Muscle Cultivation - I Will Destroy Reality

Ged slowly walked through the Hidden Olympian, passing the groaning bodies of the zooified members of the Golden Suns. His face was solemn, his gaze fixed ahead as he approached Resh's private room.

Chim was the first to stir, his ape-like breastplate shuddering uncontrollably as he noticed Ged's approaching figure.

"Ged... are you here to see Resh?" Chim called out, his voice strained. "You shouldn't go. Trust me, he is nothing like you saw him last."

Ged's eyes narrowed as he took in Chim's dilapidated state. Chim had always been a bouncer loyal to a fault, and to see him reduced to this filled Ged with a dark unease.

"How could this happen?" Ged questioned, his voice low but heavy with concern. The situation gnawed at him. If Resh was truly beyond saving, what would become of his already-destroyed business? Ged needed Resh to be stable now more than ever, but it seemed that hope was slipping further away.

From among the dancers, Caroline stirred and softly answered Ged's question. "It's Gilgamesh," she whispered, her deer antlers trembling slightly. "Ever since he appeared in the sixth sector, Resh has been pushing his drug usage far beyond what he's capable of. His strange behaviors have grown even more extreme..." Her voice lowered further, as though speaking the truth aloud might invite wrath. "And we're not even the worst of his creations."

Crab suddenly jolted awake from his stupor, his movements frantic and panicked. "It's over. It's all over," he wailed, his crab-like appendages twitching. "Resh is coming for me next. He said it himself. I'm still not finished!" His cries echoed through the room, though no tears could fall from his crab eyes.

Ged felt a pang of pity for the Hidden Olympian members, his expression hardening with conflicting emotions.

Chim stood up, lowering his head warily. "Ged," he said, his voice heavy with resignation, "I think it's time to let Resh go. He can't be saved anymore. We should let Gilgamesh take control of the sixth sector. I've already lost hope that Resh can remain our leader. If Gilgamesh came for his head, none of us would stop him." Chim's shoulders sagged as he finished, his gaze fixed on the floor.

Ged frowned at the words. He didn't have the tools to handle the looming threat of Gilgamesh, and he wasn't keen on pledging his loyalty to someone who didn't respect his freedom. Even though Resh had gone too far and his madness seemed beyond redemption, Ged knew he had to try to save him.

"I'll see it through myself," Ged finally said, his tone resolute. Without another glance, he purposefully strode toward Resh's private room.

The doorway seemed ordinary, its usual VIP cloth still intact. Ged hesitated briefly before parting the fabric.

Stepping inside, his narrowed gaze scanned the room.

What he saw made his stomach churn.

The space was a cave of horrors. Detached limbs hung from the walls and ceiling like grotesque art pieces, each spiraled with tattoos. Limbless torsos of Golden Suns members were embedded into the walls, their terrified eyes fixed on the hulking figure of their torturer.

Resh stood in the center of the room, his broad back illuminated by the bright blue glow of veins coursing through his body. With an inking pen in hand, he methodically tattooed spirals onto disfigured limbs, treating them as his grisly canvas.

Even Ged, hardened by years in the underground, faltered. For a moment, he hesitated. But he forced himself to speak.

"You've grown in size," he said, his voice steady despite the revulsion knotting his stomach. "It seems the Blue Water you're taking is doing its job."

Startled, Resh spun around, the inking pen clattering to the floor. His eyes were black holes of bottomless blue, glowing so intensely that Ged instinctively stepped back, activating his muscle ability, Peg, without realizing it.

Resh smiled, his gums glowing a vibrant blue. "Ged," he rasped, his voice dry and sleepless. "Good, you're here. I've been expecting you. We have so much to discuss... but first."

He moved closer, his towering physique dwarfing Ged.

"Empty it," Resh said, extending a massive hand toward Ged.

Ged frowned. "Empty what?"

"Your abs, of course," Resh scoffed. "You're here to kill me, aren't you? Show me the weapon you've brought."

His eyes burned with intensity as he continued. "I have done it. I have transcended this boring reality. My connection to the Absolute has finally been established. It's just a fledgling strand, but even so, it grants me knowledge beyond understanding. My conquest is complete. The world is finally beneath my feet! Even you, without realizing it, have bowed before me."

A slow grin stretched across his face, dark and knowing.

"I saw a premonition of my own death. And it was your hands that wrung the final breaths from my throat."

