The Angel Express, Williamsburg, Virginia - 11:24 AM


    I entered the train with Kayla and Jeff and took in a deep breath. “Damn, it’s good to be home,” I said, smiling at the familiar dining car. “Thanks again for taking care of everything while I was gone.”


    “It was troublesome, but I suppose most things worth doing are,” Kayla said, nudging me with her elbow when she passed me on the way to the bar. “You’re welcome, psychic boy.”


    “Really troublesome,” Jeff agreed. “But we got everything done that needed doing and a little more with all the libraries we visited.”


    “Got some good extras there?” I asked as I headed towards my room.


    I grinned as I opened my door and looked upon my personal space. Nothing had changed, not that I expected it to, but I was looking forward to sleeping in my own bed tonight. The ones in public transportation weren’t terrible, but they paled in comparison to the luxury I allowed for myself.


    The first thing I did was go into the train’s menu and change the privacy settings of my sleeper car to maximum. Sara signed off on it, paying the price for me as the only one who could see inside. Thanks to her, not even the administrators could break into my room without facing my Patron’s wrath.


    The second thing I did was reach under my bed and deposit my spare body there. No one was going to stumble upon it, and it would give me a convenient place to wake up should something bad happen to me.


    “Mostly blanks and pages,” Kayla answered, following me with a drink in her hand. She leaned against the door frame as she watched me move towards my wardrobe. “A few more niche acquisitions, as well. Mostly stuff that would be more useful for us than you, so I’ve already divvied them up. Figured you wouldn’t mind.”


    “Not in the slightest, but I hope you saved some of those Blank Skill Books and Synthesis Pages for me. You can never get too many of those,” I said.


    “Definitely can’t have enough,” she agreed before nodding towards the wardrobe. “You’ll find them in there.”


    I opened my wardrobe, but I didn’t find any clothes inside. Instead, there was a black void and a screen that popped up.


    <<<>>>


    [[Angel Express Vault Management]]


    The Vault is now connected to your inventory.


    <<<>>>


    Snapping open my inventory, I started tossing everything I had collected into the vault. I noticed that the system had been overhauled slightly. There were now many folders under Ashley’s tab to sort the monster parts we had collected. They ranged from aquatic to undead, but the very first one was labeled 0-New. From the eels of Minnesota to pieces of the Uranium Rex, I deposited everything I had collected for her.


    The body of Pustibule, however, was something I kept. She wasn’t ready to have the parts from such a powerful Demonic adversary. Not yet, anyway.


    In return, I pulled out five Blank Skill Books and three Synthesis Pages. “Good haul. You did well, Kayla,” I praised. Normally, my share would have been three blanks and one page, so this was an absolute win.


    “Thanks, we tried,” she replied. I ruffled her hair on the way by, just as she had done to me back when we were in Pittsburgh, and she wrinkled her nose. “Don’t do that.”


    “No promises,” I teased as I walked back to the dining car. She stewed on that for a moment before following me.


    Jeff wasn’t there, but that was fine. He was probably getting Corwin from Bethany and letting her know they were back. I didn’t know how much sign language he had picked up to communicate with the deaf girl, but writing was always an option.


    I walked to the trophy case and the guildhall notice board. The latter hadn’t been updated much since Pittsburgh except for the various wants and needs of the members of Sol Ligatus, but there were two new additions to the former.


    The first was a pompadour wig. Just like Kayla’s unfortunate sequin jacket, this came from the Graceland Impostor. It would give anyone a 15% boost to their mental stats, if they had them. It made the choice between that and the Pharaoh’s 5% boost to all stats hard, but it depended on what I needed done that day. For now, I accepted the wig’s bonus.


    The second was what looked like an elongated ram’s head with black and red horns and brown fur. Someone had put sunglasses on it, which I felt was fair. Its eyes had a habit of making it seem like you couldn’t escape its gaze. The Jersey Devil had that effect on people. This gave a substantial boost in damage towards cryptids, like itself, and its parts were going to be a big boon to Ashley’s crafts.


    Turning my attention from the two guild items, I checked out Rexxel’s ATM. It had a blinking light, telling me that Hao’s had something going up for auction shortly that I was interested in. Even though we were so far from Pittsburgh, it still worked despite the distance. The little Kobold was a banker worth knowing for a reason.


    Before checking out the auction tab, I tossed 100,000 points into my Platinum Patron’s Package savings account. It was getting very hefty now, and I still had tens of thousands left to do with as I pleased.


    <<<>>>


    [[Rexxel’s Automated Teller Machine]]


    Thank you, Avatar [Anthony Franklin]. You have withdrawn 11,917 points from the Auction House.


    One item that you have requested is up for auction later this week. It can be purchased directly from the seller.


    1) Skill Book (Hard Body) - 1,999 points


    Would you like to purchase this item?


    Yes


    No


    <<<>>>


    I hit Yes, and the skill book appeared on the bar next to me. There was no reason to wait, so I opened it up and learned what was inside.


    <<<>>>


    [[Passive]]


    Hard Body


    Your skin and muscles are tougher than the average Human’s. Physical attacks deal 5% less damage to you.


