《Zombie Rebirth》 Chapter 1: Sensory Overload Initiating System recovery. I groaned. Or, I tried to. My head ached. Though, once I thought a bit harder about it, I realized I couldn¡¯t actually feel my head. I couldn¡¯t open my eyes. Couldn¡¯t hear anything. Nor could I feel my legs, arms, chest¡­ I couldn¡¯t feel my heart beating or my lungs moving. The absence of my heartbeat and breathing freaked me out the most. I was diagnosed with¨C Accessing memory. ¡°Your son isn¡¯t autistic.¡± ¡°Then what the hell is he? If there¡¯s one more sleepless night because of things touching his skin and him screaming and crying¨C¡± ¡°Mom, I¡¯m right here,¡± I said. ¡°Hush, honey. I¡¯m trying to get you help.¡± I turned to the doctor. ¡°I just can¡¯t stand¨C¡± ¡°Yes, I understand,¡± the doctor interrupted. ¡°You have hyper awareness, combined with an unusually aggressive case of hyper-vigilance.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± My mother leaped in again. I wish she would leave the room, but she seized every opportunity to get in the middle of my life. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m thirteen. I can handle this on my own.¡± ¡°Hush, dear.¡± ¡°Mom!¡± ¡°Hold on, both of you.¡± The doctor held a hand up to stop my mom from interrupting him again. ¡°There are two things you can do. First, find sheets that are comfortable against your skin. Try silk¨C¡± ¡°Silk! I can¡¯t afford silk sheets!¡± The doctor turned his dour glare on her again, waiting for the outburst to subside. ¡°Silk is a good starting point. That, or high thread count cotton. Unfortunately, the better it feels, the higher the cost usually. The other strategy I recommend is exposure therapy. Get a wool blanket, the itchier the better, and wrap yourself in it. Stay for as long as you can tolerate. It might be only a few seconds at first, but work your way up. Find ways to ignore the sensation, or even accept it.¡± I nodded. Memory completed. I was back in the void. Feeling nothing. And now I could remember why feeling nothing made me panic. I had been feeling everything for as long as I could remember. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°You are being integrated into the system. Please be patient.¡± ¡°Who is that? Why can¡¯t I feel anything? And how can I hear you?¡± ¡°All will be answered in due time.¡± I screamed in impotent rage. I couldn¡¯t even clench my fist. Taking a moment, I tried to calm myself. Even though I couldn¡¯t feel my breathing, I forced my mind through the motions as if I could. Calm flowed through my being. Accessing memory. Chapter 1 ¡°Bast, where are you going?¡± ¡°Drinks, where else?¡± I replied. ¡°Hurry up, yeah? Mine is almost gone, too!¡± I flipped him the bird, laughing as he spluttered. I wound through the hallway. Halfway down was a large mirror, and I stopped to check myself. A little flush on my fair cheeks from the alcohol. That was accentuated by my long jet-black hair. Piercing ice-blue eyes looked back. I had an easy button-up on over jeans. An understated, timeless look. I ventured on, trying to remember where the bar was located. The nearest one, at least. I was aware of at least four in the massive mansion. Around the next corner I found one, though it was a mess. The tower of ¡®clean¡¯ solo cups had tipped over, spilling all across the table and ground. I shrugged, reaching over the mess to the ice box. A fresh scoop into my cup, then I thought about Zach. He had asked for a drink, even if it was a dickish way to do it. I knelt, grabbed the first cup off the floor, made sure it looked clean, then put a single ice cube in it. With a smirk, I started mixing alcohols. ¡°Hey, alcohol kills germs,¡± I muttered. There was nobody in this part of the house. The party had moved elsewhere, probably closer to one of the DJs. The thumping bass from four different songs mixed in the floor, reverberating up my feet. I never paid much attention to what I put in, but I was called a wizard behind the bar. It was the reason he¡¯d asked for a drink, instead of grabbing one himself. My drinks were always fantastic. Which was good, because bad tastes lingered for a very long time for me. I could still smell the tang of sweat, the earthy smoke of weed, and a very liberal helping of spilled beer and liquor. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.I whistled to myself as I topped mine with a fresh slice of lime, his with a cherry, and then made two more for the girls. I couldn¡¯t remember their names, and couldn¡¯t figure out if it was because I was hammered, or they really hadn¡¯t said them. I shrugged, then wandered on back. ¡°Hey, is it my turn yet?¡± Zach put his pool cue to the side and pumped a fist. ¡°Fuck yeah, fresh drinks.¡± ¡°Ladies,¡± I said as I handed their drinks over. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Mn-nn,¡± I grunted. I took a sip and sighed. As always, a fantastic drink. ¡°Oh, you want whatever it is he made. I¡¯ve never had the same drink twice, and it¡¯s always incredible. Practically an orgasm-in-a-cup.¡± ¡°Gross,¡± I said. I took a sip. He wasn¡¯t far wrong. ¡°Uh¡­ yeah, I¡¯m good.¡± The redhead put her cup down, gave Zach another look, then walked out of the room. He looked after her, then down at his cup, up at me, then picked up her cup and chased after. He knocked into his cue and sent it flying. I caught it right in front of the blonde. I still couldn¡¯t remember if she even gave me a name. ¡°Woah, thanks. And that¡¯s Betty¡¯s loss, this drink is fantastic.¡± ¡°Yeah, no problem¡­?¡± ¡°Isla.¡± She smiled at me, batting long fake lashes, which drew even more attention to her bright amber eyes. ¡°Your eyes are beautiful, and unusual,¡± I said. I took a sip as she smiled again, a little blush creeping up her neck. ¡°You, uh, want to get some fresh air?¡± I nodded, then followed her out. I dropped the cue on the table. I didn¡¯t care who¡¯s turn it was anymore. We walked from the warm confines of the pool room out onto the balcony. It had to be twenty feet wide, in the shape of a large half-circle. The stone railing was just as fancy as the lounge had been, with intricate carvings all long the length. The moon was bright, high over head, bathing the grounds in light. ¡°Who¡¯s mansion is this?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t actually know. I got a flyer at the university today, same as everyone else, I guess.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± I thought about it. The mansion was ultra-rich territory. I¡¯d seen a dozen rooms in my exploration, and every one was full with people. All sorts of entertainment on display, with at least three different DJs blasting dance music all over. Standing with Isla on the balcony in the moonlight¡­ it was romantic. The party was a distant roar. The fountains were nearly as loud. I looked into her eyes, and she smiled. I leaned down, closed my eyes, and¡­ ¡°Pathetic mortals!¡± I felt the world lurch. There was the sound of exploding earth somewhere nearby. ¡°Woah!¡± The railing crumbled, giving way under my arm. I lost my balance, pinwheeled for a moment, trying to stabilize, but another explosion sent me tumbling. I was on the third story, with stone below. ¡°Fuuuu¨C¡± Memory completed. Blackness. I don¡¯t remember hitting the ground. ¡°Congratulations on joining the system! Gathering relevant stats.¡± There was silence for a long moment, then I saw a box pop up. Name: Alabaster Blackwood Race: Human Faction: None Age: 20 Level: 0 XP: 0/100 HP: 0/60 HP regen per second: 0.00 Mana: 0/0 Mana regen per second: 0.00 Stamina: 0/60 Stamina regen: 0.03 Strength: 6 Agility: 3 Constitution: 3 Wisdom: 2 Intelligence: 3 Charisma: 10 Luck: 5 Titles: None Skills: None Abilities: Star-born: Dragon Spells: None Notes: English ¡°It seems you experienced a tragedy before the system could integrate your planet. One moment.¡± I was left floating in the darkness, staring at the box. It was all I could see. And it made everything very obvious. When I had fallen from the balcony, I died. That was made clear by the glaring ¡®HP: 0/100¡¯. I was dead. I am dead. Which is why I am floating in a void. I hope this isn¡¯t what the afterlife is like. ¡°It seems you were unduly affected by the system integration. There was a first-frame exploit, which caused you to fall. Unfortunately, we cannot bring you back to life- that has yet to be implemented in your world. Revives unlock after one year in the system, approximately 360 of your Earth days. I¡¯m going to escalate your issue. Please wait.¡± I had nothing else I could do. I was held captive. ¡°Issue escalated. Error correction: race change.¡± ¡°I was afraid of that.¡± The box in front of me disappeared. Pain ripped through my being. It felt like lightning suffused my every atom. I gritted my teeth, groaning through them. I felt like I was going to pass out, throw up, shit my pants, and fall apart at the joints all at once. The pain increased with every second, until my perception went from all-black to a pure, blissful white. I think that¡¯s when I passed out. Chapter 2: Rebirth Rebirth Accomplished. I woke to a small box showing two simple words. Behind the semi-transparent box, I could see the sky. I. Could. See. The moon bathed me in its warm light. Silvery threads danced in the sky, touching down and giving energy all across the land. I stared in amazement, hardly even noticing the box had gone away. The world was beautiful. Everything had a silver lining to it. I lay there, hardly even breathing, just looking at the sky. It was so bright, almost like it was the middle of the day. But I knew it wasn¡¯t, because I could see the moon. ¡°Bast, are you okay?¡± That snapped me back to the moment. The silvery shine on everything faded, and I was looking up at the blonde on the balcony. She was leaning over the railing, just a few feet from where I had fallen through. I couldn¡¯t remember her name, even though she had only told me a moment before. ¡°Yeah,¡± I said. It came out garbled though. Almost like my throat was blocked. I blinked, then reached up and felt my neck. It was twisted at an angle. A very, very bad angle. Panic spiked. My neck was broken. It was broken! I felt around, seeing how bad the damage was. What do I do? I gently probed my head and neck until I had a good idea of where the break was. Trusting an instinct I didn¡¯t know I had, I pulled and pushed until my vision shifted and I felt a click reverberate through my skull. The sensation made me want to throw up. ¡°Ahh!¡± I had forgotten about Isla again. There it was, her name had come back as soon as my head was back where it belonged. I put a hand up to stop her screaming. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I growled out. Wait, growled? Why would I growl? Why does my mouth feel weird? ¡°Z-z-zom¨C¡± ¡°FOOLISH MORTALS!¡± The other thing I had forgotten about. That mysterious voice that had somehow triggered my fall. It was gruff and kind of hollow. Like an old man talking over a ventilator. ¡°Kneel before my army of minions! Bathe in your own blood!¡± ¡°Oh, hell no,¡± I said. I scrambled to my feet, and without really thinking about what I was doing, sprinted toward the source of the voice. The stone path was smooth and well laid. It took thirty seconds to get to the center of the gardens. Floating above, obscured by a black cloud of miasma, was a sorcerer. He had a long cloak on, with a hood that draped down over his face, bathing him in shadows. His clothes were old fashioned, but clearly well made and tailored. He looked like one of those RenFaire larpers, but the ones with way too much money and not enough good sense. ¡°Minions, take the castle! Make this land mine!¡± I didn¡¯t even have time to come to terms with what was going on. It didn¡¯t matter that he was floating. All I knew was that he had caused me to fall, which interrupted the kiss with that delicious blonde. I could eat her up. The thought was weird. I skidded to a stop in front of the floating man, bent down, and pried a brick free from a fountain. The mortar crumbled away, making me question how many corners had been cut in the building of the property. I shoved the thought away and hurled the brick at the man. It sailed thirty feet in the blink of an eye. The resounding stone-on-flesh smack was satisfying, but it drew the attention of the man mid-diatribe. A trickle of blood welled from the cut on his cheek, but it was so thick it looked black in the moonlight. ¡°What are you doing?¡± He waved a hand at me. ¡°Bloody feral zombies. Get back to work! Guard one of the anchors, my invasion must be safeguarded against counter attack.¡± My body turned, moving of its own accord. I was helpless, fighting to go back and continue attacking the strange man. Instead, I marched along paths, completely bewildered. How had he managed to make me behave this way? Why was my body refusing to listen to him? Could he control anybody he saw? If that was the case, the guy was way over-powered. Devs should nerf this guy. Another insane thought, which really didn¡¯t make sense. This is real life, not a video game. Several minutes later, an opening in the hedge maze showed several people gathered around what looked like a wooden pole sticking out of the ground. It was nearly as tall as I am, putting it at around six feet, with more buried in the ground. Intricate carvings danced with insidious black and gold energy. My body came to a stop, and suddenly I could move again. ¡°What the hell?¡± This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Two men and two women stood near the pole. Each was disheveled, covered in dirt, their clothes were torn¡­ they looked like they had gone on a thirty mile hike through nonstop sticker bushes. They shifted when I spoke, but otherwise remained motionless. ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± That caught their attention. They turned toward me, eyes blazing with that same horrid black-and-gold energy. The closest man opened his mouth, revealing rotten teeth and a stench of death. He groaned wordlessly, but I could understand him. ¡°We¡¯re all full up, mate.¡± ¡°I was¡­ ordered here?¡± My words were much clearer than his. Still, he understood me. ¡°We already have four. Go find one of the other anchors.¡± ¡°Is that what this is?¡± ¡°Yes, this is an anchor.¡± My interest was piqued. ¡°And what does this do?¡± ¡°Are you stupid? I know the process takes a toll, but usually they aren¡¯t this dumb when chosen for an invasion force.¡± He directed the second sentence to the others. They grunted in response. ¡°First day.¡± ¡°First day?! I had to wait decades for my chance! Lucky bastard.¡± ¡°Decades? What? You look maybe forty years old.¡± The man laughed, though it was more of a dry wheeze. ¡°I¡¯ve been forty-one for a hundred years. The process made sure of that.¡± He eyed me a bit closer. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a lucky one. What were you when you went through the process, twenty five?¡± ¡°Twenty, actually.¡± I was lost in thought. How could this man be a hundred-forty? What process was he talking about? ¡°My, my, you certainly are lucky. What level are you?¡± ¡°Level? What?¡± The man shook his head. ¡°Absolutely new. You don¡¯t even know how to open your status?¡± ¡°Status?¡± As I voiced the word, the weird box popped up again. Name: Alabaster Blackwood Race: Zombie Human Faction: None Age: 20 Level: 0 XP: 0/100 HP: 100/200 HP regen per second: 0.09 MP: 0/20 MP regen per second: 0.00 Stamina: 120/120 Stamina regen: 0.06 Strength: 14* Agility: 6 Constitution: 10* Wisdom: 1 Intelligence: 1 Charisma: 1 Luck: 12* Titles: Primordial Undead, Prime Undead Skills: Unarmed Combat Abilities: Star-born: Dragon Spells: None Notes: English, Zombie Common ¡°What the hell is Zombie Common. Wait, why does it say my race is Zombie? It just said human earlier.¡± ¡°Wait, are you serious? Today really is your first day as a zombie?¡± ¡°Zombies aren¡¯t real. That would require magic, and that isn¡¯t real.