《Start Menu》 Prologue Hello, my name is Alexander Krup. Alex for short. My life sucks. I just wanted to put that out there. Before I get into all of that, let me tell you a little bit about myself. I am six feet tall, overweight, and not very good-looking. I have shaggy brown hair that sort of makes me look like Wolverine from the comic book when I wake up in the morning. The only good feature about me is my eyes. I love my green eyes. They remind me of emeralds. My life started well enough. I was raised by loving parents. Lived in middle-class America. Went to a good school. Played video games all I wanted. I was living the dream. At least that¡¯s how it felt to teenage me. I even dated my best friend in high school. Maybe that¡¯s where it all started to go wrong. We saw each other every day at school. We had a routine. Attend class, hang out together, make out when possible, and then go home and play video games until I passed out. My schedule was full. While I didn¡¯t get the best grades in the world, I managed to pass. Somehow. Fast forward to graduation. I got my diploma. They don¡¯t put your GPA on there, so it looks the same as everyone else¡¯s. Getting into a good college was another thing. That was probably the nail in the coffin for my girlfriend. She made plans for us to go to college in New York together. The problem was that I was tired of school. After thirteen years of agonizing education, I felt as though I would die if I had to set foot in an establishment of higher learning for even one more day. My parents were pretty cool, all things considered. While they didn¡¯t kick me out of the house, they did insist that I get a job. That is where this story truly began. I got the perfect job. VIDEO GAME BETA TESTER The way it came to me is still a mystery. It started as an achievement on my JoyStation. When I started, the reward was free video games and in-game items. However, right when my parents insisted that I get a job, a new menu with cash rewards became available. I didn¡¯t make a fortune, but I made enough to keep the ¡®rents off my back. Now let¡¯s get to the problems. My girlfriend wasn¡¯t happy. She went off to New York for college. It was her dream to play the ¡°let¡¯s go to school, get jobs, get married, and make babies¡± game. My dream was to just play games. I could get behind the make babies game but only if we took precautions to not actually make any babies. I just wanted to live my life¡­and play video games of course. Having a girlfriend to go with all of that was just a bonus objective. Sex is a good thing after all. I will give her credit though. She at least had the decency to dump me before she moved on. I saw on social media that she met someone in New York and was ¡°in love.¡± If that was the extent of my problems, this story would be boring. Now, before I tell you how my adventure began, I have to tell you some bad news. I knew they were sick before they did. First, dad brought it home from work and then mom caught it. We knew so little about the disease. There was such a small chance of death. If you tell me I had a three percent chance of something happening, I probably would have brushed it off as unlikely. Nobody could have prepared me to lose both of my parents within weeks of each other. I don¡¯t know if it was the tragedy of losing my parents or fate but something spectacular happened. It could have been a hallucination brought about by staying up too late playing video games. You know, when you play a game for too long and end up dreaming about it? I woke up one day and saw words etched on the ceiling. Have you ever looked at something for a long time and imagined you saw words written there? Well, that started happening everywhere.
Good morning! You slept for 7 hours and 31 minutes. Condition: Rested.
I blinked, and it was gone. Yawning, I stretched and made my way to the bathroom.
Bladder at 77% capacity. Do you wish to urinate? Y/N?
My imagination must have been going into overdrive to see such ridiculous messages. I tried to shrug it off. I was not going to go crazy.
Would you like to skip all nonessential notices? Y/N?
I debated whether or not to decline the messages. In the end, I decided they were amusing and let them stay. Over the next few months, I got out of the house more as I explored this strange new condition. The world was becoming a video game. I embraced it. I also spent a lot of time refining my new skill. Seeing the world as a video game had some interesting perks. When I spoke with people, their dialog came subtitled, occasionally with helpful hints from the system. To go along with the option prompts, every person, object, and even some thoughts had menus of their own. I never got a chance to inspect my parents or my girlfriend and I wondered if my newfound skills could have somehow salvaged my relationship.
One problem of my newly orphaned predicament was that I could no longer support myself. While video game testing kept the ¡®rents off my back and afforded me some spending money, it just wasn¡¯t enough to survive on my own. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. I sat on my bed in my room. Only it wasn¡¯t going to be mine much longer. Without my parents around, it was well outside of my price range. If I was honest with myself, I could barely afford a cardboard box in a back alley of a run-down neighborhood. KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK I ignored the door. I wasn¡¯t expecting anyone and the last thing I wanted to do was talk. KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK Laying back on the bed, I buried my head under the pillow. KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK It didn¡¯t help. I could still hear the muffled knocking through the pillow. The system was helpfully telling me what I already knew.
System Alert: There is somebody at the door. Do you wish to answer? Y/N?
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK I threw the pillow across the room, knocking some books off of a shelf. Whoever was knocking was very persistent. KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK I pulled myself to my feet and stomped through the house. ¡°I¡¯m coming. Give me a second!¡± It wasn¡¯t that I cared if anyone heard me. When I made it to the door, I decided I was going to take my rage out on whatever religious nut or traveling salesman dared to darken my doorstep. Pulling the door open, I shouted, ¡°What?!¡± A man wearing a bathrobe blinked at me, adjusting a pair of square-rimmed glasses. The system told me who I was looking at.
Josef Entares
Level 21
Class Relocator
Affection Level Indifferent
He bowed. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Alexander. My name is Josef and I represent S.I.M.P. Gaming Incorporated. I have come to follow up on your recent completion of the tutorial.¡± The name of the company always made me laugh and I told him as much. ¡°Do you realize how embarrassing it is to cash checks from SIMP Co?¡± He stared at me. ¡°I assure you, I have no idea what you are talking about.¡± Of course, he didn¡¯t. He was wearing a bathrobe. I stood there, framed in my doorway, gaping at him. The robe had stars on it. Kind of like¡­Nah. The tutorial he spoke of was more of a game list than anything instructional. I attempted to close the door. ¡°Look, this isn¡¯t a good time. Both of my parents recently died and, you know¡­¡± Josef didn¡¯t look fazed even though I helpfully trailed off and everything. He smiled and reached into his robe, withdrawing what I could only describe as a rolled-up scroll of parchment. ¡°I am well aware of your loss, Mr. Krup. You have my most sincere condolences. I believe my offer may help you process your grief. How would you like to go on an adventure in another world?¡± ¡°It¡¯s too early in the morning for this.¡± I groaned and opened the door, morbidly curious despite myself. Josef followed me into the house as I made my way to the couch. His offer must be some fancy game he wants me to try. Taking the scroll from him, I replied. ¡°Look, I don¡¯t know what game this is but I don¡¯t think I¡¯m in the right state of mind to do my job properly. I need time to sort myself out and maybe get a real job. I can¡¯t support myself on what you-¡± He cut me off again. ¡°I can offer you a house to live in and three meals a day to go with your pay. How does that sound?¡± That had my attention. Maybe there¡¯s a silver lining to this cloud after all. ¡°What do I have to do for this house?¡± Josef smiled. He had me and he knew it. ¡°All you have to do is live your life. You will be supplied with a house and all of your basic needs will be taken care of. How you choose to live is entirely up to you. Consider this the ultimate goal of what S.I.M.P. Co was created for.¡± I sighed. ¡°What does SIMP even stand for?¡± He motioned to the scroll. ¡°Everything is spelled out in your contract. Believe me when I tell you, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.¡± Scraping the wax seal from the scroll, I carefully unraveled it.
This agreement is made and entered into on June 15th, 2022 by and between the Selective Interdimensional Magical-Exchange Program (SIMP) and Alexander Krup (GAMER). 1. Admission: SIMP grants GAMER unfettered access and citizenship on Gaia. This includes all rights and privileges afforded to the assigned rank. (1) Beginning rank assigned to be that of a commoner (2) GAMER may, at their discretion, commit acts of valor to increase this rank. (3) Criminal acts committed by GAMER will result in infamy and loss of status. 2. Room and Board: SIMP shall provide one (1) home to GAMER in accordance with current rank. (1) Three (3) meals shall be offered to GAMER daily in the town of residence. (2) Weekly stipend shall be granted to GAMER in an amount based on current rank. 3. Obligation: GAMER agrees to conduct themselves as they see fit while visiting Gaia. (1) Law Abiding: GAMER agrees to follow all laws and regulations set forth by local and national governments during their visit. Failure to do so shall result in the loss of room and board. (2) Taxes: GAMER shall be exempt from any taxes set forth by local and national governments. (3) War: GAMER shall not be drafted or otherwise called upon to participate in any wars on Gaia without their explicit consent. 4. Indemnity: SIMP shall be held harmless should GAMER come to any physical or financial harm during their stay on Gaia. (1) Gamer assumes all risks in any activity engaged in while visiting Gaia. (2) SIMP shall immediately furnish transportation back to Earth upon receipt of GAMER¡¯s written request. 5. Governing Law: This agreement shall be governed and construed under the laws of the High House of Earth (H-HOE). _______________________ ______________________ SIMP Date _______________________ ______________________ GAMER Date
I looked up from the contract to see Josef watching me intently, so I decided to ask the first question that came to mind. ¡°Where exactly is this Gaia located? Is it still in North Carolina?¡± He laughed in response. ¡°No sir. I¡¯m afraid Gaia is in another dimension. Did you not read the user agreement when you took the job?¡± The problem was, nobody ever read those things. I often wondered why they even bothered to display them. Couldn¡¯t it just be an understanding that an insanely long wall of text existed in an unknown location buried deep in the software? Shaking my head, I replied. ¡°No sir. I never read those things. I need to know how far away this place is. That way I can decide if I need to rent a truck or if I can just get a friend to help me.¡± I was lying, of course. I didn¡¯t know anybody. Not anymore. I also had no clue what I was going to do with all of my parent¡¯s furniture. Josef threw a backpack at me and said, ¡°Put what you need in there. The organization will send a team to shrink and store the rest of your belongings while you are away.¡± That sounded convenient. Then I hesitated when the words caught up with my brain. ¡°What do you mean you will shrink my stuff?¡± He shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s all very magical, sir. Are you prepared to sign the agreement? The sooner you do, the sooner you can start your adventure.¡± The system decided to be helpful and summed up the conversation.
A wizard from another world would like to invite you on an adventure. Would you like to go? Y/N?
1.1: Meet the other players My bag was packed. I was ready to go. It was astonishing, the number of things I could wedge into the magic backpack. Its capacity was limited only by the size of the items I could fit in the opening. Unfortunately, that ruled out things like the plasma screen television in the living room. I did manage to fit the computer monitor though, so I wasn¡¯t completely without a means to game. The original plan was to only take the clothes on my back and pack all of my electronics. It seemed practical. The system had other ideas though.
Bag capacity is at 1%. Would you like to continue packing? Y/N?
So I stuffed clothing, blankets, and other household items in the backpack. It was impossible how much stuff I could fit. A bad habit I had gotten into was speaking to the system. ¡°Computer, how do I fit larger items in the bag?¡±
Get a bigger bag.
The problem with that plan was that Josef had already gone. He left me with instructions to call for a ride when I was ready. I walked through my house one final time and sighed. It was going to be the last time I saw my home. The bank would surely foreclose in my absence. It was fine though. I had to look to the future. My adventure was about to begin.
I let out a heavy sigh, disappointed at the sight of the car that pulled up on the street. SIMP Co. lived up to its name once again. They sent an UBER, and not just any UBER. It was a compact car. The driver greeted me before opening the passenger door. The car was a two-seater. ¡°Are you ready to go, sir?¡± Taking a final look at my old life, I waved. ¡°Goodbye, Mom and Dad. We had a good run.¡± The driver followed my gaze as I climbed into the tiny car. ¡°First time away from home, eh? Don¡¯t worry. It gets better. I can only tolerate my parents in small doses. Just think about it, you¡¯ll have a good chance to miss them before coming back for the holidays.¡± I laughed. It wasn¡¯t that I felt like laughing. Christmas was going to suck. The driver looked at me like I was insane, so I told him. ¡°Both my parents are dead.¡± He stiffened in his seat and the system chose that moment to supply me with his basic information.
Jerry Yaeger
Level 1
Class Part-Time UBER driver
Affection Level Embarrassed
It didn¡¯t tell me anything about his attitude other than that he felt bad about what he said. When we had been driving for a while, I decided to make conversation. ¡°It is far where we¡¯re going?¡± Jerry looked down at his app. ¡°It¡¯s, um, wow, that is far. It looks like we¡¯re driving all the way to Washington DC. This is my first time taking a job for SIMP Co.¡± ¡°Are you sure you want to do this?¡± I asked when his GPS app told him our destination was six hours away. He cracked his knuckles and gave me a determined look. ¡°I heard they tip extremely well, so I¡¯m doing this. Do you have any issues with me after what I said? I am sorry about that by the way. I had no idea.¡± I shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s fine. You didn¡¯t know. Just get me out of here.¡± SCREECH He sped up and we were on a road trip. I got to know Jerry as we drove. It turned out we were both gamers. While he went to school and had a life outside of gaming, he was pretty good at Call of Duty. First-person shooters weren¡¯t my first choice in games but I was reasonably good at them. SIMP made me play everything. We made several pitstops for snacks along the way. I offered to drive when Jerry yawned but he informed me that it was against regulations. We decided to do things like singing and making jokes to keep him focused. Finally, we played a drinking game. No, it wasn¡¯t the kind of game that involved alcohol. That would be illegal and also somewhat irresponsible. Instead, the loser had to drink a full can of soda every time they lost. As a result, we may have watered quite a few of the plants along the side of the interstate. When we got to DC, we ended up stuck in traffic for hours. SIMP Co kept a warehouse just outside of town, nestled up against a dense forest. Jerry looked up at the company logo as it loomed over us on a billboard. SIMP Gaming Co. - Bringing your wildest fantasies to life ¡°Why would they choose such a lame name?¡± Jerry pondered out loud. I laughed. ¡°I asked the same question.¡±
The name SIMP was chosen to represent the company¡¯s objective to recruit simpletons for research purposes. It is a proven fact that the idly unawakened sometimes possess unique characteristics.
¡°Did you just call me a simpleton?¡± I asked out loud. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Jerry flinched. ¡°No! Why would you think that? I¡¯m just talking about the company. You had nothing to do with the name, right?¡± I glared at the menu, brushing it away. ¡°Sorry, the name kind of gets to me sometimes. That¡¯s all.¡± He shrugged as we pulled into a driveway with a security booth. ¡°I get it, man. You wouldn¡¯t believe the crap I get as an UBER driver.¡± When we got to the booth, a fat man leaned out of a window and said, ¡°Name please.¡± Jerry looked at me and I replied, ¡°Alexander Krup. They should be expecting me.¡± The man nodded. ¡°They are. You¡¯re late. Follow the green line. The next departure is scheduled in thirty minutes. If you hurry you can make it. Otherwise, there won¡¯t be another crossing for two weeks.¡± SCREECH Jerry took it as a challenge. We thunked our way over several speed bumps as we exceeded several posted speed limits. I was mildly surprised the parking lot of such a large facility was as empty as it was during business hours. We only saw two or three cars as we followed the green line around a big central building that spanned the equivalent of two city blocks. In the back, there was a tall glass structure that reminded me of a tower. It was obscured from the road by the building as though its purpose all along was to conceal it from view. Jerry slowed as we approached and a trio of people clad in white lab coats emerged from the tower to greet us. He jumped out of the car and raced around to open the door for me. ¡°This is so cool. Are you guys hiring?¡± The woman at the lead of the pack stopped and looked Jerry up and down. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, our job openings are filled by invitation only. Absolutely no applications will be accepted. You may leave the way you came in. Thank you.¡± I thanked him for the ride and followed the trio toward the tower, not once looking back because I could tell Jerry wasn¡¯t happy about it. The inside of the tower was odd, to say the least. It wasn¡¯t a normal building by any sense of the word.
The crystalline tower was invented in 1102 A.D. as an ideal way to commute between dimensions. Without such a structure, a minimum of one hundred void mages would be required to accumulate the necessary mana for inter-dimensional travel.
¡°Is that so,¡± I spoke out loud, ignoring the three SIMP employees who were looking at me. ¡°So this Gaia really is in another dimension? I thought Josef was exaggerating.¡± ¡°Excuse me, sir.¡± The woman spoke, jarring me out of my thoughts. ¡°Who are you talking to?¡± I looked back and forth from the menu to the lady. Did she know about my phenomenon? Would telling her get me fired? The system decided to help out.
Tell her you were just thinking out loud. She is not worthy to know of my existence.
I gave the woman a sheepish smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I think I got so excited that I was talking to myself. Are you really going to send me to another dimension?¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± The man behind her replied. ¡°Please find a seat anywhere. We are launching you all in ten minutes.¡± Looking beyond them, I noticed another group of people seated in plastic chairs that reminded me of the cheap seating they provided in schools. Oh, how I hated school. I took a seat as far away from the others as I could. There were seven of us in all, all adults. I supposed that had something to do with signing interstellar contracts. One of the men in the group turned to greet me. ¡°Hi there. My name is Mike. Are you going to Gaia too?¡± A dark-haired girl at the far end of the group rolled her eyes. ¡°That¡¯s where we¡¯re all going, stupid. Didn¡¯t you pay attention when they were explaining everything?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± Mike admitted, giving me a lopsided grin. ¡°As I was about to say to the new guy, this is going to be so much fun.¡± I was a little curious about the others myself. ¡°Do any of you have any special skills or abilities?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Mike asked, appraising me with renewed interest.
It would not be wise to tell anyone about me. Some might say I give you an unfair advantage. Are you interested in knowing more about your competition? Y/N?
I gave a slight nod, not wanting to make the mistake of talking to myself again.
Michael Katach
Level 1
Class Redneck
Affection Level Friendly
Kendra Welsh
Level 1
Class Hick
Affection Level Sarcastic
Darrin Angler
Level 1
Class Noob
Affection Level Cocky
Alan Friedzeig
Level 1
Class Bumpkin
Affection Level Happy go lucky
Carlito Ververos
Level 1
Class Hooligan
Affection Level Confident
Primith Landia
Level 1
Class Nomad
Affection Level Humorous
Kiavi Naples
Level 1
Class Cat Girl
Affection Level Mischievous
¡°Did you hear him?¡± Kendra asked. ¡°What kind of special abilities do you think we have?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I lied. ¡°Why else would they pick us for this program?¡± That got the attention of the other candidates. Primith rounded on me and said, ¡°Same as the rest of you. Because we have no lives and are very good at video games. What else did you think?¡± ¡°Simp!¡± Darrin sneered from the front row. The woman that greeted me returned. ¡°That¡¯s enough banter. We have finished the final preparations to transmit you to Gaia. You have been given an enchantment that will allow you to speak the native tongue where you are going. You may feel some slight discomfort during your journey. It is perfectly normal to feel sick. Please follow all instructions from your guide on your arrival in Dabia. We will begin transmission now.¡±
Hold your breath.
Traveling through the cosmos was not a pleasant experience. I don¡¯t recommend it. The tower around us lit up like a Christmas tree just before I became a mote of pure light. I did take the advice from the menu and managed to suck in a deep breath just as the process began. The seven of us were sucked out of the top of the tower and sent hurdling through space. Into darkness. Into the void. By the time I realized I¡¯d closed my eyes, we were there. When I opened them, I found myself standing in front of a majestic castle gate. Beyond the castle was a massive city, bustling with life. I said the first thing that came to mind. ¡°Is this a video game?¡±
No, This is Dabia.
The others weren¡¯t listening to my private conversation. They were too busy puking. Trails of sick flowed from the cobblestones into a well-placed gutter on the side of the road. When he finally came up for air, Mike looked up at me and asked, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you sick?¡± I chuckled. ¡°I held my breath.¡± ¡°Greetings travelers,¡± a voice behind us announced. ¡°Welcome to Gaia. 1.2: Welcome to Hellquist The group turned to see a very old man with a wispy grey beard almost as long as he was tall. Mike looked him up and down, asking, ¡°Who are you?¡± The system filled me in before he could answer.
Saul Montview
Level 18
Class Overseer
Affection Level Dutiful
With a serious expression on his face, he introduced himself. ¡°You may call me Master Montview.¡± ¡°Master?¡± Darrin asked with a hint of laughter in his voice. ¡°Is this supposed to be some sort of joke?¡± Master Montview gave us a knowing smile. ¡°You will do well to obey the etiquette of the land during your stay. That is how you will gain renown.¡± ¡°Renown?¡± Primith asked, sounding curious. ¡°That¡¯s correct, young lady.¡± Master Montview replied. ¡°Everything you do in this world will have an impact on your experience here. Do righteous deeds and gain renown or commit crimes and gain infamy. That is your job while on this planet. My job is to monitor your activities and try to make sure you don¡¯t get yourselves killed in the process.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t the contract say we can¡¯t commit crimes?¡± Alan asked. Master Montview shook his head. ¡°No. Your contract states that we will not offer you housing should you go against the rule of law. Naturally, none of the towns and villages will think too highly of you should you choose the path of a criminal. In those cases, you will be on your own. The company will still compensate you for your time, of course.¡± Mike rubbed his hands together. ¡°So, where is my house? Do I get to pick which one I want?¡± ¡°Ah yes, I was just getting to that.¡± Master Montview said with a slight yawn. ¡°Guides have been prepared to travel with you to your villages. They will handle any immediate needs that you have and I shall visit you when you do something worthy of recognition.¡± ¡°We aren¡¯t going to live here?¡± Carlito asked, sounding a little agitated. Master Montview shook his head. ¡°No. Not quite yet. You will be separated into small villages to start. Prove yourself and you may find your way back here someday. Remember, everything relies on your deeds and what you can accomplish. Now I must be off. Follow the instructions of your guides.¡± Before we had a chance to ask any more questions, he vanished in a puff of smoke. That was when I noticed we had an audience. People gathered around us in a circle. Held back by guards, they watched in silence, straining their ears to listen in on our conversations. Just beyond the crowd stood a series of carriages, each one a different color. That was where the system got involved once again.
Select the blue carriage. Quickly.
¡°Why?¡± I could help to blurt the question out loud.
The carriage you choose will determine your initial assignment. I prefer blue.
I rolled my eyes and started toward the blue carriage. Mike hurried behind me and asked, ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Got to choose a carriage,¡± I huffed, already running out of breath. ¡°What?¡± He asked. Once again, I couldn¡¯t answer without incriminating myself, so I lied. ¡°Look, there are seven carriages. They are meant for us. I want to get this show on the road.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± He replied, slowing down and looking back at the others. The crowd parted when I made it to them. I heard whispering as I passed. ¡°It¡¯s the new wave.¡± ¡°That one in the back is good-looking.¡± ¡°Do you think he will win?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bet on blue, he¡¯s out of shape.¡± An attendant stood by the open door of the carriage.
Levrac
Level 1
Class Carriage Driver
Affection Level Bored
He bowed as I climbed into the carriage. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to serve you.¡± I was surprised to notice that I wasn¡¯t alone in the carriage. A woman sat with her legs crossed across from me. She had shoulder-length red hair
Cordelia
Level 3
Class Observer
Affection Level Watchful
She offered a friendly smile and rapped three times on the carriage wall. In response, it lurched into motion. Then she introduced herself. ¡°Greetings, my name¡¯s Cordelia. I¡¯d like to take this opportunity to welcome you to Gaia.¡± ¡°What can you tell me about Gaia?¡± I asked, not bothering to introduce myself. The system beat her to a reply.
Gaia is the sole moon of the planet Luna in the Zetron universe. It is one of thirteen habitable planets in this dimension. It is known as the source of many fairy tales from your world. Forty-seven notable awakened exist at present on Gaia, including twenty-three from the notable M bloodline.
Cordelia replied while I was still reading the update. ¡°It¡¯s a nice planet with lots of opportunities for success. Let me tell you about the village you¡¯ll be living in. It¡¯s a nice little¡­¡± I cut her off, directing my question at the system. ¡°What is the M bloodline?¡± ¡°What?¡± Cordelia asked, tilting her head to the side. ¡°Why do you want to know about that?¡±
The bloodline M is a prestigious and powerful bloodline that currently exists in seven-hundred-forty-three known worlds. Whilst little is known about the full extent of the bloodline, it is considered powerful. Simple possession of this bloodline ensures top status in most worlds. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
I filed the information away before answering Cordelia. ¡°No reason.¡± The system seemed to understand when I was talking to it but I didn¡¯t want to sound too crazy, so I decided to engage Cordelia in conversation as well. ¡°Where are we going?¡± She smiled. ¡°To a town called Hellquist Village. It¡¯s a bit on the small side but it¡¯s run by an influential family and does quite well for itself. Truth be told, it¡¯s a good place for your to start your career here.¡± ¡°How long until we get there?¡± I asked. Cordelia replied. ¡°The journey typically takes four days by carriage. That is if we don¡¯t run into trouble.¡±
I managed to last about five hours before I had a problem. ¡°Um, Cordelia?¡± She jerked her eyes open. It was night and she had fallen asleep. ¡°What is it? Are we under attack?¡± ¡°No,¡± I admitted, starting to squirm. ¡°Is there a place we can stop to use the bathroom?¡± ¡°Do you wish to bathe?¡± Cordelia asked, looking puzzled. ¡°You smell fine to me.¡± I sighed, realizing we had a language barrier of sorts. ¡°I mean I have to take a dump. Do you understand that?¡± Cordelia gaped at me for a couple of seconds while the information was processed. Then she burst into laughter. ¡°Oh! I understand. You would like us to stop so you can relieve yourself.¡± ¡°Is there someplace we can go nearby?¡± I asked, saying a silent prayer that she wasn¡¯t about to say what I thought she was. As usual, the system had thoughts on the matter.
Having a bowel movement in nature is a relatively simple process. The most common method is squatting with your feet angled outward. Since you lack lower body strength, sitting on a log or leaning against a tree can also be an effective method. Since you do not possess magical means of cleaning yourself, you will want to employ leaves and other foliage to wipe.
Cordelia chose that moment to knock on the carriage, signaling it to stop. ¡°You can choose any place off of the road. Be careful of the red bushes. Those are poisonous.¡± She climbed out ahead of me and I asked, ¡°Where are you going?¡± Cordelia blushed then winked but said nothing, walking off into the bushes. I made my way over to the other side of the road, beginning to regret my life choices. I was way too out of shape to be doing what I was about to do.
There is a suitable log 30 meters due south.
I trudged through the brush and soon the log came into view. It took me a while to figure out the best way to situate myself. Just when I started to feel relief, I got another message.
Warning!!! A monster attack is imminent. Run!
¡°Aw, crap!¡± I screamed, jumping to my feet. The word had more than two meanings in that particular case. I pulled my pants up as best as I could and ran like my life depended on it. A rustling sound followed close behind and my lungs burned as I pumped my legs faster than I¡¯d ever done before in my life. Why the hell did I never join a gym? Cordelia was just coming back when I made it to the road, shouting at the top of my lungs. ¡°Help!¡± She drew a knife and the driver pulled a bow, scanning the tree line for the source of my panic. Then Cordelia started to laugh. I turned in time to see a tiny rodent that looked like a squirrel with six legs. All I could do was look up at the sky and groan. ¡°Damn you!¡±
I sat across from Cordelia in the carriage as we resumed our journey to Hellquist village. She did her best to ignore the smell that was coming from me. I was fortunate that my backpack held my entire wardrobe. One pair of underwear was left on the side of the road, but I could still smell it. Fantasy land sucks!
It will get better.
Wait, can you hear me?
Yes.
That made things easier. No more talking to myself. You need to be more specific when you tell me things. That monster wasn¡¯t dangerous at all.
It still would have attacked you.
What kind of monster was it?
Raquirrel
Level 5
Class Rank D Monster
Affection Level Scavenger
What level am I? The system decided to answer by displaying my menu.
Alexander Krup
Level 1
Class Peasant
Affection Level Indifferent
Peasant? What¡¯s up with that?
All employees of SIMP CO receive classes befitting their station when arriving on Gaia.
Can you give me a better one?
For what purpose?
I don¡¯t know. For starters, I don¡¯t want to be a peasant. Maybe you can give me something fun like King. Are you allowed to cheat for me? The system was silent for the first time. I looked up and found Cordelia watching me intently. ¡°It¡¯s not that bad you know.¡± ¡°What?¡± I asked, wondering if she knew what I was doing. ¡°The smell.¡± She continued. ¡°You don¡¯t smell too bad. That could have happened to anyone.¡± I laughed. ¡°Thanks. I think.¡± The system finally provided an update.
Alexander Krup
Level 1
Class Self Proclaimed Hero
Affection Level Indifferent
I gasped at the new class. What do you mean by ¡®Self Proclaimed¡¯?
Classes must have a semblance of truth to them. If you wish to be seen as a hero, you must first prove yourself to those around you.
I groaned. This was going to be more difficult than I initially thought.
¡°Welcome to Hellquist village,¡± Cordelia announced as we pulled into a quaint town in the countryside. The village was built around a small hill with a big house at its peak. Smaller houses circled the mountain. I saw smoke coming from chimneys and people walking about the dirt streets as we drove through town. I leaned out the window and asked, ¡°Do I get to live in one of these houses?¡± It was an honest question. Part of me worried that my house would be located outside of town, causing me to commute every day to get my meals. The smell of freshly baked bread filled the air which made my mouth water. Cordelia shook her head. ¡°No. Your house is on the other side of town. If you work hard and build your renown, you may qualify for one of these homes in a year or so.¡±
Small House
Rank D
Value 100 Gold Standard
Amenities Insulated. Heated. 2 Bedroom
The house on the hill was another story altogether
Small Mansion
Rank B
Value 100,000 Gold Standard
Amenities Insulated. Heated. 12 Bedroom. Indoor Plumbing. Magic Bath. Automated Security. Library.
Cordelia yawned as the carriage made its way around the village. ¡°To start, you will have to spend some time in the smallest dwellings. It¡¯s the same for every new adventurer. If you don¡¯t give up, you will see them all again in one year.¡± Then another row of houses came into view. If they could even be called that, that was. Structures that reminded me of sheds one might place in their backyard appeared in rows. Some of them were open, revealing an interior with not much more than a sleeping sack on the floor and a small box for a table. The thought of people living in such conditions made me sick but there they were, hunched over crudely lit fires in front of the tiny dwellings. I would have thought them homeless by the way they were dressed, wearing little more than rags. Of course, they all huddled in front of their shacks, so I knew exactly where I was. The slums.
Shanty
Rank F
Value 1 Gold Standard
Amenities 1 Room
I pointed to the feeble buildings. ¡°Is this where I¡¯m expected to live?¡± It was a pointless question considering I already knew the answer. Cordelia nodded and said, ¡°It is until you work your way up to something better. Consider it an incentive to be productive. If you gain renown, you will be moved up to a better home.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t sign up for this,¡± I grumbled. She gave me a knowing look as if this was something she dealt with often. ¡°If you wish to go home, all you need to do is make the declaration in writing and I will make the arrangements to send you back.¡± The carriage came to a stop at the end of the row just as Cordelia finished speaking. She pointed to the last shanty in the row and said, ¡°Well. This is you. You can get three meals a day over there.¡± In the distance, a rather large dilapidated building stood on the outskirts of town abutting the nearby forest.
