Chapter Text
The meeting room was already crowded.
Wemmbu stood near the back wall, arms folded, watching people argue.
He had been doing that for almost ten minutes.
Nobody had noticed him yet.
Which was honestly impressive.
Then again, this was the Unstable Universe.
People could spend thirty minutes arguing about a war while standing three blocks away from the person responsible for starting half of it.
Wemmbu glanced around the room.
Parrot.
Theo.
FlameFrags.
Lomedy.
Saparata.
Yungyx.
Several members of Cindercrest.
A handful of the Kingdom of the Caves.
And, naturally, Arachn1d.
This was the part of the memories Wemmbu found most useful.
He knew these people.
Not because he had met them.
Because the other Wemmbu had.
And the memories were messy.
Very messy.
Some were alliances.
Some were betrayals.
Some were friendships.
Some were arguments.
Some were people who had once been trusted and later became enemies.
It was practically a map.
All LS Wemmbu had to do was read it.
Saparata stood near the center of the room.
"We need to move the army through the caves."
Arachn1d immediately shook his head.
"No."
Saparata looked at him.
"No?"
"My kingdom isn't a warehouse."
"It's temporary."
"That's what everyone says before they start moving in."
A few people laughed.
Saparata didn't.
"The war isn't going to wait for us to find another location."
Arachn1d crossed his arms.
"And why exactly should I let your entire army occupy my territory?"
"Because we're allies."
"Temporarily."
Saparata paused.
"Yes."
"Then your stay is temporary too."
Wemmbu almost smiled.
There it was.
The relationship.
Not friendship.
Not trust.
An alliance held together because both parties currently wanted Parrot gone.
The Kingdom of the Caves and Cindercrest were cooperating against Parrot, but there was tension underneath it. The later history made that especially obvious.
Wemmbu looked toward Saparata.
The memories showed him something else.
Saparata cared deeply about the old players.
He believed Parrot's decision to open the server had destroyed what the old players had built.
And he wanted that world back.
Wemmbu understood that.
At least intellectually.
Then his eyes moved to Parrot.
Different memories.
New players.
Food.
Overpopulation.
The kingdom.
The war.
Parrot genuinely believed he could make the server large enough for everyone.
That was the ideological heart of the war.
Old players versus new players.
Parrot's vision versus Saparata's.
And right in the middle of it all stood Arachn1d, who had his own ambitions.
Wemmbu almost laughed.
Three people.
Three plans.
Three completely different ideas of what the server should become.
And somehow, everyone thought they were the protagonist.
Wonderful.
"You're quiet."
Wemmbu looked over.
Flame was staring at him.
"What?"
"You."
"Me?"
"Yeah."
Flame frowned.
"You're just standing there."
"I'm listening."
"Since when do you listen?"
Wemmbu shrugged.
"Since now."
Lomedy glanced over.
"Wemmbu, are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
"You look weird."
"I always look weird."
Flame snorted.
"That's true."
Wemmbu smiled.
The conversation moved on.
He watched Flame turn back toward Saparata.
Another memory.
Flame and Lomedy.
Friends.
Cindercrest.
Fighting.
The Kingdom of the Caves.
Wemmbu fighting Flame later.
Arachn1d being furious.
Yungyx intervening.
So much information.
And yet somehow, the person whose memories he was looking through had apparently never thought to organize any of it.
You're terrible at record keeping, LS Wemmbu thought.
He almost felt sorry for him.
Almost.
Eventually, the argument about the caves reached its conclusion.
Cindercrest would move in.
Temporarily.
The word was repeated several times.
Saparata emphasized it.
Arachn1d emphasized it even more.
Nobody seemed particularly convinced.
"Your people will stay in the lower sections," Arachn1d said.
Saparata nodded.
"Fine."
"And they don't touch anything that belongs to my kingdom."
"Fine."
"And they don't enter restricted areas."
"Fine."
Arachn1d narrowed his eyes.
"You understand?"
Saparata smiled.
"Yes."
Wemmbu watched them.
Neither man trusted the other.
Perfect.
The relocation began that afternoon.
It was strangely mundane.
That was the funniest part.
A faction involved in a massive civil war was essentially moving house.
Players carried supplies through the caves.
Armor clanked.
Chests were moved.
People argued over where things should go.
Someone complained about the lack of space.
Someone else told them to stop complaining.
Yungyx was attempting to organize people.
It was going badly.
"Wemmbu!"
Wemmbu turned.
Yungyx pointed toward a pile of supplies.
"Can you help move those?"
Wemmbu looked at them.
"Sure."
He walked over.
Simple.
Normal.
He helped.
Nobody questioned it.
That was the strange thing about this universe.
Wemmbu could walk into a room where everyone was preparing for war and still somehow be asked to carry boxes.
He finished.
Then wandered back toward the main cavern.
He passed Flame.
"Need help?"
Flame looked surprised.
"You offering?"
"Yeah."
"Sure."
