Chapter Seven


    Ambrose was having trouble with the wards. His true sight showed them as similar to the fire giants, with runes to keep him from getting in. Unlike the giants, the place did not have a top D-Grade shield array. One option was to blast the gates open. That would leave the people inside defenseless, which Ambrose was unwilling to do. His problem was with Eric, not the people here.


    Even the two guards out here were doing their bit to protect the people, even if they failed to understand how outclassed they were compared to him. He walked over and searched the blonde guard. He found the key in one of his pockets.


    Keeping his spirit active, he opened the gate and walked through it. Eric’s town was not a murderer’s paradise. It was very modern-looking, like any small town in the US before the System’s arrival. Everyone in the place was flattened to the ground, Ambrose’s spirit suppressing them all.


    He didn’t need to ask for directions to Eric’s place; he knew it would be the most prominent place available, and he could see that on the hill that overlooked the whole town.


    All the staff were still flat when he walked in, his spirit pressing them down. He searched many rooms before coming to an office. Eric wasn’t the type to leave a journal, but he did find a notepad in a drawer with the word ‘Midgard’ underlined, a question mark at the end of it.


    Ambrose sat down in the chair, searching through the drawers a little more. What he found were texts on mythical weapons and armor from various mythologies. In particular, there was a folder marked,


    Ozgood’s Information Brokers


    Ambrose stroked his beard as he flipped open the folder. He blinked.


    It was a list of mythical weapons and where to find them. He sat back in his chair, mind boggled at the document’s worth. Here was something that just told you how to find legendary treasure. It wasn’t just weapons he saw but armor, shields, and more. It was broken down in sections, and Ambrose flipped to the axe section to find a whole list of axes.


    There was Perun’s Axe, which had lightning powers, and Labrys, which increased your wisdom. There were more he didn’t recognize, either. As he flipped through, he came upon the spear section, and the word gungnir was circled. There was also armor circled as well.


    It wasn’t hard to put it together. Eric was going to Midgard, and he was after this spear, plus some armor.


    Ambrose stood up; he had succeeded here. Walking out of the building, Ambrose made his way to what he determined to be the middle of town and let go of his spirit. Then he spoke, raising his voice so it carried. It wouldn’t reach the whole town, but it would reach enough, and those who heard would tell others.


    “New Miami! Hear me! I am Ambrose Severen! I won’t waste any time, nor will I offer proof for my words. Either you believe me, or you don’t; it’s no skin off my nose. Your leader, Eric Delrosa, is a murderer, an all-around evil psychopath. He assaulted my home and killed many of my people, and he has done worse than that. Anyone staying under his thumb is in danger. Maybe some of you have had friends go missing, or maybe you’ve suspected something was off with him. All of that can be laid at the feet of Eric.” Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    Ambrose paused, choosing his words carefully,


    “Should you wish to leave this place, I will have an ambassador show up here every day at noon. You may know him, the ranger Dannill. He will back up my words. Farewell, New Miami.”


    With that, Ambrose opened a portal right into the driver’s seat of his car. He sped off a moment later through another portal and directly into his garage. Getting out, he evaluated what he needed to do.


    He would have to talk to Troy to get a realm stone to go to Midgard. His blood still ran hot when he thought of the merchant, but he had to admit that his anger was slightly less intense since their conversation. He also wanted to check on Tina. Then he needed to make some decisions he didn’t feel like making right now.


    He went to the guest house first. The dark house was two stories, and Tina’s room was the top floor, all the way to back and to the right. He knocked before entering.


    “Come in, le chevalier.”


    Tina was laying in bed, her skin was the gray of moldy cheese.


    Ambrose paused, Tina laughed, then winced.


    “It turns out that straining your spirit is not good for you. Who could have figured, eh?”


    “Are you going to be okay?”


    Tina tried to shrug, but her shoulders merely twitched.


    “A few days rest, and I should be right as rain. It is too bad you do not have a cleric here, the process would be faster.”


    Ambrose nodded,


    “Yeah, that’s on the list. You’re people aren’t going to try storming the town to reclaim you, are they?”


    Tina moved her head from side to side in the barest of head shakes.


    “We sent word on what happened. Besides, they are used to me getting into these little skirmishes.”


    “Well, that’s good.”


    There was a moment of awkward silence, before Tina filled it.


    “I have only ever been helpless like that once before. It was not a good memory for me, eh? It is why I blanked out in our fight, straining myself.”


    “Do you want to talk about the details?”


    Tina’s eyes flicked away.


    “I do not.”


    Ambrose gave an understanding nod.


    “I know a little something about feeling helpless if you ever want to talk about it.”


    Tina smiled, and Ambrose left. This time he headed to Troy’s.


    The merchant groaned as he walked into his shop. He held up his hands,


    “Come on, man! Not again! Look, you haven''t changed your mind about kicking my ass, have you?”


    Ambrose growled, shaking his head.


    “You deserve it, but no. I want a realm stone, one to Midgard.”


    Troy blinked, then whistled,


    “You don’t ask for small things do you?”


    Ambrose crossed his arms.


    “Why? It can’t be that hard to get.”


    Troy laughed, rubbing his face with both hands.


    “Are you kidding? It most certainly is hard to get. First of all, before you start in with the intimidation, let me say that realm stones for a newly integrated planet are locked at eighty-thousand SC.”


    Ambrose never cared much about money. It was always a means to an end for him. But hearing that sum even caused his mouth to fall open in surprise.


    “Come again?”


    Troy pointed,


    “You heard me. I can’t even lower it. The System doesn’t want you to have access to the greater multiverse right now. Don’t ask me why, man, it’s just how it is.”


    Ambrose rubbed at his face, blowing a breath through his nose.


    “How did Eric get one, then?”


    Troy shrugged,


    “No idea. He made a solid chunk from the slave business, but not that much.”


    Ambrose felt a weight set over him.


    The weight of his goal slipping from his hands.