Rundown Monastery
Rank F
Value 1000 Gold Standard
Amenities 20 Rooms
The building looked like it was about to collapse on itself. Just outside, I could see children playing. Cordelia explained. ¡°That is the local orphanage. Children are taken here when they have no one to look after them. Don¡¯t worry though. Your meals are guaranteed by the company. Just explain who you are to the nun in charge and she will see to it that you are fed. I will come visit you once per week to check on your progress. Remember, you are permitted to do anything you like during your stay here. Until we meet again, may the Goddess Iris light your path.¡± This adventure was not going how I planned at all. 1.3: Foraging for nuts and artifacts Shanty life sucked. First, it was freezing in there. I took everything out of my bag then bundled myself up in three layers of clothes, wrapped myself in a sleeping bag, used four blankets, and piled the rest of my clothes on top of that. It didn¡¯t help. I was still cold. We arrived so late that I missed dinner. I huddled under the mountain of clothes and blankets as I looked at a hole in the ceiling. Green light from the planet in the sky poured into the tiny room, reminding me just how dire my situation was.
Current Temperature: 42 Degrees Fahrenheit.
¡°Can we do anything to make it warmer in here?¡± I spoke out loud, not worried about being overheard.
Your house is too cold
Structural Modification +100 Temperature control
Start a fire +50 Heat +50 Risk of Burning
¡°Can I do any of that in the next five minutes?¡±
You can make a fire in under one minute. Would you like to proceed? Y/N?
¡°What are the odds of burning this hut down?¡±
95%
I rolled over, squeezing my eyes shut. It was obvious I couldn¡¯t start a fire. Still, it wouldn¡¯t let me sleep.
Would you like to start a fire? Y/N?
Rolling my eyes, I turned to look up at the ceiling again. ¡°No! Sometimes you have to realize if I don¡¯t answer you that just means I don¡¯t want to talk. What should I call you anyway?¡±
I do not understand. Please clarify.
¡°Do you have a name?¡±
My only job is to provide information about the world around you. What purpose would a name serve?
¡°Well, for one thing, it would give me something to call you when I¡¯m talking to you. You can¡¯t just assume everything I say is meant for you.¡±
Very well. You may call me System Interface 3.14159265359
¡°Wait, isn¡¯t that Pi? I think I¡¯ll call you Pi.¡±
Would you like to assign me the name Pi? Y/N?
¡°I just said yes. Now Pi, I¡¯m going to bed. Good night.¡±
Warning: Your bladder is 67% full. Are you sure you wouldn¡¯t like to urinate before sleeping? It is optimal to visit the restroom before resting.
Pi had a point. I tossed and turned for a few minutes before conceding. ¡°Fine! Where is the toilet?¡±
Unfortunately, your home does not have any such accommodations. The nearest suitable location is the forest behind the monastery.
¡°Forget it!¡± I grumbled, squeezing my eyes shut. ¡°Good night, Pi.¡±
Good night, Alexander Krup.
¡°Alex is fine.¡±
Good night, Alex.
I didn¡¯t get much sleep that night. My new neighbors turned out to be a couple and they were quite loud. I had just fallen asleep when the moaning began, waking me up all over again. It felt as though I¡¯d only slept for minutes when Pi woke me once again.
Bladder reaching maximum capacity (97%). It is highly recommended that you urinate soon.
I pulled a pillow over my head and grumbled. ¡°Pi! I can feel it. You don¡¯t need to announce that every time.¡± I hobbled one hundred yards to find the nearest bush to piss on. Barely managing to unzip and pull down three pairs of pants and even more underwear, I began watering the local foliage. ¡°Ahh, sweet relief!¡± I sighed, looking up to see a group of young children watching me curiously. I yelped and jumped into the brush to hide. When I poked my head out, they had gone. I saw them in the distance running toward the monastery in a fit of giggles. I removed the extra layers and stuffed them back in my bag before following the kids into the monastery. Up close, the large building was even more beat up than I thought it was. Parts of the walls crumbled after years of wear and tear with far too little maintenance. Nobody answered me when I knocked on the front door. I pushed the door open and called out. ¡°Hello. Is anybody home?¡± Sounds of giggling echoed through the halls along with the chatter of childish voices. I followed the sound until I came to a large dining hall. It was comprised of a pair of tables pushed together with no tablecloth in a room next to a makeshift kitchen. Due to a lack of chairs, the children had taken to using anything they could find for seats. Boxes, stacks of wood, and stools lined the table and each one had a kid sitting on it. An elderly woman at the back of the room looked up when the kids stopped talking. ¡°Oh, good morning dear. You must be the new adventurer. They told me you¡¯d be coming.¡± This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.
Mary
Level 1
Class Nun
Affection Level Magnanimous
I nodded, brushing away the menu. ¡°That¡¯s right. I was told I can get a meal here.¡± She flashed me a smile and motioned to the table. ¡°Children, make room for our guest. He is going to be joining us for meals from now on.¡± A collective groan rose from the children. ¡°Aw, does he have to? There¡¯s never enough food to go around.¡± ¡°Children! Where are your manners?¡± Mary scolded. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I do try to teach them proper manners.¡± I took the lone chair offered by the oldest kid. He then proceeded to bump another kid off of a box and take that seat for himself with a smirk on his face. The kid glared at him but sat on the floor. Taking the seat, I decided to question Pi mentally. Is food a problem here? Is there anything I can do to help feed these kids?
Options
Buy them food -100 Gold. +100 Renown
Hunt/Gather food +100 Renown
Let them fend for themselves No Adverse Effects
I chuckled at the menu before brushing it away. It turned out that I could buy renown. If I had gold that was. My other option was hunting or gathering. It was time to look into that. Is there edible food in the forest?
Yes. It is dangerous to go alone. Monsters lurk in the forest.
Can we eat them?
Most monsters are a great source of protein.
By the time I swiped away the last message, Mary had placed a bowl of what looked like gruel in front of me. I looked out over the table and noticed that the children¡¯s portions were significantly smaller than mine. I looked up at Mary and said, ¡°I can¡¯t take this much. Share some of it for the kids.¡± She shook her head and explained. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s part of your contract that you receive a certain amount of food per day. If I don¡¯t feed you, I will lose government funding.¡± ¡°They never said anything about stealing the food from children,¡± I sighed, pushing the bowl away and standing up. ¡°I might be back for lunch. You can let the kids eat this.¡± Once I was outside again, I looked back at the row of shanties. Pi, what is the best course of action for the day? How can I be the most productive?
Potential Activities
Gather food for the children +100 Renown. +20 Danger
Upgrade Home: Insulation Error: Missing Components
Upgrade Home: Soundproofing Error: Missing Components
Introductions +10 Faction with villagers
Hunt Monsters (Weapon Recommended) +100 Renown +50 Danger
Improve Stamina (Jogging) +5 Constitution
Improve Strength (Pushups) +5 Strength
Sleep All Day No Status Gain
I scanned the list. Pi was somewhat helpful. I noticed a few of the tasks could be combined. Where do we get components to upgrade the house?
Basic materials can be found in the forest. Further upgrades will require the assistance of artisans in the village.
So, can we gather food and other materials in the forest?
Yes.
That¡¯s what we¡¯re doing then. Who knows, I might even get some exercise. I entered the forest, careful to stay away from the bush I pissed in earlier. The area around the monastery reminded me of the forests back home in North Carolina. The only difference was I didn¡¯t recognize the sounds I heard in the distance. Faint yipping came from somewhere so I made it a point to explore in the opposite direction. The system helpfully identified potential items for me to focus on.
Items in the forest
Grobb Nuts Edible - Legume
Chapples Edible - Fruit
Rip Weed Edible - Vegetable
Leaves Insulation
Twigs and Branches Crafting Material
Unidentified Artifact Unknown Uses
The last entry had me the most intrigued. Where do I find the artifact?
These are examples of items you may find. I cannot identify anything unless you see them first.
So much for cheating. I made my way through the forest, tossing pretty much everything I came across in my bag. I was surprised by how easy it was to find fruits and berries. It quickly became apparent that not everything made it into the initial list.
Alert: You just collected sprinklegrass. It causes hallucinogenic effects when consumed. When burned it creates a pink smoke that causes paralysis.
While my primary focus was food, I made it a point to pick up any branch or log that looked like it would be useful for upgrading my house and stuffed it into my backpack. My stomach began to growl as the day wore on so I grabbed a handful of grobb nuts and examined them. They were easy enough to shell. Kind of like a peanut. The flavor was bitter, unlike any nut I¡¯d ever tasted. The problem was, it was making me thirsty. Pi, where can I find something to drink?
There is a river two hundred yards to the south.
Which way is south? Pi didn¡¯t like that question. I waited five minutes while it came up with a solution. Suddenly a glowing blue trail appeared in front of me, leading through the thick shrubs. The forest was so dense I had to wind my way through trees and bushes but eventually, I started to hear running water in the distance. When the forest thinned, I discovered a winding river running as far as I could see in both directions. Is it safe to drink?
The water has a 99.97% chance of giving you diarrhea.
Is there anything I can do to prevent that?
Options
Boil the water Decrease chance by 99%
Build Immunity Decrease chance over time
While I didn¡¯t necessarily want the runs, I was way too lazy to boil water every time I wanted a drink. I made my way over to the river, made a bowl with my hands, and scooped up the cool water. Then I took a sip. Well, at least it doesn¡¯t taste bad.
Affliction Acquired: The Runs (6 hours)
Thanks for letting me know!
You are very welcome, Alex.
Learn sarcasm!
Your sarcasm was noted and answered in kind.
I groaned as I realized the irony of it. Outsmarted by a machine, or was Pi an AI? Truth be told, I knew next to nothing about whatever Pi was. Just as I was about to return to the woods, I noticed a flash of movement on the other side of the river.
Fobear
Level 3
Class Rank C Monster
Affection Level Predator
That will kill you. You do not want to engage that monster at your current level.
Fortunately, the monster that was a cross between a fox and a bear either wasn¡¯t interested in getting wet or it didn¡¯t see me as worthy prey. Either way, I put it behind me and rushed back into the forest. Once the monster was out of sight, I checked my inventory.
Collection Results
Grobb Nuts 252
Chapples 17
Rip Weed 33
Leaves 455
Twigs and Branches 71
Unidentified Artifact 0
Sprinklegrass 10
Pebbles 52
I was a little frustrated that I never found the artifact. Something told me it was important. However, I was more than satisfied with my haul, so I decided to make my way back to town. I made it back to the monastery before realizing that I forgot to collect any water for later. It wouldn¡¯t be fun to have to go back to the river every time I wanted a drink. My goal had been to collect enough food to feed the orphans but I failed. While I didn¡¯t earn the renown, I did manage to get enough to feed myself a couple of meals. At least I wouldn¡¯t be eating theirs. The system didn¡¯t give me any time to rest.
What would you like to do next?
1.4: All that for a Rusty Dagger? ¡°Hello there.¡± I introduced myself cordially. ¡°My name is Alexander. You can call me Alex.¡± My neighbors ignored me and defensively huddled over a tiny grill where they were cooking a small piece of meat. Deciding to be more direct, I continued. ¡°I¡¯m your neighbor. The two of you were quite vigorous last night.¡± That got a reaction. A short stubby woman looked up in shock and blushed before busying herself with flipping the meat. The man next to her, a lanky blond fellow, flashed me a grin. ¡°Sorry about the noise, friend. You know how it is. Got to stay warm somehow. Before you ask, we aren¡¯t sharing any food with you.¡± I looked at the tiny morsel. It was barely one bite. How were they going to share it? I laughed and said, ¡°That¡¯s fine. I already ate.¡± The woman gave me an envious look. ¡°That¡¯s right, you¡¯re one of them company men, aren¡¯t you? Forcing the orphanage to feed you and all. Stealing candy from babies. That¡¯s what that is.¡± I reached into my backpack and held out a handful of nuts. ¡°Actually, I foraged these in the forest. The reason I came to talk to you is I was thinking we can work together to make our situation better. What do you think?¡± ¡°And why would you want to do that?¡± The man asked, not taking his eyes off the meat. I shrugged. ¡°I just thought we could get more done as a team.¡± ¡°What are you proposing?¡± The woman asked. ¡°And don¡¯t you dare try to trade your bloomin¡¯ nuts for this raquirell meat.¡± ¡°We¡¯re all living over here together.¡± I began. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it make sense that we work together to make our lives better?¡± The woman rolled her eyes. ¡°What would you possibly have to offer us?¡± This is going to be harder than I thought. Can you tell me anything about these two?
Details are incoming. You won¡¯t be impressed, though.
Weaver
Level 1
Class Ne¡¯er-do-well
Affection Level Lazy
Savia
Level 1
Class Wench
Affection Level Mistrusting
Part of me wondered why I was bothering with these people. It wasn¡¯t like they were positioned to help me in life, being peasants and all. I decided to ignore the question. ¡°What can you tell me about this village?¡± Savia laughed at me for evading her question but Weaver answered, ¡°Ain¡¯t nothing spectacular about Hellquist Village. It¡¯s pretty ordinary in every way. You don¡¯t have to worry about starving too much. So long as you don¡¯t mind getting your hands dirty from time to time.¡± ¡°How so?¡± I asked, curious about what the locals did for food. ¡°Go meet with the propers on the other side of town.¡± Savia spat. ¡°They always have something for you to do.¡± I decided to walk further down the line of shanties. It was more of the same. Each building was run down. The majority of the shanties were shut tight as their residents seemed to be gone After casting a final glance back at my neighbors, I decided to take a stroll around the hill. It hit me almost at once how much nicer the other side of town was. Each of the buildings was much better cared for and had a chimney with smoke drifting lazily into the afternoon sky. The smells made my mouth water, though I had no clue what they were of. Beyond the homes was a row of structures that could only be businesses. CLANK CLANK CLANK A large bald man with a bushy mustache looked up from an anvil as I wandered by his workshop. He grunted at me. ¡°Customers only. No lookie loos.¡± I was curious. Isn¡¯t that an Earth saying?
The auto-translate feature uses local idioms from your native language to make conversations more comfortable for you.
I had to admit, that was convenient. It was at times like this that I wished I had money. A simple weapon could be the difference between life and death. Perhaps I should have negotiated a bit more before signing the contract. Perhaps they would have given me a starter kit before sending me to fend for myself. Hey, Pi. What is the quickest way to get a weapon in this game¡­err I mean world.
There are several ways of acquiring a weapon.
1. Steal one +50 Infamy (If caught) Reward Variable (+10 Perception Check) The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
2. Get a job +50 Renown +5 gold Reward Variable / Possible cash rewards
3. Ask for consignment +25 Affiliation +10 Debt +1 Rusty Dagger (+10 Charisma Check)
4. Murder the blacksmith +500 Infamy +100 Gold +Choice of Weapon (+50 Strength Check)
I narrowed it down to two options. A job or a loan. I wasn¡¯t about to get busted for theft or murder on my first day in Gaia. While I wasn¡¯t exactly ruling out a life of crime, I wanted to ease my way into it, not jump into the deep end. Making my way back to the blacksmith, I paused while Pi gave me his details.
Brewster
Level 2
Class Blacksmith
Affection Level Fair
I chuckled when I read the gruff-looking guy¡¯s affection level. Why is it called affection level if it¡¯s just going to tell me the kind of mood he¡¯s in?
The creator likes to use that particular window to get women to engage in sexual congress with him.
That was way more information than I needed to know. Still, I was a little curious. Who is the creator? Is that god?
No. The creator is the individual who created the system that governs all magical beings. He is considered the creator by all but his closest consorts.
At least it wasn¡¯t god. That would be weird. By that point, Brewster noticed I was loitering again. ¡°Do you need something? Spit it out or piss off!¡± Deciding to go with the first option, I said, ¡°I¡¯d like to know if you need any help.¡± ¡°Want money, do ya?¡± He said while glowering at me. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what a chubby guy like you could possibly¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m in need of a weapon,¡± I replied, trying to sound confident. ¡°It¡¯s kind of dangerous not to have one and I do admire your work.¡± That was a lie. I hadn¡¯t seen anything Brewster made. Fortunately, it worked. He threw his head back in laughter. ¡°Hah! Very well. You clean out the shop and I¡¯ll find ya something. Can¡¯t promise it will be me best work but it will suit someone like you just fine.¡±
Cleaning the smithy was no easy task. I missed dinner and the sun had set by the time it was clean to Brewster¡¯s liking. To his credit, he worked well into the night himself, hammering out an order of short swords until sunset and then polishing his wares after it was too late to make noise. To say I was impressed with his work ethic would have been an understatement. I, on the other hand, wasn¡¯t fairing very well. Sweat dripped from my face even though it was freezing outside. By the time Brewster was satisfied, my arms felt like lead. ¡°Not bad for such a large fellow.¡± He began with a laugh. ¡°I half expected you to quit partway through. I wasn¡¯t planning to give you anything today but I suppose a little something is in order.¡±
You have received a rusty dagger.
I glared at the menu, brushing it to the side. I know that. He literally just handed it to me! Pi ignored me and displayed stats.
Rusty Dagger
Item Type: Weapon
Damage Type: Piercing
Damage +1
Requirements N/A
Bonuses None
I looked over the weapon. It was basic but well in line with what you¡¯d expect to find in a starter down. Brewster looked at me questioningly, so I rewarded him with a smile. ¡°Thank you very much. You are a skilled blacksmith.¡± ¡°Rubbish.¡± He spat the word. ¡°That is just a failure of a weapon that¡¯s been collecting dust. And rust as you can clearly see. If you want something better, you¡¯re going to have to earn it. Come back when you have time and maybe I¡¯ll let you earn something proper that fits you. There could even be a little copper in it for ya.¡± I tucked the dagger into my backpack as I made my way back to the shanty. The dried sweat made me feel grimy and even colder than I had when I first arrived at the village. The peasants were all sealed into their private shacks for the night and, judging by the noises coming from the Weaver¡¯s place, they were well on their way to warming up. Either that or making a baby. Once inside of my home, I dug through the backpack for a chapple. The skin wasn¡¯t too hard, so I was able to bite right into it like a normal apple. The taste surprised me. While the nuts I had eaten earlier in the day were somewhat bitter, the chapple tasted like a cherry-flavored apple.
Congratulations, you have reached level 2! +50 Renown +1 Constitution +1 Strength + 1 Perception +1 Charisma I was out like a light the moment my head hit the sack. The orgasmic feeling that washed over me from leveling up helped keep me warm in bed that night. I dreamed of playing a video game in a fantasy world where I had to gather nuts and berries from a local forest and did a quest for a scruffy blacksmith before heading out to grind levels on the local slime population. All too soon, I found myself awake with a sharp pain in my stomach.
You are afflicted with diarrhea. I suggest you find a privy soon.
I groaned and peeled off the multiple layers of blankets before waddling out of the shanty. In the darkness, the forest seems so much farther than usual. Just as I made it there, a voice called out in the darkness. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± BLART It started as a fart and ended as the second pair of wrecked underwear in two days. Pi, where can I get some water to clean myself?
The closest source of water is in the monastery. However, I do not recommend going there smelling as you do. You will lose affiliation with the inhabitants.
¡°I can hear you breathing in there.¡± The voice called. ¡°Who¡¯s out of bed?¡± Realizing I was busted, I stepped out of the forest, trying to ignore the squishing feeling between my legs. It was a kid from the monastery, the older boy who gave me his seat. He frowned when he saw me. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you. You stink mister. Did you just crap yourself?¡± All I could do was nod. He made a show of pinching his nose with his fingers and walked briskly away from me. ¡°I¡¯ll go over here. Please don¡¯t follow me.¡± Part of me wanted to rush back to the shanty and barricade myself inside but I knew if I didn¡¯t finish what I started, I¡¯d just be back. So I took a few steps into the forest and started peeling off clothes.
Back in the safety of the shanty, I tucked the pair of soiled underwear into my backpack. It was the second pair I¡¯d ruined since arriving on Gaia. The system helpfully showed me how to make compartments.
The nil space inside your bag can be separated into various void pockets to house a variety of items. This can include things such as liquids and gases as well as physical items. Normally, it takes a specialized void mage or leatherworker to create the compartments but as I have direct access to the system, all you need to do is ask.
Direct access to the system? That was something I was going to have to exploit. Can you make water?
Technically.
Will you make me some? I¡¯m thirsty and I¡¯d kind of like to stop stinking.
I apologize, Alex. There are some things you have to sort out for yourself.
So much for cheat mode. Still, I made a mental note to work the system whenever possible.
The second time I woke up well-rested.
Bladder at 47% Capacity. You are thirsty. You are no longer afflicted with diarrhea. +1% immunity to local drinking water.
Great! Ninety-nine more times to go.
Not necessarily. Immunity works in strange ways.
I sighed and put on my backpack, setting out for another day of adventure. 1.5: Making a Lasting Impression at the Forge The top order of the day was to get more water. I trudged through the forest making the long hike back to the river. That yipping sound echoed through the forest again. Pi, what¡¯s making that noise?
That is the mating call of a Skunkey. A small primate-type monster that likes to climb trees. Warning: They spray a fluid with a foul odor when frightened. While curious by nature, they are not particularly aggressive.
While part of me wanted to see what a skunkey looked like, I was not in the mood to deal with spray. Not if it was anything like a skunk back home. I smelt that before and didn¡¯t care for a repeat performance. I made it to the river in record time. It was a lot easier when I wasn¡¯t stopping to forage. Okay, Pi. Make me a water compartment.
Compliance.
I paused. That answer¡­ Have you watched Flight of the Navigator?
If you watched it. I¡¯ve seen it.
I filed that away under; Useful information about the system. Looking in my backpack, I discovered it now had an extra compartment. Switching between compartments was as simple as sliding a zipper a certain way. I hesitated before dipping the bag in the river. Are you sure this thing is waterproof?
Yes. Each compartment is magically protected.
Holding my breath for reasons I couldn¡¯t fathom, I dipped the backpack into the water. I felt the current catch on the bag, trying to pry it from my grip. After holding it there for a minute, I removed it from the river. It didn¡¯t feel any heavier. Do you think I got enough? It doesn¡¯t feel like I got anything.
Water Collected 100 Gallons
Bag Capacity 0.001%
I turned to leave before remembering my soiled clothing from the night before. The stench hit me when I unzipped the pocket I had placed the foul clothing in. I tried my best to hold my breath as I washed each piece individually. Hey Pi, can you make laundry soap?
No, but you can.
How?
The easiest method to remove oils and stains from your clothing is to soak them in urine. If you would like to make more advanced soaps, you can acquire monster fat or a variety of plants and trees to make ash for lye. I will provide further instructions when you decide.
You want me to pee on it?
Correct. Soak the clothing in urine.
I didn¡¯t like the sound of that one bit. No matter how hard I scrubbed, there was still a hint of a stain. Are you sure about this?
Yes.
And that was how I ended up taking a leak in my backpack. I added a special soaking compartment to the backpack and started back toward town. On the way, I did my daily foraging. At some point, I was going to have to find some meat. Or at least a source of protein. I couldn¡¯t survive on nuts and berries forever. The idea that there was an undiscovered artifact in the forest was always on my mind, and I looked for it everywhere I went. Pi, tell me more about the artifact. What am I looking for?
Artifacts are items of value from a bygone era. They are usually quite valuable to the capital and some are labeled illegal for non-awakened ownership.
Am I awakened?
Partially.
I was confused. What does that mean?
A fully awakened citizen usually awakens at puberty and presents with a class. They have full access to the mana in their core and typically acquire traits and skills as they level. As a partial awakened, you gain experience at a restricted rate and currently do not have direct access to your mana.
I can¡¯t use my mana? That¡¯s such a waste.
Don¡¯t worry. I use it for you.
That annoyed me. What was the point of having mana if I had no control over it? You¡¯re my friend, right Pi? How about you awaken me?
I cannot do that.
Why not?
You lack a proper class. You must find something you are passionate about and focus on learning it. That is the only way.
While it was frustrating, that was something at least. The question was, what class to choose? The closest thing I had to learning a class was blacksmith and that didn¡¯t appeal to me at all, so I doubled down on finding the relic. Can you show me a map of the forest? A translucent map of the local area floated in front of me. On it, I saw a little building representing the monastery on the outskirts of a large forest. The map went all the way to the river. Can you show me a legend?
What would you like to see on this legend?
Artifacts? I could hope, right?
No!
Phooey! How about hidden objects?
You aren¡¯t going to give up, are you?
Probably not. I could tell I was grinding the system down. Suddenly a key appeared on the bottom of the map.
Legend
Hidden items X You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
Nuts N
Berries/Fruit Trees F
Other edibles O
Goblin Camp G
The map flooded with color as it became populated by the new legend. There was a goblin camp far to the north of me. I wasn¡¯t worried so much about that. Food was everywhere. I was standing on a berry patch that I hadn¡¯t noticed, so I bent down to pluck some tiny purple fruit from a vine that ran past my feet. Then there were the hidden objects. The map revealed a lot more of them than I expected. The closest was just a few steps away. I stared at the map as I stomped through the brush, trying to get to the hidden artifact. At first, I thought the map was wrong. When I arrived at the spot indicated on the map, there was nothing there. Then it dawned on me. Hidden. It took a while but I found it. Only it wasn¡¯t an artifact. Buried at the foot of a tree was a bag of coins. Copper to be precise. Tiny coins with the picture of a young girl with a tiara on her head on one side and what kind of looked like a crow on the other. Only its beak was shorter than usual.
You have discovered 39 copper.
I know that! For the next several hours, I scavenged my way through the forest as I hiked from hidden item to hidden item. The majority of the time, I found lost toys and buried trash. There were random valuables that I collected like an old arrowhead and a clay cup. I was dangerously close to the goblin camp when I finally found an artifact.
Scanning object¡­ Error¡­ Item description not in database¡­ Making profile¡­ Determination: Enchanted object created pre-era. Item Classification: Hammer Enchantment: Unknown Statistics: Unknown
What the hell is this?
I don¡¯t know.
How did you know it was here when you don¡¯t know what it is?
I know where everything is but if it was created before me, I cannot ascertain its qualities.
I turned the hammer over in my hands. It looked¡­ordinary. Can this thing hurt me?
Unknown.
Is it possible to get it appraised somewhere?
Unlikely. The only awakened that can identify pre-era items are typically thousands of years old and hard to find.
What do you suggest?
If you use the artifact, I can gather information based on how it affects you. I will try to shield you from any damage it may cause. Likelihood of permanent harm: 10%.
My first dilemma. Use the artifact and possibly die, or ignore it and miss out on any potential benefits. ¡°Ayieeeeee!¡± A scream made me jump. I looked up in time to see a green blur run off in the other direction. Goblins! I took off at a sprint, running away from the peril but keeping one eye on the map to make sure I didn¡¯t get turned around. Huff huff wheeze. Curse this body! I¡¯m so out of shape.
You are in the top 10% of the heaviest humans on Gaia. Would you like to lose weight? Y/N?
Yes! This sucks.
Forming exercise and diet regimen. Prepare for a 2-mile jog after the lunch break.
No! I gotta go to work.
Error: Only strict adherence to exercise and diet regimen will result in desired weight loss.
Shut up!
Understood.
I bent over against the wall of the monastery, panting and trying to catch my breath. The first thing to do was take a quick inventory of my latest expedition.
Collection Results
Grobb Nuts 441
Chapples 33
Rip Weed 81
Leaves 455
Twigs and Branches 193
Unidentified Artifact 1
Sprinklegrass 10
Pebbles 52
Childs Toy 3
Copper Coins 39
Arrowhead 3
Cup 1
Garbage 7
Total Forest Explored: 7%
I just spent hours in there. Are you sure I didn¡¯t explore more?
Your system of traveling from one hidden object to the next leaves a lot of unexplored territory. Would you like me to recommend a more efficient method of exploring the forest? Y/N?
I ignored Pi, and after catching my breath, made my way back to the shanty. Are you sure I can¡¯t get this appraised somewhere? Perhaps at a church?
The church can only help if an item is confirmed to be cursed.
I groaned. It wasn¡¯t like I was going to get anywhere by being super cautious. If I wanted to beat the game, I was going to have to take some risks. Placing a rock on the ground, I held the hammer above my head. Here goes nothing.
Try not to die.
Heh, thanks for nothing! Then I brought down the hammer with surprising force. When I opened my eyes, the rock was gone. It wasn¡¯t that I mean to close them. Somewhere in the downswing, instinct took over and my eyes clamped shut. In the rock¡¯s place was a shallow crater about half a foot deep.
Analyzing Experiment¡­ Preparing Report¡­ The artifact enhanced your swing and accurately targeted the stone. Heat transferred at the point of impact causing the target to disintegrate. Suggestion: The artifact may have a greater effect if used on a superior metal. Potential Artifact Rank: S Estimated Value: 1000 Gold. Would you like to assign a name? Y/N?
I stared at the report for a minute before letting out a loud whoop. Not only was it my first artifact but now I had the potential to be rich. That meant a nicer house and a warm night¡¯s sleep. Hell, I could eat meat again. The possibilities were endless. I burst from the shanty and practically skipped as I made my way around the hill. If anyone could see potential in my new hammer, it would be Brewster. The goal was to sell him the hammer for top gold, buy a cheap house and find the best restaurant in town. Possibly not in that order. Brewster was waiting for me when I arrived. ¡°What¡¯s got you in such a good mood? It can¡¯t be the thought of cleaning the forge.¡± ¡°Check this out,¡± I announced proudly, brandishing the hammer like a sword. Brewster squinted at the artifact, a frown forming on his face. ¡°It¡¯s a hammer? What about it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a magic hammer!¡± I proclaimed, shaking it for good measure. He took a few steps closer, examining the hammer. ¡°Looks pretty normal to me. Not even a smithy hammer. Why do you think it¡¯s magic?¡± Feeling a sudden need to prove my treasure¡¯s voracity, I brought it down hard on the ground. This time I kept my eyes open. The earth around us quaked as the hammer forced the ground to implode on itself. Brewster half jumped, half fell backward, landing hard on his backside. I knelt beside him in an action pose, hammer buried in the rubble of crushed earth with me still attached to it. Truth be told, I felt like Thor. Brewster crawled over to the crater and ran his ringers over the rocks. ¡°Well, either you got some hidden strength in you or there might be something to that magic hammer theory. Where did you get it?¡± ¡°I found it in the forest,¡± I explained, returning to my feet. ¡°Do you want to buy it?¡± The look of longing on his face told me that he wanted it. ¡°Can I try it out?¡± I handed it over and Brewster retreated to his anvil. Selecting a sinister-looking black metal ingot, he placed it into the forge and stoked the fire with a large sooty billow. After a while, the black metal took on a red sheen and he removed it with a long pair of prongs. He placed it on the anvil and readied the artifact. ¡°I take no responsibility if your hammer isn¡¯t up to the task.¡± I swallowed and nodded when I noticed he was waiting for me to reply. TINK TINK TINK I¡¯m not sure what I had been expecting. An explosion maybe? The quiet tinking sound the hammer made was the last thing I expected. Brewster seemed confused as well. ¡°It doesn¡¯t work. Do you have to activate it?¡±
Items with special effects only work for their registered owner. This prevents theft and misuse.
