Malphegor
patreon
Arcane: TTB: Ch. 77
🕑 Added 2025-05-02 17:05:03 +0000 UTCAfter the incident with Revenant, Cipher had been more cautious about blindly jumping into unknown worlds. He had spent several nights making brief reconnaissance trips alone, using [Ready Player One] that now displayed more options than before.
---
[Please select a dimensional rift destination:
- Apex
- Worms
- DC
- Random world]
---
The system had categorized the worlds based on his explorations, with "DC" being the latest addition. During his first jump there, he'd emerged in a desert region torn by conflict.
At first he had thought it was the Apex world but the military vehicles and uniforms hadn't matched any he recognized from any Titanfall or Apex lore, but the flags and symbols were kind of familiar to him.
One particular encounter had confirmed his suspicions. He'd witnessed a woman with an ornate headdress addressing troops from a balcony, her voice carrying an unnatural persuasiveness that had the men transfixed. The locals called her "Queen Bee," ruler of Bialya, exactly as depicted in the stories. The neighboring nation of Qurac was apparently under siege, with refugees fleeing across the border.
After several more reconnaissance trips gathering intelligence and mapping key locations, he had returned to Zaun with a plan. The Bialyan-Quraci conflict presented an ideal opportunity with two desperate sides that might welcome outside assistance, both possessing technology worth acquiring.
Now, Cipher sat alone in his office, writing and sketching, contemplating how to establish contact with the outside world.
"Approach Queen Bee as technical consultants," he wrote carefully. "Offer defensive tech upgrades as proof of capability. Avoid political entanglement." He tapped his pen against the paper. "Secondary objective: assess Quraci refugee situation, potential ally against Bialya if primary negotiation fails."
Meanwhile, the adults were preparing for another jump between dimensions, moving supplies to the old factory where they had their first interdimensional travel.
Revealing the secret of the dimensional rift to his family was a significant decision for him, but it was worth it. But if this secret got out, even Janna wouldn't be able to protect him from the consequences.
Knock, knock!
The office door was rapped.
"Come in." Cipher looked up, curious about who would be visiting him at this time. It was past midnight, well after most of Zaun had settled in for the night.
"You guys?"
Seeing that it was Vi and a few others, he immediately sensed trouble. This was not going to end well.
"We're going too!" Vi pressed her lips together. The moment she spoke, it was clear there was a big problem.
"How did you find out?" Cipher's heart sank. There was no need to ask, he already knew what Vi meant.
He had deliberately kept the children in the dark, not just to prevent them from accidentally exposing the secret of the dimensional rift, but also because the Middle East was in the midst of a brutal conflict. It was far too dangerous.
The situation between Bialya and Qurac had grown increasingly complex. Queen Bee's forces had already advanced to the Quraci capital, with civilian casualties mounting daily. Even with Janna's protection, a single mistake could be fatal. Bringing the children along would only make things worse.
"How did you find out?" he repeated, his voice dangerously quiet.
Faced with Cipher's question, his younger siblings stayed silent, but their eyes unconsciously darted toward the small figure behind them, Ekko.
"Ekko, you really pulled one over on us this time. Sevika searched high and low and still couldn't find your hiding spots."
Cipher shot up from his seat. Now everything made sense. If it was Ekko, no wonder.
"Why do you always blame me first?" Ekko protested, trying to look innocent.
"Intuition," Cipher replied flatly.
Ekko mumbled something, avoiding eye contact.
In their early days, he had used a self-made listening device to eavesdrop on Vander and Sheriff Grayson's conversations. The kid had always been sharp, his talent for engineering might even surpass that of Jayce.
Not to mention, Ekko was cunning. The first time Jayce went to the Undercity to buy illegal experimental equipment, Ekko had seized the opportunity to jack up the price and milk him for every credit he had. Though, to be fair, Jayce didn't mind losing a little money.
Seeing Cipher's menacing glare, Ekko instinctively covered his backside. He had been disciplined before for being too mischievous.
"How did you manage to eavesdrop? Confess now, and you'll get off easy. Resist, and the consequences will be severe."
Things weren't the same as before. Back when the Undercity was a scattered, unorganized mess, eavesdropping on a conversation was just that, a prank at most. But now, Cipher was the highest authority in Zaun. Eavesdropping on a meeting he personally convened was a serious offense, especially when the topic involved interdimensional diplomacy.
