James A. Hunter
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Backrooms 3: Kiosk Kingdom - Chapter 9
🕑 Added 2025-03-15 00:09:58 +0000 UTCChapter Nine – A Helping Hand
I left Sinclair to man the bar, then swung by the Spin Cycle to pick up my freshly laundered gear before heading up to my hotel room. There was more to do around the store—always more to do—but I needed to get a bit of rest. Now that the last of the search and rescue missions were complete, I also needed to make preparations for the next leg of my dive. I had a long-overdue appointment with the Franchisor down on the 99th floor.
The Franchisor was the owner of the Kiosk Network which extended from the first floor all the way down to floor 355. The kiosks functioned as a massive auction house system, all linked to a gargantuan Subspace Warehouse. Anyone with a Kiosk Club Card could buy and sell goods from any of the 3,000 kiosk nodes scattered throughout the Backrooms, seamlessly accessing the shared inventory no matter where they were. The Flayed Monarch was currently using that system as a logistical pipeline to funnel goods to his army across various levels, but that wasn’t the only thing he was using the Network for.
Turned out, the Network wasn’t just metaphorical in nature; it also served as a physical transit system, allowing individuals—or even entire armies—to quickly travel between floors.
Some kiosks connected laterally, allowing for easy movement across the same floor while others linked to adjacent levels. There were other kiosks, though, called spatial gateways that acted much like my own Doorway Anchors. If someone stepped through the right spatial gateway, they’d instantly emerge from its paired gateway. With the right knowledge, it was entirely possible to use the Network to jump from floor 75 to floor 225 in the blink of an eye.
Unfortunately, the Franchisor was a currently allied to the Monarch and was allowing his forces to move through the Network, unmolested. I needed to put the kibosh on that shit, before I found a legion of powerful Aspirants camped out on my stoop.
The only way I could do that, however, was by killing the Franchisor and claiming the Network for myself. That would be easier said than done. Even though I’d hit level 42, the Franchisor was still well-outside my weight class. But if I could pull off the upset of the century, every kiosk in the Network would become mine.
Three-thousand Discount Dan pop ups located across more than 300 floors.
Even that dimmed in comparison to the real prize, though—depriving the Monarch of the ability to move freely through the Backrooms.
That wasn’t the only wrinkle, either.
Getting to the Franchisor might be as hard as killing the son of a bitch. Beating the HOA had been the first major hurtle, but I still had two more floors to go. The 24th floor, home to Eternal Suburbia, connected to the 49th floor. Once I fought my way through that nightmare, I could catch a kiosk spatial gateway down to the 75th floor, then finally to the 99th, where I’d get my shot at taking on the Franchisor directly.
If those other floors were even remotely as difficult as Eternal Suburbia, this was going to be a clusterfuck of epic proportions.
I shouldered my way through the door to my room and let out a sigh of relief as I let it swing shut behind me. I tossed my gear onto the table, then beelined for the fridge. I was feeling a little buzzed from the gin and tonic, but not so buzzed that I didn’t want another beer. I grabbed a can from the fridge and a slice of pizza from my Spatial Storage. The pepperoni pie was fresh and warm, tongues of steam curling into the air.
My stomach rumbled in angry protest, and I wanted to shove the entire slice of pie into my face hole, but it was a little too hot for that. So instead, I ate slowly while I paid a visit to my newly installed Monolith.
I mashed my free hand against the palm reader and waited for the standard prompt to appear on the ATM screen.
Welcome to your Personal Upgrade Interface Portal, Dan Woodridge, Specimen Biotag ID #03A-01-B00R7T569C! As always, the VRD is dedicated to making the best version of you through the multidimensional technological innovations of the VIRUS (Variant Individual Registry Upgrade System, Iteration 21.2). Please use the Monolith Keypad to select an available option from the menu below:
1. Subspace Storage System
2. Delver Interface Portal
3. Research Department Job Board
4. Learn About the Variant Research Project!
5. Prize Gallery
I didn’t even bother to scan the options, and instantly hit number 2, which conjured my Specimen Bio-Report.
