The call is anonymous. I have not expected anything else. Not answering would be stupid. They are too powerful. Even if I decide to not do as they please I’d first have to get rid of everything in my storage space. It could be a bomb.
P: Hello?
*: We are pleased with your performance.
P: Thank you.
*: What are your plans?
P: I want to go to an area the EOA is dominant.
Lying to them is a bad idea for the same reason
*: You are to stay in Europe
P: Sooner or later they will catch me.
*: Yes, you need to be stronger. This world is going to fundamentally change.
P: How?
*: You will see. In the mean time we need you to establish bases and get stronger.
P: How do I get stronger? What do you mean by that.
*: We will send instructions. Follow them, now.
The call ends. The phone is beeping to show me coordinates.
This is just 300 meters along the bank of the river. A message. They are watching me. There is no escape.
I sigh, store Kon-Tiki #1 and jog along the bank of the river. I want to look like somebody doing evening sports.
There is a strange aura. It is monotonous, artificial and comes from a small plastic chest.
Touching it makes it dissolve to rainbow sparkles and reveals two Awakening stones, a small bag, a note on paper and a honest to God DVD in a case.
--
We know that you have a DVD drive. Do not bother to hunt for the next three weeks. There are coins and gems in the bag. Use them. Concentrate your equipment. Find bases.
--
This is depressing. I am always somebody’s tool or toy. First I need to leave in a hurry. Somebody may have seen the sparkles.
I end up just walking out of town. I dare not draw too much attention to myself. The moon is neigh full and the sky clear with minimum clouds. I can see my way without artificial light. I need to get a night-vision device. Dawn catches me as I walk through a suburb. I pass by a nice two story home, as a couple emerges together with a child of about 4 on her mother’s hand.
Should I? Yes, the opportunity is too good. I drop a coin – an ordinary coin, not a spirit coin – telekinetically keep it rolling and use the excuse to turn and chase it. Just as they unlock the car right in front of the house, I finally catch the coin. They are strapping the child in. I change to the other side of the road to give them space, patiently waiting for two cars. They both get into the car and drive away. Yes, I can see the interior through a french door whose curtain has been left open.
That is enough. I teleport from a crouching position between two parked cars.
--
A hot shower is heaven. Then I use their living room table to refold my parachute. Delaying that was risky, but I need an instructional video from YouTube to do that right. Their password is on a sticker glued to the underside of the base station. The table also serves for two awakening rituals.
My mysterious masters pay well.
<table style="border-collapse: collapse" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 28.1566%">Gun:</td>
<td style="width: 12.545%"> </td>
<td style="width: 29.9686%"> </td>
<td style="width: 23.5567%"> </td>
<td style="width: 5.71495%"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 28.1566%">[Tools of the Magister]</td>
<td style="width: 12.545%"> </td>
<td style="width: 29.9686%">Special Ability</td>
<td style="width: 23.5567%">Iron 1 (10%)</td>
<td style="width: 5.71495%"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 28.1566%">[Joy of Sustained Fire]</td>
<td style="width: 12.545%">Blood</td>
<td style="width: 29.9686%">Special Attack</td>
<td style="width: 23.5567%">Iron 1 (15%)</td>
<td style="width: 5.71495%"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 28.1566%">[This is my Gun]</td>
<td style="width: 12.545%">Myriad</td>
<td style="width: 29.9686%">Special Attack/Conjuration</td>
<td style="width: 23.5567%">
Iron 1 (8%)
</td>
<td style="width: 5.71495%"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 28.1566%">[Chemical Warfare]</td>
<td style="width: 12.545%">Defiance</td>
<td style="width: 29.9686%">Special Attack/Conjuration</td>
<td style="width: 23.5567%">
Iron 0(0%)
This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.