¡± Just then, a bolt of lightning lit up the sky, which had grown progressively darker. I had been so lost in the conversation, I hadn¡¯t even noticed. ¡°If zombies aren¡¯t real, you aren¡¯t either, mate.¡± I shook my head. ¡°Get over it. You¡¯re a zombie. Now, what are your stats?¡± I told him what I read in the box. His eyes widened. ¡°Wow, lucky indeed. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever heard of a level zero with ten luck, never mind something over ten.¡± ¡°What is going on? What are you doing here? What is that guy over there doing?¡± ¡°Easy, mate. We¡¯re the zombie army. The necromancer, that¡¯s the twat you spotted hovering over yonder, he¡¯s one of the trillions chosen for invasion of your newly integrated universe.¡± ¡°What¨C what?! Trillions? We only have eight billion people on the whole planet!¡± ¡°Universe, mate. There¡¯s a billion civilizations spread across the stars. That¡¯s just in your universe. There are a trillion identified universes, and more found all the time. You¡¯re lucky, you know. This universe is full of life. Most are just dead, either too early for life or too late. But ripe with resources and materials. Not much xp in those. I had a cousin that spent a few millennia in one as a punishment detail. Didn¡¯t even get two levels. But he did come out richer than Midas.¡± That caught me short. ¡°You know the story of Midas?¡± ¡°The king of gold? Of course. You didn¡¯t think your stories were unique, did you? A million million universes out there, and yours are somehow unique?¡± He laughed again. The others laughed in their own way. ¡°Can you believe this?¡± He looked at me, really scrutinizing. ¡°Wait a minute. Are you a local?¡± ¡°I am. Obviously.¡± His attitude changed in a heartbeat. ¡°Then you¡¯re not with us.¡± He lunged forward, with the other three immediately behind. I took a step back, falling into a stance that had been drilled into me for more than a decade. Old lessons flickered in the back of my mind as I redirected the man¡¯s lunge, tossing him over my shoulder. Three lightning fast blows stopped the others in their tracks. I was in a bad position, facing down four angry, unknown assailants. The first man stood and started lumbering at me. ¡°Woah, why are you attacking me?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the enemy. Part of the universe to be subjugated. Submit, and we will make your end quick!¡± I side-stepped his awkward tackle, sending him into the three stunned people and the anchor. The wood flashed black and gold, rebuffing the crowd with considerable force. They crashed to the ground, and I stood ready. ¡°Are you done? Can you stop attacking me?¡± ¡°No, glory to the Undead!¡± The man rushed, and I was forced to defend myself. He led with a haymaker so telegraphed, they heard about it in the 1930s. I stepped into his swing and smashed the nerve cluster in his armpit. Instead of making his arm fall limp, which is what I expected, it blew clean off in a shower of gore. The man stopped and gaped at me, I stared in shock at the wound. ¡°Uh, sorry? I didn¡¯t mean to do that.¡± The man growled and swiped at me with his remaining arm. His hand looked like a claw. I was too slow to get out of the way, and he tore ragged slashes down my chest. ¡°Hey! I like this shirt! It¡¯s silk, and way more expensive than you can afford!¡± ¡°Pfft, expensive. I tore that flimsy fabric with my nails.¡± He slashed again, even as he spoke. I blocked his strike and threw one of my own, an empty palm into his chest. Muscle memory had taken over and I did nothing to attenuate the power. His chest imploded, showering the other three in gore. Level 1 zombie killed. 10 xp awarded. The notification was small, down in the corner of my vision. I dismissed it, or tried to. It stayed there for a few seconds before fading on its own. I turned my attention back to the three remaining¡­ zombies. I guess it really was true. Chapter 3: Questing Level 1 zombie killed. 10 xp awarded. Level 1 zombie killed. 10 xp awarded. Level 1 zombie killed. 10 xp awarded. I breathed a sigh of relief. The fights hadn¡¯t been difficult. But something nagged at me. Were zombies really that easy to kill? Why had they gone down with so little effort? Zombie media flooded my mind, and one movie in particular started echoing a significant line: ¡°Remove the head or destroy the brain.¡± I turned and watched the bodies for movement. The first guy was laying in a pile of viscera, with one arm completely missing and his torso more of a vague suggestion than an actual structure. He¡­ didn¡¯t move. I turned my gaze to the other zombies. They lay in pieces. As I looked closer, I noticed they were in terrible condition. The skin hung loosely, muscles in deep atrophy, with rot noticeable on the various exposed wounds. Even if they were undead, they had been in deep decay. ¡°Probably finished the job time had started more than anything,¡± I mused. With the zombies defeated, I turned my attention back to the wooden pole. It felt¡­ ominous. The black-and-gold energy crackled from the top to the bottom in waves, highlighting the intricate carvings. I couldn¡¯t identify what language it was, but it didn¡¯t look like anything I had ever seen before. I wasn¡¯t a language expert by any means, but this writing looked very alien. Some of the symbols made my head hurt just looking near them. As I was examining the thing, a box popped up. ¡®Dimensional Anchor HP: 150/150 Mana: 203/250 Mana regen per second: 0.67 Faction: Undead¡¯ ¡°Huh. Well, that¡¯s handy. I wonder what it¡¯s for?¡± As if that was the catalyst, the examination box closed and a new one opened. ¡®New Quest! You have stumbled across a dimensional anchor! Four of these hold open a portal through which an army is invading. Destroy the anchors, close the portal, and maybe save your world. Or, you can find the leader and join them to rule over your own bit of paradise. Rewards: 150xp, 1000 recognition, undiscovered rewards based on choices.¡¯ I looked at the pole. I could destroy it, repel the invasion, earn recognition for doing that, and maybe become a hero. But it would require fighting more zombies, putting my life on the line, and generally sticking my neck out. On the other hand, I could leave the anchor intact, go find the Necromancer again, and work my way up his army. Probably would make me guard this anchor, since I killed the zombies guarding it¡­ ¡°Fuck that,¡± I said. ¡°I won¡¯t bow to some half-assed necromancer.¡± I cocked a fist back, and slammed it into the pole. It shivered, with a large crack starting from the top and running down below the ground. I shook my hand out, then went again. The crack widened, and the status box opened again. ¡®Dimensional Anchor HP: 90/150 HP regen per second: 0.01 Mana: 196/250 Mana regen per second: 0.67 Faction: Undead¡¯ The mana had gone down, and HP regen had been introduced. I had seen it on my own sheet earlier. Still, two hits to take down 60 health. I wondered if it had some sort of damage reduction I couldn¡¯t see. I jumped in place, shaking out my arms and rolling my neck, then took up a fighting stance again. I threw a flurry of three rapid, sharp hits, and watched in satisfaction as the crack widened and began to glow with a savage light. One last check showed my progress. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡®Dimensional Anchor HP: 1/150 HP regen per second: 0.01 Mana: 191/250 Mana regen per second: 0.67 Faction: Undead Warning: This anchor is about to fail.¡¯ The last line was new. I watched as the light built and my instincts screamed to run. I bolted back into the hedge maze, sprinting as fast as I could. I was prepared for the explosion to be enormous. After ten seconds, I slowed, then stopped. I looked back. The pole had crumbled to ash, with a glowing remnant faintly wavering in its place. I walked back. The glowing remnant faded away, leaving a hole in the ground. I turned, ready to get back on track. Three more anchors. Then, the big, floating douche. I could do this. Fifteen minutes later, I found the second anchor. At least, I think it was the second. The maze was huge. Far bigger than it should have been. I think the dimensional anchors were doing something to local space. When I arrived, I spied another four zombies. They weren¡¯t hostile off the bat, but that was quickly changed when I charged in and tackled the largest zombie. A little box flashed by, so quick I couldn¡¯t even register everything it said. All I caught was ¡®Zombie Level 2.¡¯ He hit like a mack truck. I did take him to the ground, but in a surprising show of martial knowledge, he tossed me off and rolled back to his feet in one smooth motion. ¡°You whelp, I¡¯ve been sparring with stronger than you for a hundred years! I¡¯m already level two!¡± I gave him the side-eye. ¡°Level two? After over a hundred years? Sounds pretty lame to me.¡± I internally cringed. Lame? Who says that anymore? Apparently, that was a grave insult to the zombie. Heh, grav¨C He slammed into me like a tsunami. I was lifted from the ground and slammed into the hedge. I can tell you now, that hedge did not feel like soft leaves. It was all hard branches that fought back. I swore I felt something inside me break. The pain was¡­ not that bad, actually. It was weird. Ever since becoming a zombie, all of my senses were muted. I kinda liked it, after twenty years of being driven crazy just by my sense of touch. I shoved the monster-truck sized zombie away from me, then smirked when I saw him stumble and go wide-eyed. I stood up, shaking out the pain. A quick check of my status showed how hard he hit. Name: Alabaster Blackwood Race: Zombie Human Faction: None Age: 20 Level: 0 XP: 40/100 HP: 154/200 HP regen per second: 0.09 MP: 0/20 MP regen per second: 0.00 Stamina: 100/120 Stamina regen: 0.06 Strength: 14* Agility: 6 Constitution: 10* Wisdom: 1 Intelligence: 1 Charisma: 1 Luck: 12* Titles: Primordial Undead, Prime Undead, Star-born: Dragon Skills: Unarmed Combat Abilities: None Spells: None Notes: English, Zombie Common ¡°Is that it? You did 21 damage?¡± His eyes went even wider. ¡°What kind of monster are you? Aren¡¯t you level 0?¡± I laughed, then rushed in. He blocked my first strike with a forearm, swearing as it shattered. I pivoted and threw a knee into his side, launching him ten feet into a wall. That was when the other three launched at me. Again, two women and a man, making for an even split. The first died to an elbow to the forehead, which splattered his skull everywhere. His brain was more like a rotten slurry of maggots and juice than actual gray matter. A woman was next, though it was only possible to tell by the ancient, paper-thin dress. Her hair had fallen out, and her head fell when I slashed through her neck with a stiff bladed hand. Level 0 zombie killed. 5 xp awarded. Level 1 zombie killed. 10 xp awarded. The final woman screamed and charged me, echoed by a roar from the man. He had finally extracted himself from the hedge wall, which was badly damaged where he had struck. I redirected her lunge into his chest, causing both to collapse to the ground. I stomped on her head, then crushed the man¡¯s arms and legs. He was helpless, and looked at me with eyes full of hatred. Hatred, and fear. Level 2 zombie killed. 20 xp awarded. ¡°Mind answering a few questions for me?¡± The zombie did something. I think he tried to spit, but his salivary glands had dried up over a century before. Instead, he just made a dry ¡®puh¡¯ sound. ¡°Like, I get I can¡¯t really torture you. No pain, not really. But I could do something else. Maybe I¡¯ll bury you twenty feet down. With no arms, no legs, and no need to breathe, you¡¯d be stuck down there for¡­ gee, I dunno. Maybe a few millennia. Just stuck under thousands of pounds of rock and dirt, unable to move. Nothing to do but think.¡± That caught the zed¡¯s attention. ¡°What? What could you possibly want from me?¡± ¡°Tell me more about being a zombie.¡± ¡°We¡¯re generally dull, stupid, and witless. No charm or charisma. But the lack of brains is made up for in pure brawn. I¡¯m sure you noticed.¡± I had noticed. But I was supposed to be on-par with these creatures, and I was far superior. ¡°I¡¯m fighting up two levels. Is that normal?¡± He shook his head. ¡°One level is a big gap, and it only widens as you get higher. Even so, a level 0 taking out a level 2 is really unusual. You must have been a gifted fighter before the process.¡± ¡°There¡¯s that term again. What is this¡­ process?¡± ¡°The zombification process, obviously. The hours of torture, of both body and soul, to become an undead.¡± ¡°Uh, no. I fell from a balcony, then woke up as an undead.¡± ¡°You what?! And right after the initiation¡­ no. It can¡¯t be. Tell me, boy: do you have any titles?¡± I looked at my stat sheet again, then nodded. ¡°Yeah. Primordial Zombie and Prime Zombie. Plus whatever star-born is.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of star-born before, but if you really are a primordial, it¡¯s no wonder you¡¯re already such a monster. You are the first natural or artificially created zombie in the universe post-initiation.¡± ¡°Cool, I won something.¡± ¡°Yes, you won something,¡± he said with a dry chuckle. ¡°You are destined to become one of the strongest beings in this universe. If you don¡¯t die.¡± ¡°Well, thanks for the info.¡± I raised my foot, then hesitated. Did I want to kill such a helpful guy? It would push me much closer to my next level. And boy, did killing these zombies feel good. I waffled for a moment, with him looking up at me with hope in his cloudy eyes. Chapter 4: Anchors Away! The anchor crumbled under another assault. I stood by and watched it fade into ash and glowing power before wafting away. ¡°Nicely done.¡± ¡°Do you even have a name?¡± ¡°I do, actually. Basil.¡± He pronounced it like ¡®Baz-ill¡¯, as if he was a proper British gentleman. ¡°You know, I¡¯ve been meaning to ask. Why do all zombies sound like they¡¯re posh Brits?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what those words mean, but we¡¯re talking in Zombie Common. It¡¯s just translating through the system for you in a way you can understand. If there¡¯s an accent, that¡¯s on your end.¡± ¡°Well, thanks, Basil. I have two more of these things to go. God, you¡¯re heavy.¡± He grunted out a laugh. ¡°I¡¯d give you a hand, but I¡¯m fresh out.¡± I snorted a laugh. He was legless and armless. Something I was starting to regret as I hoisted him higher. I had a rope harness tied around him, and held the rope with one hand. He bounced on my back as I started off into the maze once more. ¡°I kinda wish I hadn¡¯t¡­ disarmed you so thoroughly.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got me falling to bits with that one,¡± he said through another gravelly chuckle. ¡°We need to focus,¡± I said. ¡°Where¡¯s the brains? I mean the other anchors. The brains can wait, anchors first.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t get that one.¡± ¡°Pop-culture reference. Don¡¯t worry about it. Other anchors?¡± I felt him nod against my shoulder. He started directing me, looking from my back. It only took a few minutes to get to the next anchor. ¡°Oh, bad luck there, lad.¡± He was right. I scanned the four zombies from just outside their perception. They didn¡¯t notice me standing with one of their fallen comrades. Their stats popped up, but the boxes were short, with little information given. ¡®Zombie Level: 0 HP: ? Mana: ? Stamina: ?¡¯ ¡®Zombie Level: 2 HP: ? Mana: ? Stamina: ?¡¯ ¡®Zombie Level: 2 HP: ? Mana: ? Stamina: ?¡¯ ¡®Zombie Level: 3 HP: ? Mana: ? Stamina: ?¡¯ This time, the level three was a woman. She didn¡¯t look particularly strong. ¡°She¡¯s kinda thin for a level 3.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let looks fool you. She¡¯s young, too. A real prodigy. I heard she was turned only twenty years ago, and she¡¯s already level 3.