Dan Woodridge
Specimen Biotag ID #03A-01-B00R7T569C
Variant Assimilation Level: 43
Race: Human, Archetypal
Current Experience: 132,075
Next Level: 142,500
Personal Enhancement Points: 5
__ __ __
Health: 165
Health-Regen/Hour: 12.8
__ __ __
Stamina Reserve: 94
Stamina-Regen/Minute: 10
__ __ __
Mana Pool: 249
Mana-Regen/Minute: 24.5
Individual Adaptative Stats
Grit: 64 (59 + 5 Enhanced)
Athleticism: 29
Toughness: 35
Perception: 49
Resonance: 110
Preservation: 21
Spatial Core - Active
(U) Runic Resonance Trap – Level 8
(U) Fault Spike – Level 5
(R) Existential Dread – Level 5 (Fully Tempered)
(F) Eldritch Taxidermist – Level 9 (Fully Tempered)
(F) Echoed Aura – Level 5 (Fully Tempered)
(F) Hydro Fracking Blast – Level 10
(F) Neural Slipstream – Level 7 (Fully Tempered)
(F) StainSlayer Maelstrom – Level 10 (Fully Tempered)
(F) Psychic Sovereignty – Level 10 (Fully Tempered)
(ME) Compass of the Catacomber (Fully Tempered)
!!! Current Titles – Passive !!!
Punch-Out!! Champion, Deathwish, Marked for Death, Weapon of Opportunity, Legend in the Making, Overkill Overlord, Great White in a Barrel (E), Profane Purifier, Domino Rally, Kaiju Slayer
I quickly scanned my stats.
I’d made some real gains over the past few days, thanks to all the kills from my battle against the Sunnysiders. I’d also received a permanent +10 boost to all stats for taking down the HOA, which made a big difference. I was still the definition of a glass cannon, but thanks to the bonus, my Athleticism and Toughness were no longer laughably low. At least not compared to people like Jakob or Temperance, who were built for fighting up close and personal.
I mean, I wasn’t sure what their stats were exactly—that was the kind of info that Delvers just didn’t share, not even among friends—but I assumed they had to have double or triple my scores in those areas.
Compared to regular, run-of-the-mill humans, however, I was damned near superman. Not Superman strong, but I beat I could hold my own against Captain America.
My Resonance was also well over 100, and thanks to the Mana Optimization perk, my Mana Regen rate and total spell damage had increased by 16% while the cost for all my spells had dropped by 16%. That, combined with my infinite mana hack, meant I essentially had a bottomless pit of power to draw from. My Grit had also increased to a respectable 64—enough to make sure that no one would be fucking around inside my skull any time soon.
Still, I had 5 stat points to burn, and I really wanted to push Grit higher.
Now that I knew there were secret stat-based bonuses, I was determined to find out what benefits Grit would give me when I finally crossed over the threshold—though what that threshold happened to be, I couldn’t say.
I dropped all five points into Grit, pushing my total tally up to 69—nice—but felt a little disappointed when nothing happened. Oh, well. Once I started my dive again in earnest, I was sure it wouldn’t be long before I levelled up again. Hell, I’d need to level up a lot if I had a hope and a prayer of killing the Franchisor, who was at least level sixty and possibly higher.
With my stats and titles taken care of, I plopped down at the table and turned my attention to my Relics while I finished eating.
I’d levelled up several Relics over the past few days and even managed to push Hydro Fracking Blast to level 10, which unlocked a new ability called Mana Overpressure. If the target accumulated more than two stacks of Scorching Erosion, I could trigger the skill, causing Hydro Fracking Blast to deal double its regular damage to the target. The only drawback is that it also doubled the cost to cast the spell, but with my passive Wild Surge ability in play, that wasn’t something I was too concerned about.
Out of idle curiosity, I decided to see what would happen if I forged Hydro Fracking Blast with the new Fluid Dynamics Relic I’d picked up from the watery Brood Matriarch.
The result was a spell called Liquid Minefield—decent, but not exactly an upgrade. It let me create stationary liquid mines that detonated when an enemy got too close, triggering a high-pressure fiery geyser that launched them skyward and dealt some serious fire damage in the process. While the burst damage was technically higher than a single blast from Hydro Fracking Blast, the skill just wasn’t as versatile.
