“Weird as hell…
and full of mystical bullshit…”
“So this is how Ricks from different worlds differ?”
The rest of The Book of Eibon was fascinating.
Its five hundred pages contained all kinds of prayers and incantations.
For any clueless rookie transported into the Cthulhu Dimension, it was the ultimate grimoire for worshiping some powerful patron, borrowing their power, and finding other ways to become stronger.
Yet the words this world’s Rick had written on the first page lingered in Morty’s mind like an unshakable thought.
A minor problem…
Rick thinking…
There was definitely more to that sentence.
With The Book of Eibon in hand, Morty finally reached for the potion under AI Cthulhu Rick’s constant urging.
“Enjoy getting your body.”
Under AI Cthulhu Rick’s expectant gaze, Morty smashed the potion into a corner of the underground base.
The potion reacted violently, and a mass of flesh began forming there.
Morty picked up the Sword of Silence and climbed the stairs.
The moment he stepped outside and saw Rick approaching, he asked, “You got any weapons of mass destruction on you?”
Rick had been about to speak, but Morty’s obvious intention to silence the witness made the corner of his mouth twitch.
He reached over and patted his precious grandson on the head.
“Jesus, Morty.
When the hell did you get this ruthless?”
After mocking Morty for his increasingly dark heart, Rick tapped his arm several times.
A missile launcher emerged from his body, which had long since been extensively modified with machinery.
Biu~
Trailing a long plume of exhaust, a missile as thick as a baby’s arm spun through the air three times before flying straight toward the wooden cabin.
Boom!
The small missile produced an enormous explosion on impact.
But when the smoke cleared, the cabin was still standing.
A wall of black mist had blocked the blast.
AI Cthulhu Rick’s voice came from inside.
“I knew it!
I knew you’d try to kill me, so I activated every defense system!”
Rick sneered.
“For an AI, wanting a physical body is pretty damn Rick of you.”
“What’s wrong?
If you’ve got the balls, come in here and kill me!”
Rick ignored the provocation.
He knew exactly how much it would cost to break through a base built by another version of himself.
Instead, he turned to Morty.
“Let’s go.
Everything here’s been dealt with.”
Rick wanted to leave, but Morty had no intention of going anywhere.
He was convinced that some massive conspiracy was hidden within the Cthulhu Dimension.
Leaving without uncovering the truth would be too much of a waste.
Rick, however, didn’t seem to care.
“Morty, do you remember how much shit we’ve been through over the last six months?”
“Think about all the regrets and unfinished business we left behind.
Have we ever solved every last problem perfectly before moving on?”
“Everybody needs help, Morty, but we’re not babysitters.
We can’t spend our lives looking after everyone.”
Morty understood what Rick meant, but he still refused to give up.
Besides, Rick had always chosen where they went.
Morty had never been allowed to decide which world they explored.
That was why he hadn’t acquired a single powerful artifact during the past six months.
The best he could do was swipe a few barely useful gadgets from the things Rick casually invented.
Even during their previous visit to the Cthulhu Dimension, the only thing they had done was slice off Cthulhu’s tentacles and grill them.
This time, Morty had merely wandered around and somehow acquired two artifacts, The Book of Eibon and the Sword of Silence.
The difference between those two trips was impossible for Morty to accept.
He clearly had the opportunity to collect artifact after artifact and use them to increase his own power.
Yet instead, he had to follow this shitty old man around the universe, throwing barbecues everywhere they went?
Cthulhu said, “Hey!
What the hell?
Show some respect!”
Now that Morty’s greed had been awakened, he shouted, “Rick!
Not this time!
You always pick the worlds you want to visit, and I’m nothing but your sidekick!”
“We need to change how these adventures work!”
“I’ll go with you to the worlds you want to explore, but you have to respect my ideas too!”
“And if you won’t respect what I want, then leave me here and go!”
Morty regretted that final sentence the moment it left his mouth.
They hadn’t even returned to their own world yet, and he had already threatened to split up with Rick.
What if the old bastard really abandoned him here?
Fortunately, Rick did care about Morty, at least on the surface.
Morty’s defiance clearly pissed him off, but after everything Morty had done during the past six months, Rick didn’t fall back on his usual stream of insults.
Instead, he snapped, “Twenty of my adventures for one of yours?”
Realizing Rick was actually willing to negotiate, Morty went straight for the throat.
“One for one!
That’s fair!”
“Build your own portal gun if you think you’re so capable.
Otherwise, nineteen for one!”
“Then teach me how to build a portal gun!
I’ve got a double-digit IQ, but I’d gladly spend another ten years learning how to make one!
Two for one!”
“You little fucking…”
“Ungrateful little shit!”
Rick and Morty cursed and argued for five straight minutes before finally settling on five to one.
After Rick chose five adventures, Morty would get to decide where they went for the sixth.
Since Morty wanted to uncover the truth hidden within the Cthulhu Dimension, he immediately used his first turn.
“Fine, fine.
Since this is your adventure, you’re in charge.
Let’s see what kind of thrilling adventure this perpetually gray shithole has to offer!”
Rick complained, pulled out his flask, and took a swig.
Then he adopted an attitude that made his intentions perfectly clear.
He wasn’t going to interfere.
He was only here to watch the show.
With Rick agreeing to that, Morty relaxed.
He was no longer that anxious, cowardly, clueless Morty who never had a plan.
Once Rick agreed to let him lead, Morty immediately divided the adventure into two main objectives.
First, he had to figure out why Cthulhu Rick had gotten Cthylla pregnant.
Second, he was going to collect every artifact he could find.
After all, no great adventure was complete without loot.
The power hierarchy within the Cthulhu Dimension might not be clearly defined, but there was one Supreme God no one could ignore.
Azathoth.
Coincidentally, the Cthulhu Dimension also had a magical tome named after him.
It’s like nobody giving a damn about The Book of Some Random Schmuck, but slap a name like Einstein on the cover and suddenly everyone wants to read it.