Wemmbu helped him move some equipment.
Then Lomedy asked him to help with something else.
Then Yungy passed through and made a comment about Cindercrest invading the caves.
Then Saparata walked by.
Then Arachn1d.
Wemmbu smiled at each of them.
Talked.
Listened.
Asked questions.
Sometimes he said exactly what someone expected him to say.
Sometimes he said something that made them laugh.
Sometimes he simply let them talk.
And every conversation gave him another piece.
Another relationship.
Another weakness.
Another name.
Another memory.
Another possibility.
He wasn't rushing.
That was the important part.
There was no reason to.
The war wasn't going anywhere.
That evening, Wemmbu found himself standing beside Arachn1d.
Arachn1d looked over.
"You've been quiet today."
"So?"
"You usually have something to say."
Wemmbu shrugged.
"Maybe I'm tired."
Arachn1d studied him.
For a moment, Wemmbu wondered whether he had noticed something.
Then Arachn1d looked away.
"Keep your head down."
Wemmbu smiled.
"Okay."
Arachn1d glanced back.
The response seemed to please him.
"Good."
Wemmbu watched him leave.
Then his smile faded.
Interesting.
Arachn1d liked obedience.
That was useful.
Very useful.
But Wemmbu didn't need to do anything with it yet.
He had time.
Later, Wemmbu wandered into another section of the caves.
He found Saparata speaking with Flame.
"...we need to know exactly where Parrot's forces are positioned."
Flame nodded.
"I can scout it."
"Don't take unnecessary risks."
Flame smiled.
"You know me."
Saparata stared at him.
"That's exactly why I'm telling you."
Wemmbu quietly laughed.
Flame noticed.
"You listening?"
"No."
"You literally laughed."
"I laugh sometimes."
"At what?"
"You."
Flame rolled his eyes.
"Idiot."
Wemmbu grinned.
There it was.
The stupid Wemmbu.
The version everyone knew.
The version who made dumb jokes.
The version who occasionally said something so ridiculous that people stopped questioning him.
It was almost effortless.
LS Wemmbu could use it whenever he needed.
And nobody would notice the difference.
Because why would they?
By nightfall, Cindercrest had officially settled into the caves.
Temporary residents.
Temporary allies.
Temporary peace.
The war continued outside.
Parrot still had his kingdom.
Saparata still wanted it.
Arachn1d still wanted something of his own.
And Wemmbu stood in the middle of all three.
He looked around.
Then smiled.
He had already learned enough to start pulling threads.
But he wasn't going to.
Not yet.
That would be boring.
First, he wanted to see what happened if he simply...
talked.
Because there were still plenty of people he hadn't met.
And plenty of people who thought they knew Wemmbu.
He was going to let them keep thinking that.
For now.
Across the cave, Arachn1d watched him.
Wemmbu was laughing with Flame.
He looked normal.
Almost exactly normal.
Arachn1d frowned.
Something was strange.
He couldn't explain what.
Wemmbu was still acting like Wemmbu.
Still making stupid jokes.
Still wandering around.
Still helping when someone asked.
Still smiling.
Still being annoying.
So why did something feel wrong?
Arachn1d shook his head.
He's just being Wemmbu.
And that was the conclusion he settled on.
The funniest possible conclusion.
Because that wasn't Wemmbu at all.
And LS Wemmbu, standing several meters away, knew it.
He smiled.
Then turned back toward the others.
There was still so much to learn.
The Kingdom of the Caves was beginning to look less like a temporary shelter and more like Cindercrest had simply decided to move in.
There were chests everywhere.
Armor stands.
Weapons.
Supplies.
People coming and going through the tunnels.
The caves had always been Arachn1d's territory, but now there were Cindercrest members occupying entire sections of it.
Temporary.
That was what everyone kept calling it.
Wemmbu wasn't convinced.
He stood beside a chest, watching Yungyx try to organize supplies.
"Where does this go?"
"That chest."
"Which chest?"
"The chest."
"There are seventeen chests."
"The important one."
"That's not helpful."
Yungyx sighed.
Wemmbu smiled.
"I can help."
"You know where things go?"
"No."
"Then how are you helping?"
"I can carry things."
Yungyx stared at him.
"...Fair."
Wemmbu grabbed a stack of supplies.
Simple.
Useful.
Harmless.
He carried them across the cave.
While he did, he casually looked around.
The layout.
The entrances.
The exits.
Who guarded what.
Which tunnels were busy.
Which ones were empty.
Who trusted whom.
He wasn't even trying particularly hard.
The information simply kept appearing.
"Wemmbu."
He turned.
Saparata was standing nearby.
"What?"
"You were with Arachn1d earlier."
"Yeah."
"What did he say?"
Wemmbu paused.
Interesting.
He smiled.
"Why?"
Saparata's expression remained neutral.
"Because you're one of the few people he actually speaks to without immediately threatening."
Wemmbu shrugged.
"He told me to stay out of trouble."