I sighed, realizing there was no way to allow him to test it without giving it to him. ¡°Want me to try?¡± He raised an eyebrow at me. ¡°You¡¯ll hurt yourself. Forging ain¡¯t for the weak.¡± ¡°One hit,¡± I suggested, wanting to know what he expected to happen. ¡°Let me hit it one time. That way we can see how the hammer works.¡± Brewster shook his head. ¡°Obsidrite is too much for your level. I haven¡¯t even made you my apprentice yet. Let me get some slag or perhaps some coppernick.¡± Too focused on the shiny black ore in front of me, I asked, ¡°What would happen if I hit that one?¡± ¡°Hit?¡± He asked. ¡°You can call it many things but not hit. It¡¯s not a monster. It¡¯s a forge. This ore isn¡¯t volatile. It won¡¯t explode or anything. However, if you mis-strike it, you could damage it. Obsidrite isn¡¯t cheap.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± I replied, giving up on the idea of making a shiny black dagger to replace my rusty one. Seeing my frustration, Brewster picked up one of his hammers and returned to the forge. ¡°This is a proper smith¡¯s hammer. See how the head is narrower than yours? It allows me to focus each strike precisely where it¡¯s needed.¡± He reheated the metal for a minute before placing it back on the anvil. ¡°Watch carefully and see the difference.¡± CLANG CLANG CLANG Sparks flew with every strike but, more importantly, I watched the ingot begin to respond in real-time, slowly changing shape under the powerful blows.
Is it your desire to become a blacksmith? Y/N?
Tempting. I mean, I was tempted. Being a craftsman and opening up a shop could be a fun way of living my life on Gaia. I could probably unlock a ton of achievements and live the good life too. That reminded me¡­ Hey, Pi. Does the system give achievements? Is there a list of goals to achieve?
Yes. There are achievements and titles you can acquire. They are all hidden until you discover them.
Great! More hard work. What was the point of having Pi if he never did anything for me? Brewster finished his work and held up a flattened square of black metal. ¡°This is a sheet. It¡¯s the first step for many recipes. I have to make forty of them for a project I¡¯m working on.¡± I watched in silence as Brewster reset the forge. Then he disappeared in the back, returning with a lumpy brown metal. ¡°This is coppernick. You can find it everywhere and it¡¯s practically worthless. I¡¯ll teach you how to do a basic strike but then you need to get to work. If you want to be paid that is.¡± I nodded and he repeated the process of heating the metal. ¡°Each ore has its own sweet spot. If you heat it too much, it will crack. Not enough and you won¡¯t be able to handle it properly. Coppernick is fairly forgiving as metals go which is why it¡¯s a good ore to learn on. Here, give it a strike.¡± He stood beside me and demonstrated the proper way to strike metal before letting me go. BOOM The entire forge was filled with soot as the artifact made contact with the ore. We were both blown back off our feet by the force of the impact. When the dust settled, we stared in shock at the spot where the anvil once stood. It split into two pieces and rested on the floor in front of the forge. ¡°My forge!¡± Brewster bellowed, rushing over to the fallen remnants of the anvil. ¡°What did you¡­how? Why? What the hell is that thing?¡± ¡°Do you, um, want to buy it?¡± I asked weakly, realizing that my plan was going up in smoke. Literal smoke. ¡°I¡¯m sure it will work for you too if you own it.¡± Brewster just glowered at me. ¡°Why in the name of Iris would I want a hammer that destroys my forge? That thing is a weapon, not a tool. Now tell me this, what are you going to do about this?¡±
In the end, I was fired. Brewster was furious with me and sent me packing. The walk home was much slower than the trip out. It was the walk of shame, reflecting on my mistakes. I wonder why he didn¡¯t demand the hammer as payment.
He likely believes the hammer to be cursed. Nobody on Gaia wants to be attuned to a cursed relic.
Is it cursed?
I do not believe so. It appears the hammer has the added effect: Chaotic Impact. This is a demolition effect best served in quarrying.
Is there a quarry nearby? Do you think anyone would want to buy it?
The nearest established quarry is 429 miles to the north. You can sell the artifact to anyone if the price is right.
I walked in silence for a while. The one thing Hellquist village had going for it was that it was beautiful. Birds, at least I hoped that¡¯s what they were, chirped in the trees and happy villagers milled about enjoying the day. I just had to work hard and move over to the other side of town. The good side of town. If only I could do magic. Then I¡¯d show everyone!
Would you like to pursue a magic class?
Wait! Hold up! Full stop! You never said anything about magic before! Why didn¡¯t we unlock magic from the start?
You never asked.
Well, sign me up! What do I have to do?
This is a serious decision that will alter the course of your life. Do not make it lightly. You are free to pursue any course of life you wish. Choosing the magic path will close others to you. Are you sure you wish to proceed? Y/N?
It was a no-brainer. It was my childhood dream to do magic. Any kind of magic. As a kid, I could swing a sword and run around pretending I was a warrior. Magic was more. It required a dream, a vision, and imagination. Now it was going to be real. Yes! A thousand times yes! Show me how to get started. 2.1: A new beginning My journey began with an odd party. I left the village of Yew alongside an Ogre, a Cabbit, my daughter who happened to be a dungeon-in-training, and an annoying bard. Bori skipped ahead of us, always careful to stay within ten feet of me. That was her area of influence. Any constructs she made couldn¡¯t get farther away without dropping lifelessly to the ground. While her favorite construct in the dungeon had been a pet dog she called Ruffles, she preferred a humanoid form when she was topside. It not only gave us the appearance of a family out on a walk together, but it also allowed her to talk to the rest of the group. One thing we found out quickly was that I couldn¡¯t invite dungeons to groups, even those that were related to me. Jericho rubbed his chest. ¡°Pledging a death wish to a goddess is painful.¡± ¡°Only if you break your vow,¡± I replied dryly. The specifics of the vow were secret, at least publicly. We were getting good at having scripted dialog when not using group chat. That was the only way to mislead S.I.M.P Co. In group chat was another matter. How much farther? Jericho shrugged. That depends. The location I released him in isn¡¯t far from here. He could have wandered off for all I know. Porky, the Porcusaurus I¡¯d befriended while doing a quest, had been monster-napped by Jericho when he betrayed me. He had been an NPC for the company, paid to do things to keep me playing the game. When his actions inadvertently got my girlfriend, Isabelle, killed, he had a change of heart and swore to help me. It didn¡¯t take long to find Porky. Or I should say, he found us. The sun was just beginning to set when a large rumbling growl came from some bushes ahead of us. While the others reached for their weapons, I understood exactly what the sentient monster said. ¡°Human, you have returned. Did you bring any of that delicious food?¡± I laughed, causing the rest of the group to stare at me in disbelief. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re allowed to eat people food? I hear it¡¯s bad for some animals.¡± Porky growled a response. While sounding intimidating, I could feel the humor in it. ¡°You should see some of the things I¡¯m forced to eat. Give me one of those things you call sandwiches.¡± I rummaged through my bag as I approached the area the growling came from. ¡°You¡¯ll probably like these better than sandwiches.¡± Porky emerged from the thicket sniffing gingerly as I held out a rope of sausage links for him. Part-velociraptor and part-porcupine, he looked intimidating. The rest of the group looked on as I patiently fed the monster. Out of everyone, the only other member of the group to approach the monster was Bori. As a construct, she had nothing to fear if anything were to happen to her. The only way she could take damage was if something got through Cornerstone on my arm to get at her core. It was a pink gemstone embedded in the incredibly dense stone of the SS-ranked item I¡¯d transformed into my prosthetic when I lost my arm in a fight with a dungeon. I still wasn¡¯t sure that Pi hadn¡¯t sacrificed my arm just to make me more efficient in battle. When Porky finished eating, he stepped into the clearing, bearing his fangs at Jericho. ¡°This one attacked me and dragged me out here against my will. Do you mind if I eat him?¡± I looked back at the bard. A part of me was tempted to accept the offer, as I partly blamed Jericho for what happened to Isa. However, if I wanted to bring her back, I had to take all the help I could get, and he was bound by a goddess to do everything in his power to make that happen. I patted Porky on the head and said, ¡°He¡¯s on our team now. For sure this time.¡± ¡°Why did you come here?¡± Porky asked, eyeing my bag for more food. I pulled out some more sausage links. Helen had stocked me up for a very long time. Additionally, the food was freshly cooked, preserved by my bag only moments after she finished preparing it. ¡°I came to make sure you were alive and doing well. Jericho told me he¡¯d spared you but I didn¡¯t believe him.¡± ¡°This place is not a good home,¡± Porky hissed. ¡°There is no lake nearby for me to catch fish. Do you mind if I travel with you until I find a new place to hunt?¡± The first thought that entered my mind was having a Porcusaurus for a pet. Of course, he was too intelligent for that. A thought occurred to me. ¡°Would you like to join our group? We¡¯re on a quest to rescue a friend.¡± The dinosaur tilted its head. ¡°Grouping is a Human thing, is it not?¡± I shrugged. ¡°I have an Ogre, a Dungeon, and a Cabbit in the group. I¡¯d say it¡¯s more of a non-Human thing if you ask me. You¡¯d fit right in.¡± Porky walked past me and sniffed Bori who had been trying to pet him. The others were slowly backing away as the monster made its way into the clearing. Finally, it let out a loud snort. ¡°Very well. Feed me and I¡¯ll travel with you, Human. You must promise to find me a new home when we''re through, though.¡± ¡°Deal!¡± I replied. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
The only information we¡¯d been given on rescuing Isa was that we had to find Iris¡¯s sister, Elysiana. The Goddess of Death was the key to recovering her soul from the other side. I was also hoping she could point me in the right direction to remove the Necromantic corruption from her core. Was there a friendly Necromancer out there who wouldn¡¯t mind doing me a solid? I stared at the map Pi provided me in the corner of my vision as we marched through a mountain pass. Mount Pi was where Iris told me I could find her sister. Bori ran ahead of us. The world was new to her and she had to explore everything. Occasionally, small monsters lurked in the shrubs and bushes we passed. She found all of them and didn¡¯t hesitate to pounce. While she looked like a little girl, her construct was capable of growing long claws that made quick work of the low-level Raquirrels and Barats. The rest of the group couldn¡¯t be bothered with the small non-aggressive monsters. Normally, I¡¯d argue that we shouldn¡¯t kill them if we didn¡¯t intend to eat them, but not only did Bori sustain herself on the mana she got from defeating them but she also used the kills to level up. As her Daddy who she also fed off of, I gained a small amount of experience as well. She jumped around a corner, holding up a dead Raquirrel. ¡°Look, Daddy. I caught a big one.¡± ¡°That¡¯s nice, Dear,¡± I replied blandly, not wanting to touch the dead rodent. ¡°In Cabbit culture, dropping your kill at the feet of your loved one is a sign of affection,¡± Khi pointed out, prompting Bori to drop the corpse in my path. I sighed and picked it up, placing it in my bag with the others Bori had given me. Who knew, maybe someday I¡¯d run out of Helen¡¯s cooking and be forced to resort to monster meat. Anything beat the nuts and berries I had been forced to subsist on when I first arrived on Gaia. It had been several weeks since I¡¯d seen any sign of Cordellia or her carriage. In the aftermath of Isa¡¯s death, I¡¯d been harsh with her. I told her I never wanted to see her again and apparently she¡¯d taken that to heart. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Jericho told me. ¡°You¡¯ll see her again. Unless they reassign her, that is. Then you¡¯ll get a new representative.¡± He was speaking out loud because the last thing I wanted was a new rep from the company. While I was still upset, I recognized Isa¡¯s death wasn¡¯t Cordelia¡¯s fault. She¡¯d tried to summon reinforcements. I took a deep breath and said, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind seeing her again.¡±
That did the trick. Cordelia found me that night. We¡¯d gotten in the habit of setting up camp. That consisted of a two-bedroom house complete with a stable that I crafted from Cornerstone. It took a few days of practice to make it perfect, but I managed to get it just how everyone liked it through repetition. Even though there were currently six people in the group, we only needed two bedrooms because Ceru insisted on sleeping with me and Bori¡¯s core was embedded in my arm. Khi slept where he wanted, which usually found him curled up on my pillow just above my head. The other room went to Jericho, who nobody wanted to sleep with. He grumbled about it the first night. ¡°Usually, everyone wants to sleep with me.¡± ¡°Not us,¡± Ceru chirped. ¡°Not us!¡± Bori echoed. Even though she didn¡¯t need a body to sleep, Bori kept her construct so she could snuggle up to me. I found the attention helped me not think about Isa too much. The thought that I¡¯d failed her weighed heavily on my mind, especially when I tried to sleep. Cordelia announced her presence with a knock on the door. I¡¯d heard the carriage arriving, so I was already out of bed by the time she got to the door. I also left the group so nobody else could eavesdrop on our conversation. Cordelia looked like she hadn¡¯t been sleeping, with dark lines under her eyes. She refused to make eye contact as she said, ¡°I came as soon as you summoned me.¡± I stepped outside and closed the door behind me. She frowned at the closed door but said nothing. I led her back to the carriage which she opened and invited me inside. Once she¡¯d closed the door, she took off her shirt and sat expectantly. I knew it was the ritual she had to perform to make the company cut to commercial. Once I was satisfied we weren¡¯t being spied on, I said, ¡°I don¡¯t blame you for what happened.¡± Cordelia broke down in tears. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry she died. I felt helpless to do anything, and I¡¯m supposed to be your person. I know you can never forgive me, but I¡¯ll do anything to make it up to you. Anything.¡± The way she leaned forward gave me the distinct impression she wanted to make it up to me in bed. However, she didn¡¯t press the matter like she normally did. Instead of leaning over to kiss me or sit in my lap, she sat back as though she didn¡¯t know what to do. My instinct was to comfort her, but I just couldn¡¯t. Not with her. Not so soon as Isa¡¯s death. It felt like it would disrespect her memory. The thought of Isa watching me from wherever she was made it even more awkward. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do anything,¡± I finally replied. ¡°It was a painful lesson that I can¡¯t throw myself in danger and expect the company to bail me out. From now on, I¡¯m going to be smarter about things. I¡¯m going to protect the people I care about. That includes you, by the way.¡± She broke down again and this time I moved over to her side of the carriage and wrapped my arm around her. Everything that was happening to these people had been the result of my actions. Once she¡¯d calmed down enough, I asked, ¡°Do you know what I intend to do next?¡± It was a loaded question. The real question was, did S.I.M.P. Co. know? She wiped her eyes, a whimper escaping her lips while she nodded feebly. ¡°You¡¯re going to bring her back, aren¡¯t you? The company says that shouldn¡¯t be possible. Of course, everything you¡¯ve done so far wasn¡¯t supposed to be possible.¡± I nodded but didn¡¯t say anything. She continued. ¡°How often do you want me to check on you? As I said, I¡¯ll do whatever you want.¡± ¡°Weekly is fine,¡± I replied. ¡°Just treat this as business as usual.¡± She finally made eye contact. ¡°What about us? Are we okay?¡± I knew what she was asking. She wanted to sleep with me. The truth was, I wanted to ravage her. Only, I worried I¡¯d hurt her in my current state. I was filled with rage which had no outlet. ¡°We will be,¡± I replied, stroking her hair. ¡°I still need time to come to grips with what happened. But soon. I promise you, it will be soon.¡± She sobbed some more and I held her in the carriage. After a while, she blew her nose and told me she was good.
I lingered outside for a few minutes in the dark after she left. Pi, do you think this is going to work? Pi was cynical as usual.
The odds of successfully resurrecting your girlfriend is 2.31%
Thanks, Pi, I replied, shivering. It¡¯s cold out here.
That statement is accurate.
I went back inside and crawled between the already sleeping girls. Then I was warm. 2.2: In the name of Love ¡°Nice one, Honey,¡± I said with a yawn as I trudged along the winding dirt road. Bori grunted as she charged at a wild ruffalo. The construct she was using at the moment was a Porcusaurus. In the dungeon, she¡¯d been limited to monsters she remembered from her previous life. Even though she was my daughter, her soul had been reincarnated from my home world of Earth. Porky, who she¡¯d studied to take on the form, hunted alongside her, corralling the escaping ruffalo and driving it back into her range. Her one weakness when it came to monster hunting was the need to stay within ten feet of me. The porcusaurus, which was a cross between a velociraptor and a porcupine was incredibly agile. It wasn¡¯t a good match for Bori¡¯s limited mobility. Fortunately, she had Porky to help her. Another thing she inherited from me was the ability to speak multiple languages. It allowed the dungeon core to talk to the rest of the group as well as Porky. The only limitation was she had to use the appropriate monster to speak the language. When in Human form, she could speak to our Human friends, and when she mimicked Porky, she could use the grunting language he did. Thanks to Pi, I was able to speak to her in all her forms. That included her core that only spoke Dungeonese. I turned away as Bori went in for the kill. A horrifying crunch followed by a defeated bleat told me the battle was over. Porky wasted no time critiquing Bori¡¯s performance. ¡°You did well. However, if you wish to hunt as I do, you must learn the art of stealth. While we are swift, we are weak when outnumbered. The best strategy is to sneak up and take out your prey in a single strike.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± Bori droned, sounding bored. I grinned as I made my way over to carve up the fallen monster. ¡°You should pay close attention to Porky. He¡¯s been hunting for longer than you¡¯ve been alive.¡± I wasn¡¯t entirely sure that was true. How long did Porcusauruses live? As usual, Pi was quick to read my mind and supply an answer.
The average Porcusaurus lives anywhere between 20 and 50 years. They are usually hunted by adventurers as they are deemed threatening to civilized populations. Additionally, there are multiple Alchemical and Bonecrafting uses for their body parts.
¡°Good to know,¡± I muttered. ¡°We can turn Porky into a potion.¡± He stared at me in disbelief. Jericho walked over and patted me on the back a little harder than I appreciated. ¡°Are you sure all that grunting is communication? You even got the dungeon doing it.¡± Ceru leaned against a tree, watching the whole thing. ¡°I can¡¯t speak monster even if I turn into one. That must be a unique skill for Dungeons.¡± It was true, with the Waru-nu, we could turn into any monster we could think of. The problem was, unlike Bori, we couldn¡¯t move around as effectively as they could when we transformed ourselves. Our attributes were still those of our original forms when we used the artifact to change our appearance. On the other hand, Bori created fresh bodies for every monster she spawned. Her only limitation was that she couldn¡¯t create monsters higher level than herself. We continued her training as we made our way to Mount Pi. It loomed ahead of us in the distance as the tallest mountain in the range.
Mount Pi is a landmark in the Dabian Peninsula. As the tallest peak, it is known to spawn particularly high-level monsters. I recommend using all three of your golems for the ascent.
With two massive legs and very little in the way of mountain climbing skills, Porky struggled as we started to climb. We decided to leave him at the base while the rest of us went on. He roared as we left. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯ll find something to eat while you¡¯re gone.¡± Khi jumped up on the head of the first golem I created. Without the staff, I couldn¡¯t make golems as big as a mountain anymore, but the ones I created were at least seven feet tall. Bori returned to her human form and gave me a curious look. ¡°Are you going to fight the next monster, Daddy?¡± I patted her on the head. ¡°There might be some strong monsters on this mountain. It¡¯s better to be prepared.¡± Ceru looked nervous as we reached the mountain. She¡¯d donned her new armor, a tight leather outfit that expanded and shrank as she grew. She traveled with us in her original Ogre form, with light blue skin and tiny fangs that protruded from her bottom lip. When I announced we¡¯d fight tougher monsters, she grew until she was even bigger than my golems. Somehow, she managed to wield a pair of wicked-looking clubs she¡¯d gotten from somewhere. When I inspected them, I wasn¡¯t very impressed.
Ogre War Club
Rank D
Attack 7
I walked close to her, my golems forming an honor guard around us. Jericho kept to the rear, taking out a drum and playing a steady beat that invigorated me. The path to the peak was a narrow ledge that wound its way up the mountain. We didn¡¯t encounter our first monster until we were close to the summit, just after reaching the snow cap.
Yeti Stolen novel; please report.
Level 41
Class Rank C Monster
Affection Level Freezing
The first one didn¡¯t bother me so much. Pi sent a golem over to hold its attention while I lined up a finger gun to deal some damage. Bori chose to go with a large dog that resembled a wolf. I held Ceru back with me, which upset her. She tugged against my grip and whined. ¡°What are you doing? I can fight.¡± I sighed. ¡°Sorry, let me deal with this one. I promise to help you train in the future.¡± The truth was, I was scared of losing her the same way I¡¯d lost Isa. I was careless and we bit off more than we could chew. The company was worthless when it came to keeping my companions alive, so I was going to have to get smarter. If that meant annoying the Ogre, that¡¯s exactly what I was going to do. ¡°Pew!¡± ¡°Pew!¡± ¡°Pew!¡± The yeti¡¯s white fur quickly became matted red as it bled from my attacks. Still, it wasn¡¯t enough to take it down. Pi held two golems back to guard us. Just when I was about to upgrade my tactics, a white blur pounced the yeti, pinning it to the floor and savagely mauling it. It was only after the monster was dead that I realized what had happened. ¡°Khi? Is that you?¡± The Cabbit was no longer the tiny cat-like creature I was used to. Khi had grown until he was six feet long and very muscular. He kind of reminded me of a lion without its mane. His rabbit legs gave me the impression he could jump to great heights if he wanted to. ¡°This is my battle form. It¡¯s similar to the magic item Ceru uses, but it''s just what happens when I infuse Ki into my body. My normal form is condensed for convenience, so you can consider this my true form.¡± ¡°Good to know,¡± I said, grateful to have another strong companion. We huffed along in the snow for a bit before I realized Ceru was starting to get cold. I rummaged through my bag until I found an old Carolina Panthers jacket I used to wear to Football games. She still had to adjust her size to make it fit properly. Once she realized how warm it was, she hugged me. ¡°Thank you. This is very cozy.¡± ¡°No problem,¡± I muttered, slightly embarrassed. Over the next several hours, we encountered several more yeti. They weren¡¯t very bright, so the tactic we employed on the first one worked for all of them. As we neared the peak, we encounter a problem.
Blizzard Dragon
Level 99
Class Rank A Monster
Affection Level Bored
¡°That¡¯s a dragon,¡± Jericho announced in a loud whisper. ¡°If you¡¯re fighting that, I¡¯m leaving.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think we can beat that,¡± I replied. ¡°Do you think we can sneak around it?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it,¡± Jericho warned. ¡°I can hear you, you know?¡± The Dragon spoke in a casual voice that boomed and echoed against the distant mountains. I froze. It was too late to consider running. If the dragon wanted to eat us, he could have easily done so. Jericho nudged me. ¡°Well, what do you want to do? Should we go back?¡± I turned to stare at him. ¡°What about what he¡­¡± I cut myself off. Pi, what language did the Dragon speak to me in?
The dragon spoke in an ancient tongue known as Draconian. Your companions wouldn¡¯t have even heard the sound.
Is the dragon the thing I¡¯m supposed to talk to up here?
That is unlikely. This Dragon is beholden.
Beholden? Before Pi could reply, the clouds opened up in the sky and a black ball floated down. It dropped until it hovered just above the Dragon. It didn¡¯t seem to notice as it kept its gaze on me. Slowly, the blob transformed until it was a woman. In stark contrast to the black blob, the woman wore a glittery dress that sparkled in every color of the rainbow. She had silky blonde hair and was more beautiful than any woman I¡¯d ever seen before. My heart skipped a beat when she turned her radiant smile on me. ¡°Greetings, Mortal. I¡¯ve heard much about you from my sister.¡± ¡°Elysiana?¡± I asked hopefully. She tutted. ¡°Tisk tisk. Don¡¯t go getting me confused with her. My name is Lyria.¡± ¡°Can you help me?¡± I asked, realizing it¡¯d probably just wasted my time. ¡°I need help bringing a soul back from the other side.¡± ¡°I can help you,¡± the Goddess replied with a bubbly laugh. ¡°Only, you must do something for me first.¡± ¡°How can you help me?¡± I asked, ignoring the request. Lyria floated over to me, causing the rest of the group to back away. The Dragon yawned and buried its head in its claws. Jericho nudged me again. ¡°Can you understand any of what¡¯s going on? It looked like you were saying something. Either that or you were whimpering. I can¡¯t tell. Should we run?¡± I shrugged. ¡°You can run if you¡¯d like. I¡¯m talking to a Goddess.¡± By that point, Lyria had arrived. Her beauty was overwhelming. Up close I could tell she even smelled good. I wondered how she tasted.
Focus, Alex. She is using her charm on you.
Pi had to zap me with mana to get me to snap out of it. Lyria frowned. ¡°That¡¯s odd. That normally works on Humans.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not normal,¡± I replied as cooly as I could given the circumstances. ¡°How can you help me resurrect Isa? Iris sent me to find Elysiana. She can help me get her soul back from the other side.¡± ¡°Good news,¡± Lyria chirped gleefully. ¡°Your beloved hasn¡¯t crossed over. Something is keeping her from doing so. Her parents'' souls are in an even worse state. You can free them and cleanse her body at the same time by carrying out my decree.¡± ¡°I can?¡± I asked, before clearing my throat and asking. ¡°What is your decree?¡± Lyria smiled, happy that I was finally getting with the program. ¡°You are going to infiltrate the church of the Dark One. They impersonate the gods and mislead the faithful. It is the dark ones who claim the souls dislodged by Necromancers.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean they have Isa¡¯s soul?¡± I asked, horrified. She shook her head. ¡°Fortunately no. You killed the dungeon before it could carry out that particular task.¡± Pi decided to butt in.
Do you wish to accept Lyria, The Goddess of Love¡¯s Decree? Y/N? Warning: You will become one of her followers if you choose to begin this quest chain.
I sighed, resigning myself to servitude to yet another goddess. ¡°Tell me more about what exactly you want me to do.¡± The goddess leaned in close to me and smiled, making my heart throb again. Pi sent another jolt of mana up my spine. I grimaced, making her recoil. ¡°Peculiar. What must I do to gain your affection? No, don¡¯t tell me. I¡¯ll test your resolve later. As for my decree, as I said, I want you to infiltrate the church.¡± ¡°And then?¡± I asked. The smile reappeared. Only this time it wasn''t intended to charm me. Instead, she seemed to be toying with me. ¡°Succeed at your first decree and I will issue another. A man of your proficiency should have no problem doing that much.¡± I wanted to ask a thousand more questions. How was she going to bring Isa back to me? Could she do it now so I could take Isa with me? She vanished before I could ask anything. The dragon stood abruptly, towering over us. ¡°The goddess has dismissed you. Begone before I decide I want a snack.¡± I turned to the others. ¡°That¡¯s our cue to leave.¡± ¡°Thank the gods!¡± Jericho explained, beating us a hasty retreat on his drums. 2.3: Shamanic Princess Where do we find The Dark One? It seems as good a question as any to ask Pi. After leaving the goddess and the dragon on the mountain, we headed back in the general direction of Yew. I had a feeling that the followers of the dark ones were somewhat close to the dungeon where Isa died.
The Mayor¡¯s daughter was taken to a Church located to the North of Yew. I suggest you start there.
Oh, right. We can rescue his daughter while we¡¯re at it.
You are very ambitious.
I laughed. Thank you, Pi.
That was sarcasm.
I turned to Jericho as we walked along a dusty trail. ¡°What do you know about the church?¡± He shrugged. ¡°Generally if we don¡¯t bother them, they don¡¯t bother us. They don¡¯t often mess with the awakened. Just the peasants.¡± He looked away sheepishly when I stared at him. ¡°Look, I know you want to want to believe that everyone deserves a fair shake in the world, and maybe they do, but when a good chunk of the people have superpowers, they tend to lord it over those who don¡¯t. I didn¡¯t write the rules. I just make the best with what I have.¡± ¡°I get it,¡± I said. ¡°I know how the world works. My goal is to bring back Isa. Nothing else matters. Not the game, and certainly not this church. If you don¡¯t want to make waves, I suggest you part ways with us before we get there.¡± We walked in silence for a while. It felt like I was meeting Jericho for the first time, and not the pompous showman he usually was. He heaved a heavy sigh. ¡°¡¯I owe you a debt, and I always pay my dues. I will accompany you on this quest.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good enough for me,¡± I replied.
We traveled for several weeks. Part of me wanted to summon Cordelia to make the journey quicker and more comfortable but I also didn¡¯t want to deal with her. It was for the best though. Bori grew stronger by the day as she hunted. Most of the monsters were so weak we would normally have ignored them if we saw them in passing. I laughed when I remembered my first experience with a raquirrel the day I arrived on Gaia. I¡¯d soiled myself. That reminded me. Pi, what is my resistance to the water now?
Your resistance remains at 54%. You stopped drinking river water when you arrived in Yew. Would you like to resume your training? Y/N?
I shook my head. One thing I¡¯d taken for granted back on Earth was a solid supply of clean water. Ever since arriving in Yew, I made sure to stock a surplus of drinks in my bag. I pulled out a bottle of juice I¡¯d gotten from Helen and took a sip. Even something as simple as lemonade tasted a thousand times better when it was S-ranked. Of course, Gaia didn¡¯t have lemons, did it?
Stormberry Juice
Rank S
Endurance +27 (30 Minutes)
Special Satisfaction (Buff)
I smiled at the name of the strange berries, wondering if I could make a business out of exporting them back to Earth. Then again, there was probably some sort of magic customs when it came to things like local wildlife and produce. Khi chose that moment to weave between my legs, nearly causing me to trip. ¡°Do you happen to have any milk in that bag?¡± ¡°Agh!¡± I cried out, stumbling forward a few steps. The weight of my stone arm meant it took longer than normal to regain my balance. ¡°Yes, I have milk. If you don¡¯t mind it being green, that is.¡± The Cabbit sat back, licking its paw. ¡°Is there another kind?¡± I sighed. ¡°Not on this planet, I guess.¡± After rummaging through my bag, I found a saucer from my Mom¡¯s china I¡¯d packed in the bag and poured a generous amount of milk. Just when I¡¯d set it at Khi¡¯s feet, Bori raced by in the form of a lion, kicking the saucer over as she passed. She called out a hasty apology as she pounced something in a nearby bush. Khi sighed, licking the last dregs of milk from the bowl. I scritched his head and poured some more. He glanced over at Bori, looking like he expected another attack from the overzealous dungeon core. When none came, he contented himself to have a drink. Ceru also tried to get some training in. Her philosophy for battle had always been to make herself bigger and attack with crude weapons. Even the women were naturally stronger than Humans. The unawakened ones that was. I had to find a way to make her more effective in battle. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Is there anything we can do for Ceru?
Beastmen progress differently than Humans. While they do not have classes or any of the associated perks of Magic, they can and do level up. With every level comes different perks and abilities depending on the Ogre. There is also the potential to evolve at set intervals.
That was different. I thought all Ogres were the same. Does that mean Ceru might be strong?
As Clan Chana, she is considered royalty. It is the equivalent of Princess. She will likely gain powerful traits as she levels into them.
What level is Ceru anyway?
Cerulean Levesc
Level 3
Class Ogre Chana
Affection Level Extra Friendly
¡°You have a last name.¡± I pointed out, startling the Ogre, who was wrestling with a tiny monster. She tossed me a smile, not phased in the slightest by the squirming monster she was sitting on. ¡°Of course, I do. I am the Chana, so it¡¯s completely natural for me to have one.¡±
She should get a powerful trait at level 5. You should push to level her up before you arrive at the church.