I decided to hold off, though I still thought there was strong potential use for the Fluid Dynamics Relic.
Eldritch Taxidermist was almost as level 10 and with all the Relics I’d just earned from slaughtering the mimic hatchlings, there was no reason not to upgrade it. In fact, I had enough to push it all the way to level 15, though it would burn through a sizeable portion of my available stock. That was the thing about upgrading Relics—at the lower levels it cost next to nothing. But at the higher tiers, the cost was awfully steep. To gain even a single level past 10, I needed to sacrifice fifteen Relics—three times the normal amount to gain a level when a Relic was below level 5.
In total, it would cost me 85 Relics to max out Eldritch Taxidermist.
Still, it was one of my most potent abilities and would serve as the cornerstone for the new Emblem I was hoping to forge, so I couldn’t avoid it.
I dug through my Storage until I had everything I needed and got to work, sacrificing bucketfuls of common grade Relics. Tons of Basic Camo Kits, Mana Nerf Darts, and Insulting Taunts—all readily available Common-grade Relics with little benefit—along with a mixture of truly terrible Relics.
Detect Spoiled Milk allowed the user to immediately identify if milk was bad, Self-Destruct which did exactly what it sounded like, and Wet Sock Aura which made every sock in the area of effect unpleasantly moist. My favorite—though still completely useless—was Bolt of Flatulence, which gave the target uncomfortable gas for two minutes.
It took almost two hours to max out Eldritch Taxidermist, but the results were worth the effort.
When the Relic passed the level 10 Threshold it gained a new secondary ability, Taxidermied Commander, which let me elevate one out of every five Horrors to the “Necromarshal Commander Role.”
Unlike regular Horrors, Necromarshals could equip two active Relics, boosting their power while also making them smarter and more independent—traits they’d need as battlefield leaders. Commanders also had the innate ability to exert influence and even issue orders to other Horrors under their command, ensuring my army operated with something resembling strategy rather than mindless slaughter.
Instead of foot soldiers, I would have generals. Warlords of meat and metal.
That ability also paired with the final capstone ability, Corpse Conscription.
Any enemy killed by one of my Horrors had a 33% chance to be instantly repurposed and conscripted as a Lesser Horror under the control of my Necromarshals. These reanimated husks only lasted 10 minutes, but they would fight with the mindless fury of rabid animals—tearing, rending, and butchering until their bodies literally fell apart. The best part? Their spatial cores would remain intact, meaning they retained all the skills and abilities they had in life, making them devastating shock troops, however briefly.
Corpse Conscription, paired with Swarm Tactics and Will of Iron, could create a truly monstrous force to be reckoned with.
That train of thought brought me back to something else that had been weighing on my mind for the past few days: forging the Fable-Grade, Tome of the Swarm Herald Emblem. I finally had enough compatible Relics to craft a weapon that could put me on par with some of the most dangerous creatures in the Backrooms.
I was hesitant to pull the trigger, though.
Like Fully-Tempered Relics, once an Emblem was forged, there was no going back. The Relics used in its creation would be locked in permanently, unable to be altered or improved. And that was the problem—several of the Relics I planned to include weren’t Fully-Tempered yet. There was still a chance I could upgrade them, and if I rushed this, I might be sealing away their potential forever.
I only had one shot, and I couldn’t afford to make that mistake. Fortunately, I had a little time yet. My goal was to fully max out each of the Relics that would make up the Emblem, and I still had a long way to go before reaching that point. I’d been steadily leveling them up in preparation—Will of Iron, Swarm Tactics, Form FleshTron, Go!, Collective Consciousness, and Sleepwalker were all already at level five—but pushing so many to level fifteen would take resources that I didn’t currently have.
I’d need hundreds of Relics to accomplish my goal, and even if I spent every waking moment grinding for easy loot on the lower floors, it would still take weeks of dedicated work.
I let the thought go and slipped Eldritch Taxidermist back into my Spatial Core as I finished off the last of the pizza. I licked greasy fingers clean, then moseyed over to the bathroom for a quick shower.
