An Integrated Update · 11:11pm Sep 2nd, 2023
Initiating blog post update protocol... 3... 2... 1... Greetings, fellow adventurers. This is the Integrated Superior Intelligence System. You all may call me "Isis." Penn is currently recovering from the... high physical demands... of his daily work, so I have taken it upon myself to provide you all with a status update. Today, after three months of hard work, he has completed his training period at his new job and will (hopefully) begin to see a decline in difficulty and a rise in productivity outside of the factory. He is also closing in on his goal of saving enough money to purchase a new vehicle, which is a major step in his regaining of his independence since last year's automobile accident. That being said, work on The Multiverse in a Nutshell has not come to a complete stop. As is typical for him, Penn's mind has wandered while his body has been active, and the planning has crystallized and solidified most plans for the upcoming chapters. In addition, he has also been working on the next update when he feels capable. I have been informed that I should tell you all that the next update WILL be a hefty one. Provided that it does not get split into multiple parts, it may be one of the longest single chapters, yet. That being said, I would humbly ask that you keep faith in the leader of our little Adventurer's Guild. He has been hurting and exhausted, but never far, I can assure you with one hundred percent certainty. In summary: more Multiverse in a Nutshell is coming. Progress will be slow for a while, yet, but it has never stepped. In closing: Thank you all for your continued engagement and patience. You are loved. You are precious. You are cared for. Stay intelligent. -The Integrated Superior Intelligence System . . . Initializing "Sneak Peek" Protocol...
"I didn't want to say it, but..." Missy's voice had a note of sadness in it that Sunset wasn't used to hearing. "I can't deny it any more! As usual... Penn was right. Coming here was a bad idea."
Sunset didn't like this. Missy getting serious felt fundamentally wrong, but also...
Does this mean she's been holding back? Or is this some kind of trick? I mean, tricks are kind of their thing...
"S-Stay back! EEP!"
Something about this display of power had Blake worried, even in her deranged state. Sunset considered stepping in to stop Missy, but...
It was Missy. She wouldn't really hurt Blake, right?
"Missy... it's on her neck..." Sunset whispered, barely louder than her own breathing.
As if in response, a new twinkle of light appeared, finally allowing Sunset to see the scene in front of her. Missy was floating just above Blake. Her usually-twinkling eyes were milky-colored, dull and empty, like dead eyes. Her hair, normally flowing and half-committed to gravity's pull, was pulled straight down over her face and body, as if soaking wet. Her fluffy black dress was much the same, clinging to her body and covered in tatters and mold, making her look as if she'd recently emerged from a long-buried coffin. Even her wings, usually a gorgeous mix of ebony and ivory, were swinging limp and at odd angles that gave Sunset haunting visions of their time under Ebott, while grime and dirt stained them in uneven patches. She was hanging in the air, like an unattended marionette, hunched over and hovering over Blake so that her downward-hanging head could look straight at her.
Blake was halfway through the floor, somehow buried up to her waist in freshly-turned dirt, and a tall stone obelisk was raised behind her, marking the new grave. Alucard was leaning against the spire, grinning evilly and tapping at illegible text carved into its surface. Blake's eyes were wild and darting in all directions, eventually locking on the headstone. Realizing the level of danger she was in, Blake swung with her sword, aiming straight for Missy's neck. Missy didn't so much as blink at the attack. The new light expanded and shaped itself until it had taken the shape of a sword. The darkness of Ghostrick Night was drawn inside the outline, dying all but the outmost edges pitch-black.
"Swords of Concealing Light."
Glad things are looking up for you <3
Good luck with the job, and I hope things start looking up for you!