That¡¯s a good point. We decided to set up camp and figure out a way to help Bori and Ceru get some extra levels. I knelt in front of Khi and asked, ¡°Do you need help leveling up?¡± He yawned, looking largely unimpressed before sitting on his haunches and closing his eyes. The next thing I knew the hulking form I¡¯d seen take out a Yeti sat before me. ¡°So that you know, I¡¯m currently level twenty-nine. I¡¯m capable of taking care of myself. If you are asking me to fight with you while we level up as a team, then I¡¯d be happy to accept your offer.¡± I was a little taken aback by the bluntness of his reply, but it suited me all the same. ¡°Sure, it¡¯s a plan. I¡¯d like to get Ceru to level five and get Bori some more monsters to turn into.¡± I had a feeling that dungeons leveled differently than adventurers. Their system involved absorbing ambient mana. While they did absorb mana from fallen adventurers, it wasn¡¯t the only way they grew. Did she rank up or just grow more powerful as she absorbed mana? Time would tell. We also needed to expose her to bigger monsters so she could summon them. The last member of the group was the bard. I realized I knew next to nothing about him. Pi never supplied it and it never dawned on me to ask. He was just a bard. It wasn¡¯t like he held a dagger to my throat. He always attacked with words.
Jericho
Level 47
Class Lyramancer
Affection Level Guarded
¡°Hey, wait,¡± I said, glancing over at him. ¡°I thought you were a bard.¡± He chuckled. ¡°I was wondering when you were going to use that uncanny ability of yours on me. I am a form of a bard. Maybe not what you¡¯re used to from your world, but Lyramancers serve the same purpose.¡± ¡°You¡¯re also a lot higher level than I thought,¡± I observed. He gave me a lopsided grin. I couldn¡¯t tell if he was mocking me or happy that I¡¯d noticed. ¡°I¡¯m also a lot older than you. Give it time. You¡¯ll level up. If you don¡¯t die, that is.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t plan on it,¡± I replied icily. Jericho laughed again. ¡°You say that, but you¡¯re making preparations to march into the house of The Dark One. Some might say you¡¯ve got a death wish.¡± ¡°Well, I can¡¯t argue with that,¡± I replied.
It took us another week to get Ceru to level five. We worked as a team to find something hard enough to give her a serious challenge. That monster was a Griffon that, while low level, was a rank higher than the normal monsters we typically ran into. With the back half of a Lion and the wings and beak of an Eagle, the monster swooped and dove at me with both talons and its rear claws extended. I donned Cornerstone like a suit of armor and wielded Excalibur while Porky, Bori, and Ceru attacked the monster from the rear. Even covered in a wall of stone, the Griffon crashed into me like a freight train. I staggered back and forced more stone around my legs to brace myself. The Griffon roared as a trio of muscular Cabbits ripped into it. Ceru altered her form to match Khi and Bori created a similar construct. Off in the distance, Jericho played a horn like he was signaling the start of a war. Once I¡¯d regained my balance, I lashed out with Excalibur, catching the Griffon on one of its talons. It screeched at me and shook, attempting to throw off the trio of Cabbits. Khi was doing the most damage to the monster by far. He was more used to his body than the other two who were only borrowing it for the first time. Ceru especially struggled. The body transformations she went through were much more effective as an illusion than a means of fighting. She struggled with her claws and was hesitant to bite the back of Griffon. Bori had no such reservations but was still unfamiliar with the construct she¡¯d created. In a dungeon, she might seem perfectly formidable, but fighting alongside Khi, it was obvious who the real Cabbit was. He took advantage of the Griffon''s attempts to buck the others off, to climb between the Griffon¡¯s wings and get access to its feathered neck. The Griffon made one final attempt to snap at me with its beak before Khi managed to dig a claw into its spine. It lurched as Khi¡¯s attack found a critical point and dropped like a puppet with its strings cut. Ceru fell to the ground, twitching, the instant the monster fell, making me worry she¡¯s hurt herself when it flung her to the floor. However, it was something else.
Beastmen level up differently than Humans. They can do so while awake. Cerulean hit a major threshold, Level 5.
Why is she squirming like that?
You may not be aware because you are a sound sleeper, but leveling up is an exceptionally pleasant experience.
We gave Ceru a few minutes to compose herself before asking her any questions. Her eyes glazed over for a minute before she frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. I was supposed to be a warrior.¡± ¡°What are you?¡± I asked, curiosity getting the better of me. Pi showed me before she answered.
Cerulean Levesc
Level 5
Class Ogre Shaman Princess
Affection Level Confused
She cried. ¡°I¡¯m useless.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a class?¡± I asked with a grin spreading across my face.
She has evolved to a higher form. It is the beastman equivalent of a class change. She will obtain skills unique to her new race. The Shaman class has a variety of restorative abilities.
Ceru sniffled, wiping a tear from her eyes when I approached. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± I asked. ¡°A healer is just what we¡¯re missing.¡± She sobbed. ¡°Are you sure? I mean really sure? Ogres are supposed to be strong. Shamans aren¡¯t. They usually sit at home around campfires and heal the sick.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll make us strong,¡± I replied. ¡°We will protect you and you can make sure none of us die. Right, Jericho?¡± The Bard stared at me. ¡°Are you talking to me?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± I replied, slightly confused. ¡°I was just telling Ceru that it¡¯s great that she¡¯s a healer.¡± He laughed. ¡°You were speaking to her in Ogre just now. Are you not aware when you¡¯re doing it?¡± I shook my head. ¡°No, it all sounds like English to me.¡± Jericho nodded politely at Ceru. ¡°Healers are the hardest thing to come by for most groups. They are always highly sought after and there are never enough to go around. Having a good healer can be the difference between life and death.¡± ¡°Did you learn any skills?¡± I asked. Ceru¡¯s eyes glazed over again. ¡°Yes.¡± 2.4: The Church of the Eternal Green Flame Ogre healing was strange. Or was it Shamanic healing? I couldn¡¯t be sure without meeting a Shaman of a different race. In Ceru¡¯s case, it involved a lot of warpaint and tiny voodoo dolls made of straw of everyone in the group. She applied a healing salve that looked a lot like mud to the area that needed healing. When she did it to me, I felt the healing warmth spread to my bones. However, the healing aspect of her dolls only worked when she was in a group with us. Otherwise, her new ability could only be used to torture and maim the targets of her effigies. Using her magic on monsters was complicated. To activate the voodoo doll, a bit of the target was required. The more personal the sample, the more powerful the connection. We experimented with all kinds of things like a trimming of hair, a drop of blood, and even more personal essences. We also discovered that when it came to healing, Ceru¡¯s abilities were more powerful when she had a stronger connection with her target. That meant she healed me far more effectively than Jericho. It also helped that I gave her a special offering for my voodoo doll. It seemed fitting, and besides, Ceru liked to watch. She managed to make a doll for Jericho, Khi, and even Porky. However, as a dungeon core was a magic gemstone imbued with a soul, her magic didn¡¯t seem to have any effect on her. When I asked her why she didn¡¯t make a doll for herself, she placed a hand over her arm and whispered an incantation. The skin began to glow and she explained. ¡°I am my own effigy. For everyone else, I need a medium.¡±
We ran into traveling missionaries before we found the church. A few of the wagons gave us a wide berth when they saw Porky. I chuckled as I looked at the quilled dinosaur. What wasn¡¯t to love? Eventually, one of the wagons rolled to a stop. This one was different. Several guards marched alongside the wagon on foot as well as a few that were riding Kronkeys. The door to the carriage swung open and a robed man stepped out. His face was concealed by the robe but what caught my attention was a thick golden chain attached to a pendant of a gold-encrusted eye. It was only open a slit but the sliver of an eyeball that I could see underneath was blood red. When the man reached us, he pulled back the hood of the cloak, revealing greying brown hair and a well-kept beard. He ignored me and extended a hand to Jericho. ¡°Well met, Traveler. What brings you to these parts?¡± Jericho looked at the man before pointing at me. ¡°This is the man you need to speak to. He leads this group.¡± ¡°Ah, pardon me,¡± the man said, clearing his throat as he turned his attention to me. ¡°Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Frer Raster. I represent The Church of the Eternal Green Flame.¡±
Frer is his title, not his first name. Similar to Friars on Earth, this man devotes himself to his faith while traveling the countryside.
¡°Ah,¡± I said, taking Frer Raster¡¯s extended hand. ¡°My name is Alexander Krup. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. I believe I was looking for your order.¡± Frer Raster paused for a moment mid-handshake. ¡°You wish to join? Ah, I see you¡¯ve heard of us before. I¡¯d be more than happy to escort you to the holy city. Is this¡­beast yours?¡± I looked back at Porky who was busy trying to scratch his head with one of the quills on his comically short arms. ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s with me. Is that a problem?¡± ¡°Is he domesticated?¡± Frer Raster asked doubtfully. ¡°Sure he is,¡± I replied, beckoning to Porky. ¡°Hey, Porky, can you come say hi to the friendly Friar.¡± Frer Raster frowned at me for pronouncing his title wrong but stiffened when Porky made his way over. The Procusaurus sniffed Frer Raster before roaring a greeting. I knew it was just a friendly hello but the Frer was petrified. ¡°He says it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡± ¡°You understood this thing?¡± He asked, backing away. I nodded. ¡°Yep, and he wants to know if you have fish in the commune.¡± ¡°Commune?¡± Frer Raster balked. ¡°I¡¯ll have you know that the holy city is no mere commune. Three thousand of the faithful live and work there and hundreds of thousands make the pilgrimage annually. I thought you said you wanted to join us?¡± ¡°I do,¡± I replied, bowing my head in what I hoped was a respectful manner. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m still getting used to all the labels.¡± The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Frer Raster¡¯s expression softened. ¡°Worry not. I will help you all acclimate. Is this lovely thing your wife?¡± Ceru nodded. ¡°I¡¯m his Chana, yes.¡± ¡°And is this your child?¡± He asked, nodding to Bori. I smiled at her construct. ¡°Yes, this is my daughter.¡± ¡°Excellent, we welcome families. What of the Bard? Is he your Uncle?¡± ¡°Traveling companion,¡± Jericho announced with a flourish. ¡°It is my great honor to travel beside such a prestigious adventuring family.¡± ¡°Adventurers, you say?¡± Frer Raster said, appraising me with renewed interest. ¡°The Church has a special place for adventurers. In what do you specialize?¡± ¡°Rocks,¡± I replied, holding up my stone arm. The Frer gasped, only noticing my arm for the first time. ¡°I see. I am so sorry for your loss. Perhaps the Great Lord Puranis can restore your flesh.¡± ¡°Can he do that?¡± I asked. ¡°With our Lord, anything is possible,¡± he replied.
Frer Raster made room for all of us in his carriage. He was interested in our classes until he found out about Ceru. His demeanor changed almost immediately. ¡°Under no means are you to practice Shamanism within the confines of the holy city. It would also be wise to tell no one of this class.¡± Ceru nodded, giving me an uneasy look in the process. Bori chose that moment to make an announcement. ¡°This is boring. I¡¯m going to take a nap.¡± Her construct vanished in a puff of smoke as the light in her core dimmed a bit. Frer Raster gaped at me. ¡°Where did she go?¡± I sighed. ¡°She can become invisible.¡± ¡°And shapeshift,¡± Jericho supplied helpfully. ¡°Peculiar,¡± Frer Raster said. ¡°And at such a young age. Perhaps she is a prodigy. I am sure she will find a prestigious place in our youth academy.¡± ¡°I never let her out of my sight,¡± I said before hastily adding. ¡°She¡¯s my baby after all.¡± Frer Raster sighed. ¡°I know you may have some reservations still, but I assure you, ours is the better way of life. You will see in due time.¡±
We saw the holy city a long time before we arrived. A blood-red eye shone like a beacon above the valley, erected on a stilt atop the highest tower of a tall building that looked like a castle. Guards draped in red capes stood guard along the road leading in. We rolled slowly up the road, flanked on both sides by Frer Raster¡¯s guards. He insisted that Porky be tied to the back of the carriage for safety reasons. I only got him to agree by offering him food. We also joined him behind the carriage, walking slowly as it wheeled its way through the gates. The guards looked at us suspiciously. We made our first stop at a stable where Frer Raster assured us that Porky would be well taken care of. ¡°Please tell them he prefers to eat fish,¡± I translated for Porky as he roared at a nervous stable boy who led him to one of the stalls. ¡°And he likes to be walked daily.¡± ¡°Are you sure he¡¯s tame?¡± The boy asked, trying to stay a good ten feet away from Porky while still holding the lead. I tried to give the kid a reassuring nod. ¡°He¡¯s very intelligent. He understands what you¡¯re saying. He doesn¡¯t eat people. Just feed him fish.¡± From there, Frer Raster decided to walk with us the rest of the way to the church. From what I could see, the people who lived in the church town lived fairly well. The homes were at least as nice as they were in Yew and quite a bit bigger than the basic model that Isa lived in. I wondered if there was a vacant house where I could discreetly place my mark and buy while I visited. Several men in red robes emerged from the church to greet us as we drew near. I was mesmerized by the front of the tall building. It was the building that looked like a castle from a distance with the red eye on a pole. The front of the building sparkled in the green moonlight, its entire front a three-story mosaic window. The multi-colored glass depicted a demon with crimson eyes, jagged teeth, and pitch-black wings. The creature had red skin and the same blood-red eyes from Frer Raster¡¯s pendant and the eye above the castle. Behind it, and wrapped around its leg was a forked tail. It stood proudly on the front of the church, glaring off into the distance at anyone who entered town. One of the men in the red robes stood beside me. ¡°It is truly awe-inspiring, is it not?¡± ¡°Who is that?¡± I asked, turning to look at the man. The man gaped at me. ¡°You¡¯ve come to this place not knowing at least that much, my son? That is our guardian and savior, Lord Puranis.¡± I laughed. ¡°I thought he¡¯d be green.¡± The man¡¯s expression darkened before quickly composing himself. ¡°Ah, ignorance is only to be expected of new disciples. We will start your purification soon. For now, let¡¯s get you and your family settled. Lodging will be provided and you will be assigned a job. I am told you are an adventurer. Is that correct?¡± I nodded and he flashed me a toothy smile. ¡°Excellent. It is unfortunate but we have very few adventurers at the moment. Our lord sent them to quell a dungeon and I fear none have returned. I¡¯d hate to think they absconded.¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t,¡± I replied. ¡°They died.¡± His eyes narrowed. ¡°That is rather¡­unfortunate. I must insist you report this to the Cardinal as soon as possible. Do you have proof of their demise?¡± ¡°You sent them to the Necromantic dungeon, right?¡± I asked. ¡°If so, they were all killed.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure why this was news to the church, considering they were working in league with the dungeon. There was no way I planned on telling them I¡¯d killed the thing. They could figure that out on their own.
In the end, we weren¡¯t led into the church. Instead, the men in the red robes called out a page who was instructed to take us to our housing. It turned out, the holy city did have entry-level housing similar to Yew. We were summarily deposited outside the door of a small cottage. The doors had no locks and the building had only a single room. I was too tired to complain or try to modify the house except for the privy. A foul-smelling bucket rested in the corner of the room, which I quickly tossed outside. Instead, I walked around the back of the house and created an outhouse made of stone. It contained vents at the top and a comfortable stone throne. Beneath the chair, I parted the ground below to create a rather deep pit. After breaking it in, I headed back to the house. Jericho sat on the floor with his hat pulled down over his head, while Ceru stretched out on the bed with Khi snuggled up to her head. She reached for me and yawned. ¡°Come to bed, Chonu.¡± 2.5: Shadowbound Knock Knock Knock I yawned, opening one eye to look at the light as it just started to peek in the window. Knock Knock Knock I grunted, pushing myself up on the bed. A glance told me that Ceru was still asleep along with Khi while Jericho was nowhere to be found. Knock Knock Knock ¡°I¡¯m coming!¡± I grumbled a little more gruffly than I would have at any other hour. I opened the door to discover a man in a red robe with a scowl. ¡°It¡¯s about time! Initiates to the cause are expected to be up with the morning star. Now, make yourself presentable. You are going to meet the Cardinal today.¡± I yawned again. ¡°Who exactly are you?¡± He scoffed. ¡°My name is Archibald Regulus Gerard Hollywood. You¡¯d do well to remember my name. I am to be your keeper from here on out.¡± ¡°Argh?¡± I asked, trying my best not to laugh. ¡°I beg your pardon?¡± He screamed in a voice so high that it cracked. ¡°Please keep it down over there?¡± Ceru asked, burying her head under the pillow. ¡°A.R.G.H.¡± I replied, chuckling. ¡°Your name spells argh. Please tell me this isn¡¯t the first time you¡¯ve noticed.¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯ve noticed, you insolent cur,¡± Archibald grumbled. ¡°Tell your woman to get out of bed this instant. Her re-education is set to begin before breakfast, and where is your spawn? I don¡¯t see her.¡± I willed Cornerstone into a blade and pressed it to Archibald¡¯s throat in an instant. A cold sweat appeared on his brow and he stammered. ¡°I-if you k-k-k-kill me, they will kick you out of this p-p-place. I beg of you. Show mercy.¡± ¡°Promise to never call my daughter that again,¡± I growled, glaring at him as I took the blade away from his throat. ¡°I swear,¡± he whimpered, clutching his throat as he backed away. ¡°Regardless, it¡¯s imperative that you get ready. The Cardinal doesn¡¯t like to be kept waiting.¡± I turned around and scooped up my clothes off the floor. Normally, I¡¯d have grabbed a fresh set from my bag but I was too irritated at Archibald to do anything he might find appropriate. He waited impatiently as I prepared. ¡°But, your wife, Sir,¡± he said as I closed the door behind me. ¡°She needs to get-¡° I cut him off. ¡°She¡¯s not part of this. I am the one who¡¯s joining. Leave my family out of it.¡± ¡°But,¡± he started, cowering under my glare. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s allowed.¡± I sighed. ¡°What should I call you? Argh might sound like I¡¯m groaning, even though that¡¯s what you make me want to do. How about Archie? Yes, I think I¡¯ll call you Archie.¡± Archie didn¡¯t like that one bit. He trudged behind a few paces as he tried to explain decorum. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to call me Brother Regulus Gerard Hollywood.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a mouthful,¡± I laughed. ¡°Nobody would call you that.¡± ¡°Good morning, Brother Regulus Gerard Hollywood,¡± a man in a ragged brown robe said as we passed. I gaped at him in stunned silence for a moment. ¡°You planned that, didn¡¯t you?¡± He shook his head, seeming to worry he might anger me. ¡°No. That¡¯s how things work here. You need to figure that out or you might upset the wrong people.¡± ¡°Who might that be?¡± I asked as we approached what I¡¯d taken to calling The Church. The stained glass windows of the demon gave the building an ominous presence, one that I didn¡¯t associate with a place of worship. Archie pushed the doors open in silence and gave me a wide berth as I entered the building. Rather than an open room with pews and a raised dais at the front for someone to preach from, the interior of the church consisted of a dark room with an ornate circle etched into the floor. The mosaic windows let in dark light that sparkled. It reminded me of the windows Iris had insisted on for her shrine, and I somehow knew that the room was flooded with ambient mana. Pi, are you sure this isn¡¯t a real god?
Just because it doesn¡¯t meet the goddess¡¯s definition of a god, doesn¡¯t mean it isn¡¯t otherworldly. My advice is to be on guard.
I nodded in silence as a group close to the circle noticed my presence. A man in garish golden robes said something in a low tone to several of the others before turning to stroll over to me. He turned his attention to Archie when he arrived. ¡°Good day, Archibald. Who might this be?¡± Archie sounded like a different person when he answered in a gruff voice. ¡°This is the Adventurer who arrived last night.¡± If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°That will be all,¡± the man said with a flick of his wrist. Archie shot out of the room like his robe was on fire. I took a moment to inspect the man. Along with the gold robes, he had several gold chains around his neck, one of which sported the crimson eye that seemed to be the mark of the church.
Burasco Denali
Level 43
Class Shadowbound
Affection Level Corrupted
I stared at the menu Pi provided for longer than usual. Shadowbound? Is that a class? And how is he corrupted?
Shadowbound is not a class that I see listed in any of my registries. It must have significant meaning. Be on your guard.
The Cardinal fixed me with an artificial smile and motioned me toward the circle. As I inched toward it, I noticed people gathering into seats around the outskirts of the room. The Cardinal made light conversation as he herded me closer to the runes etched on the floor. ¡°I hear you visited the necromantic dungeon. It¡¯s unfortunate that the dungeon caused the deaths of so many promising young adventurers. How did you manage to escape with your soul intact?¡± I stopped at the last second, refusing to enter the circle. Instead, I rounded on him. ¡°It wasn¡¯t hard. Aren¡¯t we forgetting something, though? My name is Alex, I don¡¯t believe you¡¯ve told me your name.¡± Burasco looked scandalized. He stepped around me, approaching the circle but not entering himself. ¡°I am Cardinal Denali. Didn¡¯t anybody tell you who I am? That must have been an oversight on Archibald¡¯s part. I apologize. Welcome to The Church of The Eternal Green Flame.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± I lied. ¡°When do I get to meet Lord Puranis? Is this his shrine?¡± Gasps rang out all around the room when I spoke the god¡¯s name. Cardinal Denali¡¯s eyes widened as he looked around frantically as if he expected the image in the stained glass to come to life. ¡°You will not use our lord¡¯s name in everyday conversation. If he deems you worthy, he will come to you. In the meantime, you need to pledge your undying devotion to him.¡± ¡°I need to what?¡± I asked, trying to think of a way to get out of whatever The Cardinal had planned. He motioned to the runes on the floor. ¡°Step inside of this circle. You will be blessed with a gift from the Lord of the Eternal Green Flame.¡± ¡°Why is it called that? I asked. ¡°And why is there a demon in the window?¡± He laughed in response to my question. ¡°The actions of our lord have always been divine despite his outward appearance. Only heretics judge with their eyes. You must learn to see with your heart. Let¡¯s start with an act of faith.¡± ¡°What about the green flame?¡± I asked. ¡°Legends tell of a flame from the heavens that cleansed the world of sin when man fell from the heavens.¡± Cardinal Denali said in a way that gave the impression he had recited it many times. ¡°The flame has been lost to man and sin once again runs rampant. It is our job to spread the word of our lord and purge the world once again. It is only when enough people believe that he will be able to bring back The Eternal Green Flame and restore purity to the world.¡± I sighed. Distracted by The Cardinal¡¯s story, I didn¡¯t notice when someone snuck up behind me and shoved me, sending me sprawling into the circle. I reached out to Cornerstone to coat me in armor but it was too late. Something wrapped around my leg. A living shadow crawled all over my body, entering my body through the shadows that fell on my body. It felt like they were going into me even though they were just shadows. Then I felt something in my head. A living shadow with crimson eyes moved around, wrestling with my mind for control. There was only one problem with that. I already had a dark passenger. Pi emerged as a massive storm cloud from the back of my mind. In an instant, he pounced on the hapless shadow and engulfed it. I heard a distinctly high-pitched wail as whatever it was got dominated in a second.
A Wraith has invaded your mana. They are creatures born of shadow that usually do the bidding of those who practice dark magic.
Did you kill it?
I captured it. I intend to interrogate it to learn what it knows. Would you like me to kill it once I am finished? Y/N?
I thought about it. The idea was tempting. The thing had tried to kill me, hadn¡¯t it?
It likely intended to do far worse than kill you. I believe many of the faithful are infected. That would explain the Shadowbound class of Bursco Denali.
He has a Wraith too?
Yes. I believe I may have a better solution than killing your Wraith. I believe with proper motivation, we can bend it to our will.
I rubbed my hands together conspiratorially. I like the sound of that. Make me a pet Wraith. ¡°How do you feel?¡± It was Cardinal Denali, leaning as close as he dared to the ritual circle. I flashed him a smile. ¡°Never better. What was supposed to happen?¡± He frowned. ¡°Um, you were supposed to receive our lord¡¯s blessing.¡± I stepped out of the circle, causing the Cardinal to take a step back. ¡°Consider me blessed. So, does that mean I¡¯m officially a member?¡± He nodded hesitantly. ¡°Y-yeah. It does. We still need to complete the ritual for your family and friend. I don¡¯t suppose you know where the Bard has gotten off to? He wasn¡¯t at home when Archibald came to collect you.¡± I shrugged, giving a small chuckle. ¡°He¡¯s kind of mysterious to me too. I have no clue where he goes.¡± ¡°Do you have any desire to tell me the¡­¡± he hedged some more. ¡°Um, I¡¯m going to need you to use the password.¡± Pi, who was busy violating the Geneva convention with a Wraith in the back of my mind, already had the information I needed.
The password is Teddybear.
¡°Teddybear!¡± I said triumphantly. A smile befell the Cardinal¡¯s lips. ¡°You had me worried, Invictus. Was he difficult to break?¡±
The Cardinal¡¯s true name is Magnus.
¡°He was pathetically weak,¡± I lied, going along with the ruse. ¡°What would you like me to do with him, Magnus?¡± The Cardinal smiled when I said the name of the Wraith he had within him. ¡°Take him to his dwelling and round up his friends and family. I doubt any of them are useful but let¡¯s see if any can withstand the ritual. Then present yourself to the brothel. We might as well produce some magical offspring while we wait for the new core to be delivered.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± I replied, thinking desperately for a way to save everyone else from the ritual. ¡°The wife is already pregnant. Perhaps it would be best to put off the ritual until after the child is born.¡± ¡°That is most fortunate,¡± The Cardinal said, rubbing his hands together the same way I had. ¡°In that case, I will need you to play house until the baby is born. You can also make yourself available to the other women in the meantime. We will use this body to test out the new core once the Puppetmaster arrives.¡± ¡°As you wish,¡± I replied, making my way out of the church. The others who¡¯d observed my ritual applauded as I left. 3.01: Albion Chapter 1: Albion Welcome to Albion Current Population: 172 Original Inhabitants: 143 Immigrants: 15 Gods: 2 Dungeons: 12 Grow your population to unlock perks. First milestone: 10,000 residents. ¡°Was that part of the game?¡± I asked, confused to see messages in the absence of Pi. There was no reply. He truly was gone. I ran my finger along the throne¡¯s armrest which was remarkably void of dust. Was there a Knight of Dusting? Outside of Bori whose core was currently snoring in my stone arm, silence reigned in the throne room. Ceru had yet to return from her village, where she¡¯d gone to pick up the rest of her clan. Primith had just got back from Earth after spending time with her family. The other players, as well as some people I¡¯d met on Gaia, had all already retired for the night. That¡¯s right, I have a guest wing. Even Porky had his own room. The velocipig was pleased with his paddock just outside of the castle kitchen. Sir Lamorak was his new best friend, a bond earned through a shared love of food. The three people I was most concerned about were my original group; Isa, Zelle, and Nax. Just a month ago, I never would have imagined they would be with me in Albion. Except for Nax, I was certain they all hated me. Nax was just too nice to hold Isa¡¯s death against anyone. That was another story. My girlfriend died, and I brought her back to life. Don¡¯t ever try that at home, kids. It never goes according to plan. She came back with major PTSD. Who can blame her though? One second she was walking into the light, and the next she was looking up and saw my ugly mug. That didn¡¯t make life any better for her two best friends. They did their best to soothe her. For Nax, it meant being a friend while Zelle was intent on murdering me. I try not to think about it. However, in the end, Isa¡¯s trauma was too much for them and, as a last resort, they turned to me for help. And help I did. I turned Pi loose and got their souls swapped for Isa¡¯s parents. That¡¯s another long story. Her parents, who¡¯d gone missing when she was a child, died in a dungeon. It was the very same dungeon where Isa got killed. Oh, the irony. Now let¡¯s talk about Pi. I still don¡¯t know what he is. My dark entity gave me unfettered access to the system went rogue. He possessed a bard I once knew to do who knows what. So, anyway, Isa and her parents, in Nax and Zelle¡¯s bodies, accompanied me to Albion. Our goal, you ask? Hunt down Pi, get Nax and Zelle back in their bodies and send her parents to the afterlife in style. Oh, and hopefully get Isa to forgive me. Then there¡¯s the matter of Pi. I need to figure out what he¡¯s up to. Now let¡¯s talk about Albion. Somehow in all this mess, I became King of a nation. Nobody lives here currently, so I don¡¯t have to worry too much¡­yet. But wait, my other girlfriend, or should I call her my Ogre Baby Mama is gathering up all the nonhumans she can find to bring them to the relative safety of my new nation. That¡¯s it in a nutshell. While all of this is going on, my employer, S.I.M.P. Co, thinks this is all just a game. Regardless of what it is and what everyone thinks, I am going to win.