    <<<>>>


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    “Excellent,” I muttered to myself when the book disappeared. It wasn’t a large buff, but it stacked with my Sturdy Shell passive and was worth getting.


    I was still anticipating Comfort Plus, though. Waiting for that was starting to wear thin.


    Before I could dwell on it, I heard the sound of paws on carpet as the doors automatically opened for Corwin. He skittered to a stop when he came into the dining car, looking between me and Kayla. His tail was wagging so hard that his entire back end was shaking with it.


    “Hey, little buddy,” I called out, lowering myself to one knee. “I missed you, Corwin.”


    His head tilted as he listened to me speak. First in one direction, and then the other. He let out a little boof, barking without opening his mouth. I understood his confusion, and the meaning behind his noise.


    “Yeah, I can understand you like you can understand me,” I told him. “Now come here, Corwin.”


    The dog ran at me full tilt, and I adjusted myself to catch him better. He pushed me against the bar as he tried to lick my face. I wrestled with him, getting him in a headlock to prevent him from getting what he wanted.


    “You can understand Corwin?” Kayla asked, arching an eyebrow.


    Jeff walked in just in time to hear her say that, and his eyes widened. “Wait, what? Really? You can do that, Ant?”


    Corwin flopped down in front of me and I sat with him, flopping his ears up and down as I pet him with both hands. “The third set item bonus for my Warmind stuff is the ability to communicate clearly with creatures that have at least some level of intelligence,” I informed them as Kayla moved so she wasn’t behind me. “Long story short, they can understand my speech and I can understand theirs, even if it’s limited.”


    “Damn, that’s impressive,” Kayla remarked. “I have to turn into a creature to make them understand me if they don’t speak English, and you just get it.”


    I shrugged. “It’s a psychic thing. It’s also why I didn’t do anything to learn Atlantean this time around; normally I don’t get the cowl until after.”


    “Oh, man, having someone who knows what our dog is saying is a literal game changer,” Jeff said with a big grin. He squatted to pet Corwin’s belly. “That’s going to be a lot of fun.”


    “Just so you know, I’m not going to be your translator all the time,” I warned. “He doesn’t even bark a lot, anyway, and the bonus only makes it so I can understand verbal communication.”


    “He’s a good boy for not barking. I was very particular about teaching him not to,” Kayla praised.


    “Yeah, I guess,” Jeff sighed. “Well, at least his growls will have some manner of substance to them?”


    “That is true,” I said with a smile. “If he growls, I can understand it.”


    The Knight looked like he was about to say something when someone cleared their throat at the entrance to the dining car. We stood up to see Jamie there. For someone who Sara had said was fighting with Mudjumpers, she was remarkably clean. She also looked very unhappy.


    Looking past that, though, I saw that her face had changed slightly from the last time I had seen her. Now, Jamie had small flecks of gold adorning her cheeks like freckles. They didn’t stand out very well against her skin, but they were noticeable to me and my enhanced eyesight.


    It was something that would happen when she increased her base stats. Like my Half-Angelic heritage, her changes in appearance were coming in gradually. The only difference was that hers came in fast, while mine apparently liked to take its time.


    All this time and the only difference was that my hair changed from brown to red. My Status screen still said it was dormant, too.


    “Announcing,” the Weapon Master started through grit teeth before raising a hand towards the door. “The Young Master of the Sol Ligatus Sect.”


    My senses were reined in tight because I didn’t want to be rude, and I couldn’t help the amused smirk I had on my face as Mercury Moonslayer himself appeared next to her from invisibility.


    “Thank you, Senior Sister,” he said, putting his hands together in a sign of respect and bowing towards her before bowing to me. “We came back as soon as we could, Master Anthony.”


    “Young master? What happened to gentleman thief?” I snorted before glancing at Jamie. “Lost your bet, did you?”


    The Weapon Master wrinkled her nose. “Still don’t like that spirit flying around here,” she said, making it seem like that was the only reason why she lost.


    Well, she wasn’t wrong.


    “She’s cool and useful,” Mercury said with a shrug. Jamie at least grunted acknowledgment of that fact. “Perfect for a gentleman thief or a young master.”


    “So you made a bet with her and all she had to do when you won was announce you as the Young Master of Sol Ligatus?” I asked with a chuckle.


    “Yeah, I’m fun, not stupid,” he said with a snort. “I’m not going to do anything more than mildly annoy her because she could… no, she has destroyed me before.”


    “At least it’s just in the training room,” Jamie said with a satisfied smile before her tone turned colder. “Speaking of, we’ll have more lessons soon. I think we’ll revisit dodging.”


    Mercury shivered. I didn’t blame him.


    “Trading pointers aside,” I started, offering the ninja a thin, empathetic smile. “Is everybody at base 50 for stats?”


    “Every one of us,” Kayla confirmed. She moved to sit at the table and the others followed. I joined them, accepting a cup of tea that Mercury had ordered. “Memphis was… it was something else.”


    “I can still remember the screams,” Jeff said, his voice slightly haunted.


    “Don’t bring those up, I’m going to have nightmares again,” Mercury replied, shaking his head.