¡± She still had hair on her head, though it was thin and patchy, and looked like it would break with the slightest force. Where the others had sunken eyes, hollow cheeks, and bones showing through their translucent skin, she looked like a sickly woman instead of a living corpse. ¡°There¡¯s something different about her.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve noticed that already, have you?¡± ¡°Why, though?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll figure it out,¡± he said. I could hear the smirk on his rotten face. I dropped him like a sack of potatoes, then sprinted in. She turned first, a smile on her face. That worried me, but I didn¡¯t let it stop me. I slid in under a swing from the level 0 and kicked his knee into next week. He went down while I jumped into a superman punch, taking out one of the level 2s. His head snapped back and body went limp. That left two: the creepy woman still smiling at me, and the level 0 jumping around on one leg. She wasn¡¯t moving, so I finished off the level 0. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Level 2 zombie killed. 20 xp awarded. Level 2 zombie killed. 20 xp awarded. Level up! +3 strength, +1 agility, +3 constitution, +1 free stat point. Level 0 zombie killed. 1 xp awarded. The woman was still just staring with a creepy smile. It was made worse by her teeth; all blackened and crooked. It looked like she had some flesh jammed in there rotting away. I lunged in with a fast jab and felt my hand break. A flash of blue light spread from where my hand had been forced away, a few inches from her body. ¡°Do you like it? That¡¯s my mana shield.¡± I shook my hand out. It hurt, but not as much as I expected it to. She frowned when I didn¡¯t respond. Then she started to move her hands and whisper under her breath, with energy collecting between her fingers. I lashed out with a savage kick, knocking her back and into the anchor. Her shield exploded and she screamed, losing control of the spell she was building. That flashed off, burning her face and leaving her with a screaming, skeletal countenance. It was horrifying. I jumped at her, bringing both hands down on her skull and caving it in. Her XP popped in the corner of my vision while I started hammering on the anchor. Level 3 zombie killed. 20 xp awarded. The anchor crumbled away, and I breathed a sigh of relief. One anchor left. I checked my status again, waiting to see what a new level had brought. Congratulations, you¡¯ve leveled up! Level: 1. Name: Alabaster Blackwood Race: Zombie Human Faction: None Age: 20 Level: 1 XP: 36/105 HP: 146/280 HP regen per second: 0.12 MP: 0/20 MP regen per second: 0.00 Stamina: 120/140 Stamina regen: 0.08 Strength: 17* Agility: 8 Constitution: 14* Wisdom: 1 Intelligence: 1 Charisma: 1 Luck: 12* Free points: 1 Titles: Primordial Undead, Prime Undead, Star-born: Dragon Skills: Unarmed Combat Abilities: None Spells: None Notes: English, Zombie Common My strength was really high, as was my constitution. I had to remind myself, again, that this was real life. I had one free point to allocate, and tried to put it into Intelligence. The glaring ¡®1¡¯ really bothered me. It¡­ didn¡¯t work. I sighed, tried Wisdom and Charisma with no change. Then I put it into agility, and the free point disappeared. I hoped I wouldn¡¯t regret the choice. ¡°You done yet?¡± ¡°Yeah, Basil. One moment.¡± I trudged back over to him and hauled him onto my back. He was little more than a torso, and with my increased strength, he hardly weighed a thing. ¡°Where¡¯s the last one.¡± ¡°Last corner, obviously.¡± I shook my head. ¡°Just point the way.¡± ¡°Oh, ha-ha. It¡¯s right over this way, sir,¡± he said with a mocking tone. I checked and saw him waving the stump of an arm at a different entrance into the hedge maze than I had arrived from. Several minutes passed, the quiet only broken by distant thunder and Basil¡¯s occasional uttered direction. Alert: quest updated. You have destroyed three of the four anchors holding a portal open, through which an army is invading. Destroy the final anchor, close the portal, and maybe save your world. Or, you can find the leader and join them to rule over your own bit of paradise. 15 minutes remain. Rewards: 150xp, 1000 recognition, undiscovered rewards based on choices.¡¯ ¡°Dammit, there¡¯s a time limit now. How far until we get to the next anchor?¡± Basil leaned his head to the side. ¡°I think it¡¯s just around the corner. How much time do we have?¡± ¡°Fifteen minutes.¡± ¡°Cutting it close. You better take the last group down quickly.¡± I nodded, and we set off again. It took longer than I liked to find the last clearing, which was behind a clever set of double-backs. A timer window had appeared in the corner of my vision, and it let me know just how little time I had left. Time remaining: 9:13 I finally spotted the final anchor and the four guards, and set Basil down. He nodded gravely. I returned the gesture. Then I flung myself into the conflict. I only had a moment to scan the four zombies. ¡®Zombie Level: 3 HP: 300 Mana: 20 Stamina: 80¡¯ ¡®Zombie Level: 2 HP: 240 Mana: 20 Stamina: 60¡¯ ¡®Zombie Level: 2 HP: 240 Mana: 20 Stamina: 60¡¯ ¡®Zombie Level: 3 HP: 320 Mana: 20 Stamina: 60¡¯ This is going to be a hell of a fight. I got a surprise first blow, smashing the first level three in the face. He rocketed back, taking huge damage. I pivoted into a level 2 with a back-handed hammer fist, knocking her flat. During the turn, I delivered a savage kick to the other level 2. The final guard, another level three, caught me with a haymaker to the chest, and I flew back. Blood sprayed from my mouth. The hit had been hard, but I guess less than 10% of my total health. I didn¡¯t want to check my stats again so quickly. I had to be more careful, but the time limit meant I needed to hurry. I didn¡¯t want to find out what happened when the timer ran out. I stood, wiped the blood from my mouth, and readied for another charge. The level three that hit me smiled back, showing off a nearly toothless mouth. It was horrible to see. I couldn¡¯t even tell if the zombie was male or female, all tells had worn away with time. They didn¡¯t bother with conversation, and I was fresh out of quips. I launched myself back into the fray. ¡®Flow like water.¡¯ My Tai-chi instructor¡¯s words came to mind as I wove through the hostile zombies. I used a mix of different martial arts. Tai Chi to Karate, Judo, even some Krav Maga. I had dabbled in all of them, only sticking around for a year or so in each. Even so, with my enhanced perception of my body, it allowed me to pick them up very quickly. I struck out with hard blows to nerve clusters. Krav Maga had moves designed to cripple, which was far more effective against the zombies. When joints broke, there was little the hostiles could do to counteract a physical impairment. Nerves were of little use when they had decayed decades or centuries before. After another terse exchange, I took stock. I had several broken ribs, a crack in my right forearm, and black ooze was spilling over my right eye. ¡°Look at this. Freshie still has blood!¡± Time remaining: 7:02 I couldn¡¯t tell which of the four said it. Their voices sounded the same, like an old British woman was set on fire, perhaps while smoking an entire carton of cigarettes at once. It was as androgynous as you could get while still sounding vaguely human. ¡°At least I can still stand,¡± I spat back. It was true, too. Two stood at an awkward angle with shattered legs, the third hopped in place, and the fourth was on the ground looking up at me. I had managed to break both legs just below the hips with a well placed, very lucky kick. They might be strong, but time had done serious damage to their bodies. ¡°Just what the hell is going on here?¡± A familiar voice drifted down. ¡°Why is the portal unstable? How did you idiots already lose three anchors?¡± I shook my head. One of his questions answered the other. The Necromancer is an idiot. He floated into view, coming over the hedge. His eyes locked on me as soon as he spotted me. ¡°You.¡± ¡°Me,¡± I said with a grin. Chapter 5: Roughhousing ¡°I ordered you to guard the anchors.¡± ¡°And I destroyed them instead, fatass.¡± The Necromancer looked down at himself. I gave him a good look for the first time. He was a bit older than me, maybe in his late twenties. He wore a billowing black cloak over a fancy costume that looked straight out of Castlevania. What was really telling, though, was how round his gut was. He was carrying an entire extra person¡¯s worth of fat. A telling and stark contrast to his minions, who all looked emaciated. ¡°Dude, are you fucking serious with that outfit?¡± The Necromancer stuttered, mouth agape at my words. ¡°How- how dare you! You are one of my minions! Now, get back to defending the remaining anchor!¡± I felt his words like a literal force against my mind. However, they failed to gain any purchase. I controlled my face, going to a slack, neutral expression, then started a stilted walk toward the anchor. ¡°Good grief. How am I going to make this invasion work now? There¡¯s still¡­¡± I resisted the urge to look up at him. But I had the ridiculous image of him rolling back his dumb sleeve to reveal one of those old calculator watches. He just seemed the type. I snorted a laugh and knew the ruse was blown. Luckily, I was standing right next to the lead zombie. I snaked an arm out, grabbed his face and slammed him back in to the other leaning hostile. They went down in a tangle of badly broken limbs. I looked up to see the Necromancer once again staring agape. And yes, he had a stupid calculator watch on. What the hell? ¡°How?¡± I ignored his question and leaped in for the kill. I slammed both feet down on the half-zombie crawler, crushing his skull. Level 2 zombie killed. 10 xp awarded. I jumped from the gory remains and kicked the fourth zombie in the remaining leg. She folded in half. That only lasted for a moment as her hip joint gave way and flesh tore loose. She landed on her leg, smashing her face on her now disembodied knee. The first two were just managing to untangle themselves when I kicked her head from her neck and into their faces. Level 2 zombie killed. 10 xp awarded. Level 3 zombie killed. 20 xp awarded. The rotten skull smashed like an old jack-o-lantern across both, caving in the upper zombie¡¯s head. I raised both hands in celebration. ¡°Gooaaaaaaaalll!¡± The Necromancer sputtered and gibbered above me as I jumped up, dropping with a leading elbow. I shouted as I fell. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°From the high corner, he goes in for the killllll!¡± Level 3 zombie killed. 20 xp awarded. I mimicked the sound of a roaring crowd as I got to my feet. I brushed bits of skull and gray matter from my filthy clothing and looked up at the Necromancer. ¡°Hey buddy, why don¡¯t you come down here, we¡¯ll fight head-to-head!¡± My health was dangerously low, my stamina was all but depleted, and I was talking out of my ass. It was a bluff. And dammit. It worked. He fled, flying off back toward the center of the maze. I heard Basil break into raucous laughter as I sagged in relief. ¡°From the high corner!¡± He shouted, thick British accent making it so much better. I laughed wearily, sitting with my back to the final anchor. The time sat insistently in the corner of my vision. It was simple, yet so, so ominous. Time remaining: 2:04 ¡°Damn, can¡¯t get a break around here. This is a lot of work.¡± I slowly stood and looked over at Basil for my next comment. ¡°I would love it if you got off your ass and did some work.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s how it is? Just woke up and chose violence today?¡± I waved at my blood-and-gore encrusted clothing, then waved a hand at him in dismissal. I sighed and got back to it. I had just under two minutes to finish this quest. Five hits later, the anchor crumbled away. The timer stopped. Time remaining: 1:12 I wiped a dirty hand across my brow to clear away non-existent sweat. Seemed I didn¡¯t do that anymore as a zombie. Only a minute to spare. Though, it wasn¡¯t like I was given a ton of time to start with. I walked over to Basil and sat next to him. ¡°You look a bit peaked, mate.¡± I nodded, hands on knees, head against my chest. I felt like I couldn¡¯t draw a full breath. I checked my stamina, noting it was at 18 and climbing. It felt like it took ages to get a single point back. I made a note to find some way to improve my agility. All my stats, really, needed to be improved. I crunched a few numbers, and realized it would take nearly a half hour to fully refill my stamina. That was abysmal. I couldn¡¯t keep up constant fighting with down-time like that. And so far, it was constant fighting. Well, constant with several minutes between fights, but not enough for a significant amount of regeneration. ¡°Basil,¡± I gasped out. ¡°Is there a way to improve my regen?¡± ¡°Of course. Didn¡¯t they teach you this in your training, or tutorial?¡± ¡°Tutorial? What? No, this is my first day as a zombie. I was turned like forty minutes ago.¡± He hissed out between his teeth. ¡°Oookay. That is insane. Yeah, just sit upright, then cross your legs¡­ yeah, like that.¡± He guided me into a standard meditation pose, then told me to relax, close my eyes, and breathe steadily. I followed his instructions and immediately felt better. Five minutes later, I opened my eyes and checked my stats, with a mental note to ignore the other stuff for the moment. Name: Alabaster Blackwood Race: Zombie Human Faction: None Age: 20 Level: 1 XP: 96/105 HP: 158/280 HP regen per second: 0.12 MP: 0/20 MP regen per second: 0.00 Stamina: 114/140 Stamina regen: 0.08 Strength: 17* Agility: 8 Constitution: 14* Wisdom: 1 Intelligence: 1 Charisma: 1 Luck: 12* ¡°Huh, finally a tangible benefit to meditation.¡± Basil shook his head at me. I checked on the quest for the anchors, and realized it had been flashing for my attention for some time. Alert: quest updated. You have destroyed all four anchors holding a portal open. The invading army has been halted. Close the portal, defeat the Necromancer and maybe save your world. Or, you can find him and join the Undead to rule over your own bit of paradise. Rewards: 150xp, 1000 recognition, undiscovered rewards based on choices. I itched for that xp reward. I didn¡¯t know what recognition was or what it did, nor did I care at the moment. I was a little curious what the ¡®undiscovered rewards¡¯ could be, but again, I just wanted the xp. It was enough to not only tip me over my next level, but if I was right, it would push me up to level 3 immediately. Fourteen more stat points assigned, and two free points to put toward something. I rubbed my hands, grabbed Basil¡¯s rope and slung him over my shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s kill us a Necromancer!¡± Chapter 6: Blackwood Company ¡°Where is he?¡± I felt like growling. I did growl, but only a little. Okay, it was a lot. I¡¯m still adjusting to this Zombie thing. ¡°He should be right here. That ripple is the half-formed portal. It¡¯s still being held in place. He must be trying to make more anchors.¡± ¡°Well that just sounds like cheating,¡± I said. ¡°This coming from the newborn brat that can kill experienced zombies two levels higher with minimal effort.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that I¡¯m newborn, or that they¡¯re experienced.¡± ¡°But you are a brat,¡± Basil said with a chuckle. ¡°Yeah, hard to argue with that one.¡± We stood. Well, I stood, and Basil hung around. The only thing in the large clearing at the center of the hedge maze was the portal. It rippled and glimmered, looking like a holographic film over reality. But there was nobody there. I walked around the portal, then again. It was on the third trip around that Basil caught my attention. ¡°What was that?¡± ¡°What was what?¡± I stopped and spun in places, looking for what he had spotted. ¡°Whoa, stop that. You¡¯re going to make me sick!