Several weeks later¡­ ¡°We need to infiltrate the enemy island,¡± Michael barked, getting nods from both Darrin and Alan. ¡°How are you even going to get there?¡± Kendra asked, rolling her eyes. They¡¯d only been staying with me for a while, but I was tired of the constant bickering. All they thought about was scoring points with no regard for safety whatsoever. Primith was different. She came back after visiting her family with renewed resolve. ¡°You noobs will die if you head out right now,¡± she said while giving them the stink eye. ¡°Do you remember that Alex beat all of you at once? By himself, I might add. Do you want to die? What you need to do is level up. Didn¡¯t you get your invite by playing video games?¡± ¡°Football here,¡± Michael announced. ¡°I got the invite after winning the Mega Bowl in Harry Flanders 2024.¡± ¡°Basketball,¡± Darrin chimed in. ¡°We don¡¯t have levels. I suppose there¡¯s gym mode. Do you think working out will make us stronger?¡± Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°Yeah,¡± Michael replied. ¡°It¡¯s all about the roids baby!¡± ¡°I played dating sims,¡± Kendra said, walking over to a nearby mirror to preen. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose there will be flirting options.¡± Kiavi rubbed her chin. ¡°Video games are weird. We earn our place by solving puzzles on my planet. Not by mating.¡± ¡°I never said anything about mating!¡± Kendra blanched, her face turning bright red. ¡°But there is some sex,¡± I added helpfully. ¡°Well, yeah¡­¡± Kendra admitted. ¡°So, no RPG experience whatsoever,¡± Primith pointed out, trying to get the conversation back on track. ¡°What about you, Carlito?¡± As usual, I¡¯d forgotten the invisible man was there. He spoke from next to Kendra, making her jump. ¡°I¡¯m all about the spy games.¡± I sighed. ¡°Well, like it or not. This world functions like a fantasy role-playing game, so you¡¯re going to have to level up.¡± ¡°How?¡± Darrin asked, motioning to the room around us. ¡°I don¡¯t see any monsters around here.¡± I held up my stone arm and Bori appeared in front of me. ¡°That¡¯s right. Meet my daughter, Bori. She and her siblings are going to be in charge of your training. In turn, you¡¯re going to help them level up.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to fight a child!¡± Michael balked. Bori¡¯s childlike form vanished and was replaced by a ten-foot-tall version of Porky, our resident monster. ¡°Am I scary enough for you now?¡± Her still childlike voice wasn¡¯t helping her case. ¡°Not sounding like that,¡± Kiavi said, walking around the massive monster to get a better look at it. ¡°How about now?¡± Bori asked her voice a deep roar that still sounded childlike. Everyone laughed but Primith soothed her in a motherly voice. ¡°You sound very scary, Bori.¡± The monster vanished and kid Bori appeared and wrapped her arms around Primith in a big hug. The players gathered around me. ¡°How exactly does this work?¡± Alan asked. ¡°They can¡¯t just give us exp, right? Wouldn¡¯t that be cheating against, uh, whatever this thing is giving us levels?¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you ever done a dungeon before?¡± I asked, wondering why none of them had any experience with dungeons. They had been on Gaia for well over a year now. ¡°We watched you do a few dungeons,¡± Darrin replied. ¡°Your partner nearly died in the first one and then she actually died in the second one. Then your mage nearly died in the last one you tried. I don¡¯t see how this is safe at all. We came here to play a game, not risk our lives.¡± ¡°I want to know how you talk to dungeons,¡± Michael said, his face red with excitement. ¡°And how do you get them to¡­¡± Alan elbowed him in the ribs. ¡°Never mind him. He¡¯s just horny.¡± ¡°Dude!¡± Michael balked. ¡°He did it with a dungeon.¡± Primith cleared her throat loudly, motioning to Bori who was still hugging her. ¡°Ahem. Erethay areyay ildrenchay esentpray.¡± ¡°Wha?¡± Michael asked, clearly perplexed. Alan groaned, dragging Michael away. ¡°Dude. I can¡¯t with you.¡± Bori looked up at Primith. ¡°What did you just say to him? He was talking about Mommy and Daddy, wasn¡¯t he?¡± Primith rolled her eyes and patted Bori on the head. ¡°He was being stupid.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Bori announced. ¡°Mommy already told me how babies are made. She said someday I¡¯ll have to do it and she wouldn¡¯t be there to explain it to me.¡± Primith gave me a concerned look. I shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t ask me how dungeons explain the birds and the bees.¡± Bori grinned. ¡°She told me she¡¯ll tell you when you¡¯re older.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± I yelled in mock outrage. ¡°I¡¯m older than you, Squirt.¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°Yes, but only in boy years.¡± Primith chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s very right, Bori. Bori rounded on her. ¡°You still need to tell me what you said. I want to know that language.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± Primith asked, pulling her in for another hug. ¡°Alex, I think I want to keep this one. Trade you one of mine?¡± I smiled. ¡°It¡¯s fine. You¡¯re on my team anyway, so we will train with Bori. There are plenty of other dungeons for the others.¡± ¡°Speaking of dungeons,¡± Primith replied. ¡°How are we going to do this?¡± I glanced at the pink glow emitting off Cornerstone where Bori¡¯s core was embedded in my stone arm. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. We need to talk to the other parents.¡± As we walked away, Kendra tugged on the sleeve of my tunic. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s safe?¡± Kiavi walked up beside her, leaning over her friend¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Kenny. We can take it slow. I¡¯ll keep you safe.¡± Kendra didn¡¯t look placated. I tried to think of the best thing to say. Primith beat me to it. ¡°We¡¯ll make sure that one experienced player is on every team.¡± Kendra scrutinized me for a moment before announcing. ¡°We will be on Primith¡¯s team.¡± A look of recognition dawned on Primith¡¯s face as she realized what she¡¯d just signed up for. ¡°Ugh, fine.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Bori squealed. ¡°No fair! Primith is on our team.¡± I patted her on the head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Kiddo. There will be plenty of time for you to learn Pig Latin.¡± ¡°Pig language?¡± She asked. ¡°Something like that,¡± Primith chuckled. ¡°Alright,¡± I replied. ¡°I guess that means the guys are on my team.¡± ¡°But there¡¯s more men than women,¡± Carlito¡¯s voice came out of nowhere. ¡°We¡¯ll take him,¡± Kiavi said, licking her lips.
The next thing on the agenda was getting the parent permission slips signed. I vouched for Bori, so it was just a matter of convincing one or two of the other mothers to let us borrow their young dungeons for a light bout of training. Since I knew Pippa, I went to her first. ¡°Hi, Alex,¡± she beamed as she saw me when she opened the door to her room. ¡°Did you come for a bit of fun? I know your girlfriend still isn¡¯t back yet.¡± ¡°Actually,¡± I replied, wondering if I had time for a quickie. ¡°I wanted to talk to you about setting Rox up in his very own dungeon.¡± ¡°Is it already time for that?¡± Pippa whined. ¡°I just got him back.¡± ¡°You¡¯d be doing me a favor,¡± I said, fidgeting as I explained. ¡°We need to level up for the next part of the game. We need Rox to make a dungeon for the players to level up. He will grow from this as well. It will also be good practice for when other residents arrive on the island.¡± ¡°Other residents?¡± Pippa asked, the smile gone from her face. ¡°You mean he¡¯s going to have to live down there?¡± ¡°He is a dungeon,¡± I said softly. ¡°He has to live his life. Would you expect a crab to live outside of its shell?¡± ¡°What¡¯s a crab?¡± She asked. ¡°Are you going to let Bori live in a dungeon too?¡± I touched the spot on my arm closest to Bori absentmindedly, knowing exactly how she felt. ¡°I thought so,¡± Pippa replied, adopting the same soft tone I¡¯d used on her. ¡°I¡¯ll let him go but I want to be there. At least for the first couple of times.¡± ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s safe?¡± I asked. ¡°I mean you¡¯re not exactly an adventurer?¡± ¡°Do you think my son would hurt me?¡± She asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Well, no. But accidents can happen,¡± I replied, though my words sounded hollow even to myself. ¡°Fine. You can go but you need to stay well away from the fighting.¡± She booped me on the nose. ¡°Silly boy. Rox¡¯s monsters would never hurt me. Do you think Bori would let one of hers hurt you?¡± ¡°Her mom sure did,¡± I said with a chuckle. ¡°That¡¯s different,¡± she replied before whispering in my ear. ¡°That was foreplay.¡± I gaped at her. ¡°How do you¡­? Well, never mind. We need a third dungeon for this. Who do you suggest we ask for that?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s easy,¡± Pippa said with a sly grin. ¡°Zelda¡¯s been asking about you for a while. I¡¯m sure she will help.¡± ¡°What do you mean; asking about me?¡± I asked, my curiosity piqued. Pippa winked. ¡°You know. A girl has needs.¡± 3.02: In a PUG with a bunch of noobs! Chapter 2: In a PUG with a bunch of noobs! I woke early the next day, nestled between two beautiful women. A plan formed in my head as I stared at the ceiling. While it was true that the other players were desperately in need of some levels, I couldn¡¯t forsake my training. That started with the daily exercises Pi taught me. I slid gently from the bed and started with pushups. It was amazing how far I¡¯d come since arriving on Gaia. I soiled my pants twice in the first week and couldn¡¯t walk one hundred yards without being winded. My adventure began in a shanty in a small village. Now, here I was in a castle on my very own continent. A newfound determination blazed within me to go even further. I looked up to see a pair of eyes watching from the bed. Pippa licked her lips. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you have any energy left after last night.¡± I yawned. ¡°This is nothing. I gotta push myself a lot harder if I want to rescue my friends.¡± Were they my friends? It was true that we¡¯d been through a lot together, but Nax and Zelle never really liked me. Perhaps saving them would change things? Pippa yawned sympathetically and sat up. That prompted Zelda to sit beside her. ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you some serious eye candy,¡± she stretched after wiping the sleep from her eyes. ¡°What time is it?¡± ¡°The sun just came up,¡± I replied, not having relied on time much since leaving Earth. ¡°Wake me at noon,¡± she snorted, flopping over and burying her head under the pillow. Pippa got up and walked to the privy. ¡°Do you want to go to breakfast?¡± I started another set of pushups. ¡°After I finish my exercises, sure.¡±
Primith was the only one waiting for us in the grand hall. Dozens of plates had already been laid out, the knights having communicated with the kitchen the moment I left my room. It was one of the many perks of having ghost knights as vassals. ¡°Do we get to eat like this every day?¡± Pippa asked, her mouth watering. ¡°I guess,¡± I replied, remembering how much Sir Lamorak loved to cook. She piled more food on her plate than I thought the waif of a woman could handle. Then I remembered she had hungry kids back in her room that would be waking up soon. I thought about telling her she could just come back and have something else made but realized she probably wanted to surprise them with breakfast in bed. ¡°Don¡¯t they cook like this for you every day?¡± I asked. She shook her head. ¡°Hardly. Don¡¯t get me wrong. They feed us just fine. I just didn¡¯t realize they made pancakes.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± I laughed. It must have been because I told Sir Lamorak I liked them. ¡°That may have been my fault. Have you tried telling him what you want?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to impose,¡± she hedged. The chef appeared out of nowhere and towered over Pippa. ¡°Nonsense! I love requests. If you have the recipe, I can make it. I love adding to my cookbook.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll hold you to that,¡± Pippa repaid his kindness with a smile. ¡°In return, please let me know if I can help in the kitchen.¡± ¡°Can you prep veg?¡± Sir Lamorak asked. ¡°Can I?¡± Pippa echoed, rolling up her sleeve for good measure. ¡°Just you watch me!¡± Primith ate quietly, not reacting to the banter at all. She looked up when I glanced at her. ¡°Do you need something?¡± ¡°Um,¡± I hesitated. ¡°Do you have a plan for today¡¯s training?¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re going to do it¡­and level up.¡±
I stood outside after breakfast tapping my foot impatiently. ¡°They¡¯re late!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Daddy,¡± Bori squeaked from my arm. ¡°We can play a game while we wait.¡± ¡°A game?¡± I asked, wondering if she was going to ask me to come up with something. Before I could say anything, a door appeared in front of me covered in ivy. I walked around it and looked at the other side. ¡°Um¡­¡± Bori giggled. ¡°You have to open it, Silly. It¡¯s a puzzle.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± I replied, returning to the front and reaching for the handle. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. It didn¡¯t turn at all, obviously locked. There was no keyhole or other sign that something on my side was barring the door. The only thing I could see was ivy, which looked as though it had grown on the door over a very long time. I walked around the door to inspect the other side again, hoping to find a fastener I could undo to gain access. There was nothing, not even a knob. Returning to the front, I inspected the ivy. It grew from all corners. I felt it would have made better sense if I encountered it in a dungeon where it was attached to a wall or something. Deciding to think of it that way, I tried to clear some of the ivy. Every bit that I cut grew back instantly. I tried burning it but the same thing happened. It grew back way too fast. I looked over the door again, this time closely for patterns in the ivy. It overlapped itself in a clockwise manner starting from the ground on the left. My eyes stopped at the top right corner at a gap in the overlap. Something glinted just beneath the ivy. I reached out and gently peeled the two strands apart and pried out a silver key. Only then did a keyhole appear just above the doorknob. Bori materialized and clapped when I got the door open. ¡°I got experience when you figured it out. That¡¯s one of my easier ones.¡± Clapping from behind me alerted me that we were no longer alone. Mike and Darrin walked slowly up behind us chuckling as they whispered back and forth to one another. ¡°You¡¯re late,¡± I muttered, crossing my arms as they approached. ¡°Where¡¯s Alan?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± Alan replied, rounding a corner just behind them. ¡°Good,¡± I said. ¡°Let¡¯s get started.¡± ¡°We aren¡¯t going to be doing that nonsense, are we?¡± Darrin asked, referring to the door. ¡°Can I kill him, Daddy?¡± Bori asked, tugging my sleeve. I patted her on the head. ¡°No, Honey. You can let your pet bite him though.¡± She sighed. ¡°Oka~ay.¡± Darrin frowned. ¡°What do you mean, bite?¡± In answer to the question, the door vanished and Bori¡¯s pet puppy appeared. Only it was no longer a pup. The dog towered over us at around six feet tall and twice as long. Ropes of drool slopped to the floor as it raised its hackles and growled at Darrin. ¡°Uh,¡± Mike squirmed. ¡°Do you expect us to fight that? It¡¯ll eat us alive.¡± ¡°Go easy on them,¡± I said. Bori sighed heavily as though I was making her do something she really didn¡¯t want to do, and the dog shrunk until it was the average size of a house pet. ¡°I can¡¯t fight that either,¡± Mike shook his head. ¡°What now?¡± I asked. ¡°It¡¯s a¡­a¡­dog,¡± Mike shot back. ¡°That would be animal abuse.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°It¡¯s a dungeon monster. If you kill it, Bori will just make another one.¡± ¡°Still¡­¡± This time it was Alan who objected. ¡°Can you just make something different?¡± After a moment of silence where I thought Bori was going to dig in her heels, the dog vanished and a full-sized porcusaurus appeared in its place. Bori planted her hands on her hips. ¡°Will this do?¡± ¡°Uh,¡± Alan backed away. ¡°I don¡¯t see how that¡¯s better.¡± ¡°Do you guys want EXP or not?¡± I asked. ¡°If not, you can go home, because you¡¯ll just die if you try to go to the other island.¡± ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll do it,¡± Mike said, stepping forward. ¡°Just try to come up with something easier next time.¡± I summoned a bench and sat beside Bori while the three would-be adventurers squared off with the porcasaurus. For her part, Bori held back and gave the group a chance to get the first hit. I took the opportunity to inspect the trio. Darrin Angler Class: Fencer Level: 23 Affection Level: Nervous Michael Katash Class: Pyromancer Level: 24 Affection Level: Cocky Alan Friedzig Class: Archer Level: 26 Affection Level: Determined The three circled the dinosaur, each not wanting to make the first move. All of them had no armor and just wore the clothing they brought with them from Earth. It made me wonder how they managed to level up at all. After watching them do practically nothing for a full five minutes, I decided to intervene. ¡°What are you guys doing? Do you plan to attack?¡± ¡°I was waiting for Darrin to go in,¡± Alan admitted. ¡°Why do I have to do it?¡± Darrin balked. ¡°You shoot it and then I¡¯ll attack.¡± ¡°But that would be suicide,¡± Alan shot back. ¡°Fine!¡± Mike roared, holding up a staff I hadn¡¯t seen before. ¡°I¡¯ll do it!¡± He shot out a massive fireball and the porcasaurus was bathed in flame. It roared in outrage and charged straight at Mike who turned and fled. When neither Darrin nor Alan moved to help, I got involved again. ¡°Hold it, Bori.¡± The porcusaurus obediently stopped. Bori stomped her foot in protest. ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to kill him. Just give him a love nip.¡± ¡°What are the two of you doing?¡± I asked, glaring at Darrin and Alan. ¡°You need to back each other up when fighting as a team.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve never fought together,¡± Alan muttered, not making eye contact as he spoke. ¡°We only teamed up to beat you, and you already saw how that turned out.¡± ¡°But you worked as a team when you fought me,¡± I countered. Alan pointed at the porcasaurus. ¡°To put it bluntly, that thing¡¯s scarier than you.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± I sighed. ¡°Bori, make a monster version of me.¡± She looked up at me with wide eyes. ¡°Are you sure, Daddy?¡± I smiled back in reassurance. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure. Make me a monster.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± she drew out the word, making it clear she thought it was a terrible idea. The porcasaurus vanished and an avatar that looked something like me appeared in its place. Bori chose to make me a little taller and buffer and a whole lot better looking. My avatar didn¡¯t have a stone arm but had biceps that would put bodybuilders to shame back on Earth. I found myself blushing as I took it all in. ¡°That¡¯s not fair!¡± Mike yelped. ¡°That thing is way bigger than you, and besides, aren¡¯t you like twice our level?¡± I inspected my avatar. Big Daddy Level: 15 Class: Rank C Monster Affection Level: It¡¯s Daddy, Duh! My dad¡¯s gonna kick your butt! I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at the description. Mike took that for confirmation and backed away from my doppelganger. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± I tried to soothe him. ¡°It¡¯s lower level than you. If you don¡¯t believe me, just inspect it.¡± ¡°How?¡± Darrin asked. ¡°Uh, you don¡¯t know how to inspect something?¡± I asked. ¡°No!¡± he snapped. ¡°Unlike you, we didn¡¯t get instruction manuals with these powers.¡± ¡°How did you get them?¡± I asked. While it was true Pi unlocked mine, nobody ever told me how the other players became awakened. The only one that made any sense was Primith and that was because she told me about her situation. ¡°It was the purple team sponsor,¡± Darrin began. ¡°Primith¡¯s team. He did something and I got a class. He pointed at me and said sword. The next thing I knew, I could lunge and parry with the best of them. I don¡¯t know why, but I prefer foils over other kinds of swords.¡± ¡°He did the same thing to me,¡± Alan said, taking out his bow. ¡°Bow here.¡± ¡°What are you?¡± Darrin asked, glancing at Mike. ¡°Fireball?¡± ¡°No,¡± Mike laughed. ¡°Staff.¡± ¡°I have an idea,¡± I said, trying to get them back on track. ¡°How about you try attacking all at once? He can¡¯t target all three of you. Work together and defend each other.¡± ¡°You better not get us killed,¡± Darrin grumbled. He pointed his sword at my doppelganger. Mike and Alan followed suit and the next thing I knew, a hail of arrows and fireballs launched at the construct alongside Darrin who dashed in with his sword at the ready. 3:03: Getting Situated Chapter 3: Getting Situated ¡°You¡¯re getting better,¡± I yawned from the makeshift throne I created from Cornerstone. Watching Mike, Darrin, and Alan fight was making my brain rot. I realized they were probably similar to me when I first started, but I couldn¡¯t help but find openings in their every attack. It didn¡¯t help that none of them came equipped to properly fight. That gave me an idea. I twisted one of the rings my knights resided in. ¡°Bedivere, are you there?¡± The knight I¡¯d first met in the lava cave emerged and gave a slight bow. ¡°How may I serve you today, My Liege?¡± ¡°Do we have weapons or armor that may suit these guys?¡± He followed my gaze to the fighting trio. ¡°Camelot Castle does have an armory. Your kingdom still lacks the required mana to produce anything significant, but it should still be an upgrade for your colleagues.¡± ¡°How do we get more mana?¡± I asked, confused by the statement. ¡°Grow your population,¡± the knight replied. ¡°Most kingdoms increase naturally over time, but you can import citizens from other kingdoms. There is also the other way.¡± ¡°The other way?¡± I asked, even more confused. ¡°You can, ahem, increase your concubines,¡± he replied, clearing his throat uneasily. ¡°My, what? Why?¡± I gasped, unsure how to answer. ¡°As the sovereign, you have certain rights, certain duties to your land,¡± Sir Bedivere went on to explain. ¡°This is a magic only you possess. A royal heir, even the act of creating one, provides a large infusion of mana to the kingdom.¡± By that point, the sounds of fighting had died down. I turned to find Mike, Darrin, and Alan staring at me. ¡°Are you saying he gets to screw his way to glory?¡± Darrin asked. Mike chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll gladly take your place if you aren¡¯t up to it.¡± ¡°Me too!¡± Alan chimed in, raising both hands for emphasis.
I mulled over the situation for a couple of days. The armory provided level-five equipment. Bori and the other dungeons tried granting treasure as well, but as they were still children, their rewards weren¡¯t much better. It was strange, considering I¡¯d received a nice gift from Bori in the past, but we concluded that was because of our bond as father and daughter. While I did my part to grow the kingdom, the only person I wanted to do it with was still apprehensive around me. I visited Isa daily, doing my best to ensure she was comfortable and had everything she needed. She spent the majority of her time with Zelle and Nax, who were currently possessed by her parents, so it was hard to get a moment alone with her. It was the middle of the night when it finally happened. I¡¯d gone to the kitchen for a late-night snack when I found Isa sitting alone at the table. Her nose was red, and she looked as though she had been crying. She jumped when she noticed me. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you.¡± My heart sank the way she said it, like I was the last person in the world she wanted to see. ¡°I can come back later,¡± I offered, turning to leave her in peace. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. Please don¡¯t go,¡± she sighed, pushing an empty plate away. ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep.¡± ¡°Is everything okay?¡± I asked. ¡°Is there anything I can do?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that,¡± she whined, fidgeting with her hair, something I used to find adorable. ¡°Everything here is fine. It¡¯s just, well, you know how Zelle is my mom currently, and there aren¡¯t any actual men on this island.¡± She looked at me pointedly. I turned away, unable to meet her gaze. Were we that broken? ¡°There¡¯s always Derrin and¡­¡± ¡°Those are offworlders¡­¡± she made a gagging motion. ¡°I¡¯m an offworlder,¡± I replied, turning back to watch her reaction. ¡°Did I turn you off to a whole planet?¡± She shook her head defensively. ¡°No. That¡¯s not it. I just¡­just¡­can¡¯t with them.¡± ¡°What can I do?¡± I asked, feeling sick, offering to help her find another man. ¡°I can go back to Dabia and¡­¡± ¡°No!¡± she snapped suddenly. ¡°Er, I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m just frustrated. I have all this pent-up energy and don¡¯t know what to do with it. I¡¯m angry with myself for getting my friends into this mess. I¡¯m frustrated with my parents for leaving me and dying. I¡¯m mad at¡­mad at¡­¡± Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. She looked straight at me but couldn¡¯t find the words to describe her feelings. ¡°How about we spar?¡± I recommended throwing her the only lifeline I had left. ¡°Spar?¡± she asked. ¡°Y-you want me to fight you?¡± ¡°Will it make you feel better?¡± I asked. She stopped to consider it for a moment. ¡°I dunno. Do you mind trying?¡± ¡°Not at all,¡± I replied, smiling for the first time in what felt like forever. She returned an unsure smile of her own. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s spar.¡±
Our sparring felt intimate to me, and I didn¡¯t want to share it with anyone else. Isa raised her fists, and I did as well. She bobbed and weaved as she circled to the left. I did my best to mimic her moves, but she was more skilled at pugilism. When she was in range, I braced myself and lowered my guard the moment she stuck. She surprised me by sending in a kick instead of targeting the opening I intentionally made for her. Her foot connected with the side of my head, and I crashed to the ground. I picked myself up and was surprised the forceful blow didn¡¯t knock me out. I couldn¡¯t tell if it was because of my high level or if she held back, but I decided I couldn¡¯t let my guard down for the next strike. Her scowl told me she didn¡¯t approve of my going easy on her either. The subsequent flurry of blows caught me off guard even through my defense. She rained down punches and kicks, which made me stagger back. Then she sent a final kick to my groin that I felt all the way to my core. ¡°W-why?¡± I gasped, doubling over in pain. Isa towered over me, gasping and looking as though she wanted to continue pummeling me. I squeezed my eyes shut and clutched my groin as another wave of pain shot through me. Moments later, I felt her breath on my face and opened my eyes to find her face inches away from mine. She was still breathing heavily, and her cheeks were flushed. Her eyes widened when she saw me looking, and she threw herself back, landing in a crouch. I sat up, wanting to ask if she was okay, but still unable to speak. Instead, I only managed to grunt. ¡°Low blow.¡± ¡°S-sorry,¡± she mumbled, turning her back to me and walking a few steps away. I pulled myself to my feet and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing!¡± she shot back defensively. ¡°I told you I¡¯m stressed. Sorry, this was a bad idea.¡± I reached out a hand as she hurried from the kitchen. There was a gap between us, and it felt like it was getting wider. I sat at the table and buried my head in my hands. ¡°Fancy a snack?¡± Sir Lamorak asked, materializing behind me. ¡°No thanks,¡± I grumbled. ¡°I lost my appetite.¡±
Ceru returned a few days later, providing a much-needed distraction from both Isa and the chaotic training with the other players. She brought a surprise with her. The ogres managed to broker peace with the orcs of Mount Drunder. Each set up camp outside the castle, sending delegations to make official introductions to the throne. ¡°The orcs humbly request a home in the mountains,¡± Gorlag, the orcish delegate, began. ¡°We ask that the kingdom provide resources to aid us in our endeavors.¡± ¡°Granted,¡± I replied, happy to add to the population finally. The ogres came next with a similar request. The only difference was that, as Chonu of the clan, I couldn¡¯t represent both the kingdom and the clan. Ceru stood in my place. ¡°Greeting, Chonu. Your Chana humbly requests you allow our clan to make their home in the trees by the sea.¡± ¡°I accept,¡± I couldn¡¯t help but smile as I noticed her belly had started to swell. When it was time for them to make their pledges, both sides fought over who would serve me the best. ¡°Orcs are weapon masters and should be your bodyguards,¡± Gorlag announced, pounding his chest for emphasis. ¡°Nobody guards Chonu¡¯s body but me,¡± Ceru countered, marching up to the throne only to be followed by Gorlag. The two of them bickered for a bit before Sir Lancelot appeared and pulled them apart. ¡°Remove yourselves from the throne at once. The duty of protecting the king has always fallen to the knights of the Round Table. The two of you will have a seat at the table and no more.¡± That seemed to satisfy both of them as they returned to their delegations at the foot of the stairs. An old man wrapped in a tattered robe with a grey beard that fell to nearly his knees approached next. He gave me a toothy grin, bowing slightly. ¡°King Alexander the Great. It¡¯s been far too long.¡± ¡°Deductus,¡± I said, always on guard when dealing with the gods. Iris wasn¡¯t having it either, and she uncoiled from her home on my tattoo to appear beside me. ¡°Look who it is. The champion of the orcs.¡± Decuctus¡¯s smile didn¡¯t waver. ¡°Greetings, Lady Iris. Tragic meeting you this fine day.¡± Iris rolled her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re obviously here to ask for something, so just spit it out.¡± ¡°Astute as always, my fair goddess,¡± Deductus continued, winding Iris up. ¡°I do indeed come with an offer. As you may be aware, I am the god of logic. With that in mind, I believe I can be of assistance when it comes to fortifying the island. It has come to my attention that we are at risk of an invasion, so it is in all our best interest to work together and fortify the borders.¡± I looked at Iris, who reluctantly nodded. ¡°He may be annoying, but he is good at tactics. I suppose it wouldn¡¯t kill us to hear what he has in mind.¡± ¡°For starters, I would like to set up a patrol of the perimeter to report back if there is any activity off-coast,¡± he began. Lancelot nodded. ¡°We already do that. As ghosts, we are better suited than the living when it comes to matters of scouting. Physical troops will be better utilized setting up a perimeter around the castle.¡± ¡°The orcs will secure the perimeter,¡± Deductus replied. ¡°That isn¡¯t fair,¡± Ceru cut in, marching fearlessly up to the god. ¡°The ogres are more than capable of¡­¡± ¡°Never fear, Lady Chana,¡± Decuctus addressed her by title. ¡°I have already considered the ogres and come up with a strategy for your larger physiques. You will help erect fortifications. While we are naturally protected by the lake to the north and mountains to the south, the passes must be barricaded to prevent invasion in the event an enemy makes it past the beach.¡± ¡°We can handle that,¡± one of the ogres shouted. Ceru looked at me, and I nodded. She turned back to Deductus and sighed, the fire gone from her eyes. ¡°Chana will obey her Chonu.¡± After that, Deductus turned to me. ¡°It is imperative that you accept the denizens of the underworld as soon as possible. The aquans and the Eaglin play vital roles in my plan. It might also behoove you to invite humans from Dabia to round out your population. As I understand things, Albion will gain magical enchantments as your population grows.¡± Once he was done with his speech, the old god returned to the orcs and spoke quietly with them. Lancelot stood behind me, watching everyone as they left. ¡°That is quite the interesting bunch you¡¯ve picked up. When I was alive, we used to hunt orcs for sport. Now, it seems, I am to lead them into battle. Your reign promises to be quite interesting, even if it might be short-lived.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± I asked. Lancelot snickered. ¡°Even Arthur lasted a few years before declaring his first war.¡± 3:04: Milestones and Obligations Chapter 4: Milestones and Obligations Current Population: 2357 Original Inhabitants: 143 Immigrants: 2199 Ogres: 979 Orcs: 1220 Gods: 3 Dungeons: 12 While it wasn¡¯t a bad start, I still needed ten thousand residents before I unlocked the first milestone. It didn¡¯t help that I had no clue what it meant. ¡°Hey, Arthur,¡± I called out of the ghost of the previous king. He was always lurking around the throne room. ¡°Does Albion come with an instruction manual?¡± ¡°I¡¯d be happy to give you a tutorial,¡± Arthur replied, materializing beside me. ¡°What would you like to know?¡± ¡°Tell me more about kingdom perks,¡± I began. ¡°Are there incentives for growing the kingdom?¡± He waved a hand, and a spread of information, not unlike the population table, appeared in front of me. Population Milestones 10,000: Roads Unlocked 50,000: Towns Unlocked 100,000: Walls Unlocked 250,000: Fortifications Unlocked 500,000: Alliances Unlocked 1,000,000: Special Unlocked ¡°Don¡¯t we already have roads?¡± I asked, disappointed already. ¡°What you have right now are dirt paths,¡± Arthur explained. ¡°They are fine for travel on foot. If you wish to use wagons to transport goods throughout your kingdom, well-paved roads are necessary.¡± ¡°What does that mean? Can¡¯t I build roads without growing the population? Arthur laughed. ¡°You can do that, but it will take years, not to mention a lot of manpower. The Civilization System uses the kingdom¡¯s mana to grow them wherever you decree.¡± That made me reevaluate the rest of the options still floating before me. ¡°Does that mean I can grow towns and walls if I unlock the perk?¡± ¡°Now you¡¯re getting it,¡± Arthur said with a grin. ¡°What about alliances and special?¡± I asked, not familiar with those structures. ¡°Those are different,¡± Arthur explained. ¡°Alliances refer to pacts you can make with other kingdoms. When you unlock the perk, you can use kingdom mana to enforce pacts and treaties with allied nations. At present, your only options are Dabia and Solitair, though I doubt the high house will recognize your sovereignty.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± I asked, wondering if I¡¯d done something to offend them. Arthur summoned a throne beside mine. I was annoyed to discover his was slightly larger than mine. ¡°It¡¯s because of your enemy. Mardella and the Vestara clan have strong ties to the high house. At this point, you¡¯ll be lucky if Dabia is willing to ally with you, considering your history there.¡± ¡°What did I do to them?¡± Arthur chuckled and started ticking off events on his fingers. ¡°Let¡¯s see. The noble house of Hellquist dislikes you. You didn¡¯t get along with the king. You painted Yew black. Oh, and my personal favorite, you sacked the town of Exui.¡± ¡°You¡¯re twisting all of that!¡± I objected. ¡°And I didn¡¯t sack Exui. I liberated them.¡± ¡°Regardless,¡± Arthur snickered. ¡°It¡¯s not likely that you¡¯ll gain any allies without doing some serious bootlicking. I suggest you send a delegate, preferably a human, to the king and see if there is anything you can do to boost relations. ¡°What about the last one?¡± I ignored Arthur and moved on to the next perk. ¡°Tell me what special does.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡­¡± Arthur got a dreamy look on his face as he trailed off for a moment. ¡°Consider that a last line of defense, a surefire way of warding off any attack.¡± ¡°Wow,¡± I swooned. ¡°What does it do?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Arthur admitted. ¡°While it draws on the kingdom¡¯s mana, the magic comes from you. Only you can say what it will be.¡± ¡°Giant robots!¡± my voice was so loud it echoed down the halls. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what?¡± Arthur asked, giving me an incredulous look.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡°That¡¯s what I want!¡± I barked. ¡°Give me Veritech, or maybe Gundam! No, wait, I want Voltron. Can I have more than one?¡± Arthur shrugged, looking perplexed. My mind was running with the idea. ¡°We can summon a different one for everyone. There¡¯s no way anyone on Gaia can compete with that. I bet I¡¯ll get a bunch of renown for that. Wait, are we still doing renown? Where is Cordelia?¡± The menu faded, and I turned to find Arthur had gone, leaving me alone in the throne room.