The scorching water was heaven on my sore muscles and helped push away the legion of thoughts and worries battering at my mind. I knew those thoughts would come howling back eventually, but I enjoyed momentary peace.
I’d just finished toweling off and brushing my teeth when I heard a knock at my door. I wasn’t expecting company, and everyone knew not to bother me here unless it was an emergency. Which meant something bad had probably happened.
“Yeah, just a sec,” I called out, already feeling a simmering flash of annoyance. I was too tired for any more bullshit today. “I need to throw on some pants.”
I quickly tossed on my clothes, quickly followed by my tool belt and bathrobe, already mentally preparing for the worst.
When I opened the door a minute or two later, however, I was surprised to find it wasn’t Temp, Jakob, or Camo Joe waiting with some terrible news, but rather it was the Iride Howler I’d rescued from the hatchery.
Harper, I think her name was.
“Oh hey,” I said, sounding a little awkward in my own ears. “Is, uh, everything okay?”
She blushed and glanced away.
“Yeah, sorry,” she said after a pause. “I know you’re probably trying to relax, but I wanted a chance to thank you again. For saving me, I mean.” She glanced up at me with shimmering eyes. “And for bringing the others back,” she added. “I already took their bodies to the Hold and broke the news to their families.”
“I really am sorry how things turned out,” I replied.
“It’s not your fault,” she said with a shrug. “We knew what we were walking into—we just got overconfident.” She let out a breath, shaking her head. “But yeah… it’s sad. They were good people. They deserved better.” She hesitated before continuing. “It’s a big loss for the Hold. Fenrir was one of our strongest raiders. Everyone loved him.”
Her voice wavered for a moment and I though she might be on the verge of tears, but she pushed through. “Still, they wanted me to thank you—for doing what you could. And…” She lifted a bulging backpack and held it out to me. “Fenrir’s Relics,” she explained. “His girlfriend wanted you to have them.”
Her words, though kind, didn’t do much to ease the guilt I felt about the dead Howlers. And I sure as shit didn’t feel comfortable expecting the items.
“I appreciate it,” I replied, gently pushing the backpack away, “but I can’t take that. His stuff should stay with the Howlers.”
She pressed her lips into a thin line and shook her head. “No, they’re yours now. Keep them, sell them, sacrifice them—it’s up to you. She wanted you to have them, and I don’t have the heart to give them back.”
A fresh wave of guilt washed over me as I reluctantly accepted the offering.
“Well, tell her thank you—I’ll make sure they get put to good use. And if there’s anything I can do to help, just let me know.”
She cleared her throat, shifting nervously from foot to foot. “Yeah, about that,” she said hesitantly. “I was actually hoping I could help you.”
She stepped closer, and I caught a flicker of something feverish in her eyes.
That immediately set off warning bells in my head. We were alone, standing a little too close to my private room. And that wasn’t the only thing I noticed—she wasn’t wearing scrubs or armor but sheer shorts and a crop top that left her stomach bare.
Oh shit… was she coming on to me?
I wasn’t sure, but I’d certainly seen more than a few adult films that started this way.
I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t some part of me that was attracted to her. She was undeniably pretty, but I knew firsthand that surviving a life-or-death situation could mess with your head. I wasn’t about to take advantage of someone grieving and vulnerable, even if she was cute.
“Can I come in and talk?” she asked.
I pulled the door shut firmly behind me.
“I’d be more comfortable talking out here if it’s all the same to you,” I said.
Her face went crimson. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry. I can see how this might look, but that’s not—” She stumbled over her words, then took a deep breath. “What I meant is… I want to help. I want to go with you. When you head back down.”
A tight knot of tension eased in my shoulders, and I let out a sigh of relief—though admittedly, I a small part of me was also disappointed.
“Don’t get me wrong, Temprance, Jakob, and Croc are all great, but you don’t have a healer on your team, and I thought I might be able to help you.”
I was silent for a moment.