¡± ¡°Can zombies even get sick?¡± ¡°You¡¯re about to find out,¡± he said, half muffled by my shoulder. I hiked him up higher, Then spun slowly. He stopped me when I was facing directly away from the portal. We had come to a stop just behind it, opposite the only entrance, or so I thought. When we stood in just the right spot, at just the right angle, a shimmering door appeared in the hedge wall. I squinted my eye to keep it in sight, then moved slowly forward. It disappeared, but I felt a long, slim handle in my hand. Even though I couldn¡¯t see the door, I trusted my sense of touch, dulled as it was. ¡°I think I¡¯ve got it.¡± ¡°Careful,¡± Basil whispered. I realized I was doing the same. I gently pulled the door open, getting a headache when it shimmered into view and the door opening yawned wider. We stepped through and into what looked like a study. I spotted the Necromancer on the far end of the surprisingly well-appointed room. Bookshelves filled with tomes and journals lined one wall, going back at least a hundred feet. Tables and desks were in every available space with different types of apparatus. I saw beakers and flasks, an alembic, multiple sets of mortar and pestle, a few open tomes the size of War & Peace, and one desk in particular absolutely piled with snacks. That was the one the Necromancer stood next to, feverishly eating while leafing through a book and muttering to himself. He hadn¡¯t noticed us yet. I put Basil down on a desk so he would have a good view of what was going to happen. Once he was situated comfortably, I crept closer. When he wasn¡¯t trying to put on a show, the man was meek, with a nasally voice that didn¡¯t match his outward appearance at all. ¡°My uncle is going to kill me. I finally had a chance to show him I¡¯m a decent Necromancer, and I lose every minion I brought to one freaking guy. What the hell is up with him anyway? How does a level 0 fight sixteen hand-picked elites?¡± I snorted, making the Necromancer jump a foot in the air and spill his snacks. He even made a little ¡®eep¡¯ sound. His hands shot up in surrender. ¡°Wait!¡± I sighed. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I can give you whatever you want! Just don¡¯t kill me!¡± I paused. What did I want? ¡°Can you make me human again?¡± He sagged. ¡°N-no¡­ It¡¯s an irreversible process.¡± I sighed again. ¡°Well, I guess I have no reason to keep you alive.¡± ¡°W-wait. Uh, I can give you credits?¡± ¡°Sounds like a short-term gain trading for a long-term loss.¡± Before he could utter another word, I kicked leg, caught him by the neck and yanked hard. His neck broke with a sound like a stout stick snapping. He slumped, and I let him fall to the ground. Level 5 Necromancer killed. 50 xp awarded. Level up! +3 strength, +1 agility, +3 constitution, +1 free stat point. I loved seeing that. It pushed me over the hump and to level 2. A moment later, a new window popped up. Alert: quest completed! You have destroyed all four anchors holding a portal open. The invading army has been halted. You have closed the portal, defeated the Necromancer and maybe saved your world. The region is yours to command. Rewards: 150xp, 1000 recognition, Noble title, Washoe County.¡¯ This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Level up! +3 strength, +1 agility, +3 constitution, +1 free stat point. Recognition up! You are now Unknown. Congratulations! As the first to seize a Noble title on Planet Earth, you gain the title Royalty. +1 to all stats! I stretched up, working my arm in a circle. ¡°If I¡¯m unknown now, what was I before?¡± Basil chuckled from over in his corner. ¡°Well done, lad. I take it the quest has completed?¡± I nodded. ¡°What the hell am I going to do with an entire county?¡± ¡°It sounds like you gained control of the region that was being contested by the Necromancer. As a Noble, you can now establish mayors over cities, claim or accept vassals, collect taxes, and make proclamations. You might wish to establish a ruling council if you don¡¯t want to be involved in the minutiae of running your region.¡± I shook my head. ¡°This is all happening way too fast. I get all the combat. That¡¯s not hard. But I¡¯m getting stats, titles, and quests left and right. It¡¯s been like an hour since this stupid system was put in place.¡± The Necromancer had fancy clothes on, but his pockets were only filled with candy wrappers. Where had he found the time to rob a convenience store while helming an inter-dimensional invasion force? I finally located a little sack of coins tied on a belt at the small of his back. ¡°Paranoid asshole, too.¡± ¡°To be fair, you did break his neck after he surrendered.¡± ¡°Look, if he hadn¡¯t launched an attack, led an army of zombies, and most importantly, turned me into one, I would have shown a little more mercy. But here we are.¡± ¡°You know he didn¡¯t turn you into a zombie, right?¡± ¡°And how would you know?¡± ¡°Because he was too busy running the invasion. Making a zombie, especially early on like he was, takes hours of concentration.¡± I scoffed, then kicked the Necromancer¡¯s corpse and walked back to Basil. ¡°Are you going to heal? Can you get your limbs back?¡± ¡°Not as such. You either need to take me on as a vassal, then find a way to give me prosthetics, or you need to find an undead healing unguent. As an undead yourself, you should be aware that regular healing potions are a deadly poison to us.¡± I nodded. ¡°Noted. Drink poison to heal, drink healing potions to poison myself. Clear as mud.¡± I hoisted him up to my back, and we walked out of the study. The portal was gone, and the maze returned to its original size as we walked out. What had taken nearly an hour before, took only three minutes to cover on the way out. ¡°You mentioned taking you on as a vassal. What is that?¡± ¡°It would make you my liege, or Noble. I would become one of your minions. Or soldier, scientist, whatever you want to call it. But it would mean I am loyal to you and your faction.¡± ¡°I have to make a faction now?¡± ¡°That would be prudent. You are a Noble, after all.¡± I sighed. It seemed like I was doing that a lot, too. ¡°Fine, how do I do that?¡± ¡°Just like anything else: you think about doing it.¡± The window popped up as I thought about it. Congratulations on receiving your region! First, you must establish your faction. What name would you like for your faction? This can be changed down the road for a cost, however we recommend against that. I thought for a moment, then decided to go with the obvious choice. I entered ¡®Blackwood Company.¡¯ Blackwood Company accepted. With your control of one region, you have attained the Noble ranking of: Count. ¡°Count Blackwood. I kind of like that.¡± ¡°Add on a few more regions, and you could move up to a Marquess or Duke. Beyond that, you¡¯re into Royalty, mate.¡± ¡°Now that would be something to see. King Blackwood.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get too far ahead of yourself here, lad. Focus on the now.¡± ¡°Speaking of, what¡¯s next?¡± ¡°Next, you go into town, find an Adventurer¡¯s Guild, get registered, and start earning xp and recognition. And since you¡¯re so close to it, you should know that at level 5, you can get a job. You should start thinking about what you want to do.¡± ¡°Why would I want a job?¡± ¡°Every level in your job gives you additional stat points, which can round your stats out- or make you lopsided, like a glass cannon or tanky brute.¡± ¡°Is it like crafting? I always enjoyed doing that a bit when I played games like Skyrim.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what a ¡®Sky-rim¡¯ is, but yes, crafting is one type of available job. You can also go into research, technology, services, cooking, even be a bodyguard. It all depends on what you want to do. You should also keep an eye out for armor and loot.¡± ¡°Yeah, why haven¡¯t I got any yet?¡± ¡°Just like everything else, lad, you need to activate it.¡± I stopped and groaned. ¡°Have I been missing out on loot this entire time?! Why didn¡¯t you let me know?!¡± ¡°We were on a bit of a time crunch, and honestly, you should have gone through the tutorial.¡± ¡°I WASN¡¯T GIVEN THE OPTION! I woke up with a broken neck, fixed that, then starting fighting you assholes.¡± ¡°Noted.¡± I sighed, turned around, and started walking back into the maze. I hoped all the corpses were still there. As we got to the first clearing, I remembered something. ¡°Oh yeah. Want to be my vassal?¡± ¡°Finally. Yes, I pledge my loyalty to the¡­¡± he paused, looking into the distance. ¡°Blackwood Company. Nice name.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Congratulations, you have recruited your first follower! New follower: Basil. Would you like to see their stats? I mentally affirmed, and his information streamed in. Name: Basil Race: Zombie Human Faction: Blackwood Company Age: 138 Level: 2 XP: 54/110 HP: 3/140 HP regen per second: 0.00 MP: 0/0 MP regen per second: 0.00 Stamina: 0/140 Strength: 8 Agility: 7 Constitution: 7 Wisdom: 1 Intelligence: 1 Charisma: 1 Luck: 1 Titles: None Skills: Unarmed Combat Abilities: None Spells: None Notes: Zombie Common. Crippled. Curious, I mentally selected the last note: ¡®crippled.¡¯ Crippled: All healing has been stopped due to physical injury. Heal the affected injuries to regain regeneration. ¡°Okay,¡± I said as I took it in. ¡°We need to get you healed. Good thing we don¡¯t really feel pain.¡± Basil nodded. I let the silence settle over us as I walked to the first of the four corpses. I toed it, thinking about looting it, and a box popped up. Looted! +10 copper, +1 undead unguent, +1 bandage. I toed each of the others, and they gave roughly the same, save the last one gave two unguents and no bandages. Figuring out my next question before I asked it, my inventory popped up as another semi-transparent window. I had 40 copper, five undead unguent, and three bandages. I thought about pulling out an unguent and felt it drop into my hand. I put Basil down. He looked up at me with a smirk. ¡°Okay, big guy, how does this work?¡± He laughed. ¡°It¡¯s not that complicated. You can either do a general effect, which is done by gathering up as much as you can hold in your hand and basically slapping it on me, or you can do targeted, which is taking a little bit and putting it directly on the wound. General will work for now.¡± I nodded, scooped out a bunch of the slimy stuff, and plopped it on his chest. It sank in and he glowed in a sort of negative light. It looked and felt like a petroleum jelly mixture. Maybe it was like Icy-Hot. He sighed in satisfaction, and I had a seat next to him. ¡°Okay?¡± He nodded. ¡°Much better. I¡¯ll heal up over the next while, then we can work on looting the rest. After that, we should see how many survivors there are, clean out the house, and then head down to town.¡± ¡°Sounds like a plan to me.¡± Chapter 7: House of Horrors The house- no, the mansion was a horror show. ¡°How did so many get past me and into the house?!¡± I swung wildly, Basil shouting in surprise from my back. The improvised bat, actually a table leg, cracked across the feral zombie¡¯s face. It was a level 0, weak against my higher stats, but because it was freshly turned, it was surprisingly resilient. I kept mentally distancing myself from the monster in front of me. It had been human, and recently. But the intelligent zombies had shown no restraint when they fed on the poor¡­ victim. White bone showed through rent flesh across the face and chest, and even on a few spots on the arms. I kicked it in the chest, sending it back into a crowd of four other ferals. Feral Zombie Level: 0 HP: 100 HP regen per second: 0.05 Mana: 0 Stamina: 140 Stamina regen per second: 0.07 Faction: Feral Still, I had five zombies in front of me, and who knows how many more in the thirty room mansion. They were weak, but numerous, and a serious danger. Even worse, they would provide next to no xp. ¡°Basil, what¡¯s the situation?¡± ¡°The castle is overrun with feral zombies.¡± I shot a glance at him near the entrance to the room. ¡°I really need to get you some limbs.¡± ¡°That would be nice,¡± he shouted back. ¡°What can you tell me aside from the obvious?¡± I kicked out at a slavering zombie, forcing it back. ¡°Is there any way to undo the feral transformation?¡± ¡°No,¡± he said sadly. ¡°These ferals are drawn to life and movement. They are unintelligent thralls only intent on spreading the disease.¡± ¡°Why are they so dumb?¡± I tossed one into another group, stumbling them all. There were at least ten in the foyer with us now. ¡°The process creates intelligent zombies. This is just a virus spread by undead in general, to boost the population quickly.¡± ¡°What good is it if they attack undead too?¡± I was running out of non-lethal options. I didn¡¯t want to kill my former friends. ¡°You¡¯re not a feral, the controlling Necromancer is dead, and there are no other high-level Undead to take control. They are truly feral. Alabaster, I could use a hand over here.¡± I growled in frustration, gripped the arms of the zombie that had a hold on me, and kicked hard. His arms ripped free at the shoulder, and I tossed them toward Basil. They struck a feral in the back of the head, stumbling him into the wall. Basil flopped over, trying to escape being gnawed on. The zombie I had just de-armed came back, chomping at me. I kicked his knee backward, then stomped on his head. The first of the ferals had fallen, and that got their attention. I was swarmed. ¡°Keep it up, lad!¡± Basil¡¯s voice sounded strained, like he was trying to do something. I was puzzled, even as the ferals dogpiled on me. I screamed in frustratin and rage. I had so many level 0 zombies piled on me, I couldn¡¯t even move anymore. ¡°What can I even do?!¡± ¡°You need some abilities!¡± ¡°How do I get those?¡± Basil paused, taking his time to answer. I heard him grunting with strain, then he went quiet. Finally, he said ¡°You get an ability every five levels, and rarely you¡¯ll get an ability core as a loot drop.¡± ¡°What the hell are you doing over there?¡± I struggled to free an arm. A leg. Anything. I felt low-level zombies biting me all over, and my health was plummeting quickly. I didn¡¯t even want to check my stats, fearing what I would see. Instead, a shadow was cast over me. I looked up to find a sinister presence. A massive zombie, as large as¨C ¡°BASIL?!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got you, lad.¡± He grunted as he bent over, like he was a late-middle-aged man getting up from his recliner. He reached one arm out and it was¡­ backwards. The thumb was pointed downwards. So was the other one. The sight made my head light, like I was falling. It made me nauseous. He gripped my shoulders, then leaned back and grunted with effort. The grunt turned into a rumble, then a roar. I felt my body shift, then slide a few inches. I cheered him on. He pulled even harder, and I heard skin tearing. One of his arms was separating at the elbow and shoulder. It looked¡­ feminine. And upside down. I thought I was going to lose my lunch. Then I popped free, slammed into Basil, and we went down in a tangle of elbows and knees. ¡°Basil, how the hell do you have arms? And why are they upside-down?¡± He chuckled, out of breath. ¡°When you threw those arms, one hit my shoulder at just the right angle. Instead of falling off, it reconnected. Unfortunately, you threw the left arm and it connected to the right shoulder. That¡¯s why it¡¯s backward. I reattached the other arm, then ¡®found¡¯ some legs.¡± Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. We stood, and I looked at the feral pile. They were all squirming around, biting each other. They were so stupid, none of them had even realized I was pulled free. ¡°You have two backwards arms, one of which is a woman¡¯s, and it¡¯s nearly done. You have two mismatched legs. You¡¯re like Frankenstein¡¯s Creation. Only smarter.