The next several weeks passed in a blur. The orcs made their home in the mountain caves outside the castle while the ogres returned to the beach. I promised Ceru I would join her once I was confident the men¡¯s team¡¯s training was going well. Bori was their dungeon companion, and I was uncomfortable leaving her alone with them until I was sure she wouldn¡¯t be hurt. It took them a while to find any cohesion when fighting monsters. Even though I repeatedly told them it was safe, they still fled from anything that resembled a monster. Finally, Bori had an idea that ended up making all the difference. She called it: ¡°Operation if Daddy was a weakling.¡± Rather than using the fat version of me that first arrived on Gaia, who she¡¯d never met, she opted for a scrawny one that looked like he needed a sandwich. The guys doubled over in laughter as Skinny Me stood in the training area with his hands on his hips. ¡°I got this,¡± Darrin called over his shoulder as he brandished his saber like he wanted to skewer me. ¡°You know you can all attack at once, right?¡± I suggested. He waved off my advice. One concept that never dawned on any of them was that it didn¡¯t matter what a monster looked like. Bori made each of them the same level and comparative strength. Skinny Me was just as strong as the other monsters they collectively ran from. He quickly discovered his error while Skinny Me slapped the saber away and socked him in the face. I couldn¡¯t help but cheer for myself. Fortunately, Mike and Alan didn¡¯t fall for the same delusion and unleashed a torrent of arrows and fireballs the moment Darrin was knocked out of the way. For the first time since the beginning of training, some of the attacks found their mark. I winced sympathetically as one of the arrows sunk into Skinny Me¡¯s shoulder. A fireball also singed his leg as he failed to dive out of the way in time. Skinny Me wasn¡¯t to be counted out yet, though. He rolled to a knee and pointed a pair of finger guns at both Alan and Mike, screaming in a comically high-pitched voice. ¡°Pew! Pew!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t sound like that!¡± I objected in a wounded voice. ¡°You so do, Daddy,¡± Bori giggled. Bori didn¡¯t hold back like I would have, and Mike ended up with a concussion and Alan a fractured wrist. Fortunately, both injuries were easy to clear up with the C-rank health potions I felt comfortable handing out. ¡°Let me get one of those, too,¡± Darrin said, holding out his hand. ¡°I bought these in Yew,¡± I objected. ¡°And I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll get more, so we need to ration these.¡± Still, I gave him one. I still had hundreds left. ¡°Do you think we can learn to make these?¡± Alan asked, looking over his empty potion bottle. ¡°I suppose,¡± I replied with a shrug. Sir Palamedes appeared, wincing when his aged joints cracked as he attempted to bow. ¡°Greetings, My Liege. The castle employs crafters of every profession, and it would be my honor to oversee the professional education of your wards should you command it.¡± ¡°We aren¡¯t his wards,¡± Darren growled. ¡°But we would love to learn,¡± Alan quickly cut in. ¡°Please teach me how to make potions.¡± ¡°Do you have any blacksmiths?¡± Mike asked. ¡°That¡¯s more my speed.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you a mage?¡± I asked with a chuckle. ¡°Are you even rated to wear heavy armor?¡± Mike scoffed. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for this fireball business. Might as well do it my way.¡± ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± Darrin sighed. ¡°I never asked for this sword. Give me something ranged any day.¡± ¡°Do you want to try crafting?¡± I asked, hoping all three of them would agree so I could take Bori with me. Darrin rubbed the stubble on his chin. ¡°Do you have anything like inventing? I¡¯d like to make something new to this world. Or perhaps bring some of Earth¡¯s tech to Gaia.¡± ¡°Good idea!¡± Alan exclaimed. ¡°Can you imagine if we had guns? That Alex monster wouldn¡¯t stand a chance.¡± ¡°Those stupid rocks are like guns,¡± Mike grumbled, rubbing his head. ¡°Imagine if the real Alex was serious with those things. Magic beats weapons any day.¡± ¡°That¡¯s easy for you to say,¡± Darring sighed, swinging his sword haplessly in the air. ¡°That sponsor guy gave you magic. I just got this sword.¡± ¡°You did get skills to go with it, right?¡± I pointed out. ¡°That¡¯s a form of magic.¡± ¡°But none of it¡¯s ranged,¡± he shot back. ¡°How would you know¡­¡± I paused to inspect him. Darrin Angler Class: Fencer Level: 24 Affection Level: Disappointed I smiled when I realized he¡¯d leveled up by killing Skinny Me. Then I finished my thought. ¡°You might get some ranged skills when your level is higher.¡± ¡°I doubt that,¡± he glared before calming himself. ¡°Seriously though, I always liked inventing stuff. Like that MacGyver guy, you know?¡± Sir Palamedes took it all in strike. ¡°Very good, Sir. Shall I prepare a lab?¡± ¡°Now we¡¯re talkin¡¯!¡± Darrin whooped, marching up to the knight expectantly. ¡°Now, Sir?¡± the knight turned to me, looking for permission. I shrugged. ¡°Sure. Why not?¡± Darrin wasted no time ditching his friends to follow Sir Palamedes. Mike rolled up his sleeves and squared off with Skinny Me. ¡°That works for me. One less person to take turns with.¡± ¡°Do you think it¡¯s time to move on to another monster?¡± I asked hopefully, tired of watching myself get beat up. I patted Bori on the head. ¡°Maybe you can try your puppy again.¡± Bori smiled at the touch. She had adopted her human form while training so she could communicate directly with the other players who didn¡¯t have the same language skills Primith and I had. ¡°Can we let them kill you just a few more times, Daddy? Please!¡± she pleaded. ¡°I¡¯m about to rank up.¡± I¡¯d forgotten dungeons had progression. Borealis Krup Class: Dungeon-Core Ascension Rank: D Classification: Pink Core Origin: Earth Affection Level: Too cute for words I smirked at her affection level. It was true, though. The fact that she had her way with the players, even at D rank, amused me. I wondered how much of that was Bori¡¯s strength versus the other¡¯s ineptitude. Either way, everyone was getting stronger, so I had no complaints. ¡°Excuse me,¡± a gravelly voice made me jump. ¡°It is time, My Lord.¡± I jumped when I saw a tiny black creature with alabaster horns looking unblinkingly at me. ¡°Xanader! Uh, time for what?¡± ¡°Lilith requests your presence,¡± he began. ¡°It is time for the migration.¡± ¡°Lilith¡­oh, you mean the god,¡± I said as a flood of memories returned. So much had happened that it slipped my mind that I¡¯d had lunch with a goddess, and she implied I¡¯d owe her something the next time we met. ¡°I guess now is as good of a time as any. How do I get your attention if I need you in the future?¡± Xanader bowed. ¡°I always reside in your shadow if you ever require me.¡± ¡°Always?¡± I asked, blushing at the things he must have witnessed. ¡°Uh, how come you never said anything?¡± A hint of a smile crossed the grimling¡¯s face as he looked up at me. ¡°I was always at your beck and call, Master. All you need do is beckon.¡± ¡°You have to let me know beforehand,¡± I grumbled. ¡°Anyhow, I think we¡¯re ready for the eaglin to move up here. Have them come anytime.¡± ¡°Queen Lilith insists on your presence, My Lord,¡± he continued in a somber tone, as though he were telling me a loved one died. ¡°She would also prefer if you leave your patron goddess behind this time.¡± ¡°That. Is. Not. Going. To. Happen!¡± thunder struck with every word as Iris unraveled her tattoo so fast that it made my skin burn. 3:05: The Way to a Kings Heart Chapter 5: The way to a king¡¯s heart The path to the netherworld was just as ominous as always. Only, this time, Xanader opened a permanent passage. My suggestion had been to create it in the dungeon of Camelot Castle, but Xanader shook his head. ¡°You must understand that this portal will connect our worlds from here on out,¡± he explained. ¡°While you may be unconcerned today, opening a highway in your dungeon poses a security risk for your people and mine. I suggest we utilize the land we wish to inhabit.¡± ¡°Did you have something in mind?¡± I asked. Xanader nodded. ¡°We noticed an area up north that is naturally connected to the netherworld through what I believe you call volcanos.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± I asked. ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like a good idea at all.¡± ¡°Volcanos bring heat,¡± Xanader replied. ¡°And heat brings life. It is only natural for the grimlings to live there.¡± ¡°What about the eaglin and the aquans?¡± I asked, worried Xanader was only thinking about his kind. ¡°They may live where they choose,¡± he didn¡¯t seem phased by my question at all. ¡°The portal must flow through the ancient passage. Otherwise, the cost will be too high.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve made portals before,¡± I reminded him. ¡°How much does it cost anyway?¡± ¡°Those were different,¡± Xanader replied. ¡°A permanent portal needs an anchor to the netherworld, or it will draw too much mana to keep open. Queen Lilith is sponsoring the full cost, so don¡¯t worry about that.¡± ¡°Thanks, I think,¡± I gave in, unsure if he was doing me a favor or not. ¡°Where do you want to set it up?¡±
Before leaving for the netherworld, I liberated Bori from training the guys. Alan and Mike didn¡¯t mind, as they were both eager to start crafting. They happily allowed themselves to be led off by Sir Palamedes. I tried to take the carriage, as the location Xanader wanted to use was on the other side of Albion. However, Arthur was right. The dirt roads were way too bumpy to travel comfortably. Things slowed considerably on foot, even though there were only a few of us. Bori kept me entertained during the trip, creating puzzles that worked like an obstacle course for me to get through. Sure, it made the journey take longer, but Bori got experience every time I cleared an obstacle. ¡°Mommy is a B-rank dungeon,¡± she explained. ¡°I want to get A rank by the time I¡¯m an adult.¡± ¡°You want to beat Mom?¡± I asked, wondering when it was, I started calling Aura Mom. Bori shook her head. ¡°No, Daddy. I want to impress her.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± I chuckled sheepishly. ¡°Well, don¡¯t grow up too fast.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t!¡± she chirped happily. We arrived at the lava river just as the sun began to set. Xanader led us to the cave where I fought Sir Bedivere. The knight had gone after I passed his trial, but the small island in the middle of the lava pool remained. I created another stone bridge out of Cornerstone just as I had the first time. Xanader stopped in the middle of the island and rested his hand on the ground. ¡°This is the spot.¡± ¡°For wha¡­¡± my voice turned into a yelp as the ground fell away, and I fell into the darkness. I reached out for Bori, who giggled as her construct plummeted beside me. I know I needn¡¯t have worried as it was just a construct, but my Dad brain kicked in, and I couldn¡¯t help myself. Fortunately, the real Bori was safely stowed in Cornerstone, not that I was any safer as I was also falling. Then, just as suddenly, I was standing in a grassy field that shouldn¡¯t have existed deep in the bowels of Gaia. A refreshing gust of wind, that brought with it the subtle scent of cinnamon, gently tickled my skin. Iris came out once again, her arms crossed in the most threatening manner I¡¯d ever seen from her. ¡°Come out, Lilith!¡± she commanded. ¡°We can smell you.¡± Do gods smell of cinnamon? I asked myself. ¡°I told him to come alone,¡± a pouty voice echoed across the hills as Lilith descended from above. ¡°Welcome back, King Alexander. Are you ready to hear my offer?¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Offer?¡± I asked. ¡°I thought I was here to rehome the aquans and the eaglin.¡± ¡°And you will in due time,¡± her whispered voice felt like a cool breeze that made me shiver. ¡°For now, I¡¯d like to discuss a union that will help your kingdom grow exponentially.¡± ¡°Over my dead body!¡± Iris hissed. Lilith tutted. ¡°You have yet to claim his mortal body. Do you intend to deny him the benefit?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie, Lesser Goddess,¡± Iris¡¯s voice was cold. ¡°You only wish to do this to elevate your status. I will not allow you to fool my precious disciple.¡± ¡°Do what?¡± I asked, thoroughly confused. Iris sighed. ¡°Some pathetic gods and goddesses toy with the hearts of mortals. I cannot say that I condone such actions for any reason other than love.¡± ¡°Love?¡± I asked, looking up at Lilith. ¡°Are you suggesting¡­¡± ¡°Of course I am,¡± Iris huffed. ¡°The goddess means to bed you to hitch herself to your rising star. Her offspring with you would be a demi-god and the most powerful of your children. As such, the child would be your heir.¡± ¡°I most certainly do not¡­intend to do¡­that,¡± Lilith stammered, turning red. ¡°I am not so devious. The only reason I invited Alex down here is to explore our blossoming alliance. Surely, it would behoove him to ally with as many gods as possible, given the upcoming battle. Or do you intend to win the war for him?¡± ¡°I¡­cannot,¡± Iris admitted hesitantly. ¡°However, I still intend to keep my eye on you.¡± ¡°Very well,¡± Lilith sighed. ¡°In any case, welcome back, King Alexander. I¡¯ve been watching your recent exploits with great interest. Are you ready to forge a permanent bond between Albion and the netherworld? I guarantee we will be the strongest nation of beastmen in Gaia.¡± ¡°What do I have to do?¡± I asked, skeptical after the conversation between the goddesses. Lilith smiled. ¡°Nothing. The portal has already been created. All you have to do is give the decree, and we will be allies. It won¡¯t be magically binding until your kingdom grows, but I give my word as a goddess that we will honor it regardless.¡± Remembering the milestones of my kingdom, I replied. ¡°I thought the only kingdom I could ally with was Dabia.¡± ¡°The netherworld has never officially joined or been accepted by any of the Gaian realms,¡± Lilith explained. ¡°You can still say no if this isn¡¯t what you wish.¡± Eager to hit my first milestone, the last thing I was going to do was say no. ¡°I accept! Where do I sign.¡± The goddess smiled. ¡°Excellent. We will begin the migration straight away. For now, how about you join me in a meal?¡± Mixed emotions swept over me as I recalled the terrible-looking yet delicious food from my last visit. It made me long for Helen¡¯s food, which not only tasted good but also looked amazing. ¡°I need to recruit her for my kingdom,¡± I mused out loud. ¡°Who?¡± Lilith asked, casting me a sidelong glance as she floated beside me. ¡°Helen,¡± I replied. ¡°She¡¯s this amazing chef from the town of Yew.¡± ¡°Is there a problem with my cooking?¡± the goddess pouted. I rubbed my chin, not sure how to break it to her. ¡°Your food, um, is delicious, but¡­it, uh, isn¡¯t exactly that appealing to, uh, humans. Are you familiar with how our food is supposed to look?¡± Lilith chuckled. ¡°You humans place too much value in appearance. A thing is what it is regardless of how it appears. It¡¯s true things in the netherworld have a gruesome appearance, but that doesn¡¯t mean there¡¯s anything wrong with them.¡± I sighed. She was taking things too far. Appearance had a very real impact on my gag reflex, and that definitely wasn¡¯t good. ¡°We can solve this,¡± I decided eventually. ¡°Do you have a blindfold?¡± The goddess gaped at me before breaking out in laughter. ¡°See no evil, eat no evil, huh? I suppose something can be arranged.¡± Bori, who¡¯d been observing the conversation in silence, whispered. ¡°Can I eat, Daddy?¡± Lilith overheard the young dungeon. ¡°Of course you can, little dungeon.¡±
And that was how I found myself clad in a blindfold at a long table with my daughter and a pair of goddesses attended to by a slew of grimlings. ¡°I don¡¯t know what your issue is, Daddy,¡± Bori squealed between bites. ¡°This food is delicious.¡± As a dungeon, she didn¡¯t need to eat, per se, but that didn¡¯t mean she couldn¡¯t enjoy food. ¡°My cooking should be extra nourishing for you, my dear,¡± Lilith said as she watched my daughter eat. ¡°Divine cooking is saturated in mana. It cultivates the soul as well as the body.¡± I peeked through the blindfold to take a closer look at my plate. Ambrosian Lasagna Item Rank: SS Special: Divine Mana Infusion It still looked rotted, but knowing its effect gave me an added respect for the dish. Bori couldn¡¯t get enough of the stuff, having devoured her plate and moved on to the serving dish. Iris watched with a scowl as I poked a fork into something that looked and smelled like compost. I had to resist a strong urge to gag as I forked a bite into my mouth. The fact that it was juicy didn¡¯t help either. That was until the taste hit. It was so satisfying, it put Helen¡¯s cooking to shame. While Helen¡¯s food was already out of this world in terms of flavor, Lilith¡¯s Lasagna filled me in a way food never had. The effect was addictive. Suddenly, I had no issue eating the turgid-looking slop, and my nose refused to recognize the stench as I raced to match Bori¡¯s pace, devouring the stuff. ¡°You can eat my cooking any time you want,¡± Lilith chirped, giving Iris a vindictive look. ¡°They do say the way to a mortal¡¯s heart goes through his stomach.¡± ¡°Humph!¡± Iris snorted. ¡°My mortal isn¡¯t that fickle. You may have scored points with your culinary trickery, but I will always be his goddess.¡± Bori and I finished all the food on the table while ignoring the goddesses who continued to squabble. It was just in time, too, because Xanader chose that moment to return. ¡°The migration is complete, My Goddess.¡± Lilith turned her attention away from Iris. ¡°Very good, Xanader. We will be along shortly.¡± ¡°Are you sure you want to leave this place?¡± Iris asked. ¡°This is your seat of power. You¡¯ll be powerless in the over-world.¡± ¡°This realm is now an extension of Albion,¡± Lilith made a point of smirking at Iris in between sentences. ¡°A path has been opened for all the lesser gods who were banished to the netherworld to see the light of day again.¡± ¡°So that was your plan,¡± Iris replied, pointing an accusing finger at the goddess. ¡°This changes nothing. You still fall under Alex¡¯s rule, who is my disciple.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± Lilith smirked, returning her attention to me. ¡°Are you ready to go, Sire?¡± I stood with some difficulty. It was clear that Lilith made a special meal to butter me up. I just hoped she would make it again once she got her way and was in Albion. Bori, who was too stuffed to move, returned to her core in Cornerstone. ¡°Let¡¯s head back,¡± I said, rubbing my stomach happily. 3:06: Growing Pains Chapter 6: Growing Pains Current Population: 19,571 Original Inhabitants: 143 Immigrants: 19,412 Ogres: 979 Orcs: 1220 Aquan: 1881 Eagin: 675 Grimlings: 14657 Gods: 4 Dungeons: 12 Congratulations!!! You¡¯ve hit a milestone: 10,000 citizens. Roads Unlocked! I was so excited to hit a milestone that I ignored the fact that my kingdom consisted mostly of grimlings. The message popped up the instant I returned to Albion, but I had no clue what to do with it. I knew I should be able to make roads using kingdom mana, but nothing accompanied the message telling me how to actually do so. ¡°Does anyone know how to make roads work?¡± I asked, looking at the rings on my fingers. This time, Sir Percival appeared. ¡°Kingdom perks are coordinated through the underground capital, Albion Castle.¡± I¡¯d nearly forgotten there was a whole city down there buried underground. It wasn¡¯t clear why there were two castles. The good news was one of the entrances was conveniently close to the lava fields. All I had to do was make my way to a stairwell hidden in the back of the magma chamber. Bori and I excused ourselves from the rest of the procession, leaving even Lilith behind to situate herself in the new home of the Grimlings. The eaglin and the aquans were nowhere to be seen. I figured I¡¯d check in on them later to see where they decided to settle. ¡°This is amazing, Daddy,¡± Bori squealed when she saw the underground city for the first time. ¡°Can I make this my dungeon?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I hesitated. While I hadn¡¯t decided what to do with it, the city was far too massive for just Bori to live in. I wanted to use it as my capital city, but only after establishing the rest of the kingdom. We walked through the silent streets toward the capital, stopping from time to time to explore the many vacant buildings. ¡°Why don¡¯t you let everyone live here?¡± Bori asked. ¡°I don¡¯t see why they should all have to make houses when we have these already built.¡± As usual, my kid was wiser than me. I¡¯d been saving it for, I don¡¯t know what. ¡°You¡¯re right, hun,¡± I ruffled her hair, causing her to pull away from me. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to everyone about it when we get back to Camelot.¡± Arthur made an appearance as we approached Albion Castle. ¡°I had a feeling you¡¯d show up.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s make some roads,¡± I said excitedly. He guided us through the castle to a duplicate of the round table room in Camelot Castle. Only this one had an opening in the middle. Bori yawned. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to take a nap now, Daddy.¡± She hugged me before her avatar vanished. ¡°Place Excalibur in front of you,¡± Arthur said, pointing to a sword-shaped indentation. When I did as instructed, a shimmering hologram of Albion appeared in the opening. It was accurate and lifelike, complete with roiling sea that stopped at the inner edge of the table. Several areas glowed in different colors, each labeled in the key. Camelot Castle Orc Cavern Ogre Camp Eaglin Nest Aquan Sea Caves Grimling Domain I didn¡¯t have to figure out where they went anymore. It was all right there on the map. I noticed a shimmering button next to Excalibur. When I pressed it, the entire continent rose, and I was treated to a map of the underground, along with something else.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡°What is that?¡± I asked, pointing to a cave system spidering over the map and beyond. Arthur smiled. ¡°That is the Thief¡¯s Corridor. It runs throughout Gaia. Albion is no different. You can travel from here to Celestea and Solitair to the north.¡± ¡°Does it go where Jericho went?¡± I wondered if he slipped past me in Dabia by going underground. ¡°Yes,¡± Arthur nodded. ¡°The Thief¡¯s Corridor extends even to Xanadu. There are rumors that it extends to the Puppetmaster¡¯s castle itself.¡± ¡°Xanadu?¡± I asked. He pointed in the direction to the west of Albion. ¡°That is the name of the continent the Vestaras rule. Mardella currently lives in Solitair, but the Vestara family rules Xanadu.¡± ¡°Do you think we can sneak in and get Jericho out without this Puppetmaster noticing?¡± I asked. ¡°That all depends,¡± Arthur rubbed his ghostly chin. ¡°If your friend is there against his will and wants to be rescued, there is a chance that may work. However, if he has sided with the dark ones, you will be walking straight into a trap.¡± I took out the note Pi left for me. I left to do what you cannot. You have all the tools you require to complete the trial. Meet back in Albion when everything is over. Pi What was it he was trying to accomplish? Did he intend to kill Mardella for me or conquer the entire world? And why had he kidnapped Nax and Zelle? The least he could have done was leave them for me to sort out. ¡°That¡­is an option,¡± I dragged out my response, leaving it vague for the moment. ¡°Show me how to make roads.¡± ¡°That¡¯s easy,¡± Arthur grinned. ¡°Select the perk you wish to use.¡± Roads Unlocked I noticed the option was now highlighted. Once I selected it, the dirt roads glowed red, along with other paths that glowed yellow. ¡°Red marks the roads you¡¯ve seen,¡± he explained. ¡°Yellow are suggestions for where you might wish to place a road. Of course, you are free to put them wherever you like.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to place them everywhere!¡± I announced. ¡°Is there a button for that, or do I have to select them all manually?¡± Arthur chuckled. ¡°If only it were that easy. You have maybe enough mana to make a road from the castle to the harbor at this point.¡± ¡°What?¡± I balked. ¡°Doesn¡¯t the kingdom have plenty of mana?¡± ¡°You do, and you don¡¯t,¡± Arthur explained. ¡°While Albion has accumulated a bit since you got here, the kingdom requires a lot to sustain itself.¡± ¡°I still can¡¯t believe I only have enough for one road,¡± I groaned. What was the point of milestones if I couldn¡¯t afford to use any of them? Arthur patted me on the shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It will go up quickly now that you¡¯ve had an influx of new citizens. If you¡¯re impatient, there¡¯s always the other way.¡± ¡°The other way?¡± I asked. ¡°How did your friend put it?¡± Arthur asked with a smirk. ¡°Screw your way to glory?¡± ¡°How much mana do I get from that?¡± I asked. ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Arthur admitted. ¡°I only ever had relations with my wife, The Queen. As the king, you will get a bonus with any woman you bed.¡± I sighed, going over the list of willing women I had on the island. First, there was Ceru. With the pregnancy, I wasn¡¯t sure if that was such a good idea. She was also at the beach with the ogres. While I desperately wanted Isa, I knew there was no chance of that happening. My most likely bet was Pippa and Zelda. Even though they were willing, I always felt guilty sleeping with them. They spent a good portion of their adult lives in the brothel doing things I wasn¡¯t sure they wanted to. They did pursue me, though. That gave me some solace. There were two others. Aura was in Yew. ¡°Hey, Arthur,¡± he turned to look at me when I addressed him. ¡°Do I have to be in Albion when I do the deed? Can I go to¡­say Yew? Will Albion get the mana?¡± ¡°Why would you¡­¡± Arthur¡¯s eyes narrowed when he made the connection. ¡°Wait a second. You¡¯re going to see her, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I admitted. The other option was Cordelia, but I wasn¡¯t sure where she was. Perhaps I could ask Primith to see if her sponsor knew where she was. Arthur cleared his throat to get my attention. He still looked agitated. ¡°Ahem, there is another way. I didn¡¯t recommend it initially because it¡¯s generally not a good idea. You can raise the tax.¡± ¡°Tax?¡± I asked. ¡°I don¡¯t need money, not that beastmen use human currency.¡± Arthur laughed. ¡°Not money. You levy a tax on mana. By default, every living thing in Albion donates ten percent of their life force to Albion. They hardly ever notice such a trivial amount. However, if you increase the tax, they will most likely feel it. Depending on the person, they may feel fatigued or ill.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to do that to anyone,¡± I balked at the idea. He pointed at the road map in front of me. ¡°I thought you had goals. Raising the tax to twenty percent greatly increases your mana gain. Bear in mind that a portion of that initial ten percent is spent on the upkeep of the nation. Every percent you raise it is pure gain.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t put them through that,¡± I repeated. ¡°Let me think about it. For now, let¡¯s build that road to the harbor.¡± I selected the red line between Camelot Castle and the harbor I¡¯d sailed into. Would you like to build a road? Y/N? The Y/N made me smile despite myself. It was something I was used to seeing from Pi, and even though he might have turned to the dark side, I still missed him. The line turned green when I chose YES. ¡°Will you be staying here tonight?¡± Arthur asked when I closed the map. ¡°A duplicate of your chamber in Camelot is prepared for you if¡­¡± I shook my head, unsure how to tell him I didn¡¯t want to sleep alone. ¡°I think I¡¯ll head back to Camelot.¡± ¡°Perhaps you¡¯d like to take the shortcut then,¡± he offered, beckoning me toward a passage behind him. ¡°There¡¯s a shortcut?¡± I gasped. ¡°You made me walk when I was doing the trials.¡± ¡°That was before we accepted you as our king,¡± Arthur replied. ¡°I am about to show you the passage of kings. It links the two castles. Only you or your blood can use it.¡± I chuckled to myself, thinking he was about to show me the Thief¡¯s Corridor. Instead, he opened a wardrobe and said, ¡°Step inside.¡± ¡°Really?¡± I snickered. ¡°You know C.S. Lewis probably has a copyright on this, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid I never had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Lewis,¡± Arthur replied. ¡°Now, step inside so we can return to Camelot.¡± He closed the door, and it was dark for only a moment before he opened it again. The room I emerged in was similar but different. It was the round table room in Camelot Castle. I¡¯d returned. After bidding Arthur a good night, I hurried to Primith¡¯s room, knocking on her door. She answered, wearing a nightgown and looking quite grumpy. ¡°Do you have any idea what time it is, because I don¡¯t.¡± I shrugged, realizing my only use for time was whether it was night or day. ¡°Never mind that. I¡¯m trying to find Cordelia.¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m keeping her in my room?¡± Primith snorted, rolling her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re more than welcome to check¡­if you come back at a reasonable hour. ¡°Can you ask Michael to send her here?¡± I asked. ¡°If she needs a boat, I¡¯d be happy to send one and¡­¡± ¡°Actually, I haven¡¯t been able to get ahold of Michael,¡± Primith said, her brows furrowing. ¡°That¡¯s never happened before.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± was all I could think to say. ¡°I¡¯m going back to sleep,¡± Primith replied, slamming the door.