“That’s a really generous offer,” I replied, “and I’m sure you’re great at what you do, but I don’t think you fully understand what you’re asking for. We’re headed deep. Our next stop is the forty-ninth floor and the ninety-ninth floor after that.” I grimaced and shook my head. “I have no idea what’s gonna be waiting for us down there, but I can guarantee you that it’s going to be a shitshow. And as good of a healer as you might be, you’re also only level 19. I don’t mean to sound like a dick, but believe me when I say that the things down below will slaughter you.”
Her face hardened with resolve and now the blush filling her cheeks wasn’t from embarrassment but anger.
“I know that,” she said firmly. “But I still want to help.” She hesitated, then pushed forward. “I also want to be strong enough to make sure what happened in the lounge never happens again. And I can’t do that if I stay here. No one in the Hold is above level 30—not even Wraith. And there’s a reason for that. It’s because none of them will set foot below the fifteenth floor.
“I’m not going to get stronger if I stay here. But if I go with you, I might actually have a chance to make a difference.” She glanced away and fidgeted with a plain silver ring wrapped around her index finger. “Please?” she said, looking up at me with big iridescent eyes full of both hope and fear. “I know I’m weak, but I won’t stay that way. And I’m not asking you to carry me. My Relics aren’t that strong, but if you just give me a chance, I know I can help.”
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. This was a complication I didn’t need.
“It’s going to be dangerous down there,” I finally said, “and I can’t promise that nothing bad will happen to you. Just the opposite. I know what people say about me—but I’m not some folk hero who can do the impossible. If you come with us, there’s a damned good chance you’ll end up lining the inside of something’s stomach. You understand that right?”
“I do,” she replied with a serious nod. “I know the risks.”
“I doubt that,” I muttered, trying to appraise her with fresh eyes.
Although she was likely in her mid to late twenties, she looked so young to me.
So innocent. So vulnerable. So fragile.
I recalled just a few of the nightmarish atrocities I’d already endured and tried to imagine her squaring off against the hulking Kannibal Kids or the colossal HOA kaiju—three stories tall and cobbled together from derelict houses and fetid corpses. She had no idea what she was asking for and although it was hard to envision her fighting against those kinds of monsters, it was all too easy to picture her staring up at me from the ground with a broken body and glassy, lifeless eyes.
I didn’t want that. Didn’t want to be responsible for another life.
At the end of the day, though, it wasn’t my place to decide how people lived their lives. I didn’t stop Croc, Temp, or Jakob from coming along even though every trip outside the store carried a very real chance of getting them killed. The fact was, this woman wanted to help, and I needed all the help I could get. That was half the reason I’d opened this store in the first place—not just to help people, but to find allies.
“Listen,”—I folded my arms across my chest—“we’re not going to be leaving until the morning. So take the night and just… sleep on it, okay? I’m going to be blunt and tell you right here and now that I don’t think this is a good idea. You don’t have much direct combat utility and you’re too low level for where we’re going. But if you want to come with us, meet me by the front check out tomorrow and we’ll see. I can’t promise that I’ll say yes—but if the others are okay with it? Well, then it’s a maybe.”
She nodded and I could see the grim determination etched into the lines of her face.
“Then I’ll see you in the morning,” she said, turning to leave. But just before she stepped away, she glanced back over her shoulder. “And thank you again. You had every reason not to come for us, but you did anyway.” Her expression softened. “I won’t forget that. I’ll repay your kindness—and pass it on to others.”
I just grunted, nodded, then watched her walk out of the breakroom.
With a grumble, I let myself back into my room and said a silent prayer that she would change her mind before tomorrow. Somehow, though, I doubted it. She truly didn’t know what was in store for us, but my gut said that I’d find her waiting for me when it was time to leave.
Plagued by the thought, I set aside the bag containing Fenrir’s Relics, stripped out of my gear and climbed into bed, finally ready to get some very well-deserved shut eye.
Comments
Nilbog
We hunger for chapters. You've spoiled us with those rapid fires releases
James A. Hunter
Yes -- but he had to push it to level 10 first, that's where the extra 10 are factoring in.
Joe
Isn't it 75 relics to get from lvl 10 to 15? Where's the extra 10 relics coming from?