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what that means, but I¡¯ll take it as a compliment. Shall we?¡± ¡°Oh,¡± I said with a smile. ¡°We shall. Then we¡¯re going limb shopping for you. If I had known zombie limbs counted as prosthetics for you, we would have done this an hour ago.¡± I extended a fist toward Basil, who looked at it in consternation. ¡°Touch my fist with yours.¡± He extended an upside-down fist and bumped mine. I laughed, then jumped at the pile of zombies. Level 0 Feral Zombie killed. 1 xp awarded. Level 0 Feral Zombie killed. 1 xp awarded. Level 0 Feral Zombie killed. 1 xp awarded. Level 0 Feral Zombie killed. 1 xp awarded. Level 0 Feral Zombie killed. 1 xp awarded. I muted the notifications. The pile had grown while Basil was working on himself and I had been trapped at the bottom. I stomped on heads and chests, careful to preserve the limbs as best I could. Some were already well beyond useful, though. I did notice one of the zombies was tougher, not that it mattered for my xp gains. When the room fell silent, I looked at myself. I was covered in blood and gore again. My clothes were ruined. I¡¯m sure I stank to high heaven. ¡°Well, let¡¯s get to categorizing. What are the odds that more show up?¡± He shook his head. ¡°No telling. They should remain in the mansion for the time being, but we shouldn¡¯t take too long. If you want to prevent the spread of ferals through the region, you need to put every single one down.¡± Just like that, a quest pop-up sprang into my view. New quest! Feral Annihilation The feral zombies are a threat to your region. As a Count, it is your responsibility to keep it safe. Find and kill all feral zombies. Rewards: 200xp, 10 silver Progress: 15/75 A moment later, the final line changed. Progress: 15/76 ¡°We¡¯re losing ground. When we have a moment, can you explain how currency works now?¡± Basil nodded, focused on picking out limbs he liked. Most were from the larger zombies, whom I suspected had been on the University football team. ¡°Oh yeah,¡± I said and turned on the notifications. They had condensed into a few lines, sparing me from massive repetition. 9 level 0 Feral Zombies killed. 9 xp awarded. Level 1 Feral Zombie killed. 1 xp awarded. ¡°Ten xp for all that work. Hardly seems worth it.¡± ¡°The quest should make up for that.¡± I nodded. Nearly two full levels from completing it, on top of the xp earned from killing the blighters. ¡°Your English accent is rubbing off on me.¡± ¡°I am doing no such thing,¡± he said, clearly affronted. ¡°No, buddy,¡± I said with a laugh. ¡°I¡¯m using words that aren¡¯t common to America.¡± He stared at me, then shrugged. ¡°Whatever. Help me out?¡± I looked at him. He was holding two matching arms. They were burly, and even had some arm hair still. I nodded and walked over. ¡°How do we do this?¡± Basil grimaced. ¡°You¡¯re going to have to remove the current arms, then attach the new ones. We¡¯ll do the same for the legs after.¡± ¡°I dunno, I kinda like this lop-sided look you¡¯ve got going.¡± Basil shook his head, then leaned down and presented his shoulder. His arm was out at an angle to give me the ideal angle. ¡°Just get it done.¡± I took his arm and pulled it out hard enough to strain the shoulder joint, then slammed a bladed hand into the weak flesh between the bones. It split with a wet sucking sound, and I was once again holding a lifeless arm. I gathered up the replacement, then gave him a devious look. ¡°You know, as weird as it was, I think the upside-down arm thing was pretty cool.¡± ¡°Please, no.¡± I sighed, then attached the left arm on his left side. ¡°You¡¯re no fun.¡± ¡°You try holding things with upside-down hands. It took a full minute just to figure out why things were going the wrong direction.¡± I quickly severed his other arm and attached the new one. He stood up and flexed his new hands. ¡°This is so much better. Thanks, mate.¡± ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s just get the legs done. At least you¡¯re wearing pants.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because¨C you know what? Never mind. It probably doesn¡¯t matter with the undead.¡± ¡°Are you a prude?¡± I stopped and stared at him. ¡°Me? A prude? No, I just don¡¯t want to see your wedding tackle. If you even still have it, or your original set.¡± ¡°Fair enough. Not everybody likes that.¡± ¡°Dude, you¡¯re undead. From what you¡¯ve said, you¡¯ve been undead for a really, really long time.¡± He nodded, picking out a pair of legs. ¡°These look good. And yeah, over a hundred years.¡± He laid on the ground, and I tried to figure out how best to do the separating. In the end, I took his ankle, lifted the leg straight up, then kicked right below the hip. The first strike broke his femur, the second started the skin and muscle tearing. ¡°How did this heal on so quick?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Normally, you can¡¯t even do this.¡± I kicked once more, tearing the limb free. I fitted the new leg in place. It was far more toned than the arms, but I could feel just how dense the muscle was. I guessed either swimmer or runner. We repeated the process on the other side, then I applied some undead unguent to each of his limbs to speed the healing and adoption process. We sat and waited for his health to tick back up. I took the time to check my own stats. Name: Alabaster Blackwood Race: Zombie Human Faction: None Age: 20 Level: 3 XP: 46/115 HP: 277/440 HP regen per second: 0.18 MP: 0/40 MP regen per second: 0.00 Stamina: 155/220 Stamina regen: 0.10 Strength: 25* Agility: 11 Constitution: 22* Wisdom: 2 Intelligence: 2 Charisma: 2 Luck: 12* Titles: Primordial Undead, Prime Undead, Star-born: Dragon, Lord, Royalty Skills: Unarmed Combat Abilities: None Spells: None Notes: English, Zombie Common Based on my stats, I had nearly died. I had completely depleted my stamina as well. I judged it to be roughly twenty-five minutes since the fight had ended. That meant I had regained right about 270 health. Very close to death. ¡°Hey, what happens if my HP reaches zero?¡± Basil shrugged. We were both in meditation poses to take advantage of the increased regeneration. His health had to be significantly lower, just based on the damage I had inflicted to replace his limbs. ¡°Zero HP generally indicates catastrophic damage. Unless you get an ability to stop death at zero, you, well, you die. And there¡¯s no coming back again.¡± I nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t hit zero.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± We rested for a few more minutes. Once my health reached maximum, I stood and started to loot the dead ferals. Their bodies deflated after being looted, like weird balloons going flat. Then they simply faded into nothing. Before long, the pile had disappeared. ¡°What did you get?¡± I checked the log. Looted! +150 copper, +12 undead unguent, +14 bandage, +1 ability sphere. I pulled the ability sphere out and inspected it closer. Ability sphere: Use to gain a new ability dependent on unlocked pathways. ¡°What are pathways?¡± ¡°I think here you call it Chakras.¡± ¡°How do you know what Chakras are, but you don¡¯t know who Frankenstein is?¡± ¡°One is the way energy moves through the body. That¡¯s universal, even if the exact methods aren¡¯t. The other is pop-culture. That is far from universal.¡± ¡°Makes sense, I guess. How can I tell what Chakras I have unlocked?¡± ¡°Open your status page, and look at your Chakras.¡± He said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. At this point, I suppose it was. Chapter 8: Capable
Status: Chakras Crown: Locked. Third Eye: Locked. Throat: Locked. Heart: Locked. Solar Plexus: Locked. Sacral: Locked. Root: Unlocked. ¡°Okay, I just have the Root Chakra unlocked.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the most common. That¡¯s at the base of your spine, and is almost always the first unlocked. It is the survival chakra, responsible for defense. To use the sphere, you can either try to align it with your chakra, or place it above your heart. Aligning with the heart chakra is generally the easiest for newly awakened. Even though it isn¡¯t unlocked, or opened, you can still align and feed an ability sphere in. It will travel along your chakra lines and open one of the petals on your chakra. Each chakra can contain three abilities.¡± I waved at him. ¡°Slow down. Let me do this first, before you info-dump.¡± He nodded. I sat down in the meditation position, took the sphere in hand, and moved it just left of the center of my chest. I felt a warm tingle as it sank through my skin. Nothing happened for a long moment, then I saw and felt my skin change. It took on a darker, earthier tone, and grew tight. It felt like a sunburn, without the pain. I tapped the back of my right hand with my left and the sound was more like rocks clicking together than skin-on-skin contact. Congratulations! You are the first on your planet to unlock an ability! Title gained: Capable. New title: Capable. As the first to unlock an ability on your planet, you are among the strongest. +10% to abilities. New ability unlocked! Earthen Bulwark I: Your skin becomes as stone, rebuffing attacks. Damage resistance +10%, pugilist attacks +10% Cost: 10% stamina reserve. ¡°Alright, this system thing is really starting to grow on me.¡± Basil groaned. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you got another title.¡± I nodded and smirked. ¡°This one is called ¡®Capable.¡¯ Looks like it buffs my abilities with a flat ten percent increase.¡± Basil face-palmed. ¡°How are you this ridiculously lucky?¡± I shrugged. ¡°Always have been pretty lucky. Good genetics, good brain, good looking.¡± I shot him a double finger gun and clicked them at him. He stared back. ¡°Clearly no charm.¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s new. I didn¡¯t have any problems with women before.¡± ¡°Could be. Undead are not gifted with charm. That¡¯s a constant- we are capped at a very low amount. To be honest, I don¡¯t even remember what life was like before being turned.¡± I stood and stretched, ready to continue fighting through the mansion. Another check of the quest showed how it had changed. Feral Annihilation The feral zombies are a threat to your region. As a Count, it is your responsibility to keep it safe. Find and kill all feral zombies. Rewards: 200xp, 10 silver Progress: 15/83 ¡°Well, these zombies aren¡¯t going to kill themselves. Wait, are they?¡± Basil shook his head. ¡°No, even Ferals have some rudimentary sense of self-preservation.¡± ¡°Then we have our work cut out for us. Eighty-three total. Sixty-eight to go.¡± He cracked his stolen knuckles. ¡°Let¡¯s get to it.¡± I checked to make sure Earthen Bulwark was active, and led the way. The hallway was clear, but as we started checking the rooms, we found grotesque scenes right out of a slasher flick. Bodies lay in pieces. Some were clearly the remains of zombies, but there was an equal number of limbs scattered around that appeared otherwise healthy. That first room held two level 0 ferals that were easily dispatched. The two xp felt right, since they went down in a single hit each. Still, it almost felt like a waste of time. Two rooms later, we had defeated another five. The fifth had been a bit of a surprise. She had got up after the first two in the room were defeated. I was puzzled until I realized they had been feeding on her when we walked in. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. The lower level hallway was fully cleared in another ten minutes. I checked the quest for progress. The feral zombies are a threat to your region. As a Count, it is your responsibility to keep it safe. Find and kill all feral zombies. Rewards: 200xp, 10 silver Progress: 23/83 ¡°Wait, it says 23 defeated. We should only be at 22.¡± ¡°Perhaps a survivor?¡± I shrugged, then followed Basil back to the foyer. That wing was clear, at least on the ground floor. The upper half was accessed from a stairwell. I supposed there were hidden stairs and passageways, but hadn¡¯t noticed any during our sweep. ¡°Should we split up? You¡¯re strong enough to handle a few level 0s, right?¡± He nodded slowly. ¡°Yes, I should be able to put them down. I thought I was powerful just this morning¡­ but you showed up.¡± He shook his head. ¡°For you, I¡¯ll watch this room. I will make sure none leave.¡± I nodded, then took off for the second story of the west wing. They even had ¡®West Wing¡¯ carved over the arch. People with more money than good sense. The second floor was much the same as the first. I found one room that was crammed with zombies¡­ dancing. It seemed the Ferals still had a taste for the music they had died listening to. The rhythmic thumping of bass was audible from down the hall. With that cover, I cleared the first three rooms of the wing with little trouble. One empty room, and six zombies in the other two. They were weak, but I was learning that level 0s were supposed to be. Most had low stats, even sometimes only 60 or 80 health. I almost felt bad crushing them under foot. Almost. They were a threat to humanity. There was no way I would let a bunch of feral zombies take over my region, much less the United States. When I finally made it to the party room, I was not prepared. It was shoulder-to-gnawed-shoulder, standing room only for the zombies. It was so bad, it almost made it easier for me. I made sure Earthen Bulwark was on, then started swinging. I had to be more careful about my stamina, because running out would disable the ability. I tackled the problem like a puzzle. Thirty plus low-level zombies, with me on the other side of the scales. I was going to make sure my side won. I moved in like a snake, smashing the first zombie in the face with a fast rocky jab. He tumbled back, though the movement worked to my advantage. He caught the attention of multiple nearby zombies, all of whom lunged in for a bite. It was weird, to watch them go from dancing in place to eating their comrade in the span of a heartbeat. I took out two more, one with a hammer back-fist and the other with a bladed hand across the throat. With my skin hardened, I was able to get my fingers surprisingly deep. I felt his vertebrae crack when my hand came to a stop. He fell, dead once more, and I kept moving. The party crowd started to push in, and I had to back up. That proved helpful once again, because I had to return to the hallway. Out there, they were forced to move through the doorway one or two at a time. It was a natural choke point, and the ferals were too stupid to realize. Unfortunately, they were too eager. After five more ferals went down, my stamina ran out. They were jamming the door with bodies, but they were also, very worryingly, getting stronger. The last zombie took three hits to take down. That meant he was either level 2 or 3. I didn¡¯t know how that could be, considering how much it took for me to level up. I spared a second to check progress on the quest. The feral zombies are a threat to your region. As a Count, it is your responsibility to keep it safe. Find and kill all feral zombies. Rewards: 200xp, 10 silver Progress: 47/105 Somehow, another twenty-two people had been turned. There must have been a holdout of survivors that were overrun. Unless Basil was fighting handfuls of ferals in the foyer, someone else was taking them out. And I had a bad feeling I knew who. For the first time, I started to hear the zombies vocalize. It started at the back of the room, sweeping forward. Clicking of the teeth, then growling. At last, one zombie grew louder, developing into a full-throated roar. It barreled forward, all semblance of humanity lost. The monster crashed into and through the unliving wall of zombies. I watched as the counter continued to change and it charged at me. This was a truly fearsome creature. It stood somewhere north of seven feet tall, with head and shoulders above the masses, and looked like it had taken up a job as a brick wall in its previous life. Broad-chested, over-muscled, he¨C it had to have been a man before being turned¨C was a monster before being turned. And he was reaching out with grasping hands to tear my head off. I couldn¡¯t help it; a smile spread across my face. I was growing to enjoy these fights. Feral Berserker Zombie Level: 5 HP: 600 HP regen per second: 0.30 Mana: 0 Stamina: 260 Stamina regen per second: 0.08 Faction: Feral The brute slammed into the doorway. Wood cracked and drywall sprayed out from every side. He roared again, smashed feral zombies away from him, backed up, and slammed into it again. His shoulders were jamming into the frame, with his head mashed against the top. He hit the other zombies, the level zeros, so hard they were turned to rancid paste. I pondered whether I was an honorable fighter. He grunted and strained, veins popping on his neck like snakes slithering under his skin. I wondered why that still happened when we were all undead. No heartbeat means no vascular pressure. Even while I pondered on the implications on high blood pressure in a moving corpse, I lined up and sent in a rocket of a haymaker. It collided with the monster¡¯s jaw, and I heard a large number of bones breaking, even over the music. I couldn¡¯t really feel it, but I knew my hand was toast. I had just shattered most, if not all the bones. He spat out a tooth. I couldn¡¯t tell if he had bitten his cheek, or if it was gristle from one of his meals, but either way, a large strip of flesh followed the tooth like a rhythmic gymnast¡¯s ribbon. The craziest part wasn¡¯t his reaction. No, it was the fact that a large health bar appeared at the top of my vision, with ¡®Feral Berzerker¡¯ above. Inside, I could see how much health my hit had shaved off. I chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m in danger.