    “That bad for y’all, huh?” I asked, sipping the tea and nodding appreciatively. Bethany was already leaps and bounds better than she had been when I left Chicago.


    “We’re not going to discuss it,” Jamie said firmly, crossing her arms. “You should already know what you sent us into.”


    “Yeah, my bad,” I said with another empathetic smile. Setting the tea cup down, I looked at the group one by one. “Alright. First off, what’s everyone’s Patron status?”


    “The Dealer has introduced me to Skuld,” Kayla answered first. “She’s been watching over us for a while, but she really wanted to meet you since you claim to know the future. While helpful, she hasn’t actually become my Patron yet. That will depend on you and your actions.”


    “Thanks for taking care of my friends,” I said, looking up. “You’re about to be privy to some real future knowledge here soon.”


    I looked at Jeff, and he shook his head. “Nothing here yet.”


    “Don’t worry about it, they’re pretty picky,” I told him. “Speaking of, Summers?”


    She gave me a flat look. “Are you calling me picky or my Patron?”


    “Is he your Patron?” I asked, arching an eyebrow.


    “No, Ares is no longer with us,” she replied with a click of her tongue. “But you should already know that.”


    “Sometimes it’s good to be sure,” I responded, but left it at that.


    Ares would be great in any large-scale combat, but his usual brutality wasn’t something we wanted. His first instinct upon hearing about the war with the Atlanteans was to have Jamie instigate it and destroy as many ships as possible with an army he wanted her to raise before it had even begun.


    Before Sol Ligatus, she probably would have.


    With our good influence, she held back. It lost her a Patron, but opened the door for a better one later.


    Mercury took my silence as permission to speak next, and I gave him my full attention. “I was able to get one myself,” he said proudly. “Did you know there’s a lot of ninja related stuff in Chicago and Memphis? I was wondering why Kayla kept sending me there, but it was apparently to start garnering attention. If I had known, I would have been really chatty about it, too, so it’s a good thing you didn’t…”


    He trailed off as his eyes started skimming a text box that appeared in front of him. “Ah, yeah, my bad,” he said, looking up. “My Patron is Marishiten, goddess of illusion and invisibility. It’s just one of many names she has, but that’s what she gave me.”


    Reaching over the table, I offered him a fist bump and he wasted no time giving it to me. “Are we all set for aquatic adventures?”


    Kayla nodded, but Jamie crossed her arms. “We collected the stuff, but why only three breathers when there are five of us?” she asked.


    “Excellent question, Summers. Not all of us will be fighting in the same way. As for the upcoming war and what you should expect,” I trailed off, taking another sip of tea. The others leaned forward slightly. “It’ll be mostly canceled.”


    A beat of silence. “Excuse me?” Mercury asked. “Mostly canceled?”


    “Oh, yes. Now, don’t get me wrong. There’s going to be a battle. Huge, even,” I said, and they started leaning back in their chairs. “It’s going to be big enough that Norfolk is going to get involved, which means we’ll have a lot to do in a limited amount of time.”


    “Okay, no war is good, I guess, but I would have been pissed if we were here without a reason,” Jamie scoffed.


    I offered her a smile. “We don’t have a lot of time to discuss how everything will play out, but here’s how the meeting at noon is going to go. Jamie, Kayla, and I are going to be part of the diplomatic delegation to greet the Atlantean admiral. He’s going to offer snide comments about our people, his translator is going to be polite with the script they had already been given.”


    “Wait, what about me and Jeff?” Mercury asked.


    “I was told this on the way here,” the Queen’s Knight answered. “But the people here only let us secure three slots in the delegation. Kayla’s the talker, Ant and Jamie are there to make sure shit hits the fan.”


    Mercury tilted his head at the way Jeff had phrased that, but Kayla was the one who spoke. “And based on what Anthony said, shit will hit the fan.”


    Jamie sat up, interested. “Alright, now that sounds right up our alley. What’s up?”


    “The long and short of it is, we’re going to partake in two duels,” I answered. “It will be honorable combat based on Atlantis’ own laws. The winner stays, the loser leaves. One will be on land and that will be yours, Summers.”


    She nodded. “Good. Had to fight underwater already, and I can’t say I enjoy it. I’m assuming you’re going to do it, shoving yourself through the water by your shoes or something?”


    I smiled. “Something like that. Telekinesis makes moving through the water really easy. But, yes, I’ll be fighting a champion of theirs in the ocean. We’re both going to win, and they’re going to slink off in defeat.”


    “Wait, I’m confused,” Mercury said, leaning forward to put his elbows on the table. “Are the duels the part where the shit hits the fan? Or does that come after?”


    “Little bit before, a lot after,” I said. “See, the admiral is an honorable warrior despite looking down on us. Old school kind of commander. The others under him, not so much. As long as we play our cards right today, tomorrow will bring a mutiny. And a mutiny will bring outrage and battle back to us. That’s when we make sure Atlantis realizes it needs to think twice before coming after us surface dwellers.”


    I stood up, looking at everyone in turn. “By the end of the day, the bulk of their navy is going to be nothing but scrap.”