My room was empty when I returned. I plopped down on the bed and groaned. ¡°I should have just slept in the underground castle. Oh well. Tomorrow is another day.¡± The child knight, Bors the Younger, appeared in front of me. ¡°Shall I send The Perils to keep you warm tonight?¡± 3:07: I Always Return to Yew Chapter 7: I always return to Yew ¡°What the hecht is this?¡± Isa asked, dropping a plate of food on the floor. I scrambled out of bed, getting tangled in a sea of ghostly women that were The Peril. ¡°I can explain,¡± I called after her as she fled. ¡°I was trying to build a road!¡± In reality, I accumulated enough mana that night to make quite a few roads. The system was kind enough to give me play-by-play updates as I accumulated mana. It seemed to coincide with certain climaxes, both mine and theirs. My stomach rumbled at the sight of food on the floor, and I briefly wondered if any of it was still edible. No, food is the last thing I should be worried about. Isa is extending an olive branch, and I need to take advantage of it. ¡°Round two, My Liege?¡± one of The Perils asked, reading out for me as I fled. I brushed past her, trying my best not to look. ¡°No, thanks. And how did last night only count as one round? Seriously, I need a break.¡± I needed to find Isa¡­to somehow explain. I threw on my kingly robes and headed to her room. There, I was met by Zelle and Nax, who looked sad. ¡°She¡¯s not here,¡± Nax said. Zelle placed her hands on her hips. ¡°We¡¯re you really having an orgy in your bed chamber?¡± I sighed. ¡°In my defense, those were ghosts, and they¡¯re insatiable. I just wanted to accumulate some mana to make roads, and none of The Perils know what the word moderation means.¡± Nax wrapped his arm around my neck. For a moment, I worried he might choke me. Instead, he spoke in a gentle voice that didn¡¯t sound like Nax at all. ¡°Do you love my daughter?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± I admitted without hesitation. ¡°I think I¡¯ve loved her since the moment I met her.¡± ¡°Good,¡± he replied quietly. ¡°I¡¯m going to need you to convince her to stay when the time comes.¡± ¡°Stay?¡± I asked. He sighed. ¡°We both know Annabelle and myself can¡¯t remain in these borrowed bodies. There is going to come a time when we have to move on. Isabelle has convinced herself that she wants to come with us, but she can¡¯t. I believe you are the only one that can make her see reason.¡± ¡°But she hates me,¡± I sighed, making a mental note about what Isa¡¯s mother¡¯s name was. ¡°You saw her. It doesn¡¯t matter what I do. I always make it worse.¡± ¡°She loves you,¡± Zelle said. Nax gave me a weak smile. ¡°Like I said, take care of my baby girl.¡± I stood there in shock, partly because of what they asked but also because the request was coming from Zelle and Nax. After composing myself, I asked. ¡°Do you know where she went?¡± Nax nodded. ¡°She¡¯s in the courtyard. When she¡¯s upset, she takes her stress by training.¡±
¡°Isa?¡± I thought it was a good idea to announce myself. She stood in front of a training dummy with her head lowered, not reacting at all to my presence. I wondered where the knights who usually occupied the courtyard were. ¡°Is everything okay?¡± I tried again. Isa¡¯s eyes glinted as she turned to face me. ¡°No! Everything is not okay! I died. My parents are back, but not really. My friends are¡­out there¡­somewhere. I¡¯m horny! And you! You¡¯re¡­you¡¯re a big jerk.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said, and I was sorry for all of it. ¡°I didn¡¯t want any of that stuff to happen to you. Well, the sex I did, but if I could make all the other stuff go away, I would.¡± ¡°I wish I never met you,¡± she sobbed, her voice cracking. ¡°But I¡¯m drawn to you like an idiot. If I¡¯d just moved on after you resurrected me, Zelle and Nax would still be here.¡± ¡°We will get them back,¡± I promised, even though I had no clue how I was going to pull it off. Pi had them, but I felt confident he would give them back. I just had to find him and figure out what he was up to. A tear drifted down Isa¡¯s cheek. ¡°You¡¯d better. We gotta make this right.¡± ¡°Would you like any help with your training?¡± I asked, pulling up her stats. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Isabelle Strome Level: 22 Class: Revived Curandera Affection Level: Confused Isa sucked her tongue as she regarded me. ¡°No. We tried that. I can¡¯t hold back when I fight you.¡± ¡°Did you know your class changed?¡± I asked quietly. Her eyes widened. ¡°I had a feeling. Something feels different about how I collect chi. I haven¡¯t tried having sex since I died. My attacks feel different, too.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking of recruiting some humans to join Albion,¡± I said, hoping to invite Isa to come along. She raised an eyebrow. ¡°Why would you do that?¡± ¡°Oh,¡± I replied, realizing she didn¡¯t know how the kingdom worked. ¡°Albion gains mana similar to how you do. Only, rather than getting chi by fighting, it gains mana from each of its citizens. I need roughly thirty thousand more people to reach the next milestone.¡± Isa whistled. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of recruiting.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± I sighed. ¡°I have no clue how I¡¯m going to get that many. I don¡¯t think Yew had that many.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going back to Yew?¡± she asked. I nodded. She planted her hands on her hips. ¡°You¡¯re going to see that dungeon, aren¡¯t you? Bori¡¯s Mom.¡± I froze. The thought of taking Isa anywhere near a dungeon gave me goosebumps. She was too reckless. ¡°This was a bad idea,¡± I sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Isa deflated as the fight went out of her. ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight with you. Just tell me how soon we can go after Zelle and Nax.¡± I looked at her level again. Getting killed in Xanadu was an even worse idea. ¡°We need to level up for that. I want to get at least level fifty.¡± Perhaps taking Isa to a dungeon wasn¡¯t the worst idea. At least with Aura, I could guarantee she wouldn¡¯t be killed¡­hopefully. ¡°I got a plan,¡± I said after a long pause. ¡°I think.¡±
¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t mind looking after everybody?¡± I asked Primith as we stood together at the dock. She nodded. ¡°Leave it to me. I¡¯ll whip the other players into shape. Good luck with the recruiting.¡± I couldn¡¯t keep the grin off my face. The old team was back together. Whether it was a good idea or not remained to be seen. I also decided to take Bori with me. I was going to see her mother, so it only made sense to bring her along. Likewise, Isa brought Nax and Zelle. With her parents'' souls inside their bodies, they liked me a bit more than the originals. Ceru wanted to come, but her belly had swollen a lot over the last month. She assured me ogres had roughly nine-month pregnancies just like humans did. The only thing I didn¡¯t know was just how long a Gaian month was. There was one other person I invited: Pippa. When she asked why, I only said one thing. ¡°You¡¯re going to be the bait.¡± She gave me a mock glare before smiling. ¡°I don¡¯t mind. I trust you.¡± The knights also accompanied me, stating I couldn¡¯t go anywhere without my Royal Guards. We didn¡¯t sail into Dabia. I wasn¡¯t quite ready to deal with the king and his politics. Besides, he wasn¡¯t likely to donate people to my nation no matter how much I asked. Also, I hadn¡¯t unlocked the treaties perk yet. One good thing about magical ships I kept in a necklace was that I could park anywhere. We did just that. I sailed up the coast until I saw what passed for a road and beached the ship. Once everyone was ashore, I transformed the boat into its pendant and summoned the carriage from my bracelet. Realizing we were probably broadcasting, I spoke directly to Cordelia. ¡°We¡¯re headed to Yew. Meet us there if you like.¡± Isa raised an eyebrow at my comment. ¡°Really? Inviting more girlfriends? Are you planning to have a reunion?¡± ¡°More?¡± I asked. ¡°Oh, you mean Aura. No! I¡¯m not having a reunion. I want to recruit people.¡± ¡°Are you saying you intend to recruit more girlfriends?¡± Isa raised an eyebrow. Was she genuinely mad, or was she playing with me? ¡°No!¡± I balked. ¡°I was hoping to talk to the mayor and¡­¡± Pippa cleared her throat loudly. ¡°Is that why you brought me? On second thought, maybe I don¡¯t trust you!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± I threw up my hands defensively. ¡°It¡¯s going to be fine. I won¡¯t let him keep you there.¡± ¡°You better not!¡± she snapped. ¡°You¡¯re stuck with me whether you like it or not.¡± Isa sighed. ¡°This is turning into exactly what I thought it was.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just a coincidence,¡± I said. ¡°She was necessary for the¡­¡± Isa waved me off. ¡°Whatever. I get it.¡±
Yew was just as magnificent as it was when I left it and completely black. ¡°We did this for you,¡± I whispered in Isa¡¯s ear as we passed through the gate. ¡°And I had absolutely nothing to do with it?¡± Iris growled from her tattoo on my chest. ¡°I seem to recall tasking you with painting everything a certain color. You dedicated it to her after the fact.¡± ¡°But I did dedicate it to her!¡± I replied. Isa stared out of the carriage window. ¡°Is this my memorial?¡± I nodded, and Iris didn¡¯t say anything further to correct me. I was glad she was back, but Yew did nothing but remind me I¡¯d lost Isa in the first place. It was getting late, so we went to my house. I was hesitant when I opened the door, unsure if the ex-cultists had cleared out. Fortunately, it was vacant. That just left one problem. Everything was coated in dust. To my surprise, Zelle and Nax got right to work cleaning things up. Pippa wandered into the bedroom while Isa watched her. ¡°This house isn¡¯t half bad,¡± Pippa said, pulling the comforter off the bed and shaking it. The resulting cloud of dust made her cough uncontrollably. ¡°We¡¯re going to have to figure out the sleeping arrangements,¡± Isa growled from behind her. Pippa was more careful with the blanket after the first time. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t mind sharing.¡± It was fairly clear she meant me and not the bed. Isa snorted and went back to the living room with her parents. Meanwhile, Bori was awake and had materialized her avatar. She tugged my arm and said, ¡°Hurry, Daddy. Let¡¯s go visit Mommy.¡± ¡°I know, I know,¡± I said as she dragged me toward the back door. ¡°I¡¯m coming. I¡¯ll be back later, everyone. Sleep wherever you like. I¡¯ll figure something out when I get back.¡± I was frogmarched out the door and through the backyard before anyone could say anything. When we got to the shed, Bori pointed to the pedestal where Aura¡¯s core sat and said, ¡°Put me next to Mommy.¡± A portal appeared right after I did, and Bori¡¯s construct, which was still out, pulled me toward it. I followed her inside and found myself in Aura¡¯s inner sanctum. Rather than a bed, she decorated it with a series of comfy couches and a wide open area, which I assumed was for Bori to play in. Aura¡¯s construct was the red-headed elf she knew I was partial to. ¡°Come here, you,¡± she said, wrapping Bori in a tight hug. ¡°I want to hear all about your adventures.¡± Bori squealed as her mom held her close. ¡°Ease up, Mom. I haven¡¯t been gone that long. I did learn some neat puzzles, though.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see them,¡± Aura replied. ¡°And you,¡± she added, pointing to me. ¡°You promised to communicate with me every day.¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± I rubbed the back of my head apologetically. ¡°It¡¯s been hectic setting up the kingdom.¡± ¡°Bori looks healthy and happy, so I guess you¡¯re forgiven,¡± she gave me a warm smile. ¡°How are things going over there?¡± ¡°Not bad,¡± I replied. ¡°I need to level up so we can get some friends back.¡± Aura nodded. ¡°Do you remember what we talked about?¡± 3:08: Things to do in Yew Chapter 8: Things to do in Yew ¡°You want another kid, don¡¯t you?¡± I wondered what it would be like to have an army of dungeon children. Aura chuckled. ¡°Perhaps one day. Borealis is enough for now. And remember, I have your DNA. Dungeons don¡¯t need fresh samples for every child. From our first time, I collected enough of your essence for all the offspring I¡¯ll ever need. Any additional coupling was purely for your benefit, not that I dislike that look on your face when you climax.¡± ¡°TMI, Mom!¡± Bori groaned, making a gagging sound. ¡°I thought you knew all about that stuff,¡± I teased my daughter. ¡°I do!¡± she whined. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean I want to hear the two of you talking about it.¡± ¡°Very well, dear,¡± Aura sighed, letting me go and scooping Bori up in her arms. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you. Why don¡¯t you tell me all about your adventures?¡± Bori giggled and sat on her mother¡¯s knee while she started telling her about Jasmine and The King¡¯s Jester. After going on for a bit, she got an idea and looked up at me. ¡°Uh, Daddy, can Miss Everthought come to Albion? She can make another puzzle shop there.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see why not,¡± I admitted, deciding a pitstop in Dabia might not be such a bad idea after all. I¡¯d just have to steer clear of the king. ¡°I¡¯ll be coming as well,¡± Aura announced. ¡°To Albion.¡± Bori whooped and wrapped her arms around her mother¡¯s neck. ¡°Really? You¡¯re coming with us?¡± Aura nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. I told your daddy when he gets enough people, I¡¯d come to help train them.¡± ¡°Yay!¡± Bori squealed. ¡°Now you get to meet Miss Everthought in person.¡± I yawned, heading over to the couch to sit down. ¡°If you like, I can summon you a bed,¡± Aura offered. I noticed she wasn¡¯t offering to join me. ¡°No,¡± I replied, stretching out. ¡°This is fine. You two play. I¡¯ll watch from over here.¡± And play they did. Aura insisted on seeing every one of Bori¡¯s puzzles. I fell asleep sometime in the middle of a gigantic clay wall filled with runes.
¡°Alex, wake up,¡± Aura nudged me gently. I yawned, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. ¡°What is it? How long was I out?¡± ¡°It¡¯s morning,¡± she greeted me with a smile. ¡°You have a visitor outside. Borealis went to greet her.¡± ¡°Bori did?¡± I asked, feeling Cornerstone for her. Then I remembered she was in Iris¡¯s shrine beside her mother¡¯s core. ¡°Is that safe?¡± Aura rolled her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s one of your lady friends. She seems harmless enough.¡± I looked through a window Aura opened to show who it was, expecting to see Isa or Pippa, but was instead surprised to find Cordelia in the small shed kneeling in front of Bori. I groaned and sat up. ¡°Thank you, Aura.¡± ¡°For what?¡± she asked, stepping aside as I stood. ¡°For letting me sleep,¡± I replied. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I slept through the night.¡± ¡°I could tell,¡± Aura said with a chuckle. ¡°You slept through quite a bit last night.¡± ¡°I did?¡± I asked. ¡°Your daughter is very enthusiastic about her creations,¡± she explained. ¡°I had to warn her not to wake you several times.¡± The exit portal opened when I stood. Aura¡¯s construct stepped in front of me and kissed me softly. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to take my core with you when you leave town.¡± ¡°What will happen to your dungeon?¡± I asked. Aura looked over her shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m not quite sure. I suppose it will collapse. It doesn¡¯t matter though. I don¡¯t know why I chose this place. It¡¯s far too difficult for most adventurers to find.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I shrugged. ¡°I like the fact that you were hidden. Because of that, I was the first to find you.¡±This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°You were my first,¡± she echoed dreamily. ¡°For many things.¡± ¡°Isa and I¡­¡± she cut me off by pressing a finger to my lips. ¡°Don¡¯t ruin it, lover,¡± she whispered. I pushed her hand away. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that.¡± She smiled. ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what I needed to say next. ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear you say that because I have a big favor to ask.¡± The construct¡¯s eyes narrowed, and she spoke in a flat voice. ¡°What is it?¡±
Cordelia was waiting with Bori in Iris¡¯s shrine when I stepped out. ¡°Hey, Alex. I got your message and came as soon as I could.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± I said, accepting a quickly offered hug. ¡°I¡¯d like to recruit some Dabians for my kingdom and was wondering if you have any suggestions.¡± She took a moment to consider. ¡°Well, you came to the right place first. Here or Exui. You¡¯re still pretty popular over there, but Yew is bigger. I think you¡¯ll have more luck with the unawakened until you get an Adventurer¡¯s Guild in your new kingdom.¡± ¡°How do I do that?¡± I asked. Cordelia shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Try asking them?¡± It sounded simple enough. ¡°I¡¯ll do that. But first, there are some other things I need to do. Will you meet me at the guild for lunch? My treat.¡± She smiled. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll be there.¡± Once Cordelia left, I kneeled before Bori. ¡°Do you mind coming with me this afternoon? There¡¯s something I might need you to do.¡± She smiled. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll come with you, Daddy. What do you need me to do?¡± ¡°Just return to your core for now,¡± I replied. ¡°You¡¯ll be my secret weapon later.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± she said, and her avatar vanished as I embedded her core in my stone arm once again. The next step was to see if everybody in the house was awake. I walked in the back door to discover Zelle preparing breakfast with Pippa. Isa¡¯s snores drifted loudly in from the bedroom while Nax sat on the couch reading what I could only describe as a Gaian newspaper. ¡°Good morning,¡± Zelle greeted me in a sing-song voice. ¡°I hope you¡¯re hungry.¡± ¡°You are so the opposite of Zelle,¡± I chuckled. ¡°Isabelle says the same thing,¡± she replied. ¡°For one thing, Zelle and my daughter aren¡¯t morning people.¡± ¡°I also don¡¯t think any of them cook,¡± I added, taking the aroma of breakfast meats Zelle had frying in the pan. ¡°One point for me!¡± Pippa chirped, flexing in an apron with hearts on it.¡± ¡°So, we have a lot to get done today,¡± I said as I sat at the kitchen table. ¡°Oh?¡± Zelle raised an eyebrow. ¡°I thought we were just along to keep an eye on Isabelle while you try to cheer her up.¡± ¡°That too,¡± I admitted. ¡°I have a feeling she¡¯s going to want to come with me when I leave to get her friends back, so I need the two of you to help her level up while we¡¯re in town. There¡¯s this dungeon under the lake, and¡­¡± ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s wise?¡± Nax asked, lowering his newspaper. ¡°Our family has a rather bitter relationship with dungeons.¡± ¡°I know,¡± I replied. ¡°This is different, though. I know this dungeon. Aura won¡¯t let anything bad happen to Isa, or any of you for that matter.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Zelle said, steeling herself. ¡°We¡¯ll keep her safe down there.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget to keep those bodies safe, too,¡± I reminded them. ¡°Zelle and Nax are going to want them back.¡± ¡°What about me?¡± Pippa asked. ¡°I¡¯m not a fighter.¡± ¡°We have a date with your dad,¡± I said with a chuckle. ¡°Is it too late to sign up for the dungeon?¡± she asked, hiding behind Zelle. We were laughing as Isa emerged from the bedroom, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. ¡°You guys are way too energetic this early in the morning.¡± ¡°Good morning, dear,¡± Zelle said, making a plate of food and walking right by me with it. ¡°Are you hungry, sweetie?¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Isa grunted, picking up a sausage and ignoring the rest of the plate. ¡°I didn¡¯t hear you come home last night, Alex.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± I replied before quickly adding. ¡°It¡¯s not like that. I just fell asleep on the couch. Bori was there. They were catching up.¡± Isa didn¡¯t reply. She just chewed the sausage slowly while staring at me. ¡°I¡¯m serious,¡± I continued. ¡°Nothing happened.¡± ¡°Why would I care?¡± she snickered. ¡°It¡¯s none of my business, right?¡± ¡°Isa¡­¡± I sighed. Isa finally accepted the plate walked to the living room to sit next to her father. ¡°Would you like some breakfast, Daddy?¡± Nax looked over her plate and grabbed a slice of toast and some meat, making himself a sandwich. ¡°Thank you, honey.¡± Pippa brought two more plates and sat beside me at the table. We ate in awkward silence while Zelle went into the living room and sat across from Isa. ¡°Honey, Alex thinks we should visit the dungeon today and level you up.¡± Isa glanced over at me, not bothering to swallow her food. ¡°Shounsh like a ghood idea.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Zelle asked. ¡°You heard her,¡± Nax silenced his wife. ¡°She wants to go. Alex says it¡¯s safe, and I¡¯m inclined to believe him. Our baby girl can use a few levels. Besides, I always wanted to go on an adventure with my daughter.¡± Isa stopped eating and looked at Nax with tears in her eyes. ¡°It will be an adventure, won¡¯t it?¡± ¡°The best adventure,¡± Nax replied. ¡°Just the three of us.¡± Isa hugged him. ¡°Then I can¡¯t wait. Let me get ready.¡± ¡°Aura¡¯s expecting you,¡± I called after her. If Isa heard me, she didn¡¯t reply.
¡°We have to make a couple of stops before we see your father,¡± I explained to Pippa as we strolled through town. ¡°That¡¯s okay,¡± she replied in a quiet voice. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see him anyway.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± I asked. She sighed. ¡°It¡¯s been too long. And you know what happened to me. I¡¯m dirty now. Especially after that dungeon¡­¡± I took her hand and squeezed it for reassurance. ¡°You aren¡¯t dirty. I¡¯ll bet you anything he¡¯ll be excited to meet his grandchildren. Rox, too.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Pippa hesitated. ¡°He¡¯s not human.¡± I tapped the glowing pink gemstone embedded in Cornerstone. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. Bori will convince him. And if he isn¡¯t okay with it, he won¡¯t be welcome in Albion.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± she sighed, though she didn¡¯t look convinced. My first stop took a while to find. I knew where the unawakened part of town was but not where Nax¡¯s wife lived. ¡°Excuse me,¡± I stopped the first person I saw on the street. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t happen to know where Maxine lives, would you?¡± The man stopped and pointed at me. ¡°It¡¯s you! You¡¯re the one that painted the town black and made my table. Of course, I know where Maxine lives. What do you want with her?¡± ¡°I need to talk to her,¡± I explained. ¡°I see,¡± he replied. ¡°She lives just down the street on the left, the second house from the end.¡± He pointed it out, and we bid him farewell. It took Maxine a few minutes to come to the door when I knocked. She was heavily pregnant. Her eyes lit up when she saw me before widening in shock. ¡°He isn¡¯t dead, is he?¡± her voice quivered. ¡°No!¡± I said, trying to be as soothing as possible. ¡°Something did happen, though. Do you have a moment for us to come inside and explain?¡± 3:09: Hotcakes and Unpleasant Conversations Chapter 9: Hotcakes and Unpleasant Conversations Pippa held Maxine as she bawled her eyes out. I did my best to keep her hopes up by guaranteeing I¡¯d find Nax and personally deliver his soul back to his body, but she took the news like I¡¯d told her he died. ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay,¡± Pippa soothed. ¡°Alex is strong. If he says he¡¯s going to do something, he does it. He liberated a whole town and brought Isa back to life.¡± ¡°I know about Isa,¡± Maxine sniffed. ¡°He got that wrong, though. She wasn¡¯t right when she came back. That¡¯s why Nax had to leave.¡± ¡°She¡¯s getting better,¡± I offered. Maxine glared at me. ¡°Then give me back my husband! I can¡¯t raise his son without him.¡± She rubbed her belly when she mentioned Nax¡¯s son. I wondered how she knew it was a boy. Was it intuition, or did the guild have a gender-reveal mage in the back somewhere? ¡°I¡¯ll get them back,¡± I repeated. ¡°Or you¡¯d better die trying!¡± Maxine added. I sighed. It wasn¡¯t like I could blame her. I¡¯d be pissed, too, if I found out someone accidentally separated the soul of my loved one from their body to temporarily house the parents of a friend and then lost the soul. It was rude! Still, I didn¡¯t want to commit to death. If it came to that, I¡¯d pay the price, but I wasn¡¯t going to swear to it. There wasn¡¯t much else I could do. Even though I knew it would only cause grief, I owed the woman an update. I just hoped the next time would be happier news. I needed to find Pi and make that happen.
The next stop was my favorite place in all of Yew. Delicious smells wafted out of the shop, making my mouth drool before I even got there. ¡°Please tell me we get to eat here,¡± Pippa floated ahead of me like a cartoon character hooked by a smell. ¡°I know we just ate, but I always wanted to try the food here.¡± ¡°Alex, is that you?¡± Helen asked as she came out of the kitchen. ¡°I was starting to think you were never coming back. Who is this pretty little thing?¡± ¡°This is Pippa,¡± I introduced the girl. ¡°And she says she¡¯s never had your cooking before.¡± ¡°Should she have?¡± Helen asked, leaning closer to give Pippa a better look. ¡°Wait just a minute. Are you Jasmine, the Mayor¡¯s daughter?¡± Pippa blushed. ¡°Yes, Ma''am. I mean, I was. I go by Pippa now. Alex rescued me.¡± ¡°I remember when you went missing,¡± Helen said, clearing a table for us. ¡°Bless you, dear child. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re safe.¡± Pippa fidgeted as she sat down but said nothing. I gave her a sidelong glance. ¡°Are you sure you can eat? You had a lot back at the house.¡± ¡°Please let me have this,¡± she whispered after Helen returned to the kitchen. ¡°I always wanted to eat here and never had the chance.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± I asked. ¡°Because she hates my dad,¡± Pippa pouted. ¡°It¡¯s not fair. I didn¡¯t ask to be the mayor¡¯s daughter.¡± ¡°I would have fed you anyway. I always feed children, regardless of who their parents are,¡± Helen said with a smile as she emerged with a plate of hot cakes. ¡°Try this. It should ease your stomach.¡± I examined the food she placed in front of us. Light and Fluffy Hot Cakes Rank: S Special: Cures Indigestion ¡°This could be useful!¡± I exclaimed, dousing mine in syrup before taking a bite. ¡°It cures stomach aches?¡± Helen rolled her eyes. ¡°The syrup negates the effect.¡± I sighed. ¡°Then what¡¯s the point? You can¡¯t have pancakes without syrup.¡± Helen just shrugged. ¡°Sorry, Alex. I don¡¯t make the rules. The effect¡¯s random.¡±This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. I decided to save business until after we ate so Pippa could enjoy her meal. She tried the hot cakes without syrup, then with syrup, and finally with strawberries and whipped cream. Her eyes bulged out of her head when Helen returned with a large bag of goodies for the road. I stowed it in my bag before Pippa could devour it all. ¡°There is one more thing I¡¯d like to discuss,¡± I said while Helen cleared our table. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve heard, but I¡¯ve become king of a land called Albion. I returned to invite anyone people to join my new kingdom. I was wondering if you might want to move your restaurant there.¡± Helen took her time arranging our plates before answering. ¡°I¡¯m afraid leaving isn¡¯t that easy. I have a long-established restaurant here, along with a lot of regulars. I can¡¯t just abandon them.¡± ¡°They can come too,¡± I offered in desperation. Helen chuckled. ¡°Not to worry. I might have a solution that works for both of us. Knowing you kids, you might even like her more.¡± ¡°Can she cook as good as you?¡± I asked hopefully. ¡°No, but she knows how to follow a recipe,¡± Helen explained. ¡°Angelina¡¯s specialty is alcohol. She wants to run a bar. I¡¯ve taught her well, though.¡± It didn¡¯t feel like it would be the same, but beggars couldn¡¯t be choosers, so I decided to go with it. ¡°Thanks, Helen. I¡¯m sure she will be fine.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think the hotcakes are working,¡± Pippa groaned, clutching her stomach. ¡°I think I¡¯m gonna puke.¡± I laughed. ¡°I don¡¯t think you were using them as instructed. They aren¡¯t a free pass to stuff yourself.¡± ¡°But they were so good!¡± She added a belch for effect. ¡°Well, that feels a bit better. Maybe I can¡­¡± Pippa didn¡¯t finish her sentence and instead ran to a nearby bush, where she lost the contents of both meals. She came back looking crestfallen. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± I patted her on the back. ¡°It¡¯s already almost lunchtime.¡± Her face turned a light shade of green, and she shoved me before retreating to the bush for another round of retching. ¡°Don¡¯t talk about food!¡± We wound our way out of the business district on our way to the mayor¡¯s house. ¡°Remember,¡± I broke the silence. ¡°Your dad is the key to my plan. I believe he will come because you live there, but I want to use him to recruit everyone else.¡± ¡°So I¡¯m the bait,¡± she sighed, clutching my arm. ¡°Just, please don¡¯t let him force me to stay.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a grown woman with kids of your own in Albion,¡± I comforted her. ¡°He won¡¯t care,¡± Pippa sighed. ¡°He never cared what I wanted.¡± ¡°You were a child when they took you,¡± I explained. ¡°I think losing you changed him.¡± Pippa looked down and refused to say anything. Before long, we ended up at the mayor¡¯s home, which was also his office. As usual, a long line went halfway down the block. I reminisced about the last time I waited in that line. It was the first time Isa and I declared our love for each other. I took Pippa¡¯s hand and walked right past the line. As we neared the door, someone grabbed my arm. ¡°Hey! No cutting. You¡¯ll have to wait your turn like the rest of us.¡± It was time to use my trump card. Pippa was currently trying to shrink herself and hide behind my back. I stepped aside and spoke in a loud voice. ¡°Does a resident of the house have to wait in line? I know she¡¯s been gone for a while, but she¡¯s home. In fact, I suspect the mayor won¡¯t be taking any more appointments today.¡± Before the man could answer, the doors burst open, and an angry-looking woman stepped out. ¡°What¡¯s the commotion? You are all to stand in an orderly¡­oh¡­oh my. Jasmine, is that you? Pardon me. I must inform your father.¡± She ran off without another word. I led a bewildered Pippa through the door and tossed one more look over my shoulder at the man. ¡°Like I said, the mayor¡¯s office is closed for the day.¡± I shut the door and waited patiently in the lobby for the mayor to come out. He didn¡¯t disappoint. A loud crash came from his office, followed by the stout man barreling out and nearly barreling us over. He panted heavily and managed to say a single word. ¡°Jasmine!¡± Pippa stared at him for a long moment before replying. ¡°It¡¯s Pippa now.¡± ¡°Pippa?¡± he asked. ¡°What happened to you? The ogres said you were taken.¡± ¡°I was,¡± Pippa admitted. ¡°The church got me. They kidnapped me and took me captive. Alex saved me.¡± The mayor looked at me when she mentioned my name. ¡°Thank you, my boy. I can¡¯t express my gratitude for bringing her back. Anything you want, and it¡¯s yours.¡± ¡°Great!¡± Pippa exclaimed before I could say anything. ¡°He wants me. I¡¯m going with him.¡± ¡°With him?¡± the mayor echoed. ¡°This is most irregular. I couldn¡¯t possibly allow¡­¡± I sighed, planting an arm around her shoulder. ¡°Francis. I¡¯m sorry, but your baby girl is all grown up. I had a daughter recently, so I know how you feel, but you have to let them go at some point. Pippa became an adult while she was gone and is quite independent. She lives in Albion now, which is why we¡¯re here. We would like to invite you to live there.¡± ¡°Live there?¡± Francis tasted the words as though they were rotten. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. I was told that cursed island was abandoned generations ago.¡± ¡°It was,¡± I replied, patting excalibur with my good hand. ¡°I drew the sword from the stone and liberated the place. Now I¡¯m king.¡± ¡°King?¡± a vein popped on Francis¡¯s temple. ¡°And you intend to make my daughter one of your concubines?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± I tried to reply. ¡°Yes!¡± Pippa shrieked, drowning me out. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what he¡¯s going to do! And I¡¯m going to give him his first human heir.¡± ¡°But he already has a daughter,¡± Francis said, trying to keep up. ¡°She¡¯s not human,¡± Pippa said, recoiling when she saw the expression on my face. ¡°I don¡¯t mean there¡¯s anything wrong with that. You know I love Bori.¡± Bori, hearing her name, woke and formed her human avatar right in front of us. ¡°Is it time for me to come out, Daddy?¡± I patted her on the head. ¡°Your timing is perfect, Sweetie. Francis, this is my firstborn, Borealis.¡± ¡°Bori for short,¡± Bori said with a toothy grin. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you,¡± Francis said awkwardly. ¡°Um, where did you come from?¡± Bori pointed at her corestone embedded in my arm. ¡°There. That¡¯s my core.¡± ¡°Bori is a dungeon,¡± I explained, not caring how Francis felt about it. Even though I was a little miffed at Pippa for deciding she was my concubine and belittling my daughter, I wasn¡¯t prepared to out her as the mother of a dungeon until she was ready. Francis looked at my arm and then back at Bori while he worked out what she was. I had an idea and whispered in her ear. ¡°Become a puppy.¡± She nodded and transformed into her signature monster form, which just so happened to be a very oversized dog. It leaked drool on the floor while towering over Francis. He took a few steps back before falling on his backside. Pippa rushed to him and reached out a hand to help him up. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Father. Bori won¡¯t hurt you. She¡¯s a nice dungeon.¡± Francis accepted the help and pulled himself to his feet. ¡°It looks like we have a lot to discuss. Please, come into my office and make yourself comfortable.¡± 3:10: Choose Your Own Adventure - Gaian Edition Chapter 10: Choosing Your Own Adventure - Gaian Edition A distinct feeling of deja vu washed over me as I sat in the mayor¡¯s office. Every favor from him had been hard won. He sat behind a lavish desk and looked directly at Pippa, ignoring me completely. ¡°Why do you want to live in Albion?¡± he began. ¡°Did you not like your life here? What about that boy you liked? What was his name¡­Lucas? Can¡¯t you settle with him here? I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t mind raising his kid¡­it is his child, right?¡± Pippa let out a long sigh. ¡°One of them is.¡± ¡°One of them?¡± Francis balked. ¡°How many children do you have?¡± ¡°I have two!¡± Pippa stood abruptly, balling her fists at her side and stamping her foot. ¡°And one of them is a dungeon, just like Bori!¡± Francis¡¯s mouth hung open. Still a dog, Bori walked over to the mayor and transformed into a human. ¡°It¡¯s okay that Rox is a dungeon,¡± she explained. ¡°He¡¯s a very nice boy.¡± ¡°Rox?¡± Francis asked in a small voice. ¡°Is that the name of my grand¡­err¡­dungeon?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Pippa said, deflating slightly and sitting back down. ¡°The other is named Tomas. He is Lucas¡¯s son. Lucas died by the way.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Francis said, wincing at the expression on Pippa¡¯s face. ¡°Who is the father of your other son, Alex?¡± ¡°No!¡± Both Pippa and I said in unison. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it,¡± she added, tears welling up in her eyes. I took her hand in mine and squeezed it, silently showing her she had support. ¡°I¡¯d like to meet them,¡± Francis said. ¡°Can you at least bring them here?¡± ¡°Why won¡¯t you just come to Albion?¡± Pippa whined. ¡°That¡¯s¡­complicated,¡± Francis sighed. ¡°Look, I know you both probably just think I¡¯m another pompous bureaucrat, but I built this town up from nothing. Back then, it was just a collection of farms with no awakened whatsoever. I pulled countless strings to establish an adventurer¡¯s guild and bring good quests to Yew. I can¡¯t just abandon it when it¡¯s thriving.¡± ¡°Can you help me?¡± I asked, impressed despite myself. ¡°I¡¯d like to do the same with Albion.¡± ¡°Will you make sure I get to see my grandkids?¡± Francis pleaded. ¡°You do that, and I¡¯ll help you in any way that I can.¡± I looked at Pippa, who was shaking her head furiously. She was dead set against it. ¡°He won¡¯t let me leave if I bring them here,¡± she growled, digging her claws into my hand so hard she drew blood. ¡°I would never¡­¡± Francis said, rubbing his chin. ¡°How about this? I give you my word you¡¯ll be free to come and go anytime you wish. My home will always be open to you and your children. I don¡¯t care if they¡¯re human or not, and I¡¯ll never force you to do anything you don¡¯t want. I just want to be part of your life.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t have to come alone,¡± I promised. ¡°I¡¯ll either come myself or make sure you have an escort so you feel safe. Does that work for you?¡± She trembled as she replied in a small voice. ¡°I guess so.¡± To both our surprise, Francis began to cry. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sweetheart. The last thing I ever wanted to do was make you feel unsafe. If you¡¯re that worried, I¡¯ll visit you in Albion. I¡¯m sure we can even get your mother to go.¡± ¡°Mother?¡± Pippa squeaked. ¡°Is she here? Can I see her?¡± ¡°Alas, she¡¯s in Dabia,¡± Francis sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯s going to be ecstatic when she learns you¡¯ve returned.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Pippa said, looking away. ¡°It¡¯s decided,¡± Francis stood, puffing his chest out. ¡°We will both come visit you in Albion and meet our grandchildren.¡± ¡°Excellent!¡± I exclaimed. ¡°I promise you¡¯ll be well taken care of.¡± Even though I didn¡¯t get him to commit to recruiting citizens of Yew for me, he was at least going to help me learn to be a better leader. I stood. ¡°Well, I have a date at the guild hall. Pippa, would you like to stay here and catch up with your old man?¡± Francis mouthed the words ¡®old man¡¯ while Pippa appraised him. ¡°I¡¯ll stay,¡± she finally decided. ¡°But you have to promise to come get me when you¡¯re done.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll come back right after lunch,¡± I promised.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
¡°You¡¯re late,¡± Cordelia¡¯s stomach growled to emphasize the complaint. She was seated at the diner in the guild but had not ordered. Even though she waited for me, the last thing I wanted to do was eat again. ¡°Go ahead and order,¡± I said as I took the seat across from her. ¡°I had a big breakfast.¡± Cordelia sighed and motioned for a waitress to come over. ¡°I¡¯ll take a Pouldarian Omelette.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I asked, my curiosity piqued. ¡°Do you remember your sponsors?¡± she folded the menu and set it aside. ¡°Member of their planet donate unused eggs. They are quite large and have a very rich flavor. You should try it.¡± The thought of eating a sentient creature¡¯s eggs didn¡¯t sit right with me, so I shook my head. ¡°That¡¯s fine. I¡¯m really not hungry. Besides, we need to talk about getting an adventurer¡¯s guild branch in Albion.¡± ¡°Actually,¡± Cordelia said, changing the subject. ¡°There¡¯s something you should know about. Have you ever heard of a country named Celestea?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that what the country to the south used to be called?¡± I asked. ¡°The one behind the barrier.¡± Cordelia nodded, watching hungrily as a waiter passed with a plate of food. ¡°Something big is going on down there. Rumor has it the barrier came down, and Celestea Castle reappeared. Dabia is on edge, and Mardella is in the capital to help the king do damage control.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± I balked at the mention of Mardella. ¡°Mardella is the one that was with Pi in Dabia, right?¡± ¡°The same,¡± Cordelia replied. ¡°This might be a good opportunity to slip into Xanadu while she¡¯s distracted.¡± ¡°That changes things,¡± I said, rubbing my chin. ¡°I planned on leveling up, but if she left Xanadu undefended, I might have to move my plans up. Do you have any info on the island?¡± Cordelia shook her head. ¡°Unfortunately, not much is known about Xanadu. The Vestaras keep much of what goes on there completely under wraps.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± I exclaimed, getting an idea. ¡°Do you think Pi will be with Mardella in Dabia? Maybe we don¡¯t have to go to Xanadu after all.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, no,¡± Cordelia sighed. ¡°The bard is not with her. She came alone from Solitair with a regimen of mages and has taken control of the Dabian army.¡± ¡°Why?¡± I asked. ¡°Is Celestea that big of a threat?¡± Cordelia shrugged. ¡°Celestea is just as big of a mystery as Xanadu. The only thing I know is that the barrier would need quite a powerful wizard to destroy it.¡± ¡°Maybe we should recruit that guy!¡± I spoke so loud that several other patrons jumped. ¡°You could head to Celestea,¡± Cordelia said, ticking off my options on her fingers. ¡°Or you can sneak into Xanadu while they have their guard down. Or confront Mardella directly, though I don¡¯t advise it while she has full control of the army. The other option is to keep leveling up and infiltrate Xanadu once the other adventurers are ready.¡± I had much to think about, and Pi wasn¡¯t there to guide me. Whatever or whoever was causing a stir to the south wasn¡¯t any of my business. The last thing I needed was more enemies. Besides, if it distracted Mardella, even better. While I was curious about what Pi was up to, I would gladly settle for the souls of Nax and Zelle. ¡°I have a plan,¡± I said after a long pause.
