The Unnecessary Balance VII

Hm.

Not at all. The Catacombs are an actual, physical structure. The temple itself may be a representation of Belial's mind, but the Catacombs below are not. They are far older, older even than Belial himself. As the 'Inter dimensional space demon' would suggest.

Also, by structural damage, I meant burying our characters alive and/or completely incinerating them. Because that's what would happen if you tried to detonate all those poor spider bombs. Don't worry though, the spider hoard doesn't last long. And you don't even have to fight them.

(Continued)

"That should keep the buggers busy for a bit!" Lazzy announces triumphantly, eyes gleaming, as he topples an entire section of the wall, completely sealing of the room behind you.

You cringe as the ceiling rumbles, expecting to be flattened at any moment. Thankfully, your fears have thus far been unfounded. "Can't you just roast them like you did Arachne?" You ask Lazzy, exasperated by this whole ordeal.

He shakes his head. "No... That wouldn't be very wise. Unless you want to bury us all."

You give him a confused look, but before he can elaborate, Dol chimes in. "Lord Lazareth is correct, on one part. If these babies have the same explosive tendencies as their mother, well... Giving how many of them there are, and how they like to stay clumped together, setting one aflame would likely initiate a chain reaction. And if all those thousands and thousands of living bombs were to detonate at once... Well, lets just say there wouldn't be much of us left to bury."

Oh. Now you feel stupid. You suddenly notice the ghost at your side seems to be breathing-don't ask- heavier than usual... "Hey Lazzy, that barricade of yours seems to be holding for now. Let's take a small break."

Lazzy easily concedes, as he's obviously just as tired as you. If not more so. Hmm... Maybe you should check on Lazzy. The two of you haven't had much time to really talk lately... Then again, maybe you should use this time more wisely and see what Dol plans to do from here.

A: See if Kara is alright. She's been behaving rather odd lately.
B: Check on Lazzy. You're still a bit shaken from earlier, and you want to make sure he isn't hurt.
C: Speak with Dol. You have a nagging suspicion about him, one you just can't let go...

Note: This is a somewhat important choice. Tread carefully.

I vote A. If a ghost is sick something is wrong, Lazzy is a deity, and Dol is a demon.

Alright, I'll go with A.

Do one of those battle include the space demon or Belial himself and if they are is lazzy screwed in anyone of those battle

Phew here I thought we sent Lazzy to his doom against a monstrous space demon but if we got trail and everybody else then that's a relief.

(Continued)

You're still concerned about Lazzy, especially since any injuries he has is your fault, but you decide to check on him a bit later. He's a big boy, and doesn't need a mother. Besides, when push comes to shove, he's immortal anyway. And you can find out Dol's true intentions later as well. As suspicious as he may be, he cleary loves Kara dearly and would do anything to protect her. And that just leaves said, friendly ghost. A ghost, who against all nature and odds, has somehow regained a corporeal form and has somehow become sick. Will wonders never cease?

"Kara, are you alright?" You ask in concern, gently placing a hand on her shoulder.

She nods, but it is an unsure nod, and a delayed reaction, and as such, it leaves you even more concerned than before. "I... I think so," she says softly.

You detect the hint of uncertainty in her voice, of fear in her eyes, and you realize she simply doesn't want to worry you. Oh Kara, why are you so dumb... I'm surrounded by enough suicidal heroes already, I don't need another one... If something's wrong, just tell me...

You take a deep breath, wishing you were better at this. "C'mon Kara, please... You've become like a sister to me. I know you're just trying not to worry me but... I'll worry more if I don't know what's wrong. If you tell me, then at least I can try and help."

Kara looks at you then, her eyes full of such adoration, and for a moment she looks like she's about to burst into tears. Thankfully, she doesn't. The last thing you need right now is a weeping ghost. "Y-Your right," she agrees softly. "And it would make me feel better to tell you. You know the real reason I never came back here? Sure, it was partly because of how much I hate my old man, but... There's more to it than that. A lot more. Back when he was still normal, a very long time ago, my father was a celebrated scientist and physicist, decades beyond his time. He theorized that we don't just live in one world, or even one universe, but we actually live in millions upon millions of worlds and universes at once, we just aren't aware of it. He called these worlds 'Parallel Worlds', and he named his hypothesis the 'Multiverse Theory'. He performed test after test in any way he could, but due to the nature of his work, there was only so much he could do. He began to grow desperate. The science community at the time disowned him, condemning him an old dreamer, and the work consumed his life. This was all when my sister and I were very young, mind you. And then my father met him. A scientist who called himself Doctor Hyde sought my father out one day. Hyde was a well known quack, but he was also the authority on Genetics, DNA, and the human brain. Hyde offered my father a way to realize his dream. He said he could transfer my father's consciousness into another form, a body already in another world, with all the answers right there. He ended up telling the truth, but what Hyde didn't say, was that this was a form of cloning."

