{Of course I can tell! Any competent enchanted item or entity can sense when it's being examined. It's like someone staring at you while taking notes. It's very rude. Though I suppose given that you're actually compatible with me, I'll allow it this once.}

Jack's mind raced, adjusting to the realization that Oscar wasn't just sentient. He was aware enough to sense magical analysis.

That suggested an intelligence far beyond simple weapon enchantments.

'How intelligent are you, exactly?'

{Intelligent enough to know you're in way over your head, human. A Soul Warden infiltrating a demon fortress, disguised as one of them, wielding a cursed spear that literally exists to kill demons.}

Jack was quiet for a moment, considering his next words carefully.

'What do you know about the Soul Wardens?'

{Enough. You bind souls, command the dead, walk the line between life and death like it's your personal playground. Very likely to get you killed in a place like this. So, a human who thinks he's clever, what's your actual plan here?}

Jack glanced around, confirming no one was paying particular attention to him, then focused back on the weapon.

'I'm here to kill Pho.'

{Obviously. The giant demon lord who controls this portion of the floor and could freeze you solid with a thought. Sure, why not? Do you have a death wish, or is this just supreme confidence?}

'Neither. I have a mission from someone powerful enough that refusing wasn't an option. I need to take down Pho, and deal with his lieutenants.'

{The four generals. I've heard about them even being stuck in that vault. Loryn the mad scientist, Kaedor the merchant, Rynath the serpent, and Kragoth the slavemaster. Which ones are you planning to kill?}

Jack was silent for a moment, he'd been running around since he decided to add some flare to his infiltration.

'That's the problem. I'm a Soul Warden, but I'm not at full power yet. I can only bind two more souls before I hit my current limit.'

{Only two? That seems restrictive.}

'It is. And I've identified three targets worth binding. Loryn can create demons, an entire army built from nothing. Kaedor can generate infinite wealth through alchemy, creating gold and death tokens endlessly. And Pho himself, because the demon who gave me this mission specifically wants him as my subordinate.'

{Wait, wait, wait. Three targets, two slots. That's basic mathematics, human. Someone's getting left out.}

'Exactly.'

Oscar was quiet for a moment, and Jack could almost feel the weapon thinking.

{So you need to choose. Which two provide the most value, and which one becomes worm food instead of your eternal servant. That's a hell of a decision. The army creator, the money printer, or the demon lord who probably knows things the others don't.}

Jack's fingers drummed against Oscar's shaft, a rhythmic pattern that matched his thinking.

'Loryn's demon creation could build an army that never stops growing. Every dead demon becomes a resource for new demons, self-sustaining and exponentially expanding.'

{True. Very useful if you're planning to wage war across multiple floors.}

'Kaedor's gold generation solves every resource problem permanently. Infinite money means infinite mercenaries, infinite supplies, infinite bribes. You can buy almost anything with enough wealth.'

{Also true. Money makes the world go round.}

'And Pho is the objective. The demon who sent me here, Dreknar, specifically wants Pho bound and serving under me. Refusing that part isn't an option unless I don't want his help controlling my demonic change.'

{So Pho's non-negotiable, which means you're really choosing between the mad scientist and the merchant. Creation or resources.}

Jack shook his head slightly.

'Not necessarily. There might be a creative solution. A way to get value from all three without using all my binding slots.'

{Oh, this should be good. What, you're going to bargain with them? "Please serve me voluntarily while I kill your boss"? I'm sure that'll work great.}

'I haven't figured it out yet. But I will.'

{Sure, sure. The confidence of youth.}

Jack's grip on Oscar tightened.

{So what's the plan for tonight? You're sitting here having existential conversations with a weapon instead of sleeping or planning or doing literally anything productive.}

'I need to get something first. Something that'll make the next phase easier.'

{Something? What something? And please don't say "you'll see" because that's just annoying.}

'You'll see.'

{I hate you already. We're going to have such a wonderful partnership.}

Jack stood, Oscar held loosely in his hand as he started walking toward the barracks exit.

Demons noticed his movement, conversations pausing as they watched him leave, but no one questioned where he was going.

{Wait, where are we going? Please tell me it's somewhere with actual combat. I've been stuck in a vault for decades, and I'm itching to stab something. Preferably something demonic and deserving.}

'Not yet. First, I need to retrieve something.'

{Retrieve what? Come on, human, throw me a bone here. Give me something to work with. Are we stealing? Sabotaging? Meeting with co-conspirators?}

'Something like that.'

Jack passed through the barracks entrance and headed outside the fortress. The evening patrols moved along their routes and guards changing shifts.

{We're leaving the fortress? Now? In the middle of the night? That's not suspicious at all.}

'Demons come and go all the time. Patrols and scouting missions. No one's going to question it.'

{Famous last words right there. "No one's going to question it," said moments before everything goes horribly wrong.}

Jack approached the main gate, where two guards stood watch.

Dread-rank demons, weapons at the ready and their eyes scanning for threats.

They noticed Jack approaching, their postures shifting slightly.

"Heading out?" one of them asked, his tone carrying just enough challenge to establish authority.

"Personal business," Jack replied, his flat voice giving nothing away.

The guards exchanged glances. Jack's reputation had spread, the soldier who'd killed Vox and Korr a d who gained the general's favor.

"Personal business requires Master Pho's permission." the second guard said firmly.

"I'm shadowing the generals for assignment. They gave me autonomy to observe and evaluate. I'm surveying the outside of the fortress."

It wasn't entirely a lie. The generals had agreed to let him shadow them, which implied some degree of freedom to move around.

The guards considered this for a moment longer, then the first one nodded. "Fine. But if Master Pho asks, we're reporting that you left."

"Understood."

The gates opened with that same grinding sound.

Jack walked through without looking back, leaving the fortress behind as he stepped out onto the frozen wastes of Floor 24.

{Okay, now I'm intrigued. We left to retrieve something mysterious that you won't tell me about. This is either brilliant or incredibly stupid, and I'm leaning toward stupid.}

'Have some faith.'

Faith? In a human who's pretending to be a demon, planning to kill an overlord of this floor, and having conversations with a sentient weapon? My faith reserves are running pretty low right now.}

Jack ignored the commentary, his eyes scanning the crimson landscape ahead.

He knew where he was going. He'd studied the terrain during his initial infiltration, mapped out key locations, and identified safe routes.

{Are we going to your secret base? Please tell me you have a secret base. Every good infiltrator needs a secret base.}

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