Chapter 2500: My Way

Nathan frowned, but Alex didn’t give him the chance to answer.

"For now, we’re doing what we can with what we’ve got. And no, I’m not betting my life on some vague trust in Sylas. I’m not an idiot, Nathan. I know exactly what kind of person he is."

Alex glanced at Sylas before going on.

"I’m betting my life on the fact that Sylas Grimblade would never let someone else’s success or failure decide whether he succeeds or fails. If my plans work, great. If they don’t, he’ll find another way. The idea of leaving his future in someone else’s hands probably disgusts him more than anything."

He shrugged.

"Now, does that mean he’ll save my life? I don’t have an answer for that. But I know he won’t let me ruin his plans just because I fucked something up."

Nathan stared at him. "That’s an insane way to look at things."

"Maybe. It’s also the only reason I’ve survived knowing that bastard for as long as I have." Alex’s expression went cold. "Listen, Nathan. When you’re weak, you fall in line. It doesn’t matter how smart you think you are, how much money you used to have, or how important you think your opinion is. If you’re standing in front of someone who can kill you with a thought, you need to understand exactly what position you’re in."

Nathan’s face changed, but Alex kept going before he could cut in.

"You’ve got a lot going for you, and you’re a smart guy, but I really don’t think you’ve struggled all that much. You turned your companies into successes back when Earth was still Earth, and then the Grimblades drafted you. Before you ever had to carry any real weight in this new world, Sylas handled everything."

Alex paused, and his gaze hardened.

"I remember giving this exact warning to someone else before. He didn’t listen to me, and Sylas killed him."

Neither of them said anything.

"It would take one thought for Sylas to kill you now, Nathan. One thought, and you wouldn’t even have time to understand what happened. I’m not saying that because I think he wants to. I’m saying it because you’re starting to forget just how far apart you two are."

Alex exhaled.

"You’re my friend. My best friend, actually, and that’s why I’m asking you to fucking listen to me for once. I’ve been telling you this for 3 years, and I’m getting tired of repeating myself. You don’t have to like what Sylas does, and you sure as hell don’t have to agree with him, but you need to understand when your opinion matters and when it doesn’t."

He looked at Nathan.

"Focus."

Nathan was quiet for a long while. It was obvious he didn’t like what Alex was telling him. However, he understood it.

Eventually, he nodded.

"Fine. Where are we going?"

Alex let out a breath, and his shoulders loosened a bit.

"Well, that’s about the one thing I actually have figured out. There are a few ways we could get to the Nethum, and I’ve spent a lot of time weighing them against one another. The problem is that most of the obvious methods don’t actually give me an opportunity to do anything useful."

Nathan frowned.

"An opportunity to do something useful?"

"To Sylas, you idiot. Who else?" Alex gestured toward the man meditating at the front of the ship. "Do you think I’m worried about impressing the Nethum right now? Those bastards might decide to dissect me the moment I show up, regardless of what I accomplish on the way there."

Alex shook his head.

"The easiest solution would be to rely on the Creation Tower. Sylas already controls the Towers of the Skai Heaven, and with his Rune Mastery, I’m sure he could figure out some ridiculous way to use that authority to get us where we need to go. But then what would be the point of bringing me along? I’d just be another mouth to feed."

Alex glanced toward Sylas, his expression growing thoughtful.

"He put me in charge for a reason. I don’t know exactly what he’s planning, but I know him well enough to understand that he doesn’t do things without a purpose. If I stand around waiting for him to solve everything, sooner or later he’s going to wonder why he’s bothering to keep me around at all."

Alex didn’t know what Sylas was planning, but he did know that Sylas didn’t do things for no reason.

Sylas could very well have put Alex in charge simply because he knew that Alex would have already worked out a quick and efficient way to get to the Nethum, and very well plan to kick Alex to the side once they got there. Maybe Sylas just wanted to rest after pushing his mind to the limits for three years, and working out a complicated way to cross the barrier to the God Realm wasn’t worth the time he could spend recovering instead.

Alex hoped that Sylas just had bigger aspirations for him, but he wasn’t naive enough to believe that Sylas would have such thoughts. But what he did know was that it didn’t matter. Even if Sylas wanted something that simple of him, he had to prove that he could still stick around, if for no other reason than to stay alive and the fact that Sylas was his best chance at getting revenge for his parents.

Nathan’s expression tightened, but Alex continued.

"And that’s the whole problem. I can’t compete with him in strength, and I sure as hell can’t compete with him in Rune Creation. If I try to play his game, I’ll lose before I even start, so the only option is to use something I have that he doesn’t."

Nathan considered his words.

"Your Demonic heritage?"

Alex grinned.

"See? That’s why I keep you around. Sometimes that big brain of yours actually works."

He leaned back, looking considerably more pleased with himself.

"The Creation Tower is the easy answer, but Sylas asked me to take point, so we’re doing things my way."

Nathan waited.

"We’re going through the Demon World."