He leaned in slightly, his voice dripping with killing intent. "Tell me, little Ged, how do you plan to explain yourself?"

His expression darkened as he stepped closer, his hand still outstretched.

Fearing Resh might attack, Ged readied his Grapple ability, preparing for a swift retreat. But Resh continued, his tone detached, almost curious.

"Don't worry. I don't care if you're trying to kill me," he said grimly. "Death isn't an end for me anymore. I just want to see what you will use to do it."

Ged's eyes narrowed, frustration boiling within him. Resh was no longer capable of coherent thought, yet Ged still needed him alive a little longer. He wasn't a fan of mind games, but at this point, he had no choice but to play along.

Reluctantly, he reached into his abs, pulled out a variety of items, and placed them into Resh's outstretched hand.

Resh's glowing eyes scanned the objects, meticulously sorting them into what seemed like chaotic piles in his palm.

"I understand now," he muttered, holding up the red napkin. "I see... You were sent here by the Equalizers. Your motivations are starting to make sense..."

He held the napkin aloft, his glowing eyes shining through the thin fabric.

"That's not mine," Ged said flatly. "Why the hell would I ever want to work with the Equalizers?"

"Liar," Resh growled. "This is a snitch cipher used to decode signals. Either you're working with the Equalizers, or you have ties to another shady organization."

Ged bristled at the accusation. "It came from a Cumulus Gang bastard that was trying to kill me. I just got an Arrest Tattoo. That should tell you that I'm no damn snitch."

Resh's gaze shifted to Ged's face, spotting the fading Arrest Tattoo.

"Ha! A misdemeanor tattoo? How cute." He chuckled, flexing his neck. The flesh rearranged, revealing a menacing Arrest Tattoo that radiated with a black, devilish outline.

"Come back when you have a 'wanted' tattoo. Maybe then I'll believe your innocent act."

Ged grimaced, his frustration mounting.

Resh continued rifling through Ged's belongings, his frown deepening. "It's not here," he muttered, his tone laced with confusion. "Your weapon... I wonder why." He handed the items back to Ged and held his face in thought.

"Resh, I ran into Gilgamesh," Ged said, breaking through Resh's distraction. "He told me he's going to kill you."

"You're hiding it," Resh snapped, ignoring Ged's warning. "It must be here somewhere." His tone sharpened as he nodded to himself. "Your weapon to kill me… it must still be hidden."

"I spoke to your men," Ged said seriously, his frustration simmering. "They won't protect you when he comes for your head. Why haven't you moved to the safehouse yet?"

"The safehouse?" Resh pondered aloud, his tone dismissive. "Why should I hide? I don't fear this so-called death you speak of." Waving Ged off, he turned back to his grotesque tattooing. "If that's all you have to say, don't bother me any longer."

Ged stared at Resh's retreating back, feeling as though the world was crumbling around him. The weight of his circumstances and the uncertainty of his future loomed like an avalanche, threatening to bury him.

"Resh, my business is gone. Those Cumulus gang bastards destroyed it," Ged yelled, his voice uncharacteristically urgent. "I'm about to lose everything in the underground. You said it yourself: if you go down, I go down with you. I need you to snap out of this madness for a moment and think about the bigger picture."

Resh's head perked up slightly. "The bigger picture?" he repeated, his voice tinged with amusement. "The absolute's gaze spans the entirety of existence. The only thing it doesn't see is itself, and now I'm connected to it. How could I possibly see a bigger picture?"

Ged stared at him, incredulous. There wasn't a shred of sanity left. Every word out of Resh's mouth was pure nonsense.

"What would it take to get you to move to the safehouse?" Ged asked through gritted teeth. "I'll get you whatever you want, as long as it's within reason."

Resh chuckled wickedly, his expression twisting into a menacing grin. "Anything?" he repeated, his tone dripping with mockery. "Ged, I always knew I could count on you. Every single follower of mine has been a disappointment."

Pausing, Resh leaned closer. "But you, Ged... you're different. You have something I need." His smile widened, predatory and menacing. "I want what you're hiding."

Ged's expression hardened. Reluctantly, he reached into his abs and retrieved 25 stacks of Blue Water.

A look of pure delight spread across Resh's face. "I knew it!" he exclaimed, lunging toward Ged with alarming speed. Instinctively, Ged activated Grapple, propelling himself backward just in time to avoid Resh's grasp.