¡± Feral Berzerker HP: 533/600 A hair over eleven percent. If I could get nine more clean, straight hits like that, I could probably kill him. Even as I shook my hand out, he pulled back from the doorway. A gap opened up, and ferals filled it before he had moved back five feet. They were intent on getting to me. I didn¡¯t care about them. They were chaff. Meat for the meat grinder. Bones for the bone god! Wait, this isn¡¯t Warhammer. This is a zombie hellbent on tearing me limb-from-limb. He charged, this time silently, and I watched in anticipation. I took a few steps to the side, because I had a feeling I knew what was going to happen. Sure enough, he waited for the doorjam to be bursting with ferals, then charged in with a savage grin. Severed limbs sprayed out from the explosion, along with several grim lengths of internal organs. Nothing was whole, save the brute himself. The doorframe broke free and went with like a grisly garland. He slipped on the gory blood-stained tile floor and slammed headfirst into the wall. I chuckled when I saw his health bar take an appreciable hit. Feral Berzerker HP: 432/600 His head was buried in the wall. I seized the opportunity. Two fast steps and I launched, feet first into his side. I felt his ribs shatter, but that hardly mattered. He wouldn¡¯t be hampered by that in the slightest. I leaned back to deliver a hammer-fist to the back of his neck when he swung surprisingly fast. I didn¡¯t even have time to dodge. His fist hit me like a sledgehammer. I blacked out, something else I didn¡¯t know was possible. Obviously, there was still some sort of circulation that could be interrupted by significant force. Chapter 9: Berzerk My head was reeling. He hit me one time, and my health bar dropped by forty percent. The first hit had been brutal. It felt like my insides were the consistency of a smoothie. What made it worse was striking the far wall with the same amount of force. ¡°Damn you¡­ physics!¡± I coughed up blood. Cool, another thing that I can apparently still do, even as a zombie. A little icon showed up in the corner of my vision, which changed to a short line of text when I focused on it. Condition: internal bleeding. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s why I sound like a bong rip in action.¡± It was true, too. My lungs were bubbling fiercely. I wasn¡¯t sure I needed to breathe, but it was an automatic action. Autonomous. Autonomic, even. I think I took a hard hit to the head. As if to confirm my suspicion, another icon swam into view. Either my mind made up the system, or the system had a sense of humor, because the icon was a little stick-figure man with a bandage on his head, and he literally swam into my vision. Then he wavered in place next to the internal bleeding icon, which made me think more of gastrointestinal distress than internal bleeding. Condition: concussion. ¡°Focus,¡± I grunted through my teeth. I stood slowly, clutching my side. Even though my sense of touch wasn¡¯t even one percent of what I had in life, I could feel the pain radiating from my side and back. I could really only take two, maybe three more hits like that, and I would die. And there would be no reviving. That was locked out, as the system was so kind to inform me earlier in the day. The sound of crumbling rock grated against my ears. I turned to look at the Berzerker and nearly lost my balance. I had to put a hand against the wall to keep from tipping. The brute was working his way out of the wall. The fact he hadn¡¯t gone through, or pulped his head against the stone concerned me. It meant he was in a very narrow window, there. Not literally, his head was planted in brick, but figuratively. His head broke through, but the rest of him didn¡¯t. The zombie corpses trapped between him and the wall must have slowed him enough to keep from going straight through. I took a hesitant step forward, nearly losing my balance again. That was a really, really nasty knock to the head. I couldn¡¯t have been unconscious for more than a few seconds, but even a little bit was worrying. He got his hands up next to his head and pulled. More brick crumbled free, and I saw his back straining. The door frame finally gave up the ghost and splintered apart. When he finally broke free, I knew I was in deep, deep trouble. He stood to his full height and roared. I swear I saw the windows flex like the hallway around Neo. ¡°Easy, boy.¡± I held a hand out and talked like I was trying to convince a dog I was friendly. ¡°Want to join me? Want to be part of Blackwood Company?¡± The feral giant shook his head, then lurched into a loping gate that ate hallway like a fat kid in a candy store. I turned, heedless of my condition, and took off. Well, that¡¯s what I intended to do. The quick turn put me off balance, and I went down like a feather. Or bowling ball. Either way, I fell; damn gravity. The giant was slow to react. I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s a good thing or bad. He kicked me square in the gut, but that cause him to trip. He slammed headfirst into the wall, this time at a run. The inside wall was wood and plaster, like normal. It shattered under his immense bulk, but I was too busy trying to figure out if I still had a diaphragm. Again, I have no idea if I need to breathe. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. His health bar had dropped again. I looked at it, and it seemed to be laughing at me. Curving into a big Cheshire grin. Feral Berzerker HP: 264/600 Dumb giant has done more damage to himself trying to get at me than I have to him. I heard the railing crack and a meaty thump a moment later. I slowly stood, remembering what lay beyond the doorway. Out there was the staircase leading into the foyer, and Basil. The railing was completely gone. I stood shakily at the top of the stairs and looked at the destruction below. The giant wasn¡¯t moving, but that didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t start stirring any moment. Standing ten feet from the prone zombie was Basil, looking startled and confused. ¡°Hold on,¡± I grunted. Then I launched out and dropped straight at the monster¡¯s head. I felt my arm fold in half against his stone-like skull, but I did some real damage to him. Unfortunately, I did damage to myself as well. My health was now flashing and a light red. His health bar was still in the yellow. I could understand that. Mine was lower. It certainly felt like it. I had a broken arm, shattered hand, powdered ribs, and who knew how many rupture organs and torn ligaments. It certainly felt like I was dying. I lay half on his head and shoulder, half on the ground. ¡°Give us a hand?¡± Basil walked over, giving the still unmoving giant a good amount of side-eye as he moved. ¡°Making new friends?¡± ¡°Only the best,¡± I grunted. He helped pull me to my feet. I winced, feeling a dull heat all throughout my body. It felt like I needed to pee. I was fairly certain I no longer did that as a zombie. I looked down, and found, to my surprise, my pants were so coated in blood and gore that I couldn¡¯t tell if I was wetting them. ¡°How¡¯s it looking up there?¡± ¡°Trashed, just like me. By the way¨C¡± He chose that moment to wake up and thrash. The giant roared, face embedded in tile, and frantically slammed his whole body against the floor. I only had a moment, but it was enough time. I summoned an undead unguent from my inventory, lifted my shirt, and slathered the whole thing on my belly. I immediately started to feel better. My health jumped ten percent of the max, putting it back in the yellow. Basil looked at me, then back at the spasmodic monster. ¡°Should we do something about that?¡± ¡°Nah,¡± I said with a hand wave. ¡°Let him tucker himself out. He¡¯ll be ready for a nap any moment now.¡± Instead of listening to me, the Berzerker wrenched his face free and shook himself. When he caught sight of me, he roared again. ¡°Doesn¡¯t this guy ever get tired of doing that?¡± I didn¡¯t wait for an answer. I ran in and did another double drop kick into the giant¡¯s face. I hit the ground and rolled away. I wasn¡¯t fast enough. The brute swung down and caught me with a back-hand that sent me sprawling. The blow clipped me, but it didn¡¯t matter when my health was already so low. I was in very real danger of dying to this monster. Basil surprised me then, slamming shoulder-first into the giant¡¯s face. He was a large man, but his strength was so low, it made little difference to the brute. He bounced off. The giant idly swatted at him, and connected with a soft blow. Even taking a soft hit from the Berzerker took more than half his health bar. ¡°Hey,¡± I shouted. I felt bones grind in my chest and clutched at it as I rose. ¡°Your fight is with me, you ugly lump. Did they run out of ugly when they made you?¡± ¡°Are you saying he¡¯s so ugly he comes out the other side as handsome?¡± I stopped and stared at Basil. ¡°What? No. I¡¯m saying he¡¯s so ugly, they had to use even uglier to finish making him.¡± ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you say that?¡± The giant turned and lunged at me, but I was ready. I dropped to a knee and let him soar over me. ¡°Now really isn¡¯t the time, Basil!¡± The Berzerker hit the ground and rolled, coming to a stop facing away but on his feet. I ran after, ignoring all the pain telling my body to stop moving. I echoed Basil¡¯s move as the giant turned to face me, slamming shoulder-first into his already pancaked mug. He rocked back and sat down, blinking furiously. His nose was smashed so flat it didn¡¯t even appear to be a distinct feature anymore. I wavered in place, exhausted. I had zero stamina, couldn¡¯t activate Earthen Bulwark, and generally felt like I was dead again. I did the only thing I could summon the strength to do. I slapped the zombie in the face. His eyes rolled back, and so did mine. I was unconscious before I hit the floor. Level 5 Feral Berzerker killed. Mini-boss status confirmed. Extra xp awarded! +50 xp. Level up! +3 strength, +1 agility, +3 constitution, +1 free stat point. Chapter 10: Mismatched ¡°Did anybody get the name of the bus that ran me over?¡± I blinked in the bright light. ¡°Easy, mate. You¡¯ve been out cold for a few minutes. I didn¡¯t know zombies could be knocked out.¡± I chuckled dryly. ¡°Neither did I. Second time it¡¯s happened, though.¡± I closed my eyes and thought about my stats. The window popped up a moment later. Name: Alabaster Blackwood Race: Zombie Human Faction: Blackwood Company Age: 20 Level: 4 XP: 2/120 HP: 206/500 HP regen per second: 0.21 MP: 0/40 MP regen per second: 0.00 Stamina: 66/240 Stamina regen: 0.11 Strength: 29* Agility: 12* Constitution: 25* Wisdom: 2* Intelligence: 2* Charisma: 2* Luck: 12* Titles: Primordial Undead, Prime Undead, Star-born: Dragon, Noble, Royalty Skills: Unarmed Combat Abilities: None Spells: None Notes: English, Zombie Common Condition: Concussion, internal bleeding Obviously, being knocked unconscious did not confer the same benefits as meditation. I had been out for almost exactly ten minutes. There was a little wiggle room in there, since I knew the system could, but didn¡¯t show additional decimal points. ¡°Well, what did you get? That was quite the fight, should be some good loot.¡± I jerked, having forgotten Basil was there. He made a point, though, and I needed to find out myself. I rubbed my hands in anticipation, then nudged the dead giant with my foot. I was not disappointed in the loot. Looted! +10 silver, +1 ¡®Warren and Lefty¡¯, +1 ability sphere Curious, I looked at the newly looted ¡®Warren and Lefty¡¯, a matched pair of brass knuckles. The description popped up and I read in wonder. Warren and Lefty Brass Knuckles +1 to strength A mismatched pair, like any buddy-cop movie, makes for a more interesting story. Warren lost his brother, just like Lefty. They¡¯re out to find their missing pieces and have joined forces to kick bubblegum and take tea. ¡°What the hell kind of description is that?¡± Basil held his hand out, so I gave him the knuckles. He read it over and chuckled. ¡°Looks like you got lucky. This might be a ¡®matched¡¯ pair, but they¡¯re not the intended match. If you¡¯re lucky enough to run across the missing pieces, this might just turn into a more powerful item.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t get a quest, though.¡± He shook his head and handed them back. ¡°You won¡¯t. Think of it as a hidden quest.¡± Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. I nodded, putting the knuckles on. I did feel a little stronger with them on, though. ¡°Well, let¡¯s give these babies a whirl.¡± ¡°What about the ability sphere?¡± I shook my head and opened the quest. Feral Annihilation The feral zombies are a threat to your region. As a Count, it is your responsibility to keep it safe. Find and kill all feral zombies. Rewards: 200xp, 10 silver Progress: 51/117 ¡°Still got people out there turning. And the quest says there are another sixty-some zombies to kill.¡± I charged to the next hallway, shocked no zombies had stumbled back to the foyer. I started clearing room-by-room. Half a dozen, then a dozen zombies went down under my furious blows. The knuckles made my hits stronger, and I had gained a level after defeating the berzerker. The gap between us was only widening. The lower hallway was totally clear after a few minutes. Again, I could hear music on the upper floor, and not much else. I figured the zombies were once more raving out. ¡°Lower level clear,¡± I said as I jogged past Basil. ¡°Not much going on here, boss.¡± I nodded, then put some thought into what I could do to help Basil. He needed to level up to keep up with me. And as my right hand man, or zombie, I needed him to have power, too. ¡°Come with me. We haven¡¯t seen anything down here since the berzerker.¡± He hesitated, then nodded and caught up. ¡°I¡¯ll hold them while you clobber them, okay?¡± Basil nodded again, cracking his knuckles. ¡°Got it, boss.