of what was observed at the conclusion of the second stage."

"Judging by how the flow of incoming heroes is winding down, most of those who plan to come have already arrived," added Gareth. "That's despite the fact that only a third of the heroes who received soul-bound treasures have arrived."

Sorin looked questioningly at Daphne as she handed over a bag of gold to Astley, "We bet on whether Melinoë would act before or after we entered the catacombs. It's clear that she's already acted. Judging by how serious Administrator Pollen is looking, she did something really big."

"I mean, I've seen Administrator Pollen look angry, but never this angry," said Lawrence.

"Are you sure he's not just angry at you personally?" said Stephan. "The Administrator always looks serious and unapproachable. He's a demigod, for Hope's sake."

""I think Lawrence is right," said Gareth. "He's giving off pretty intense power fluctuations."

It wasn't long before the Chief Oracle made her way down the shrine in the usual palanquin. The corruption infecting her had deepened to the point that she teetered on the edge of Demonification. What's more, the number of oracles was half of what it once was.

"As many of you have speculated, treachery has been committed," said Administrator Pollen as the Chief Oracle's palanquin stopped. "The God Seed known as Melinoë has betrayed humanity. When the corruption in this city reached its zenith mere minutes ago, a trap activated, whisking away over half the heroes painful nurtured in the shrine descent and sacrificing them as part of a dark ritual." His words were unsurprising to Sorin and friends. Of note, Michael and Charles seemed equally unsurprised.

"We are facing unprecedently dark times. According to my deductions, Melinoë's ritual has elevated the current catastrophe from a minor one into a city-ending one. What's more, she is no longer within our fair city, and has already descended into the catacombs. It therefore falls to you, the heroes of Delphi, to stop her and her diabolical plan.

"This Shrine Descent will be unimaginably dangerous. I expect well over half of you to die. Just know that your sacrifice is not just required but expected, and that those who fall will forever be remembered by Delphi's Hero Association."

"In other words, we're participating in this, whether we like it or not," muttered Sorin.

"God Seeds, to me." Sorin's vision spun, and he found himself in front of Administrator Pollen. Michael and Charles had similarly been brought to his side.

Now that he was in proximity of the demigod, Sorin was able to get a better read on his body language. He knew this would happen. Also, the fact that he prohibited anyone from interfering with Melinoë's actions indicates that this was the desired results.

Sorin naturally did not voice his observations. While he was appalled at the thought of allowing Melinoë to sacrifice hundreds of heroes, he wasn't well-versed enough on the big picture to know what the alternatives entailed.

"Melinoë's treachery is less surprising than it is disappointing," said Administrator Pollen. "Due to her domain, she is the most suitable individual to assist in re-sealing Delphi. But it is this same domain and the Divine Missions she is shouldered with that makes her so unpredictable."

"May I ask a question?" said Sorin.

"You may," said Administrator Pollen.

"The original sealing method you had delivered to our residences will likely have no effect," said Sorin. "Are we to proceed with the original plan or modify it in some way? I'm not the most skilled in spellcraft and will likely have difficulty adjusting."

"I second Sorin's concerns," said Charles. "Not because adapting is difficult, but because Melinoë is a cunning individual. Her tampering will likely make anything even loosely based on the original sealing method impossible."

"This is naturally why I called you all over for," said Administrator Pollen. He flicked his sleeve and sent three white wooden arrows covered in golden runes to Michael. Each of them radiated a muted demigod aura that had been carefully sealed inside each arrow's three-star material. "While the original plan was the safest for Delphi, our city has long planned for a potential betrayal. These God Sealing Arrows are but one of many contingencies."

Sorin raised an eyebrow. "You're saying three arrows will make the difference?"

Administrator Pollen smiled. "These arrows aren't ordinary creations. To produce a single one of these God Sealing Arrows requires a demigod of the Pollen Clan to over his life on Hope's altar. It is the final gift given by our Pollen Clan's strongest ancestors."

That explains the warm, affectionate feelings I get when I look at the arrows. The feeling was similar to how his father's armor had felt, but more distant. They say the Pollen Clan and the Kepler Clan were once one big family. This strongly supports that hypothesis.

"It is clear from Melinoë's actions that she intends to break open the seal located in the third level catacomb," continued Administrator Pollen. "By doing so, she will unleash unprecedented madness into the city and the entire province of Parnassus.