"First, we go to the safehouse," Ged said firmly, tucking the Blue Water back into his abs. Resh frowned, but after a moment of tense silence, he nodded.

"Fine. I got what I wanted. We can go," Resh spoke reluctantly.

With the tension easing, the two stepped through the VIP cloth. Resh led the way into the main area of the nightclub.

His glowing body illuminated the dark, seedy atmosphere of the room. Employees scattered to the corners of the room like frightened mice, avoiding his imposing presence.

Resh's blue eyes roamed the space like prison searchlights, scanning every corner and ensuring no shadow was left uncovered.

In the far corner of the room, Crab cowered in terror. When Resh's gaze landed on him, Crab's body jerked involuntarily, trembling with fear.

"Hold up just one moment, Ged..." Resh said, frowning as he locked eyes with Crab. "I forgot to finish something." Rolling up his sleeves, he started toward Crab, his glowing eyes lighting the way like headlights bearing down on a trapped animal.

"Stop! Please, spare me, boss!" Crab wailed, his voice cracking with desperation. "I don't want to be finished!"

Ged sighed and, after a moment of pity, extended an arm to block Resh's advance. "I think he's had enough. Let's not delay any longer."

Resh glared at Ged, his expression filled with childlike hatred, as though someone had threatened to take away his favorite toy. Brushing Ged's hand aside, he continued toward the trembling Crab.

Ged quickly retrieved a stack of Blue Water from his abs and held it up. "Come on, Resh. Let's go. I'll throw in a few extra stacks if you start being reasonable."

Resh's eyes softened at the sight of the Blue Water. After a moment of hesitation, he turned away from Crab, reluctantly agreeing to spare him. Together, Ged and Resh made their way to the exit of the Hidden Olympian, though Resh couldn't resist stealing a few final glances at Crab as they left.

At the entrance, Resh took the lead. He pulled out an obsidian tablet and scanned its contents, nodding to himself. Reaching into his abs, he retrieved a drilling artifact and began boring into the walls, creating a pathway for the two of them to continue forward.

Tunneling as swiftly as walking on land, the two moved leisurely, following the directions laid out by Resh's obsidian tablet.

After several hours of drilling, they arrived at a locked natural cave system. Resh activated his Eagle Tattoo, and the massive metal cave door opened with a thunderous crash, shaking the earth with its immense weight.

"Alright, I'm here now. You wanted me to live longer, so be it. I'll live a little longer," Resh muttered impassively.

Ged handed him twenty-seven stacks of vials. "Thank you, Resh. Do try to take care of yourself."

"Take care of myself? I'm holing up in this bunker because of you. You'll be the one looking after me. I'll probably burn through these stacks pretty quick," Resh replied, his tone dismissive. He then handed Ged a collection of items.

"I won't need this worldly trash anymore. Use it however you see fit." He waved off the items as though they were of no consequence.

Ged's eyes widened as he examined the items. They were treasures!

In addition to the obsidian tablet and the drilling artifact he was already familiar with, there were two other items: a chunk of celestial iron and a rare purple workout tablet. Ged held the tablet in disbelief, struggling to understand why Resh would so easily part with such a prized possession.

Workout tablets were categorized into tiers, with all of Ged's routines falling under the lowest tier, stone, followed by the uncommon green. Now, however, he held a rare purple workout tablet in his hands. He had never seen one before, let alone had the chance to hold one. His gaze lingered on the tablet, his fascination evident.

"Thank me later," Resh said with a faint smile. "Alright, I must go. The absolute is calling me."

With that, Resh shut the massive door to the safehouse, leaving Ged alone.

Ged tucked away his treasures, then stared at the entrance of the safehouse for a lingering moment. Activating his new drilling artifact, he tunneled away from the bunker.

Buried deep below the surface, farther than Ged had ever gone before, he finally emerged just as the sun was setting over the horizon.

Taking a moment to get his bearings, he made his way back home, arriving just as the last rays of sunlight disappeared.

He sighed with relief as the long day finally came to an end. With no further messages or interruptions waiting at his doorstep, he stepped inside to retrieve a bucket of lava.

While passing through his workout room, his attention was caught by the pulsating light of a message on his transmitter.

Curious, he picked it up, and the image of Gore materialized in his mind. "Your suit is ready," Gore announced. "We'll set out tomorrow for the job."

Ged narrowed his eyes as the message faded. It seemed he would have to postpone studying the rare purple workout tablet. Whatever Gore had planned, he would find out soon enough.