¡± With the plan in place, I led the way. The upper hallway was packed. I lunged in, heedless of the wild swings of the weak zombies. In enough numbers, I could potentially be hurt. They just couldn¡¯t get enough of a grip on me, and I was starting to understand why Basil had said jumping level gaps was so unusual. I held the first two out for him to clobber. It took a few hits, but he got into a rhythm. I would hold two up by the neck, acting as a barrier for the weaker ferals, and he would hit them in the face until they went limp. Interestingly, I still got one xp for each feral killed this way. ¡°Hey Basil, how much xp are you gaining for these guys?¡± ¡°Just one, but with enough, I¡¯ll level up again. Then I can probably handle them on my own.¡± I recalled his stat sheet. With only 66 zombies left to kill, he would level up with a little wiggle room. That was, unless we found another mini-boss. Or a full-scale boss. Thinking back, I wondered why the Necromancer hadn¡¯t provided a boss or mini-boss bonus. ¡°Basil,¡± I started. He huffed, again weirding me out. Zombies shouldn¡¯t get winded. ¡°Yeah, boss?¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t I get a bonus for killing the Necromancer?¡± He paused, one target dead and the other nearly so. He scrunched his brow, threw another punch, then let his arms fall. ¡°That¡­ that is a very good question. I was just assuming you had, since he was, you know, dead and all.¡± I nodded. ¡°Broken neck. I made it quick, at least.¡± Basil shook his head. ¡°Being a human, he would have died right there. Fragile, you lot.¡± I chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m not human anymore. Well, I guess I kind of am, but I¡¯m a Zombie Human, not a regular one.¡± Basil shrugged. ¡°Whatever, boss. I guess we¡¯ll never know.¡± I echoed his shrug and presented two more zombies. Ten down, another¡­ Feral Annihilation Progress: 62/124 Sixty-two to go. And their numbers were still climbing, though slower than before. But he only needed forty-six zombies to level up. I shoved the ferals back. They had been crowding me and chewing on my arms non-stop. It was annoying. More so because it felt weird, rather than actually hurting much. I mean, yeah, they did damage. My health was around half-way, but it wasn¡¯t a disaster or anything. With how uncoordinated they were, it was actually pretty easy to just shrug them back every so often. They usually just fell backwards, then took their time getting back up. ¡°I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re related to these chumps,¡± I said as I grabbed yet another pair. The growing piles of bodies had forced us further into the hallway. I had lost count of just how many he had killed. Basil had run out of stamina multiple times, forcing us to wait while he got enough to continue the endless dance. He nodded, and I braced. Two more goons were knocked dead, I tossed them aside, and grabbed for more. When nothing came to hand, I looked back. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Yeah, boss. We got ¡®em.¡± I wanted to check my status, but I was more curious how Basil had grown. Name: Basil Race: Zombie Human Faction: Blackwood Company Age: 138 Level: 2 XP: 108/110 HP: 140/140 HP regen per second: 0.07 MP: 0/0 MP regen per second: 0.00 Stamina: 0/140 Strength: 8 Agility: 7 Constitution: 7 Wisdom: 1 Intelligence: 1 Charisma: 1 Luck: 1 ¡°Oh, buddy. You are so, so close. We need to get a few more and you¡¯re going to hit level three.¡± Basil looked at me in shock. I saw his eyes go unfocused, and realized that was what it looked like to him when I checked a window. ¡°Nearly a hundred years to get to level two, and level three in an afternoon. You are something else.¡± I winked and shot him with a finger gun, saying ¡°Stick with me, bud, and we¡¯ll be champions in no time.¡± ¡°What the actual hell was that?¡± I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Just seemed right. C¡¯mon, let¡¯s go kill some more feral dummies.¡± He followed me back to the foyer, and we stepped into the third hallway. It was immediately obvious this one was different from the first two. It was only one level, but with vaulted ceilings. Fancy chandeliers hung every fifty feet, covering the massive hall in glittering light. It had to be three-hundred feet long, fifty feet wide, and forty high. As fancy as the other wings were, it was clear this room was the point. Statues were stationed between the gargantuan windows. They looked like knights, each with armor, and even weapons. It looked like a fancy ball-room in a castle. ¡°I swear, I saw this same room in Resident Evil 4.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what that is.¡± I wave him off. ¡°Video game. Really awesome one. Come to think of it, that was all about zombies, too.¡± ¡°More nonsense coming out of your mouth.¡± A rumble stopped our conversation. I held a hand up, and only somewhat to my shock, Basil stopped next to me. ¡°What is it?¡± I shook my head. I couldn¡¯t see anything. I checked the quest to see what it said. Feral Annihilation Progress: 99/100 ¡°I¡­ I have no idea what this means.¡± ¡°What?¡± I flicked the window over to him, and it worked. He ¡®hmmd¡¯ for a moment. ¡°That is puzzling.¡± ¡°You know, I¡¯ve been thinking about it.¡± Basil turned and looked at me. This close, I finally noticed he had mismatched eyes. Did he naturally have heterochromia, or was that because he had gained a new eye somewhere along the way? ¡°Please, please don¡¯t say something to jinx us.¡± ¡°You believe in jinxes? I guess some things are universal. No, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m gonna jinx us. Just, there was something niggling at the back of my mind.¡± Basil shook his head. I plowed on. ¡°I killed that mini-boss, and the system called it out.¡± Basil hung his head. ¡°I knew it.¡± The rumble came again, followed by a roar. ¡°I mean, I killed the necromancer, right? Looted his body and everything.¡± The roar grew louder, and I looked at the far wall across the ball room. I grinned. ¡°I never got a notification for killing a boss.¡± Chapter 11: Marrow
The far wall exploded. Brick, fine woodwork, paintings, sculptures, it all went flying. What was on the far side was beyond my expectations. ¡°BOSS FIGHT!¡± I shouted in glee, then took off running at the creature. I focused on the thing, waiting for the inspection window to pop up. Feral Amalgam Level: 9 HP: 770 HP regen per second: 0.39 Mana: 0 Stamina: 260 Stamina regen per second: 0.13 Faction: Feral The name was as accurate as it could get. The thing, which was the best I could describe it as, could not have been a single entity. It was a shapeless mass of flesh, with skin, muscle, hair, and bloody clots covering the surface seemingly at random. It was around fifteen feet high, nearly twenty across, and who knew how deep. Two limbs extended from the mass, swinging slowly but with great power. They were formed from the same biomass, with only the loosest definition lending it the likeness of a playdoh-caricature. It didn¡¯t even have hands or fingers, not that it needed them. One of its arms slammed into a sturdy ornate table and shattered it to splinters. It roared again. I jumped onto the nearest table and started running across them, instead of weaving between. ¡°C¡¯mon Basil,¡± I shouted over my shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re going to miss all the fun!¡± ¡°You fight with your hands!¡± I skidded to a stop on a table, causing it to tip for just a moment. It settled with a thump, one which would have been loud if the Amalgam hadn¡¯t been busy tearing the building down around us. ¡°Damn, you¡¯re right.¡± A terrible match-up. The frailty of zombies was countered by not having a head. I couldn¡¯t even tell if it had eyes. For that matter, I couldn¡¯t tell where it was roaring from. Just then, I saw an expanse open on the top of the creature, only visible because of my extra few feet of height lent by the table. It was lined with bones, though that was the closest it came to resembling teeth in a mouth. Femurs seemed to be the most common bone, but every one was broken and sharpened to a point. It let loose another roar, and this time, I felt it like an explosion, deep in my chest. Condition gained: intimidated. I shook my head, putting a hand to my chest to still my¨C ¡°Dammit, I don¡¯t have a beating heart.¡± Just like that, the condition disappeared. I am a zombie. I am undead. "What are you going to do?¡± I dodged a flying table. It crashed into another one behind me. I had to keep moving, or I was going to die. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I guess I go in and find out if I can beat this thing to death too!¡± Basil shook his head. I ignored him and turned back to the monster. It roared again, but I was ready. I charged in when it froze to let loose the sonic attack. My steps were sure. I had the mismatched brass knuckles on. I was as prepared as I could possibly be. ¡°Come get some!¡± I launched from the table in a superman-like lunge, fist out front. What I was not expecting was to connect and sink in. The mass of flesh rippled like a thick ooze, enveloping my hand. ¡°Shiiiiiiiit!¡± Just as I thought I was going to get free, it sucked my arm in deeper. ¡°Basil, I¡¯m in need of help!¡± I looked around frantically to see where the arm things were, but it wasn¡¯t willing or able to hit me where I stood. That made me wonder why. I turned my attention back to the disgusting, writhing mass of flesh and examined it closer. Skin slid like thin plastic sheets over exposed muscle. All of it glistened in the soft light from the chandeliers, as well as the moonlight filtering in through the massive windows. Then I saw it. A face. One stretched in a rictus of horror and pain. I couldn¡¯t even tell if it had been male or female before being absorbed. The flesh had been eaten away, parts of the surprisingly complex muscle mass that made up its face had been chewed nearly to paste. Dark brown eyes rolled wildly until they spotted me, and the mouth opened wide. I couldn¡¯t tell if it was screaming, asking for help, or trying to eat me. But the eyes couldn¡¯t lie. There was endless pain, fathoms deep. It was agony, and I was only feeling it secondhand and through dulled senses. Stolen story; please report. I nodded. I would kill this thing, this Amalgam, even if I had to die again doing it. Just then, Basil wrapped his arms around my chest and started to pull. ¡°Hang on, I¡¯ve got an idea.¡± ¡°What?¡± The incredulity in his voice made me smirk. I know, I¡¯m an asshole. I¡¯ve been told that so many times, I¡¯ve lost count. Instead of answering him, I stretched over and slugged the face. My leverage was non-existent. ¡°Wait, okay. Pull me free. Friggin¡¯ physics.¡± He wrapped his arms around me again, then pulled. It took three attempts before my arm slid free. I freed myself from his grasp and sent a rocket of a punch into the face. Skin slid in the way exactly as my punch landed, and while I felt something break underneath, it wasn¡¯t enough. The Amalgam roared in pain and anger, and started surging toward us. ¡°Back up!¡± I backpedaled while waiting for the skin to slide away again. Everything on the body was constantly moving and shifting. It was only a matter of timing. Sure enough, ten seconds later, the skin retracted and I saw the face. The nose had smashed flat, and one eye had ruptured. ¡°Disgusting,¡± I said while stifling a retch. I took a moment to recenter myself, then punched again. This time, my fist sank in to my wrist, and the Amalgam screamed in undeniable pain. I checked the health bar at the top of my vision. Feral Amalgam HP: 695/770 Seventy-five hp for one good hit. Now I just needed to find another eight or nine faces. As soon as I started looking, I found them. I raced to the first, landing a flying elbow and crushing the face in. Feral Amalgam HP: 620/770 ¡°Now we¡¯re cooking with fire!¡± I raced around the Amalgam, looking for the faces. They weren¡¯t exactly equally spaced, but they did have at least a few feet between each. That was including a few literal feet, which stuck out at weird angles. The creature was a nightmare given form. ¡°Oh, what the actual¨C¡± I had to stop and suppress the urge to vomit. One foot stuck out further than the others, and it had teeth growing out of the heel. ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve seen that before.¡± ¡°Basil, how are you keeping up with me?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been staring at that foot for almost a full minute.¡± ¡°Ew, no, no, no!¡± He shook his head, then smashed the foot with a makeshift club. It looked like the one I had used just a bit before. With that distraction gone, I continued looking for faces to punch. The third was actually right behind the foot of horror, also screaming silently. I punched it, once again unable to determine what kind of person it had originally belonged to. The roar that came from the Amalgam was different. It sounded panicked. ¡°Ha, suck it, Amalgam! Amalgam of suck!¡± ¡°Wow, you really are dumb,¡± Basil commented. ¡°Look, we¡¯re both capped in intelligence. I¡¯m working with what I¡¯ve got.¡± He lunged to his left, my right, and I was confused. I turned just in time to see the fleshy arm appendage slam into me. I rocketed away from the Amalgam, tumbling through the air like a leaf caught in a gale. ¡°Fuuuu¨C¡± Slamming into the wall hurt just as much as last time. I slumped to the ground, unable to feel my legs. ¡°Oh god, oh god, I can¡¯t feel my legs!¡± Basil jogged up, looking none the worse. ¡°Could you before?¡± I paused, then shifted my body. ¡°Right. I guess I¡¯m still adjusting from having hyper-sensitivity.¡± ¡°I wonder what that¡¯s like,¡± Basil said idly. I shot him a glare. ¡°Are you just here for flavor commentary, or are you going to help me with this freaking boss?¡± Basil shrugged. ¡°I guess I could try helping.¡± ¡°Find the faces, smash them in. Don¡¯t get caught by the arms.¡± I felt something jabbing my arm and brushed at it. That caused my hand to hurt, so I looked down. ¡°Oh. Yeah, definitely don¡¯t get caught by the arms.¡± One of my ribs had punctured the skin. The bone leaked some marrow, a sickly yellowish fluid. I was fairly certain I wanted that to stay inside me. That hit had hurt me in a way nothing else had, even the Berzerker. I pulled up my status while I caught my metaphorical breath. Name: Alabaster Blackwood Race: Zombie Human Faction: None Age: 20 Level: 4 XP: 14/120 HP: 440/660 HP regen per second: 0.12 MP: 0/40 MP regen per second: 0.00 Stamina: 110/280 Stamina regen: 0.13 Strength: 34* Agility: 14 Constitution: 33* Wisdom: 2 Intelligence: 2 Charisma: 2 Luck: 12* Titles: Primordial Undead, Prime Undead, Star-born: Dragon, Noble, Royalty, Capable Skills: Unarmed Combat Abilities: Earthen Bulwark I Spells: None Notes: English, Zombie Common ¡°Holy hell, 220 health in one hit.¡± ¡°Two hits,¡± Basil shouted. ¡°How the hell can you hear me?¡± ¡°Great hearing, now get back to work!¡± He swung at something just outside my vision, then dodged the retaliating blow from the Amalgam. He was definitely doing better than I thought he would. I nodded, then walked to the boss monster. I couldn¡¯t move fast, nor could I move my right arm down without jabbing it with my broken rib. Thankfully, I could fight southpaw. A thunderous haymaker from the left did the next face in. Feral Amalgam HP: 470/770 ¡°It¡¯s working!¡± ¡°Keep going!¡± I stumbled over the remains of a chair, and that saved me. Instead of catching me full-force in the back, I was clipped by a tentacle that had sprouted from the upper ridge of the Amalgam. It sent me sprawling, where my rib caught on a table and snapped off. I felt it even through the heavy suppression of my senses. ¡°Gaaaaah!¡± The remainder of my rib slid back inside, no longer held in place by suction. My chest felt like it was suddenly collapsing. I slapped a hand over the hole, but felt no different. Then I rolled to my back and found a large piece of wood jutting from my chest. ¡°This shirt is ruined,¡± I wheezed out. Then I yanked the wood, and sat up. The Amalgam was still in the same place, about ten feet from me. I was well within range of the thrashing tentacle, yet it didn¡¯t go for me. I glanced over the monster and didn¡¯t spot any of the faces. ¡°How about that,¡± I whispered. My chest ached. I pushed back to my feet. It felt like I was lugging around an extra hundred pounds on my back. I didn¡¯t let that stop me. ¡°I got another one!¡± I silently cheered for Basil. I didn¡¯t think I could make enough sound to be heard of the constant keening of the monster, anyway. I stumbled to the next face, which had just been revealed by a sheet of muscle sliding away. It took three hits, instead of the usual one. My health was in the red, as was my stamina. I couldn¡¯t get enough force to kill the faces quickly. While I hunted for the next face, I slathered an entire tub of unguent on my chest. That, at least, removed the pressure that made it feel like an elephant was sitting on me. Feral Amalgam HP: 320/770 The boss screeched again, then the whole body shivered. A dozen tentacles sprouted from the top at once, then started thrashing wildly. One caught me in the stomach and sent me to the ground again. I lay there, staring at the ceiling. This is it. My thoughts echoed strangely. This is how I die. Chapter 12: Marrow