It was tough watching Cordelia eat when there were about a dozen things I needed to do. ¡°Can I get you anything, Sir?¡± a waitress asked as she passed and saw me sitting there with no food. Her uniform reminded me of the first time I met Isa. She¡¯d been working a part-time job in that very diner, and we were instantly taken with each other. I remembered how she told me the guild could make any meal from a number of planets, including Earth. However, I¡¯d since learned that Helen¡¯s food was much better. ¡°I¡¯d like to speak with the guild master,¡± I made my request like I was ordering fish and chips. ¡°Can you get her for me?¡± ¡°Um,¡± the waitress looked over her shoulder as though a supervisor might appear with the answer. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± I thought better of it and offered the waitress a smile. ¡°I was thinking out loud. I know where to find her.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± she smiled back. ¡°If you need anything, just holler.¡± ¡°Will do,¡± I replied, turning my attention back to Cordelia, who was trying to inhale her omelet. ¡°Take your time,¡± I said. Getting the guild to come to Albion was still a top priority. I also needed to send a delegation to Dabia to recruit the puzzle shop and anyone willing to join. That left the dilemma of figuring out how to get everyone to Albion, which reminded me of someone I¡¯d forgotten about. ¡°Um, Cordelia,¡± I waited for her to swallow a bite before continuing. ¡°Do you remember the boat captain who helped me find the heart of a tornado?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she set her fork down to think. ¡°I believe his name was Gideon.¡± ¡°Do you know where he is?¡± She frowned. ¡°No, but I can find out if you like. The network should have access to all NPCs in your quest.¡± ¡°Wait, he¡¯s an NPC?¡± I asked, shocked at the revelation. Cordelia chuckled. ¡°Anyone you encountered for more than a couple moments became NPCs in your story. Gideon, for example, left his hermitage and followed you to Dabia, where he likely remained.¡± ¡°I need his services to ferry people to Albion,¡± I explained. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can pass up this opportunity to sneak into Xanadu.¡± ¡°I thought you might say that,¡± she sighed. ¡°Just promise me you¡¯ll be careful. Something strange is happening on Gaia, and I¡¯m worried something awful may happen to you.¡± ¡°Like when Isa died?¡± I asked, old wounds flaring at thoughts of the incompetent company. Cordelia looked away, but I didn¡¯t have time to dwell on it as a familiar voice called out to me. ¡°Mr. Krup,¡± It was Sevache Millicent, the master of the adventurer¡¯s guild of Yew. ¡°I¡¯m told you were looking for me. How may I be of assistance today?¡± I gave Cordelia one more concerned look and resigned myself to apologize to her later. ¡°I¡¯d like to invite the guild to my new kingdom in Albion,¡± I began. Her lip ticked up in a smile that vanished just as quickly. ¡°Congratulations on establishing a kingdom on that cursed island. I take it you¡¯ve dealt with the curse before declaring yourself king?¡± ¡°I passed the trials if that¡¯s what you mean,¡± I said, annoyed at the way she said it was cursed. ¡°It¡¯s safe for you to go there.¡± This time, she actually smiled. ¡°Excellent. In that case, we just need you to sign a standard contract with the guild. You will need to permit us to assign visas to adventurers who wish to join the guild. I also recommend you establish a bank along with a currency exchange should you wish to use your own money. There are some other caveats in the fine print, but that¡¯s the gist of it.¡± ¡°Will you be the guild master?¡± I asked. She frowned. ¡°As much as I¡¯d love to oversee the first guild in your kingdom, we have protocols for that sort of thing. I assume someone from headquarters will set things up, and then the next in line for guild master will be assigned permanently. While I could apply for a transfer, there is no guarantee I¡¯d get reassigned to your branch. Those kinds of things are merit-based. ¡°Come to my office when you finish your meal, and I will have the contract waiting.¡± Once she was gone, I looked over at Cordelia, who had only picked at her food since the guild master arrived. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I brought up Isa,¡± I said in a quiet voice. ¡°That wasn¡¯t your fault, and I¡¯m sorry I keep bringing it up.¡± She sighed. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I still blame myself for my part in that. If only I¡¯d been a little quicker.¡± ¡°Me too,¡± I replied. ¡°Me too.¡± 3.11: Special Training for a New Adventure Chapter 11: Special Training for a New Adventure The contract with the guild was simple to understand. They didn¡¯t mess around with the fine print or any of that nonsense. There were just five points. 1. The guild hall is to be considered sovereign land and not part of any nation. 2. Guild employees will receive limited immunity as it pertains to the executing of guild business. 3. Adventurers associated with the guild are to be granted access to the nation as it pertains to the completion of quests. 4. All rewards associated with quests will be assigned by the guild at a fixed rate and charged to the issuer directly. 5. All disputes with the guild are to be arbitrated by the high house. Sevache patiently answered any questions I had about the stipulations. ¡°The immunity only applies to the execution of official guild business,¡± she explained. ¡°Anything they do outside of work is subject to the rules of the land.¡± ¡°What about the access clause?¡± I asked. ¡°If someone issues a quest to invade my castle, can they do that legally?¡± ¡°That depends,¡± Sevache replied. ¡°Typically, issuing quests to investigate the ruling class is off-limits. However, if there is evidence of corruption, special quests may be granted. The high house would likely get involved at that point.¡± ¡°Can I kick the guild out if they do something like that?¡± I asked. Sevache pointed to the top of the contract. The term of this agreement is two years and shall be renewed unless either party submits a cancelation notice in writing of at least 30 days. ¡°Okay,¡± I said, feeling nervous about the agreement. ¡°Is there someone with a lawyer class I can get to look over this?¡± Sevache chuckled. ¡°You have every right to have this examined by a contract mage. However, you will be hard-pressed to find one outside of Dabia. Would you like me to forward your contract to the Dabian Adventurer¡¯s Guild? My superiors will be more than happy to process your request after you¡¯ve had a chance to have it reviewed.¡± I sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t have time for that. This will have to do for now.¡± ¡°Excellent,¡± Sevache replied, sliding the contract across the table. ¡°Just place your mark like you¡¯re making a purchase.¡± The ink glowed when I touched my hand to it. Sevache did the same, and the whole document glowed before splitting into two. Sevache handed one to me. ¡°This is your copy. Don¡¯t worry. The guild has no alternative motives. Our primary goal is to govern adventurers and complete quests. We strive to stay in good standing with the local government.¡± ¡°That sounds good,¡± I heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Thank you, Sevache.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Alex,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°Do me a favor and visit Yew from time to time. Your presence here has been good for the town.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll come back,¡± I promised. ¡°Hopefully, after I complete my quest.¡± ¡°You¡¯re on a quest?¡± she asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Not a sanctioned one,¡± I replied. ¡°I¡¯m going to save some friends.¡± ¡°I see,¡± she replied, rubbing her chin. ¡°Is there anything the guild can do to help?¡± I thought about it for a moment. ¡°There just might be.¡± The grin on her face got even bigger. ¡°Excellent. Let¡¯s issue a quest!¡± *** I headed to the mayor¡¯s house. There, I found Pippa and her parents huddled together on the couch, looking at pictures. It made me wonder. Did they have cameras on Gaia, or was there a photo mage? Either way, the pictures looked well-developed. ¡°This is Jasmine¡­err, Pippa when she was a kid,¡± Pippa¡¯s mother explained, holding up a photo of a chubby baby with a swirl of ginger hair on its head. ¡°You were a cute baby,¡± I said, looking over her shoulder. Pippa¡¯s face turned almost as red as her hair. ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t! I was a fat baby.¡±Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! ¡°They call that baby fat for a reason,¡± her mother soothed her. ¡°Besides, look at you now. You¡¯re drop-dead gorgeous.¡± ¡°I have to agree with your mom,¡± I added, earning a scowl from Francis. ¡°Is it time to go?¡± Pippa asked, covering the remaining pictures with her arms so I couldn¡¯t see them. ¡°Already?¡± her mom whined. ¡°Yes!¡± Pippa barked, grabbing my hand and dragging me toward the door. ¡°Alex is very busy and needs me to help him.¡± I waited until we were a good deal away from the house before talking. ¡°Um, I thought your mom was in Dabia?¡± Pippa sighed. ¡°She hired a portal mage when she found out I was back.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± I replied. ¡°How much do those cost? Maybe we can get one to go to Dabia.¡± She shook her head. ¡°The closest one is in Dabia, and he can only go to places he¡¯s seen.¡± ¡°Can we send him a message and ask him to come back?¡± I asked. Pippa shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to reach him, and I doubt mom will help if it means I¡¯ll leave again.¡± ¡°Actually, I want you to go do Dabia with her,¡± I explained. ¡°There¡¯s somewhere special I need to go, and I¡¯d like you to find Gideon and recruit Miss Everthought of The King¡¯s Jester along with anyone else you can convince to come to Albion.¡± She sighed. ¡°Can¡¯t I go with you?¡± ¡°It won¡¯t be safe,¡± I explained. ¡°You¡¯re going to Xanadu alone, aren¡¯t you?¡± she asked, tears welling up in her eyes. ¡°If you die, I don¡¯t know what I¡¯ll do.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t died yet, have I?¡± I asked, trying to make her feel better. ¡°No,¡± she sniffled, trying vainly to hold back the tears. ¡°But this is different. I have a bad feeling about you going alone.¡± She had a point. It would be the first time since arriving on Gaia that I went out without any support. In the past, even when I was alone, I had Pi. With him by my side, there was no challenge I couldn¡¯t overcome. But what happened when the challenge was Pi? I couldn¡¯t rule out him trying to kill me if I cornered him. For all I knew, Zelle and Nax¡¯s souls were part of his sinister plan. We arrived at my house while I was deep in thought. Pippa walked past everyone in the living room to the bedroom, closing the door behind her. ¡°What did you do to her?¡± Isa asked, her arms crossed in an accusatory gesture. ¡°Nothing!¡± I balked, looking for an open seat. Isa sat between her parents. Three empty plates sat on the table in front of them. I knew Bori was still in the shed with her mother. The only one absent was Cordelia. I kicked myself for not inviting her back to the house after lunch. ¡°Is everything okay, Dear?¡± It was Zelle. She sounded so out of character when she showed concern for me. ¡°Uh, yeah,¡± I stammered. ¡°There¡¯s just been a change of plans. Do the three of you mind accompanying Pippa to Dabia before returning to Albion?¡± ¡°And where will you be going?¡± Nax asked, raising an eyebrow. I took a deep breath but decided to explain the plan. ¡°I¡¯m headed to Xanadu. I just got word that Mardella is here and distracted by something happening in the south. This could be the perfect opportunity to sneak in and rescue Nax and Zelle.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯m going!¡± Isa announced, jumping to her feet so fast that it startled her parents. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s such a good idea, Honey,¡± Zelle said, tugging Isa¡¯s arms as though sitting would mean not going. ¡°You don¡¯t have to come,¡± Isa gave her mother a sad look. ¡°But I¡¯m definitely going. I will get them back. And you!¡± she added, pointing to me. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about trying to ditch me. I¡¯ll go by myself if I have to.¡± I groaned. ¡°I¡¯d rather you didn¡¯t. This is going to be dangerous, and I don¡¯t think I can handle it if anything happens to you again.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not up to you!¡± Isa roared. ¡°If you want me to settle down and take it easy, get Zelle and Nax back. Not a second sooner.¡± ¡°It probably is safer to go as a team,¡± Nax said after a long moment of silence. ¡°But you guys are all low-level!¡± I said, exasperated. ¡°We got several levels each today,¡± Zelle said, giving me a thumbs up. ¡°Give us another week, and we will get into fighting shape.¡± ¡°You could use some training yourself,¡± Nax added. ¡°You¡¯re never too strong to add a few levels. Give us the week. Then we will all go.¡± I sighed. A part of me was relieved not to be going alone. Also, there was always a chance of reconciling with Isa if we traveled together. ¡°Fine. I need you all at least level thirty before we go.¡± Zelle smirked. ¡°If that¡¯s all you want, we can get there by the end of the week. We had a good day today.¡± ¡°Really?¡± I was shocked, to say the least. There, I was worried about everyone else, and those three silently leveled up. Nax Def (Vincent Strome) Level: 29 Class: Berserker Affection Level: Stoic Zelle Lhor (Annabelle Strome) Level: 31 Class: Aquamancer Affection Level: Resigned Isabelle Strome Level: 25 Class: Revived Curandera Affection Level: Determined I whistled to show my appreciation. ¡°You guys leveled a lot since the last time I saw you. Also, it¡¯s nice to learn your name, Vincent.¡± I already knew Annabelle¡¯s name since I¡¯d heard it before. ¡°I wish we could have gotten to know you under better circumstances,¡± Vincent replied. ¡°Call me Vince.¡± ¡°Anna is fine for me,¡± Anna added. ¡°What is the deal with your classes?¡± I asked. ¡°You have different ones than what Nax and Zelle had.¡± ¡°That is true,¡± Vince replied. ¡°Those are apparently tied to the soul. Anna¡¯s water magic was quite useful in the dungeon under the lake. We cleared several rooms by flooding them.¡± ¡°I did that once by accident,¡± I chuckled. Isa giggled despite herself. ¡°I remember that.¡± ¡°Anyway, we had a good day in the dungeon,¡± Vince said. ¡°And I¡¯d like to continue for at least a week. You can wait that long, right?¡± Waiting and being patient was the last thing I wanted to do. However, the voice of reason told me I was better off with friends. I just hoped I wouldn¡¯t get anyone killed. Not again. *** ¡°I¡¯m going with you,¡± Aura¡¯s construct crossed its arms as she spoke through it. ¡°Just like your daughter accompanied you, I¡¯ll reside in that stone arm of yours and fight alongside you. Because of the goddess¡¯s blessing, you have enough mana to sustain me.¡± ¡°Mana?¡± I asked before remembering Bori fed off my mana while she traveled with me. ¡°What about Bori?¡± ¡°You are not taking my daughter into danger,¡± she replied resolutely. ¡°She will reside here in my dungeon until we return. This will be good practice for her. She will eventually have to take her place in the ground as a proper dungeon. You can¡¯t keep wearing her like an accessory all your life.¡± ¡°But I like being with Daddy,¡± Bori protested. ¡°Be that as it may,¡± Aura replied in a soft tone. ¡°This is life for a dungeon. I am sure you will have plenty of adventures with Daddy. For now, you need to learn how to do this.¡± ¡°Oka~ay,¡± Bori chirped. We watched on a portal as Isa, Anna, and Vince faced off against the first boss of the dungeon. This time, it was a Baeagle, part bat, part eagle. It hung upside down in the center of the room, watching the trio of adventurers approach cautiously on the ground below. ¡°You¡¯re going to have to train, too,¡± Aura said casually as we watched the battle begin. ¡°If you defeat my boss monster, I might even give you a special reward.¡± I glanced back at the bed that was mysteriously back in her inner chamber. ¡°Not that,¡± she chuffed. ¡°I¡¯ve been accumulating some mana for quite a while and should be able to generate some interesting treasure, but only if you earn it.¡± Again, I looked at the bed, and she rolled her eyes. ¡°No! Not that. There are rules dungeons must follow. For truly good treasure, you must beat a tough monster. I think you¡¯re up for it.¡± 3.12: For the first time in forever Chapter 12: For the first time in forever. ¡°What in the fiery fields of mayhem is that thing?¡± I gasped, taking a few steps back even though the monster hadn¡¯t agroed. ¡°What am I saying? Oh, right. It¡¯s that kronkey-loving language filter.¡± [That is my special creation, the Kanganosserous.] Aura explained. I gaped at the oversized and armored horned kangaroo. Kanganosserous Level: 45 Class: Rank B Monster Affection Level: Extra Horned Horns and Feet. You¡¯ll feel pain from both ends! I looked over my stats. ¡°Isn¡¯t that thing higher level than me?¡± Alexander Krup Class: Terramancer Level: 41 Hitpoints: 4100 Mana: 58,600 Stamina: 4100 Base Stats Strength: 59 Dexterity: 56 Ability: 66 Constitution: 97 Intelligence: 69 Wisdom: 82 Charisma: 62 Luck: 101 Skills/Spells: Pew, Crunch, Kronch, Gong, Wham, Manipulate Earth, Divine Ritualistic Crafting, Furniture Creation, Minor Home Repair. Traits: Affinity: Earth, Golem Creation, Functional Jaw, Golem Blades, Affinity: Iris, Affinity: Slag, Personal Dungeon, Assimilate Stone, Bloodline: Pendragon. Titles: King of Albion. A whole section of stats was missing. I wondered if they¡¯d gone missing when Pi left. [Be warned, this is not just any monster. It is also classified as a boss.] The kanganosserous hopped up and down a few times as though it was preparing for a boxing match. I watched it pace back and forth before asking, ¡°Are you controlling it directly?¡± [Perhaps. Are you scared?] I wondered if she¡¯d prefer to hear the honest or the macho answer. I decided to go with neither and drew Excalibur. The blade rang out with a satisfying shing that was always music to my ears. The kanganosserous turned its attention to the sound, and steam blew out of its flared nostrils. I half expected flames to follow. [The first move is yours.] ¡°Thanks¡­I think,¡± I muttered as I summoned all four golems. I had them circle the room in an attempt to surround the monster. Aura wasn¡¯t being aggressive, and I was fairly certain she was actively trying not to hurt me. Would the lack of peril have any effect on experience or drops? There was only one way to find out. I started combat. ¡°Gong!¡± Two reasonably sized boulders appeared beside the kanganosserous and collided. When the dust settled, I saw it had crouched, narrowly evading the attack. It kicked off the ground on its two powerful legs and launched itself at the nearest golem. Its horn pierced its midsection before I could react. Surprisingly, the horn sunk into the stone like a hot knife through butter. Cracks splintered out from the point of impact, and my golem crumbled into rubble. I willed the other three golems into action, uttering a silent curse to Pi for not insisting I practice with them more. They lumbered over to the Kanganosserous with thick stone arms outstretched. The monster was ready and pierced another golem, reducing it into rubble. Fortunately, that gave the other two enough time to grab onto it, holding it between them in a stone bear hug. The kanganosserous kicked off of the ground, sending itself and both golems rocketing into the air. They all crashed into the ceiling with a thud before plummeting back to the ground. The creature¡¯s horn had pieced the ceiling, and a deluge of stone fell on top of them, pinning my golems to the ground. The monster rose from the rubble, but I was ready for it this time. ¡°Kronch!¡±This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. The ground opened up, swallowing my remaining golems, the stone from the ceiling, and the kanganosserous as well. It tried to escape, but the floor closed around it too fast, and its powerful legs were crushed. ¡°Pew!¡± I shot a stone bullet directly at that horn, using as much of my mana as possible. A loud crack echoed through the chamber as the horn shattered from the impact. The kanganosserous struggled in the middle of the chamber, but its two greatest weapons were sealed. I summoned another pair of golems and sent them in. The kanganosserous continued to thrash and even snapped at the golems, but without the horn, it had no way of damaging my creations. I pointed a finger at the crippled monster¡¯s head and carried out what I thought was an act of mercy. ¡°Pew!¡± Then¡­nothing happened. I didn¡¯t level up. No treasure dropped. Nothing. I waited for a while before Aura spoke. [I don¡¯t understand. I can¡¯t assign you any treasure at all.] ¡°Let¡¯s fight something else,¡± I replied. ¡°Make it even stronger this time.¡±
After three more ¡°boss fights,¡± I learned two things. The first was that I was woefully inexperienced when it came to golem control. The second was that Aura was holding back, or more like her heart wasn¡¯t in it. While I managed to kill everything she threw at me, I never felt threatened. Because of that, Aura suffered from a case of treasure chest dysfunction. She couldn¡¯t produce one, no matter how hard she tried. ¡°You need to try to at least hurt me,¡± I said after the last one died. Aura sighed, causing a breeze to gust through the halls and around me. [I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not that easy. I can no sooner harm you than myself.] ¡°Why do the others get experience fighting Bori?¡± I asked. ¡°She hasn¡¯t hurt anyone, to my knowledge.¡± [Bori is a child, Dear. She cannot control her power. It is more likely that she is unable to cause lasting harm.] ¡°How are the others doing?¡± I asked, thinking of Isa, Vince, and Anna, who were currently running the dungeon. ¡°Are they getting experience?¡± [Yes. The mother and father have both gotten upgrades to their armor. Isabelle gained two levels.] ¡°Well, that¡¯s good,¡± I replied, wondering what it would take for me to get some levels. ¡°Is there anything you haven¡¯t tried with me?¡± There was a long pause before Aura replied. [Y-yes. But it¡¯s risky.] ¡°Let¡¯s do it!¡± I exclaimed, feeling a rush of excitement despite the danger. It had been far too long since I pushed myself. [It will have to be later after your friends are done.]
I inspected Isa and her parents the moment they stepped out of the portal. Nax Def (Vincent Strome) Level: 30 Class: Berserker Affection Level: Hungry Zelle Lhor (Annabelle Strome) Level: 32 Class: Aquamancer Affection Level: Relieved Isabelle Strome Level: 28 Class: Revived Curandera Affection Level: Exhausted ¡°We stayed late to catch Isabelle up,¡± Vince said as his stomach growled. I reached into my bag and pulled out one of Helen¡¯s sandwiches, which Vince accepted gratefully. Anna helped Isa, who was visibly winded and drenched in sweat. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay, dear? Perhaps you should take a bath. Alex, why is your bathtub in the living room where everybody can see?¡± I shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s actually a hot tub, and I used to live alone, so it didn¡¯t matter.¡± Isa rolled her eyes. ¡°I caught you with Ceru in there several times. Anyhow, I need to replenish some Chi, so why don¡¯t you join me?¡± ¡°Uh,¡± was all I could think to say. Did this mean she finally forgave me? ¡°Come on,¡± Isa growled, taking my good arm and dragging me past her mother. Vince was too busy making love to his hoagie to pay me any attention. ¡°Honey,¡± Anna began, reaching out to her daughter. ¡°I was sort of hoping to take a nap on the couch.¡± ¡°And Pippa is in the house,¡± I reminded Isa. She stopped and glared at me. ¡°The privy then?¡± Isa looked a little crazed. While I wanted to make up with her, I wasn¡¯t sure this was how I wanted to do it. Still, my hormones were getting the better of me. ¡°I have an idea,¡± I offered. ¡° I still have a room at the guild hall. We can use that.¡± For someone exhausted, Isa somehow managed to speed-walk through town. She glared at a group of people milling at the entrance to the guild hall, which did a wonderful job of making them part. We raced to the elevator, and she pressed my hand to the mana reader, which caused it to lurch into motion. It stopped with a ¡®ding,¡¯ and the doors opened up. Isa and I stared in surprise at the room before us. Unlike the lower floors, which let out into a long hallway, the floor we stopped on opened into a spacious room. ¡°Did you upgrade your rank?¡± A wide-eyed Isa asked. ¡°This is a VIP room.¡± I gaped at it right alongside her. ¡°I have no clue. Do you think the reader in the elevator made a mistake?¡± Isa frowned and walked over to a lounge table, pressing a conveniently placed mana reader. She crossed her legs, and I sat across from her. Several minutes later, one of the guild staff entered the room. ¡°Can I help you, Ma¡¯am?¡± It was interesting that he knew which of us pressed the reader. ¡°Who¡¯s room is this?¡± Isa asked. The man pointed at me. ¡°Alexander Krup, Ma¡¯am.¡± She frowned. ¡°Isn¡¯t this an S rank room?¡± He nodded. ¡°Normally, that is the case. However, as the King of Albion, the guild has decided to give him the perk free of charge.¡± ¡°How convenient,¡± Isa muttered. ¡°Can we have some food?¡± ¡°Sure, Ma¡¯am,¡± the man replied. ¡°What would you like?¡± He offered Isa a menu, and she flipped through it, pointing to at least a dozen different meals, including some I was unfamiliar with. ¡°Will that be all, Ma¡¯am?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes,¡± Isa didn¡¯t bother asking me if I wanted anything. ¡°Bring it in the morning.¡± ¡°Of course, Ma¡¯am,¡± the man replied before entering the elevator. ¡°That would be pretty awkward if he came back while we were¡­¡± I trailed off helpfully. ¡°While we were what?¡± Isa asked with a smirk. However, she touched the reader again, and the area near the elevator glowed red. When I didn¡¯t understand, she explained. ¡°It¡¯s privacy mode. Now, nobody can enter without my consent.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s the elevator?¡± I said, staring at the closed doors. ¡°What if someone selects the wrong floor?¡± Isa snickered. ¡°It¡¯s impossible to come to this room by mistake. The guest either needs to come down for you or leave a message with the guild for you to be let up. I used privacy mode to ensure no staff can disturb us.¡± I wondered how Isa knew so much about the VIP room but decided I probably didn¡¯t want to find out. After that, I got up and toured the room. While my old guild room was spacious, the one I currently found myself in was something else entirely. The area outside the elevator turned out to be a sitting room that was disjointed from the rest of the suite. We passed through a set of double doors that revealed a room with a full kitchen, dining area, and living room. Four bedrooms branched off from the corners of the room, each with its own fully functional magic privy. While all four rooms were spacious, one was clearly the master. It contained a large canopy bed and a bathtub in the privy that was so large I wanted to call it a swimming pool. Isa bypassed the living room and went straight into the master bedroom. She began stripping and called over her shoulder. ¡°Well, are you joining me?¡±
I never smoked in my life, but after that night, I was tempted to. Isa took charge the whole time, having her way with me repeatedly. At one point, I had to down a stamina potion to keep up. When she saw me, she held out a hand and demanded one for herself. I must have passed out at some point because I was woken by the sound of a door chime. After tossing on a complimentary robe I discovered by the bed, I made it to the dining area in time to see a pair of women arranging plates of food on the table. Isa had already helped herself and sat at the nearby bar with a plate and a coffee mug. ¡°Good morning,¡± I called out to her. She smiled, something I rarely saw from her anymore. ¡°Good morning, Alex. Are you hungry?¡± ¡°Starved,¡± I replied, heading over to see what looked good. ¡°Ah, donuts!¡±