If it had been anyone else, they would have been tightly controlled. If it were a stranger? They would have been eliminated without question.
"Are you ready to face punishment?"
Cipher's lips curled into a sinister smile. He had to teach Ekko a proper lesson, on behalf of Benzo, of course.
"Vi, we're family, right? You promised to protect me!"
Ekko bolted behind Vi, terrified that Cipher would grab him like a chicken and hang him up for a beating.
"It was her idea! I just built what she asked for. If you're going to punish someone, you should punish her first!"
Unable to withstand the pressure, he hesitantly peeked out from behind Vi and sold her out without hesitation. He knew Cipher doted on Vi and Powder, often going easy on them when they made mistakes.
But when it came to the boys?
A beating was inevitable.
Better to make Vi suffer a little while he took most of the blame.
"Don't be too hard on him. I was the one who asked him to build the device. And I know exactly what you're trying to do, using him as a distraction so you can sneak away. Don't even try to deny it. We know each other too well for that."
Vi stepped forward, blocking Cipher's path. She looked furious, biting her lip in frustration.
"Do you even see us as family? You're keeping something this big from us? You're the one who said family sticks together, but now you're all running off to another world, leaving us behind at The Last Drop. Are we still your family or not?"
Cipher sighed, rubbing his temples. "Vi, it's not what you think. We're not going on a vacation. That place is—"
"Dangerous, right? And we're too young, is that it?" Vi cut him off before he could finish, throwing his own words back at him, leaving him speechless. She jabbed a finger at his chest, poking him over and over as she spoke, her words firing off like a machine gun.
"Ha! Now I finally get it. When you came back with that gunshot wound years ago, it was because of that other world, wasn't it? You were too scared to let Vander find out, so we were the ones who dug the metal out. We even helped you keep it a secret."
"And now this? You really know how to keep things hidden!"
"You used to complain about Vander acting like a strict guardian, but look at yourself now! Hypocrite! Aren't you doing the exact same thing?"
"I get that you want to protect us, but you should at least respect us too. Back then, we stayed at The Last Drop like Vander told us to, just like you expect us to now."
"If Janna hadn't come to help, do you really think that cyborg woman, after killing all of you so-called adults, would have just left us kids alone?"
She suddenly threw her arms around Cipher. "Even you can end up in danger. That means you can't always protect us. Wouldn't it be better for us to face reality sooner rather than later?"
Powder stepped in as well, wrapping her arms tightly around him. She didn't say a word, but her blue eyes held a deep sadness, as if something inside her had shattered.
The sight of her made it clear, his close call with Camille had shaken her badly.
She's right.
He had no response to Vi's words. If Janna hadn't shown up that day, The Last Drop really would have been wiped out.
That was one of the biggest reasons he had chosen to reveal his secret. The thought of his family being completely wiped out had pushed him to the edge.
Janna, can you protect these kids? Don't pretend to be deaf, I know you've been listening. You already know what's happening in that world. Cipher mentally called out to the wind spirit, almost pleading.
A gentle breeze stirred the papers on his desk, though the windows were closed. Janna's voice echoed in his mind. As long as you don't get caught in the crossfire between Queen Bee and Colonel Harjavti, you should be fine. But stay away from Dr. Baiul's research facilities. Her experiments are... unpredictable.
"You're really sure about this? Even knowing the risk to your lives?" Cipher gently ruffled the girls' hair, his gaze softening. His words sounded uncertain, but with Janna's assurance, he wasn't as worried anymore.
"Of course!" Five voices answered in unison.
"I suppose I can't stop you without being more of a hypocrite," Cipher said softly. "When I was your age, I was already..."
"Already what?" Ekko asked, curiosity overcoming his fear.
"Let's just say stubbornness runs in the family," Cipher replied with a small smile.
"Alright then. Let's go. Ekko, you don't need to say goodbye to Benzo. I'll have someone inform him."
"Oh, okay." Ekko nodded, looking suspiciously relieved.
Cipher didn't waste any more time. With the five kids in tow, he headed straight for the abandoned warehouse.
---
"What the hell are you thinking?! Why did you bring them here?!"
Inside the warehouse, Vander was unloading medical supplies when he turned and saw Cipher arriving with the kids. His face instantly darkened.
He dropped what he was carrying and moved to send them straight back to The Last Drop.
"This is a war zone, and we don't even fully understand the political situation yet! How can you let them come here?!"
