446 True Will

[Look at your Ordeal Missions. I'm afraid you got carried away for nothing] Xi remarked patronizingly, but also pityingly.

Jake accessed the interface and sighed guiltily at the roster of people under his protection. All the natives were dead, including Gordon and Carl. The latter's respect for the Inquisitors had apparently not been enough to redeem his life. Their greyed-out names left no room for ambiguity.

On the other hand, and this was what made him regret his outburst, Will and the other Players had somehow made it through. Arryl's and Will's dead bodies that he had witnessed on the way back were probably just illusions induced by Isbeus' barrier.

He tried to replay those last memories before impact, but he failed to find the slightest flaw that could have helped him to prevent this. His visual memory was practically photographic, so he could already conclude that this female Grandmaster's illusions were at least two notches above Daryl's.