Undivided Worlds by H.C. Mills

Author:H.C. Mills [Mills, H.C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: LitRPG books, GameLit books, Portal Fantasy, Isekai books, Survival stories, LGBT books for adults
Publisher: H.C. Mills
Published: 2023-12-16T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 37

When opportunity comes knocking

“The Peilor we captured turned out to be a secret agent of Mara’s Starshade Syndicate,” I elaborate when Trisha looks at me curiously.

The fact that I say that in front of Farouq is naturally no accident.

I carefully study his reaction. It’s hard to tell from his facetted face, but he definitely seems to startle for a moment, and the sand finally stops flowing up towards the palace he’s building with Trisha.

“Oh my!” Trisha says. “Well, I’ll let Goddess know first chance I get.”

And with that, she returns to sculpting her balcony.

It feels very incongruous with her statement, but that’s hive minds for ya. Her drone in the floating palace Goddess calls home is probably already looking for an opportunity to surreptitiously flag the almighty ruler down.

“So,” Farouq says nonchalantly, as the sand resumes its inexorable flow into the tower he’s adding to their palace of sand. “I take it you rescued another one of your friends then, right? Does that mean their owner was the secret agent? Who was it, if you don’t mind telling me?”

I knew that would get his attention.

“It was Sudo,” Suri replies calmly.

“I see. Hiding in plain sight, I suppose, with all that exaggerated paranoia,” he muses. “Kind of silly how well that worked; I really didn’t see it coming. Well, it’s impressive that you managed to get Jacob, but I still don’t see how you’re going to get to Dave. Got a plan yet?”

“Not yet,” I admit. “But hey, we only just finished executing our last one. We’ll come up with something.”

“I’m sure you will, dear,” Trisha says encouragingly.

Farouq grunts noncommittally, as if he’s not sure he believes her.

I fold my arms over my chest, narrowing my eyes at what I believe is the back of his head. “You seem quite invested in what we’re up to, by the way. How come?”

He snorts. “You’re surprised I’m invested in the actions of my abductors? Yes, I wonder why.”

“Okay, fair point,” I concede, scratching my neck.

“No, he’s deflecting,” Suri states with certainty. “Go on, Farouq. Tell us why you’re so interested in what we’re doing.”

“You mean apart from this being the most intriguing situation that I’ve ever found myself in?”

“Yes, apart from the obvious, please,” Suri replies as if that’s a normal, expected statement.

He’s silent for a moment. “Fine. If you must know... I’m not entirely unsympathetic to the plight of the humans. Or the Hoig, for that matter.”

I blink. That is... not what I expected.

After all, Farouq has been chained down by Goddess herself, and she definitely added a Command against lying. Which means he has to be telling the truth...

“Oh? Do elaborate, please,” Suri chimes.

“I suppose it started during my excavations on the Hoig home planet,” Farouq muses, still with his back to us, sand drifting ever up in a steady stream. “Many of the things I found begged questions, and the only ones with answers were the Hoig still living there. The ‘reserve’ of hosts, if you will. At first,

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