</td>
<td style="width: 5.71495%"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 28.1566%">(unused)</td>
<td style="width: 12.545%"> </td>
<td style="width: 29.9686%"> </td>
<td style="width: 23.5567%">0%</td>
<td style="width: 5.71495%"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 28.1566%"> </td>
<td style="width: 12.545%"> </td>
<td style="width: 29.9686%"> </td>
<td style="width: 23.5567%"> </td>
<td style="width: 5.71495%"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 28.1566%">Vast:</td>
<td style="width: 12.545%"> </td>
<td style="width: 29.9686%"> </td>
<td style="width: 23.5567%"> </td>
<td style="width: 5.71495%"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 28.1566%">[Giant Form of the Ancestors]</td>
<td style="width: 12.545%"> </td>
<td style="width: 29.9686%">Special Ability</td>
<td style="width: 23.5567%">Iron 0 (26%)</td>
<td style="width: 5.71495%"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 28.1566%">[Immortality]</td>
<td style="width: 12.545%">Tree</td>
<td style="width: 29.9686%">Special Ability</td>
<td style="width: 23.5567%">Iron 0 (6%)</td>
<td style="width: 5.71495%"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 28.1566%">[Nebelwerfer 42]</td>
<td style="width: 12.545%">Focus</td>
<td style="width: 29.9686%">Special Attack/Conjuration</td>
<td style="width: 23.5567%">Iron 0 (0%)</td>
<td style="width: 5.71495%"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 28.1566%">(unused)</td>
<td style="width: 12.545%"> </td>
<td style="width: 29.9686%"> </td>
<td style="width: 23.5567%">0%</td>
<td style="width: 5.71495%"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 28.1566%">(unused)</td>
<td style="width: 12.545%"> </td>
<td style="width: 29.9686%"> </td>
<td style="width: 23.5567%">0%</td>
<td style="width: 5.71495%"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 28.1566%"> </td>
<td style="width: 12.545%"> </td>
<td style="width: 29.9686%"> </td>
<td style="width: 23.5567%"> </td>
<td style="width: 5.71495%"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 28.1566%">Dimension:</td>
<td style="width: 12.545%"> </td>
<td style="width: 29.9686%"> </td>
<td style="width: 23.5567%"> </td>
<td style="width: 5.71495%"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 28.1566%">[Teleport]</td>
<td style="width: 12.545%"> </td>
<td style="width: 29.9686%">Special Ability</td>
<td style="width: 23.5567%">Iron 0 (72%)</td>
<td style="width: 5.71495%"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 28.1566%">[Dance by my Will]</td>
<td style="width: 12.545%">Dance</td>
<td style="width: 29.9686%">Aura Ability</td>
<td style="width: 23.5567%">Iron 1 (36%)</td>
<td style="width: 5.71495%"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 28.1566%">[Eternal Moment]</td>
<td style="width: 12.545%">Reach</td>
<td style="width: 29.9686%">Special Ability</td>
<td style="width: 23.5567%">Iron 0 (58%)</td>
<td style="width: 5.71495%"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 28.1566%">[Path in Time]</td>
<td style="width: 12.545%">Hunt</td>
<td style="width: 29.9686%">Perception Ability</td>
<td style="width: 23.5567%">Iron 0 (94%)</td>
<td style="width: 5.71495%"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 28.1566%">[Wrath of the Magister]</td>
<td style="width: 12.545%">Corruption</td>
<td style="width: 29.9686%">Special Attack/Spell</td>
<td style="width: 23.5567%">Iron 0 (21%)</td>
<td style="width: 5.71495%"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 28.1566%"> </td>
<td style="width: 12.545%"> </td>
<td style="width: 29.9686%"> </td>
<td style="width: 23.5567%"> </td>
<td style="width: 5.71495%"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 28.1566%">Battlefield:</td>
<td style="width: 12.545%"> </td>
<td style="width: 29.9686%"> </td>
<td style="width: 23.5567%"> </td>
<td style="width: 5.71495%"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 28.1566%">[Equip the Army]</td>
<td style="width: 12.545%"> </td>
<td style="width: 29.9686%">Special Ability</td>
<td style="width: 23.5567%">Iron 1 (37%)</td>
<td style="width: 5.71495%"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 28.1566%">[Robotic Servant of War]</td>
<td style="width: 12.545%">Magotech</td>
<td style="width: 29.9686%">Special Attack/Conjuration</td>
<td style="width: 23.5567%">Iron 0 (44%)</td>
<td style="width: 5.71495%"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 28.1566%">[Pipes of War]</td>
<td style="width: 12.545%">Unity</td>
<td style="width: 29.9686%">Special Ability</td>
<td style="width: 23.5567%">Iron 0 (0%)</td>
<td style="width: 5.71495%"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 28.1566%">(unused)</td>
<td style="width: 12.545%"> </td>
<td style="width: 29.9686%"> </td>
<td style="width: 23.5567%">0%</td>
<td style="width: 5.71495%"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 28.1566%">(unused)</td>
<td style="width: 12.545%"> </td>
<td style="width: 29.9686%"> </td>
<td style="width: 23.5567%">0%</td>
<td style="width: 5.71495%"> </td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Shall I raid the fridge? No, rationing is still in force. In fact I leave a 5 Euro banknote on the table.
I need to sleep. Do they have an attic accessible through a trap door? Yes. The hook is next to the door, where most people keep it.
How I close it again? Telekinesis is so handy. If I keep the hook in my ?grip“, I don’t need to see it to close the door and push up the ladder behind me. This is dusty even for an attic. It has a window, but nobody is likely to see me through it. Splendid. I conjure my shelter and my sleeping bag, let my clothes vanish and go to sleep.