Saparata almost laughed.
"Did you?"
"No."
That earned a small smile.
Wemmbu leaned against the wall.
"He doesn't like people touching his stuff."
"I noticed."
"He also doesn't like people wandering into restricted areas."
Saparata looked at him.
"Anything else?"
Wemmbu pretended to think.
"He's annoyed that you are here"
"I know."
"He's also worried you are going to stay."
Saparata's expression changed.
Only slightly.
But Wemmbu noticed.
That was useful.
"You think you will?"
Saparata looked toward the cave entrance.
"No."
Wemmbu nodded.
"Okay."
He walked away.
Saparata watched him.
That was all Wemmbu wanted.
He hadn't lied.
He hadn't even told Saparata anything particularly valuable.
But now Saparata knew that Wemmbu was willing to talk to him.
And Wemmbu knew that Saparata cared about Arachn1d's attitude toward Cindercrest.
One tiny piece.
He moved on.
Flame was easier.
Much easier.
Wemmbu found him sitting beside Lomedy.
"Hey."
Flame looked up.
"Hey."
"What are you doing?"
"Nothing."
"Can I do nothing too?"
Flame laughed.
"Sure."
Wemmbu sat down.
Lomedy looked between them.
"You two are ridiculous."
"Thank you," Wemmbu said.
"That wasn't a compliment."
"I know."
Flame laughed.
Wemmbu smiled.
Then he looked toward Lomedy.
"You worried?"
He frowned.
"About what?"
"The war."
He hesitated.
"A little."
Wemmbu nodded.
Flame glanced at him.
"I'm fine."
"I wasn't asking you."
"I'm aware."
Wemmbu smiled.
Lomedy looked down.
"There's just a lot happening."
"I know."
"You don't."
"I do."
He looked at him.
For a moment, the memories surfaced again.
Lomedy.
Flame.
Cindercrest.
The war.
Everything that eventually went wrong.
Wemmbu's smile softened.
"You're worried about Flame."
Lomedy blinked.
"What?"
"You're worried he'll get hurt."
Flame looked at him.
Lomedy didn't answer.
Wemmbu shrugged.
"He's reckless."
"Hey."
"You're reckless."
"That's different."
Lomedy laughed despite himself.
Wemmbu stood.
"Don't worry."
He looked up.
"Why?"
"Because I'll keep an eye on him."
Flame stared.
"Wait, shouldn't this be the other way around?"
"Nah, bro, you need babysitting."
"I will kill you."
Wemmbu laughed and walked away.
Behind him, Lomedy smiled.
He trusted him a little more.
Flame did too.
Wemmbu didn't even need to think about it.
The memory had done the work for him.
Later, he found Yungyx again.
"Hey."
"Yeah?"
"Can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"How are supplies looking?"
Yungyx frowned.
"Bad."
"How bad?"
"Bad enough that we're going to have to ration if this war lasts much longer."
Wemmbu nodded.
"Does Arachn1d know?"
Yungyx hesitated.
"Probably."
"Probably?"
"Everyone knows."
Wemmbu looked thoughtful.
"Interesting."
Yungyx frowned.
"Why?"
"No reason."
There was another piece.
Food.
Supplies.
Resources.
Something that could become important later.
Wemmbu walked away.
He found Jaden near one of the cave entrances.
Theo immediately noticed him.
"Wemmbu."
"Hey."
Theo looked toward the Cindercrest members moving through the tunnels.
"I still can't believe they're staying here."
"Temporary."
Jaden snorted.
"That's what they said."
Wemmbu smiled.
Jaden folded his arms.
"How long do you think they'll actually stay?"
"I don't know."
"You're not going to give me your weird secret answer?"
"Nope."
Jaden stared.
"You're suspiciously cooperative."
"Thanks."
"That wasn't a compliment."
"I know."
Jaden sighed.
Wemmbu glanced toward him.
"How's Codmaster?"
Theo's expression changed.
"Busy."
"Fishing?"
"Yes."
Wemmbu nodded.
"Does he know Cindercrest moved in?"
"Obviously."
"How angry?"
Jaden laughed.
"You don't want to know."
Wemmbu smiled.
"Probably."
Jaden looked at him.
"Why do you care?"
Wemmbu shrugged.
"I don't."
Jaden narrowed his eyes.
Wemmbu grinned.
"Just curious."
Jaden shook his head.
"Sure, bro, sure..."
"I am not lying."
Jaden walked away.
Wemmbu watched him go.
PERFECT.
Jaden was useful.
Not because he was easy to fool.
Because he was close to Wemmbu.
That made him useful.
Wemmbu didn't need Jaden to trust him completely.
He just needed Jaden to keep talking.
And he would.
Because Jaden already thought Wemmbu was simply being nosy.
The next person was Saparata again.
Then Flame.
Then Lomedy.
Then Yungyx.
Then another Cindercrest member.
Then someone from the caves.
Then another.
Wemmbu never stayed with anyone for too long.
