The Achievement Junkie

Back in the waiting chamber, a loud clap from Daruun shined light throughout the room. Those that had visited the nexus were now back where they once stood as everyone watched Daruun give a round of applause. "As a token of appreciation and congratulations, I believe it's time we do something that's yet to be done. Jack, would you mind?"

Sighing and looking back over the unsuspecting crowd of challengers, Jack nodded. "Yeah… why not? Let's head back to Gilga and party properly!"

"Umm… Where's Gilga?" asked Woltin, assuming Jack's response with excitement.

"EVERYONE!" Jack shouted, getting Daruun to place his hand on Jack's shoulder. "Would you like to celebrate with us at Kartonia's capital?"

Wollice smiled and immediately responded, "As honorary guests? It would be an honor!"

Both twins bowed respectfully to Jack and Daruun, now recognizing Jack as the challenge winner and as a member of their district leader's family. An invitation coming from a man of that status was more than they could wish for. It offered them a chance to mingle with someone with a district-level of fame, not just someone from one of the twelve hundred or so zones. That was an opportunity they could never purchase or acquire through normal means.

"Then I'll give you a moment to contact your homes and warn them it'll be another day," added Jack. "After that, we'll head to the capital and begin preparations for a feast and festivities!"

Cheering and shouts filled the room as everyone took out some sort of communication item. Many used crystals similar to Kartonia's contact crystals, only they were a blend of deep purple and bright green. Some used items that were similar to the phones of Jack's homie world but without a keyboard and only the ability to make calls.

While everyone reached out to their homeworlds, Jack contacted his wives, party members, and the guild leaders. They immediately began making preparations and readied the largest banquet hall to become a lounging area while the food and festivities were being finished.

Once all calls were made, Moranti opened a giant rift.

The moment all the former challengers of Glacier Keep stepped through, they were welcomed with an array of butlers and waitresses at their sides. More than five hundred foreign cosmicians had officially stepped foot on Kartonian soil as the first-ever guests of the closed-off world. Unofficially, each of those cosmicians understood the meaning of such a banquet, that Kartonia would no longer be closed to the rest of the void.

There was nearly one waiter or waitress for every cosmician. They showed them the wide variety of seats, ranging from couches to bean-bag chairs and rustic recliners to soft floor mats.

Everyone was seated as the first round of food was brought out. It was an appetizer, a flower carved from half a potato and fried, served with both a tangy tomato sauce or a creamy white sauce. Vixus came out as well, introducing himself as the vice guild leader under Jack and as the man managing the festivities.

Jack was gladly sitting at the center as the focus of the room. But many of his party members were nowhere to be found. They had stepped out momentarily while Jack began to drink and chat with Woltin, Wollice, and a few of their party members that were descendants of prominent figures within the Emerald Zone. Daruun was also with Jack, drinking with them but only offering a few words when given an appropriate opportunity to speak. He made no moves to commandeer Jack's party as his own.

While the rest of Kartonia hadn't learned of the incredible party inside the Leisure Guild, all guild members were anxiously engaged in some sort of labor to make the celebration move along smoothly. Most were working in the kitchen, accepted the temporary job as waiters, or were preparing some form of entertainment for the crowd of people mighty enough to be gods. Doing anything to join the celebration was worth the effort, no matter how they were somehow taking part.

But the gods of Kartonia were nowhere to be found, neither were the most prominent guild members. They were all gathered in the former strategy room turned conference room undergoing a surprise celebration of their own.

"Skaryn!" Alcahain wasn't the first to greet the long-gone god, but he was the first to greet the Dark God with a fistful of earth and lightning energy.

Effortlessly, Skaryn chuckled and repositioned himself. Using Alcahain's momentum, Skaryn turned and threw Alcahain into one of the cushions at the side of the room. "Not now, Alcahain. We've got stuff to talk about and things to discuss… Hadurt? Is that you? With the Hell-flame Fox bloodline?!"

As Skaryn dropped the pretense of his long absence and shared some small talk with everybody, the door soon opened and Jack walked in with his wives at his side. Being the last to enter Jack got their discussion started. "So, are we ready to discuss everything?"

Everyone present either shouted in excitement, nodded in anticipation, or sighed in anxiousness.

"First off, I think I should make something clear for the soon-to-be members of the leisure gods. We understand that you've been our enemies but that doesn't mean we hate each of you or that you won't be treated fairly upon joining us. As the only remaining godly faction, why should we turn you all away?"

"But what about Skaryn?" asked Sillo, raising his hand to speak. "He's back and able to head his faction again."

"No… I see no point in keeping factions," admitted Skaryn, shocking some and not surprising others. "I think staying one faction is best considering how some of us will be leaving shortly."

"What do you mean?"

"Let me explain." Jack waited a moment for all eyes to turn to him. "The reason behind maintaining different godly factions was to control Halmut and the people who Halmut was controlling. Isn't that right, runt?"

Jack gave a smug smile to the back of the room. There, two figures were either chained up or left abandoned in a corner, gagged and muzzled.