Jack was ditating when he entered the Artica realm. He had no warning that anything was about to happen. He had, in his mind, shared everything he knew about the Artica realm with the Dao Lords. There was no reason for them to not know that upon arrival into the Artica realm they would be separated into different levels.
How was he to know that Envy had purposefully hidden that information from his brothers just to cause a little mischief?
Not that it mattered whether they knew or not. The Dao Lords had basically no interaction with Jack since their departure, and there was no reason for them to warn him ahead of ti that they were about to arrive.
So when he was suddenly thrust into the Artica realm, he was not really surprised. What did bother him, however, was the lack of his ship! It was gone!
He had arrived within a landing pool - a pool of cool, refreshing liquid ant to capture those entering the Artica realm to ensure that they didn't accidentally end up sowhere that would harm them. After all, compared to immortals, mortals were a lot more fragile, and needed a lot more care.
After gathering his bearings, Jack swam out of the pool and looked around. His entire crew was present and accounted for, even if they hadn't landed in the sa pool. Yet his ship was missing.
Jack felt a regretful twinge in his heart, as if he had lost a valued family mber. But it wasn't like he could just walk up to the Dao Lords and ask for it back. Maybe in the future, when he was also pretty strong, he could sohow get it back.
"Form up," said Jack, addressing his crew. They hadn't co here to sightsee - no. They had co here to take on the trial that was unique to the Artica realm, and use it to break through to the Earth immortal realm.
As it happened, many mbers of his crew had odd or unique restraints, aning that they could not progress through realms with ordinary ans. The crystal alligator, for example, had only just been born, and if he were to rely on his natural bloodline to grow, it would take thousands of years.
Or he could rely on absorbing crystals, which is how he cultivated, but that would be expensive. Passing through the challenge in the Artica realm sounded easier - or at least, quicker.
Jack gave Bob an odd look. The drama-cat was, for once, keeping his mouth shut on his own. He wore a somber look, and didn't seem like he would open his mouth even if his life depended on it.
Such behavior made Jack suspicious, but now was not the ti to probe the Destroyer of Mondays.
"Don't cause a scene. We're going to stay low-key until we get our bearings. It would be best if we can take the challenge to the next level without attracting any attention whatsoever. We don't want any obstacles."
"Don't worry boss," said Pebbles, saluting Jack. "We won't attract any attention at all. We'll blend right in with the locals."
Jack looked at the hamster and said nothing. For once, the hamster had all its limbs, and even its eyes and ears. No, what was missing today was its entire torso, and in its place the hamster had a thin stick, as if it were a stickman. Or, well, a stick-hamster.
"Good. That's the spirit," said Tiny-Sparkles. "You hear that, alligator? No causing any problems."
Tiny-Sparkles and the crystal alligator stared at each other, challenge evident in their eyes, but Jack couldn't be bothered to look into it.
Slowly, but surely, the nauseating sll that accompanied him was returning now that the dragons were gone. Even though Lex had learned so much about karma recently, Jack had no idea how to get rid of the sll.
The crew quietly left the building, not attracting any attention whatsoever. They were only a few amongst a crowd of millions, so it made sense that no one paid attention to them.
Then it happened. Bob smiled, as if he sensed an opportunity. Jack sensed danger, but he couldn't react in ti.
The Jolly Rancher, with its massive fra that was huge even by normal standards let alone for a fairy, suddenly fell from the sky, ushered into the level with a heavenly phenonon. Rainbow appeared in the sky, birds began to sing, flowers began to bloom, the wifi speeds shot through the roof and the ping for all video gas beca -1.
The whole level was attracted to the sight, their greed provoked. But the ship was not ant to be theirs. No, it arrived right in front of Jack, and landed softly.
"Thanks for the ride, little fairy," Prides' voice bood from the ship, alongside the faintest bit of its aura, declaring to the universe that the Dao Lords had hitched a ride on a mortal's ship.
Jack, who was stunned by Prides' aura, and overwheld by the changes the Jolly Rancher was undergoing, could not move nor could he speak. To his absolute horror, the next voice he heard was Bobs.
"Behold, mortals, the magnificent Captain Jack, his very presence a gracious gift upon your existence," Bob's voice bood across the entire level, reaching even those who were so far they could see nothing other than the shine given off by the Jolly Rancher.
"Conqueror of the River Styx, slayer of Gravity Eels, taxi driver to Dao Lords, and the Charisma King of the Folklore realm - these are but so of the titles he boasts on a normal Tuesday. Oh lawd have rcy, don't even get started on his titles on a Friday!"
All eyes in the vicinity fell onto Jack, his handso fairy body standing silently at the bow of the Jolly Rancher, fairy dust glimring in the wind behind him, looking as cool as an ice cream sundae.
"He has co to this realm hiding in the shadow of Dao Lords, if only because it was the only way to hide his own brilliance, for a purpose most… magenta."
Bob, of course, knew that Jack's purpose was to remove the karmic curse on his race, and had the common sense not to say such outright. He would never say that and interfere with Jack's plans. That's why he found the perfect distraction - so that the universe would never know his real purpose.
As it happened, a magenta ore, one that remained largely undetected across the Artica realm, suddenly began to shine, revealing itself to the whole universe.
Bob smirked smugly. Yes, his speech was most magenta.
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