He asked small questions.
Made jokes.
Helped carry things.
Returned items.
Borrowed things.
Remembered tiny details.
Sometimes he gave people exactly what they wanted to hear.
Sometimes he gave them nothing.
And slowly, without realizing it, people began bringing information to him.
Not because he demanded it.
Because talking to Wemmbu felt normal.
That was the beautiful part.
He was still acting stupid.
He still tripped over things.
He still forgot where he had put his sword.
He still made terrible jokes.
He still wandered off in the middle of conversations.
He still looked like the same Wemmbu.
Except every conversation left something behind.
A name.
A location.
A concern.
A relationship.
A resource.
An item.
A suspicion.
A secret.
Wemmbu collected them all.
Eventually, he found Arachn1d again.
Arachn1d was standing near one of the restricted tunnels.
Wemmbu stopped.
"Hey."
Arachn1d looked over.
"What?"
"Can I go through there?"
"No."
"Okay."
Wemmbu immediately turned around.
Arachn1d blinked.
"...That's it?"
"Yeah."
"You aren't going to argue?"
"No."
Arachn1d looked almost pleased.
"Good."
Wemmbu smiled.
Then kept walking.
He didn't need to enter the tunnel.
Not yet.
But now he knew exactly where the restricted area was.
And Arachn1d had just confirmed something else.
He trusted Wemmbu to listen.
That could become useful.
Hours passed.
The caves became quieter.
Wemmbu sat on a ledge overlooking the temporary Cindercrest camp.
He looked down.
Saparata was talking to Flame.
Lomedy was nearby.
Yungyx was sorting supplies.
ShoeBilly had returned to Saparata's side.
Arachn1d was speaking with one of his own people.
Everything looked normal.
But Wemmbu could see the threads.
Cindercrest didn't trust Arachn1d.
Arachn1d didn't trust Cindercrest.
Saparata didn't trust Arachn1d.
Theo didn't trust the situation.
Flame was worried about Lomedy.
Flame was worried about the war.
Yungyx was worried about supplies.
And everyone was waiting for something to happen.
Wemmbu smiled.
He didn't need to create the tension.
He only needed to touch it.
A tiny push here.
A question there.
A piece of information given to the right person.
A piece withheld from another.
Nothing dramatic.
Nothing obvious.
Just enough.
He stood.
Then looked down at his hands.
For a moment, he saw another set of memories.
Jumper.
Mane.
Parrot.
Flame.
Spoke.
Mapicc.
Friends.
Enemies.
People he had trusted.
People who had betrayed him.
People who had died.
People who had fought beside him.
People who had fought against him.
The memories hurt.
Not his memories.
But they still felt real.
Wemmbu's smile faded.
"...What a mess."
Then he smiled again.
"Could be useful."
He walked back toward the camp.
Behind him, Arachn1d watched.
Again.
That same strange feeling.
Wemmbu was acting like Wemmbu.
Being stupid.
Being annoying.
Being helpful.
Being strangely obedient.
So Arachn1d dismissed the thought.
It's just Wemmbu.
And somewhere in the cave, the real Wemmbu's reputation continued to protect the person wearing his face.
That was the funniest part.
Nobody was suspicious of LS Wemmbu.
They were only suspicious of Wemmbu.
And those were two very different problems.
The first sign that something had gone wrong was the shouting.
Wemmbu was sitting on a stone ledge in one of the quieter sections of the caves when he heard it.
"YOU SAID HE WASN'T GOING TO BE THERE!"
"I said I didn't think he would!"
"That's not the same thing!"
Wemmbu looked up.
A smile slowly appeared on his face.
Well.
That was quick.
He stood and followed the voices.
Two Cindercrest members were arguing near one of the storage rooms.
Wemmbu recognized the area.
He had seen the supplies being moved there earlier.
He had also casually mentioned to one of them that Arachn1d had supposedly wanted the room kept empty.
That hadn't actually been true.
But apparently someone had believed him.
Now half the supplies had been moved somewhere else.
And nobody knew who had authorized it.
Wemmbu leaned against the wall.
"What's happening?"
Both players turned.
"Wemmbu!"
"What?"
"You told us Arachn1d wanted these moved."
Wemmbu blinked.
"I did?"
"Yes!"
"Huh."
He looked at the supplies.
Then back at them.
"I thought he did."
"You thought?"
"Yeah."
The two stared at him.
Wemmbu shrugged.
"Sorry?"
They groaned.
He walked away.
The moment he turned the corner, his expression changed.
Not dramatically.
Just enough.
A tiny smile.
One piece had moved.
It wasn't the only one.
Across the caves, Saparata was having a very different problem.
He stood over a map.
"This isn't where Parrot's forces are."
Flame frowned.
"What?"
Saparata pointed.
"We were told they were moving through here."
"Who told you?"
Saparata hesitated.
"Wemmbu."
Flame went silent.
Then:
"...Wemmbu?"
"Yes."