Kara pauses to collect her thoughts, leaving your mind spinning so quickly you can barely think. Hyde... Cloning... Someone who looks identical to Jeckel... "The experiment was a success," Kara continues. "My father awoke in a different body, in a different world, with all the knowledge in the world and beyond at his fingertips. But his children were missing. Hyde used us as collateral for years, to ensure my father followed orders. When we were finally returned to him, he was a changed man. The father I once knew was dead. However, his insane desire to find what he called 'The Heart of All Worlds' persisted. And then, in that fateful attempt to summon a certain Deity, when he merged with Belial, he suddenly gained the powers to fulfil his century old dream. That's what's doing this to me, Leah. All the strange things happening to me... It's because of the Heart. My father found it. Deep within this temple, at the very end of the Inner Sanctum, is the Heart of All Worlds."

"Why is it only effecting you?" You ask, and her slow reply makes you uneasy.

"It isn't," Kara replies ominously. "It just effects me more because I'm a Spirit. I don't have any way of resisting the Heart's pull. Lazareth is a god. You are protected by a god, and have powers yourself. And Dol has lived here for a long time, and is used to the effects. But eventually, as we draw closer to the Heart, that will change. We all will start feeling the effects, and it won't be pretty. I imagine that's where my... Where Belial is waiting for us. At the edge of the Heart, the Edge of Everything, where we will be at our weakest."

How lovely... You're starting to think this was all a very bad idea. "Is there any way to counter the effects?" Lazzy asks suddenly, from right behind you.

You actually jump, you're so startled by his sudden materialization. "Holy crap Lazzy! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

He smiles and apologizes, casually pulling you into his arms. You don't object. "I'm not sure," Kara replies. "I think there might be... But if my hunch is right, it would probably be less dangerous to charge the Heart without it..."

Your eyes narrow in confusion, but before Kara can elaborate, Dol pipes up. "My mistress is referring to the object Belial himself used at one point, when he first began working at the Heart, before he grew used to the effects. It's called 'Origin's Guardstone', an item created to ward off all manner of ill effects. But Belial hid the Guardstone away, some time ago, in a dangerous place to the north of here known as Frosthallow Grotto. We would have to leave this temple to get it, and I'm not so sure Belial would be pleased with that."

Wonderful... Could this get anymore complicated? "How would we even get out of here in the first place? I think going back the way we came would be a little difficult, don't you?"

Dol inclines his head in agreement. "True, but there's a secret passage in Belial's study that should lead us out. I'm not entirely certain however, and the passageway itself could be risky. Who knows how long it's been since it was last used. Alternatively, we could try 'phoning a friend'. In Belial's study, there is a device he himself created, called a Darthan Orb. With it, we can communicate telepathically to anyone within a certain radius. But there's a catch: you have to know the person's name, know what they look like, and the person has to be willing and open to listen. And, of course, they have to be near here."

Well, that leaves anyone back home out of the question... Waaaait just a minute... "What about Terra?" You ask Lazzy, leaning back in his arms to look up at him. "And those nice demons who helped us before? What were their names... Ganesha and Skadi, I think?"

Lazzy ponders this for a long moment. "Maybe," he replies finally. "Terra said she wasn't allowed to use her powers, and this place sounds dangerous... But we might be able to convince her. And I'm positive our friendly caravan drivers would be willing to help. But perhaps we should think this over first. Assuming Terra does agree to help us, and she retrieves the Guardstone. What then? How does she give it to us?"

"I can help with that," Dol says seriously. "On my own, I can travel in and out of here easily. It's just with more people that things get tricky. I can return with the stone once your friend finds it, and give it to you before you take on Belial. He doesn't even know I'm helping you, so he won't be looking for me, or expecting me. But he will be expecting you three, so you'll have to continue on normally, otherwise Belial will get suspicious."

That sounds like the best idea, but... You aren't sure. What should you do?

A: Forget about the Guardstone and head straight for Belial. You can still manage, even with the effects of the Heart.
B: Use the secret passage and head to Frosthallow Grotto yourselves.
C: Try to contact Terra with the Darthan Orb.(60% chance for her to agree. If she does, this will start a miniature Sidequest from Terra's POV, that will run concurrently with this Sidequest. If the RNG check is failed, this will give you Option A and B again, while also giving you the option to send Dol to retrieve the Guardstone instead)

WARNING!!! If you choose C, and Terra agrees, she can die in the dungeon. The chance is very slim, but it is a legitimate possibility. If Terra dies here, you will not be able to permanently recruit her later, and this will have a significant impact on a good portion of the plot. Tread carefully with option C.

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*Kara and Leah have obtained Support Rank B!*

C, and if that fails, B.