Orienting the building relative to the field I woke up in. I decided to call that direction from here north. That put the megabuilding on the estimated east side of the Hub''s space. The Master Floor Living Area''s window would be facing the west. Without a compass it would have to do.


    All sense of direction was meaningless here, so in the time honored tradition of mankind. I made things up.


    I went to the Northern section of the floor, a simple door halted my progress. A small placard was hung beside the door it read, "Master Floor Bathing and Rest Facility".


    Poking my head in showed that at least half the space was a combination of different cultures bathing setups. Elements of the old Roman style stood out along side a Japanese-esque initial cleaning area and locker room.


    The floors and walls, even the ceilings in this bathing area, were tiled. Mostly in small square dark blue tiles. Small mural patterns I didn''t quite understand were scattered here and there.


    I entered further and found the second half of the section was various rooms, some were for massage, some were saunas, some were hot-tubs, but the majority were rooms with a toilet and bidet, then a sink to wash your hands. How interesting.


    This area had treated cedar boards covering the walls, each with oddly shaped patterns burned into each board.


    While every piece of equipment was there to define the rooms, there was no soap, no shampoos, no toilet paper, and no towels.


    It was a space way too large for a professional sports team, never mind an individual. I couldn''t help but think this was a waste, and also very creepy. There should be life everywhere and it was nowhere to be found. Only hushed silence.


    The little hairs on the back of my neck were standing up.


    I swept the area with tendrils of mana, but found nothing. I guessed it was just the emptiness getting to me.


    There was no way through to what would be the Easternmost section of the building from this area.


    So I backtracked to the empty living area and onward to the door to the southern section of the megabuilding, conveniently labeled "Master Floor Crafting Area".


    This section was further divided into large rooms, each with a type of workshop.


    The first was a professional kitchen. Everything a team of chefs might want.


    Then there was a fully appointed woodshop, then a tricked out metal and gun smithy. Lastly an auto mechanics shop. There was actually a vehicle elevator on the outer wall. What an absurd idea. Why wouldn''t you put this on the ground floor?


    Once again, the sheer oddity of this place overcame me.


    It was like an limited AI designed it. It would never understand why you shouldn''t put certain activities next to one another. Only that it should full the space with something useful.


    Still at least all the tools you might need where present. However, I noticed things like nails or screws were absent. A complete ratchet set, but no bolts or nuts to be found.


    It had been the same in the kitchen, every appliance, every utensil, not a lick of food, no lard or oil, or cleaning products.


    I massaged my temples. My brain was staging a protest.


    Why!?


    For the love of fuck, why?The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    What was the point?


    The nonsensical arrangement of this place was hurting me on a fundamental level.


    I felt small and insignificant, little a child trapped in their giant father''s garage.


    Forcing myself to ignore the dilemma for now, I continued on to find a door leading to the last section.


    This area had the label, "Master Floor Command and Control."


    Bingo.


    That sounded like a place to get answers.


    Through the door was a space walled in thick crysbronze plates. Runs of dull crystal flowed through the plates like circuitry.


    No windows nor light fixtures anywhere to be seen, yet a weak diffused light blanketed the whole space.


    It the center of the space was an enormous Khaydarin Crystal, I could somehow tell it was an original version, not a synthetic one. The crystal was currently dull and grey.


    In front of it was a standing console in crysbronze and a large flat monitor. A small blinking light, on the consoles control panel, was the only noticeable source of light.


    I was reminded of my first time in the Nexus.


    While it might have been a a smarter idea to examine everything first, I felt compelled to press that button. Surely it would lead to something good.


    I walked towards the button.


    "You may not." A breathy airy hissing whisper came from behind the crystal.


    I reached out with my mana tendrils and felt it another disgusting mass of mana.


    I wrapped it up and dragged it towards me to get a look at it.


    A shadow given form and solidarity, rotten mana twisted into a parody of life.


    "Oh? Are you going to stop me?" I was done. done with creepy empty spaces, done with fucked up shadow beings and certainly fed up with whoever was playing these games.


    I was certainly not scared of this thing. I snarled at it.


    My contempt plain to the world, I crushed the foul creature and threw a Purify after. It''s whistling scream was a joy to hear, even as it offended my ears.


    More shadows started to just pop in the room from out of no where. First dozens then hundreds.


    My BTC twitched.


    [ Emergency Quest ]


    [ Repel the Invaders ]


    [ Rewards Vary ]


    I didn''t bother trying to grabbed more of the foul creations, I simplify cast Purify on a broad scale. Again and again, over and over.


    They melted like chocolate hit with a blow torch.


    I relished their screams.


    These foes were beneath me, and entirely the wrong match up for a wielder of life energies.


    Which was why I didn''t see the real threat coming.


    As corrupted mana burned away under my onslaught, another shadow slipped through. This was no shadow given form. This was a person bathed and warped by the oily mana. They weren''t just covered in the shadow mana they were radiating it.


    I realized my mistake as a tanto was trust into my gut. The blade was twisted and stirred to do maximum damage. I grimaced but cast another spell.


    My latest Purify burned the shadow cover from them, reveling for a moment an armored form. The small lithe body covered in black trimmed with a touch red.


    I groaned as my right hand reflexively closed on my pistol''s grip. Without thought or intention my weapon was drawn and five shots hit the new threat from less than three feet away.


    It crumpled.


    The rest of the shadows vanished.


    I didn''t try to move, I merely took aim at the head of my attacker and pumped three rounds into the faceplate. Only the first bounced the other two went through.


    [ You have slain a Contender ]


    [ Her name was Sarah Johnson ]


    [ She was from Baltimore ]


    [ Are you Proud of yourself ]


    What? The? Fuck?


    [ You have repelled an Invasion ]


    [ You receive 1000000 Company points ]


    [ You will also receive the valuation of their Hub minus fees ]


    My mind went blank for a second.


    Those assholes.


    I pulled the tanto from my guts, grunting as I flared my Aura to stitch myself back together. My blood had splattered in an arc in front of my covering the body of my former enemy.


    Stripping the helmet off of the woman was yet another mistake as her blood and brains and split out. What a terrible mess.


    But I felt like I owed it to her to see what she looked like.


    She had been a small woman, her face was mostly intact. Dusky skin and green eyes framed by the remnants of her dark hair. Her expression was one of astonishment, as if she couldn''t believe she had died.


    There was no fixing this. There was no way to make this right.


    I felt wrong and tainted, like something important had been lost.


    This was a person from home.


    Don''t get me wrong, I would kill her again, in a heartbeat. She attacked me, and used bullshit tactics, she deserved no mercy.


    But this whole situation didn''t have to exist. Only the whims of some Omnipresent Corporation created this confrontation.


    I was saddened and I was pissed off, and very very confused.


    I cast Purify again to clean her up. Her whole body disappeared from inside the armor.


    My eyes nearly bulged out of my skull, it had never done that before. I checked my status.


    It was evolving. Just like the whole fucked up mess that was my life.


    I felt exhausted. Too much mana usage, maybe. Stress was just as likely a contributing factor.


    This wouldn''t do.


    I sighed and sat down on the newly cleaned floor to try and put my head back together.