"Are you sure?"
Saparata looked annoyed.
"Why?"
Flame crossed his arms.
"I don't know."
He looked toward the cave entrance.
"He's been acting weird."
Saparata frowned.
"Wemmbu?"
"Yeah."
"What did he do?"
"Nothing."
"Then why are you suspicious?"
Flame opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
Because that was the problem.
Wemmbu hadn't actually done anything suspicious.
He was simply...
different.
More controlled.
Stronger.
Quieter.
And somehow much harder to read.
Flame hated that.
Farther away, another argument broke out.
Someone had taken an item.
Nobody knew who.
Three people blamed three different people.
One of the accusations came from information Wemmbu had casually mentioned earlier.
It wasn't completely false.
It was simply missing one important detail.
The item had been moved before the person they were accusing had even arrived.
Wemmbu had known that.
Nobody else did.
He passed the argument without stopping.
"Did you see who took it?"
Someone called after him.
Wemmbu turned.
"No."
"You sure?"
"Yep."
He smiled.
Then continued walking.
The item was sitting in a chest behind him.
He had put it there himself.
Not because he needed it.
Just because he wanted to see how long it would take them to find it.
Then came the more interesting problem.
Relationships.
Wemmbu had spent hours talking to people.
He had learned who trusted whom.
Who disliked whom.
Who would believe what.
Who would defend whom.
And now those tiny differences were beginning to collide.
One conversation had been repeated incorrectly.
Then repeated again.
Then exaggerated.
By the time it reached the third person, something Wemmbu had said as a passing joke had become:
"Wemmbu said they were planning to betray us."
Wemmbu heard about it less than twenty minutes later.
He nearly laughed.
Not because it was funny.
Because it was effective.
Two people who had been working together were now arguing.
Neither knew where the rumor had started.
Neither knew that Wemmbu had deliberately let the conversation happen within earshot of someone he knew would misunderstand it.
He didn't even need to lie.
He just needed people to tell the story themselves.
Then came ClownPierce.
Wemmbu hadn't spoken to him yet.
That made him interesting.
The King of the Nether was one of the few people Wemmbu couldn't simply wander up to and treat like another random acquaintance.
Not because Wemmbu was afraid of him.
Because Clown would notice things.
Wemmbu entered the Nether kingdom.
The atmosphere changed immediately.
He barely took three steps before a voice came from ahead.
"Why are you here?"
Wemmbu stopped.
ClownPierce stood there.
Not smiling.
Not welcoming him.
Just staring.
Wemmbu tilted his head.
"Can't I visit?"
"No."
"Okay."
He turned around.
Clown blinked.
"...Wait."
Wemmbu stopped.
Clown walked closer.
"What do you want?"
Wemmbu smiled.
"I have information."
"About what?"
"Arachn1d."
That got his attention.
"And Parrot."
Clown's expression hardened.
"And Saparata."
Wemmbu shrugged.
"Maybe."
Clown stared at him.
"You expect me to believe you?"
"No."
That answer seemed to throw him off.
Wemmbu leaned against the wall.
"I'm not asking you to trust me."
"Then what are you asking?"
"Support."
"For what?"
Wemmbu smiled.
"Something harmless."
Clown's eyes narrowed.
"What?"
"If I told you, it wouldn't be very useful, would it?"
Clown stared at him.
Wemmbu smiled wider.
There it was.
The first hook.
Not enough to control Clown.
Not even close.
But enough to make him curious.
"I can give you information," Wemmbu continued. "Useful information."
"And what do you want?"
"Support when I need it."
"That's vague."
"I know."
Clown folded his arms.
"And if I say no?"
Wemmbu shrugged.
"Then I leave."
He started walking.
Clown watched him.
"Wait."
Wemmbu stopped again.
Clown sighed.
"You really are annoying."
"Thanks."
"That wasn't a compliment."
"I know."
Clown stared at him for another moment.
Then:
"Fine."
Wemmbu smiled.
"Great."
He hadn't told Clown what the support was for.
He hadn't promised exactly what information he would provide.
And Clown had still agreed.
Wemmbu walked away.
His smile disappeared the moment Clown couldn't see it.
One more piece.
Then he tried Eggchan.
That went differently.
Much differently.
Eggchan looked at him for approximately three seconds.
Then frowned.
"No."
Wemmbu stopped.
"...No what?"
"You look different."
Silence.
For once, Wemmbu didn't immediately have a joke.
Eggchan stared directly into his eyes.
"I don't know what your talking about."
Wemmbu smiled.
"Nevermind bro."
Eggchan's expression didn't change.
Wemmbu's smile remained.
But internally?
Interesting.
Very interesting.
He had expected suspicion eventually.
He hadn't expected it this quickly.
Wemmbu finally laughed.
"You've got a pretty good imagination."
Eggchan shook his head.
"Bro I write"
The memories suddenly came flooding in.
Eggchan.
Trust.
Safety.
Home.