"That said, her unsealing of the city's corruption is also an opportunity; the source of corruption cannot be harmed in its sealed state and only slowly syphoned off. After centuries of syphoning, it is now unprecedentedly weak. This means that unlike previous Shrine Descents, we have the opportunity have damaging the very source of Delphi's curse."

Sorin's eyes narrowed. "You wish us to excise the corruption in the city?"

"Heavens no," said Administrator Pollen. "The goal is to cripple it. At least harm it. If the corruption in the city is sufficiently weakened, I, a demigod, will be able to descend and reseal it from the ground up. The result will be a more stable Delphi and a more prosperous Parnassus. Yes, Charles?"

"I wish to know how we should treat Melinoë should we run into her," said Charles.

"Does that even need to be asked?" said Administrator Pollen coldly. "There is only one fate for traitors: death."

"That much I know," said Charles. "I was merely asking if I should take more… extreme measures."

"That is up to you to decide," said Administrator Pollen. "Due to her recurring memories, Melinoë is a problematic individual. If you all wish to use more permanent methods to deal with her, I won't be the one to stop you."

"If that is all, please return to your groups and make your final preparations." Sorin blinked and discovered he had been reunited with his team members. The administrator was now next to the Chief Oracle and her attendants. Even with their combined power, it was taking time to assemble the usual golden gateway.

Sorin quickly filled his teammates in on what he'd learned. "I'm not sure what the more permanent methods Charles mentioned are, but this does bring up a good point: there may be methods that are especially effective against God Seeds. We should look out for them, in case Melinoë possesses such means. Thoughts, Gareth?"

"I agree with your assessment," said Gareth. "This seems too planned out. I'd go so far as to say that the administrator was likely leading her in the direction of defection."

"Do you have a death wish?" hissed Lawrence. "He could smack us dead without even lifting his hand!"

"As long as the Administrator's not an idiot, he won't smack people dead for being smart," said Daphne. "I also agree with Gareth."

"As do I," said Astley. "But I would still recommend we keep these speculations to ourselves."

"It looks like the portal will be opening soon," said Stephan. "Which means I should probably hand out these beauties." He passed out five medallions bearing the insignia of the York Clan.

"Neat," said Lawrence, flipping his around. "What do they do? And how much could I sell one of these for?"

"These are the highest tier spatial cohesion medallions in our clan's possession," explained Stephan. "They will stop the dungeon from splitting our group apart. As for what you could sell these for, medallions of this grade are priceless. Other teams will have similar items, but only the Atlan Clan will possess any with similar quality."

Seeing that there was still a bit of time before the portal formed, Sorin took out a pile of tinctures. "Three of you have had a heroic breakthrough, but only Stephan has fully unsealed his silver bones. The first thing we'll do after entering and stabilizing the situation is unseal everyone's bones to bronze grade. This will immediately lead to a full silver unsealing for Lawrence and Daphne. As for the rest of you, I'll need to crack your bronze runes in preparation for your Heroic Breakthrough."

"Once you're done, I'll be cast an obscurity and a remembrance ritual," said Astley. "There's no telling what ancient relics we run into, and I'd hate for any of us to die because of a surprise case of Historical Amnesia.

"I'll also need some time to prepare once we arrive," said Daphne. "I'll summon fireballs. Twenty-one is my current limit."

"See, this is why I complain," pouted Lawrence. "Everyone has cool stuff, but I don't." His eyes brightened as he caught several vials of blood, courtesy of Sorin. "Awesome! Stronger poison! You're the only one who understands me, Sorin."

"Since Lawrence's abilities have improved, I'll perform an initial sweep of our surroundings while Lawrence scouts our perimeter for dangers," said Gareth. "Since Melinoë is a step ahead of us, we'll need to proceed with caution. Stephan, have you and Haley figured out the time limit for your transformation?"

"I can maintain it for five minutes," said Stephan. "After that, I'll be about as useful as a rogue in a cage."

"Hey!" said Lawrence. "What have you been telling people, Sorin?"

"I haven't told anyone anything," said Sorin, tossing him an information jade that had somehow ended up in his pocket without his knowledge.

Lawrence's face turned beet red when he saw the contents. "The administrator took pictures? And he's giving them out like candy? No wonder people have been giving me strange looks."

Stephan smirked. "I believe he gave one to everyone in attendance. It's your own fault not noticing."