A relationship much deeper than simple alliance.
UU Wemmbu had trusted him.
Completely.
And Eggchan knew him well enough to recognize what was missing.
Wemmbu's smile returned.
"You're wrong."
Eggchan stared.
"I hope I am."
Then he walked away.
Wemmbu remained still.
For several seconds.
He didn't follow.
Didn't manipulate.
Didn't threaten.
He simply watched Eggchan disappear down the tunnel.
Then quietly muttered:
"...That's inconvenient."
And then the consequences began stacking.
Arachn1d received information that led his people toward the wrong location.
Saparata moved troops based on that information.
Parrot received word that someone in Cindercrest might be planning something.
Clown had become curious about a plan he didn't understand.
A missing item caused an argument.
A rumor damaged a friendship.
A resource was moved to the wrong section.
Someone trusted the wrong person.
Someone stopped trusting the right one.
And nobody knew why.
Nobody could find the source.
Nobody could connect the events.
Because each individual problem had a completely reasonable explanation.
That was the beauty of it.
No single thread looked suspicious.
Together?
They formed a net.
Wemmbu walked through the caves while the consequences unfolded around him.
He passed Flame.
Flame looked at him.
"Wemmbu."
"Yeah?"
"Did you tell Saparata where Parrot's forces were?"
Wemmbu smiled.
"Yeah."
Flame frowned.
"They weren't there."
Wemmbu shrugged.
"Guess I was wrong."
Flame stared.
"You don't usually admit that."
"I can admit when I'm wrong."
Flame narrowed his eyes.
"...Okay."
Wemmbu walked away.
Behind him, Flame remained suspicious.
But he still didn't understand.
Nobody did.
Except Eggchan.
And Eggchan didn't know what the truth was.
He only knew one thing.
That wasn't his Wemmbu.
Wemmbu eventually reached an empty cavern.
He stopped.
Looked around.
Nobody was there.
His smile disappeared.
He looked toward the ceiling.
Then laughed.
Quietly.
"They're actually doing it."
He had barely started.
And already:
Friends were arguing.
Armies were moving.
Information was spreading.
People were losing things.
People were gaining things.
People were trusting him.
People were beginning to distrust each other.
And one person had already seen through the disguise.
Eggchan.
That was annoying.
But not disastrous.
Wemmbu smiled again.
He could work around it.
He always could.
Then footsteps echoed behind him.
He turned.
Arachn1d.
"Wemmbu."
"Yeah?"
"I need to talk to you."
Wemmbu smiled.
"Sure."
Arachn1d approached.
"You've been very useful."
"Thanks."
"I mean it."
"I know."
Arachn1d hesitated.
Then:
"I think something is happening."
Wemmbu tilted his head.
"What?"
"I don't know."
Arachn1d looked toward the tunnels.
"But everyone is acting strangely."
Wemmbu's smile widened.
For the first time, Arachn1d looked genuinely uncertain.
"Do you know anything?"
Wemmbu stared at him.
Then laughed.
"No."
Arachn1d studied him.
Wemmbu smiled innocently.
"Why would I?"
Arachn1d didn't answer.
He simply walked away.
Wemmbu waited.
Then his expression changed.
The stupid smile vanished.
The fake confusion disappeared.
The relaxed posture straightened.
And for the first time in the entire chapter, he stopped pretending.
His eyes hardened.
He looked around the empty cavern.
Then spoke quietly.
"Fine."
A pause.
"Let's stop pretending."
The next voice that echoed through the caves wasn't confused.
It was amused.
Because LS Wemmbu finally decided that the game had gone on long enough.
And somewhere else, Eggchan was already trying to figure out exactly who had walked into their world wearing Wemmbu's face.
The answer was about to become everyone's problem.
Wemmbu was bored.
He had been bored for approximately twenty-seven minutes.
Which, in Wemmbu time, was an eternity.
He sat on a ledge inside the Kingdom of the Caves, staring at the wall.
He had already spent days doing this.
A conversation here.
A rumor there.
A piece of information given to the wrong person.
A piece of information withheld from the right one.
It had been fun.
For a while.
Now?
Nothing.
Wemmbu sighed.
"Manipulating people is boring."
He kicked a loose stone.
It bounced down the tunnel.
He watched it disappear.
"...I need a better hobby."
Then he stopped.
His head lifted.
A grin slowly appeared.
"Oh."
He sat up.
"I have an idea."
The messages began.
Not one message.
Not one lie.
Dozens.
Parrot received one.
Theo received another.
Saparata received another.
Arachn1d received another.
ClownPierce received another.
Flame.
Lomedy.
Spoke.
Mapicc.
Mane.
Yungyx.
Ferre.
ShoeBilly.
Jaden.
Eggchan.
Every person received something different.
Every message gave them a reason to come.
Every reason was believable.
And every location was the same.
Wemmbu knew exactly what would happen.
Parrot would bring people he trusted.
Cindercrest would bring people it trusted.
Arachn1d would bring his people.
Everyone would assume they were walking into a meeting concerning their side of the war.
Nobody would expect the other side to be there.
That was the fun part.
Parrot arrived first.
Theo was with him.
The moment they entered the cavern, Theo looked around.
"Why did you tell me Parrot needed me?"
Parrot turned.
"I didn't."
Theo slowly looked at Wemmbu.
"You did."
Wemmbu smiled.
"I may have."
Parrot frowned.
"What exactly did you tell him?"
"That you needed him."
Theo looked at Parrot.
Parrot looked at Theo.
"...I didn't."
"I know."
"Then why are you here?"
"Because he said you needed me."
Parrot's expression tightened.
"Wemmbu."
"Yeah?"
"What is this?"
"Wait."
"Wait for what?"
"Everyone else."
Theo immediately frowned.
"Everyone else?"
Wemmbu smiled.
"Yep."
Theo's hand moved toward his weapon.
Parrot noticed.
"Don't."
"I'm not doing anything."
"You were reaching for your weapon."
"I'm always reaching for my weapon."
"Fair."
Wemmbu snorted.
Then footsteps echoed through the cavern.
Parrot turned.
His expression changed instantly.
Saparata entered.
Behind him came several Cindercrest soldiers.
Theo's hand immediately went to his weapon.
Saparata stopped.
His eyes went directly to Parrot.
"...You."
Parrot stepped forward.
"Saparata."
Theo moved beside him.
Saparata's soldiers immediately raised their weapons.
Theo did the same.
"Don't you dare," Theo said.
Saparata laughed.
"You think I'm afraid of you?"
"No."
Theo smiled.
"You should be."
"Enough."
Wemmbu stepped between them.
Both sides stared at him.
"Wemmbu," Parrot said sharply.
"What?"
"Why is Saparata here?"
Wemmbu shrugged.
"I invited him."
Parrot stared.
"You what?"
Saparata looked equally irritated.
"He told me he had information."
Theo looked at Wemmbu.
"You told him that?"
"Yep."
"About what?"
"I'll explain."
"Now."
"No."
Theo's eyes narrowed.
"Wemmbu."
Wemmbu smiled.
"Relax."
That did absolutely nothing to relax anyone.
More footsteps.
Flame entered.
Lomedy was with him.
Parrot's expression hardened.
Theo looked at Flame.
Flame looked back.
Neither spoke.
Lomedy stepped forward.
"This is a bad idea."
Flame nodded.
"Agreed."
Parrot stared at Flame.
"You came with Cindercrest."
Flame's jaw tightened.
"I didn't have much of a choice."
Lomedy looked at Parrot.
"Don't start."
Theo stepped forward.
"Oh, I'm absolutely starting."
Flame immediately moved between them.
"Theo."
"Move."
"No."
"Flame."
"Not here."
Theo stared at him.
"You joined them."
Flame's expression hardened.
"I joined because of Lomedy."
Lomedy immediately snapped:
"Don't make this about me."
Flame looked at him.
"It is about you."
"I know."
The tension between them only grew.
Wemmbu watched.
Interesting.
That relationship was already strained.
He hadn't even needed to touch it.
He almost laughed.
Then another group entered.
Spoke.
Mapicc.
Mane.
Yungyx.
Ferre.
ShoeBilly.
Jaden.
The moment ShoeBilly saw Theo, his expression changed.
Theo saw him too.
"Seriously?"
ShoeBilly grinned.
"What?"
"You."
"Me."
Theo pointed.
"Stay away from me."
ShoeBilly laughed.
"Why?"
"You know why."
"No idea."
"Your donkey."
ShoeBilly's grin widened.
"Oh."
Theo's expression darkened.
"Don't."
"I didn't say anything."
"You were about to."
"I was."
Parrot sighed.
"Can we not start fighting?"
Mapicc looked around.
"Why are there this many people here?"
Spoke answered.
"I was told something important happened."
Mane frowned.
"Same."
Ferre looked at Wemmbu.
"He told me he needed help."
Yungyx crossed his arms.
"He said something happened with supplies."
ShoeBilly frowned.
"He said he had information."
Theo slowly turned toward Wemmbu.
"You told every single one of us something different."
Wemmbu smiled.
"Yep."
Nobody laughed.
"That's not funny," Parrot said.
"I thought it was."
Then ClownPierce entered.
He stopped.
He saw Parrot.
Saparata.
Arachn1d's people.
Flame.
Theo.
Everyone.
His hand immediately went to his weapon.
"What the hell?"
Parrot turned.
"Clown."
Clown looked at him.
Then at Saparata.
Then at Arachn1d's soldiers.
"You brought them?"
"I didn't."
Saparata scoffed.
"I certainly didn't."
Clown looked toward Wemmbu.
"You."
Wemmbu smiled.
"Me."
Clown walked closer.
"You said you had information."
"I do."
"You didn't say everyone would be here."
"You didn't ask."
Clown's eyes narrowed.
"You are starting to annoy me."
"That's normal."
Clown looked around.
Then stopped.
"...Where's Eggchan?"
Wemmbu smiled.
"On his way."
Clown's expression changed.
"Why?"
"Because I invited him."
Clown stared at him.
"Wemmbu."
"Yeah?"
"What are you doing?"
Wemmbu smiled.
"Having a meeting."
"With Parrot?"
"Yep."
"Saparata?"
"Yep."
"Arachn1d?"
"Yep."
"Me?"
"Yep."
Clown stared.
"And you think that's normal?"
Wemmbu shrugged.
"Not really."
Eggchan entered last.
He took one look around.
His expression immediately fell.
Parrot's side.
Cindercrest.
Arachn1d's forces.
Clown.
Flame.
Theo.
Everyone.
Then his eyes landed on Wemmbu.
Eggchan's expression changed.
Not anger.
Not fear.
Recognition.
Something was wrong.
He knew it.
He just didn't know what.
"Wemmbu."
"Hey, Egg."
Eggchan didn't smile.
"Why are all these people here?"
"Meeting."
"About?"
"Stuff."
Eggchan stared.
"You don't usually answer questions like that."
Wemmbu shrugged.
"I do today."
Eggchan's eyes narrowed.
Before he could say anything else...
Click.
Everyone froze.
Wemmbu smiled.
The cavern doors slammed shut.
Theo spun around.
"What did you do?"
Saparata shouted:
"GUARDS!"
His soldiers moved.
The ground shifted.
Stone barriers erupted from the floor.
The outer sections of the cavern sealed.
The nameless soldiers caught around the perimeter had nowhere to go.
Then the traps activated.
The cavern exploded into chaos.
People screamed.
Commands collided.
Soldiers were thrown aside by the mechanisms.
Others were trapped behind falling stone.
Some disappeared into sealed tunnels.
The named players immediately reacted.
Theo grabbed Parrot and pulled him away from a collapsing section.
Flame shoved Lomedy aside.
ShoeBilly ducked beneath falling debris.
Clown raised his weapon.
Saparata started shouting orders.
Arachn1d's forces tried to break through the barriers.
Spoke disappeared into the shadows.
Mapicc grabbed Yungyx.
"THIS WAS A TRAP!"
"No shit!"
And through all of it...
Wemmbu laughed.
Not nervously.
Not because he had lost control.
He was standing perfectly still.
Watching.
Enjoying it.
Theo looked at him.
"You!"
Wemmbu looked over.
Theo's face was furious.
"What did you do?!"
Wemmbu smiled.
"Everything."
Parrot stared at him.
"The messages."
"Me."
Saparata's face darkened.
"The information."
"Me."
Arachn1d's eyes narrowed.
"The rumors."
"Me."
Clown's grip tightened.
"The promise you made me."
"Also me."
Lomedy stared.
"The supplies?"
"Me."
Flame looked horrified.
"The things you told me about Parrot?"
"Me."
Theo looked at him.
"You lied to us."
Wemmbu shrugged.
"Yes."
Theo's expression hardened.
"You used us against each other."
"Yes."
Parrot's voice was quiet.
"You knew exactly what you were doing."
Wemmbu smiled.
"Of course."
Another trap activated.
More nameless soldiers were caught in the outer sections.
The named players watched helplessly as the chaos spread.
Wemmbu laughed harder.
Saparata stared at him.
"You're insane."
Wemmbu looked at him.
"Maybe."
Clown stepped forward.
"You manipulated an entire war."
"Yep."
"For what?"
Wemmbu shrugged.
"I was bored."
That answer landed harder than anything else.
Theo stared.
"You did all of this..."
"Yep."
"...because you were bored?"
"Yep."
Parrot looked genuinely disgusted.
"You're a psychopath."
Wemmbu laughed.
"Probably."
Eggchan had been silent.
He was staring at Wemmbu.
Not the trap.
Not the soldiers.
Not the chaos.
At him.
Then he spoke.
Quietly.
"You're not him."
Wemmbu's smile faltered for half a second.
Everyone looked at Eggchan.
"What?" Parrot asked.
Eggchan didn't look away.
"He's not Wemmbu."
Silence.
Wemmbu slowly smiled again.
But he didn't answer.
Not yet.
Instead, he looked around the cavern.
At the destruction.
At the people who hated him.
At the people who still didn't understand what was happening.
And he sighed.
"Well."
He reached behind his back.
"I guess I ruined the surprise."
His sword appeared in his hand.
The air flickered.
His health bar appeared.
20 hearts.
Flame stared.
"...Twenty?"
Wemmbu grinned.
The blocks around him began glitching.
Hack clients appeared beside him.
Clown raised his weapon.
Parrot stepped backward.
Theo's eyes narrowed.
Eggchan's face went pale.
Wemmbu looked around at them.
"Now..."
His sword flickered.
"...this is something worth doing."