¡°This is not how you die!¡± I swam in darkness. Basil¡¯s voice came from so, so far away. A blanket settled over me, thick, warm, and fuzzy. I felt like I was tucked into the comfiest bed in the universe. I didn¡¯t even want to expend the energy necessary to tell him to go away. ¡°Come on, this has got to work!¡± I felt a heat build in my chest. It went from warm, to hot, to positively searing. It kept building until it felt like I had the sun in my chest. ¡°Stay with me, lad!¡± The pain was unreal. It continued creeping along my body until it had consumed everything. All that was left was my mind, and even then¡­ I couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. I wanted to give up, to give in, anything to stop the pain. Quest complete! Awarded: 200xp, 10 silver. Level up! +3 strength, +1 agility, +3 constitution, +1 free stat point. Job available: Half-dead. Accept job: Half-dead? ¡°You did it!¡± The words drifted lazily down to me in my agony. It took an age to understand what he had said. I just wanted the pain to stop. ¡°Do you hear me? You did it! You beat the boss!¡± ¡°Let me die,¡± I mumbled. I wanted the notifications to stop. They only added to the torment. ¡°You¡¯re level five, right? Accept whatever job is offered!¡± ¡°No,¡± I sobbed out. ¡°Just let me die¡­¡± ¡°Accept the job, you lazy arse!¡± I could just barely feel him shaking me. That made my body ache even more. I didn¡¯t know it was possible to hurt more than I already did. ¡°No.¡± Pain rocked me again. This time, it was my face. With my nerves deadened, how hard had he hit me to get through that? ¡°ACCEPT IT!¡± Internally grumbling, I took the job. That immediately changed everything. Job accepted. Beginning transfiguration. Level up! +2 strength, agility, constitution, +1 wisdom, intelligence, charisma, +1 free stat point. Level up! +2 strength, agility, constitution, +1 wisdom, intelligence, charisma, +1 free stat point. I screamed. I thought I had been in pain before. This was an entirely new level. Even the blackness went away, replaced by¡­ nothing. Nothing but sheer agony. It felt like my body was being ripped apart at the molecular¨C no, the atomic level. Even further, down to the quantum level. I felt my body become nothing, then be rebuilt from the quarks and gluons up. I had no idea how I could feel to such a finite degree, unless it was the pain itself driving me mad. Slowly, feeling returned. Then it kept returning. Suddenly, I could feel my toes, my fingers. I could feel my chest rising and falling. I could feel¡­ I could feel my heartbeat. I had a heartbeat. Except, it felt like every other time it beat, it¡­ didn¡¯t? ¡°Ow,¡± I muttered. ¡°Oh, thank the gods.¡± I cracked my eyes open, which was the wrong move. Basil¡¯s horrifying undead face greeted me, concern written all over his rotten features. ¡°Oh, oh man. Please get out of my face. Oh, god, you reek.¡± I pinched my nose, and watched as his face went through a whole range of emotions. ¡°Uh, boss, not to poke a bear, here, but how are you smelling me?¡± That is a damn good question, I thought to myself. How was I smelling him? Zombies can¡¯t smell. Kind of a requisite trait to be an undead sack of rotting flesh. I opened my eyes again. He was standing a more respectful distance away. I sighed, then realized I was breathing again. My afternoon spent as a zombie had not killed such an ingrained process. The relief was strange, but fitting. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. ¡°I appear to be alive.¡± I saw Basil nod from where I lay. I held my hands up to my face and inspected them. They were disgusting. ¡°God, was I bathing in guts?¡± ¡°Uh, kinda? You really went crazy for a while there. Before the boss fight, I mean. You were¡­ well, you were reveling in the fight. You looked and acted like a berzerker. I kind of expected you to get that as your job.¡± ¡°What is up with this ¡®job¡¯ business?¡± I sat up, trying my best to scrape the blood and gore from my hands. Then I saw my legs, and torso, and oh gods, I¡¯m naked. ¡°Why am I naked?¡± ¡°Which, uh¡­ which question do you want answered first?¡± ¡°Why am I naked,¡± I repeated. ¡°You fought a boss monster five levels higher than yourself, which was on the verge of evolution, and you somehow won. You did die, though. Like, for real.¡± ¡°I died? Again?¡± ¡°I suppose so. Been a busy day for you, hasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t explain why I¡¯m naked.¡± ¡°Oh, right. You were smacked around. A lot. Actually, a concerning amount. But you and I managed to kill the boss. The tentacles at the end were a death throes kind of deal.¡± ¡°How? Last I saw, it was still around three-hundred health.¡± ¡°Your tracker must not have known I was hitting the boss and killing the faces on the other side.¡± ¡°I¡­ I see. Troubling. I thought the system was a kind of all-knowing deal. But, back to my question. Why am I naked?¡± ¡°Right. It beat your clothes off you.¡± I held a hand up. ¡°Don¡¯t say that.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Beat off. Just don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Well it tore your clothes off.¡± I shook my head, fighting the urge to vomit. My sense of smell was returning at a truly upsetting pace. I could smell myself, now, and it was dire. ¡°I need a shower. Don¡¯t talk about my clothes anymore.¡± ¡°You asked.¡± ¡°I did. Now, please help me up, then explain the job thing while we track down a shower. There should be a good one somewhere in this insane mansion.¡± He offered a hand, which was different from the one he¡¯d had before. ¡°Did you swap arms again?¡± ¡°I was forced to. It hit me almost as hard as it hit you. And it was actually only my left.¡± He showed his right arm, and it was the large, hairy one I remembered. I shrugged, then accepted his help up. I didn¡¯t even bother covering up my bits. He was the last living thing in the area¡­ well, unliving, I suppose. And he¡¯d had an eyeful while doing whatever it was he did to revive me. Actually¡­ ¡°How did you revive me?¡± ¡°I, uh¡­ I spent the boss loot orb.¡± ¡°You can do that?¡± ¡°Kind of. Instead of grabbing it to disperse loot, like normal,¡± he started. I interrupted. ¡°Wait, loot orb?¡± I looked at him. ¡°I don¡¯t remember seeing any orbs. I had to touch the bodies to get the loot.¡± ¡°Yeah, you have a looting power. When you don¡¯t claim it in a set period, or get too far away, it creates an orb in that place that is yours for a set time.¡± ¡°How long?¡± He went quiet. That was concerning. ¡°How long, Basil?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ an hour.¡± I stopped and faced him, shocked. ¡°I was dead for an hour?!¡± ¡°Well, actually, most of the afternoon, from what I gathered.¡± ¡°Why¡­ how? How am I alive now?¡± ¡°Well, my faction didn¡¯t disappear. From that, I knew you weren¡¯t dead. Not truly, at least. Still clinging on, somehow. I put every bit of unguent on you I could, but that didn¡¯t really do anything.¡± ¡°So you took this boss loot orb thing, then did what?¡± ¡°Shoved it into your chest. Then your heart started to beat, and your chest closed up.¡± ¡°Can¡­ can you explain that a bit better?¡± I turned and started walking again. The foyer was just in front of us. Corpses were everywhere. I was constantly fighting the urge to vomit, which would have done me no good. I hadn¡¯t eaten in hours, if not longer. ¡°Your chest was splayed open, like a Zolzar.¡± The last word sounded like static. Whatever he actually said really didn¡¯t translate. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°That last thing you said.¡± ¡°I said ¡®what¡¯.¡± ¡°No, before that.¡± ¡°Oh, Zolzar.¡± The same static-like sound came from his mouth. It hurt my brain. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the one,¡± I said as I rubbed my temple. ¡°Ah, I shouldn¡¯t say things like that. Strange, it usually allows dissemination of knowledge after initiation.¡± ¡°It? Initiation?¡± ¡°Right, you didn¡¯t get the tutorial. Busy being dead, and all that.¡± I shook my head. I vaguely remembered seeing a shower in one bathroom, down one of the wings. I started toward the east wing. ¡°We keep getting distracted. Jobs?¡± ¡°You keep asking questions.¡± ¡°Yeah, well¡­ shut up. What¡¯s up with the job thing?¡± ¡°Which is it? Shut up, or explain?¡± I looked at him, and his toothy grin was grotesque. Still, I couldn¡¯t help laughing. ¡°Jeez, you¡¯re a sight. Please explain.¡± ¡°Jobs are offered starting at level five. If you accept, you finish the level up. You can decline, but it sets you back. In your case, if you had declined, you would have died. The only thing keeping you clinging to life was the pending level-up.¡± ¡°That makes more sense.¡± Secret quest completed: Find the origin of your transition to Half-dead. Reward: 10xp, new title: Reborn. New title: Primal Rebirth. ¡°Aaaaand I just finished a secret quest.¡± ¡°You are the luckiest person I have ever met.¡± I read the two new titles, and I had to agree. Reborn: You have been remade into a new race! +1 to luck Primal Rebirth: As the first to be reborn in your universe, you are one of the luckiest ever born. +1 to luck. ¡°Yeah, you might have something there.¡± I shared the details with him. He glowered at me for a moment. ¡°You are unbelievable. How many titles do you have now?¡± I checked. ¡°Uh, seven.¡± He stopped and stared at me, mouth agape. ¡°What?¡± I looked at him, then around the hallway. There were still no other living people. Unliving. Whatever. ¡°I have heard of level one-hundred ancient beings that didn¡¯t have five titles.¡± I pointed a finger gun at him. ¡°I¡¯m awesome.¡± ¡°I¡¯m starting to think that¡¯s more true than either of us know.¡± I rolled my hands backwards to mimic rewinding. ¡°Back on topic, more about jobs.¡± ¡°Right. If you accept your first offered job, you finish your level up, and you earn your first job level. If you decline, your xp gain is split, with half going to earning a new job. You have to earn enough xp to hit level five twice, all while stalled at level five. And it doesn¡¯t round up, so half an xp becomes zero.¡± ¡°That is brutal,¡± I said. ¡°I guess I really am lucky.¡± ¡°What did you get for your job, anyway?¡± ¡°Half-dead,¡± I said distractedly. We found a bedroom, though it was as large as my apartment. I was busy looking through the wardrobe. Then I decided I shouldn¡¯t touch nice clothing with my filthy hands and walked to the bathroom. ¡°Look, I want to get clean, so just wait for me here. Or, better yet, go find another bathroom and clean yourself off. I¡¯ll meet you in the hallway in a half hour.¡± He didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Basil, hello? Earth to Basil!¡± He snapped out of whatever had crashed his mind. ¡°You are a half-dead?¡± I nodded. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s the job I was offered.¡± Basil threw his hands up and walked out. ¡°I give up!¡± I scratched my head, then shuddered as I remembered what my hands were coated in. I needed a shower. Luckily, the bathroom had an incredible one. I was ready to use every every ounce of hot water in the mansion. Chapter 13: Reflections
As it turned out, I couldn¡¯t use up every bit of hot water. Tankless water heaters meant I could soak for as long as I wanted. I wanted the house as my own. On top of everything else, I could actually feel the heat. Early, the shower had been miserable. I threw up a few times, especially when a loose eyeball slid out of my hair. Then again, when I had to pick it up and toss it out of the shower. After that, though, I was able to focus on cleaning my body. I had to ride the line between scrubbing my skin until it peeled clean off, and gently enough to not overwhelm my newly regained sense of touch. When I emerged from the bathroom, steam coated every glass surface. I had no idea how long I had been soaking, but I did feel like a new man. On reflection, that was likely true, and twice over. I sat in the towel on the edge of the bed and thought about my day. Well, night, but who¡¯s counting? I had fallen to my death while flirting with a woman, which was not how I had imagined the night ending. I was thrown face first into a new universal system which acted like a video game, except very, very real. And gross. I shuddered just thinking about the random eyeball in my hair. My clothes were ruined. But there was some good too. I mean, when I fell, I broke my neck, and badly. But being resurrected as a zombie, and not just any zombie, but the very first in the universe, seems to have done some awesome things for me. When I woke up, my neck was broken. I knew it had to be bad. Probably one of those medical terms. I heard one that fit a while back. There was a show I watched where a woman was in a car accident, and she couldn¡¯t move her body. The paramedics stabilized her head, strapped her down, all before removing her from the car. I think there was some other tension, like shit was exploding. Either way, what they said stuck with me far more than the action did. They had called it ¡®internal decapitation¡¯, which is metal as fuck and equally terrifying. So, yeah. I¡¯m pretty sure I woke up internally decapitated. Which makes less sense considering what I did next. That is, I reset my head. Just kinda clicked it back in. I sighed, stood and stretched. It felt good to just feel again. The burn of muscles that had been overworked. My knuckles felt bruised and split. And it was wonderful. The hypersensitivity that had plagued me my whole life being gone should have been a blessing. Instead, it made me incautious and rash. And it changed my mindset. That, or being a zombie did. I was a fiend. I think ¡®bloodlust¡¯ only just touches on what was going on with me. I felt calmer after my shower. Curious, I opened the closet. Inside the massive walk-in was enough clothing to sell and buy a nice house in the suburbs. It was ridiculous. ¡°Damn right, I¡¯m getting bougie,¡± I said to myself. I picked out slacks, an undershirt, and a gorgeous blue-and-purple pastel button up. It felt like silk, but breathed better. I had no idea what material it was and didn¡¯t care to figure it out. I guess it was just sheer luck that it all fit like it was tailored to me. ¡°What was next?¡± I fought about a hundred monsters, destroyed some anchor things, broke a dude¡¯s neck¡­ which wasn¡¯t the craziest thing I did all night. After ¡®killing¡¯ the Necromancer, I got into the house and killed even more zombies, this time well over a hundred, and then faced off with a monster that I can only suppose was made from the remains of the Necromancer. The amalgam, a crazy level nine creature that ate corpses to add to its biomass. ¡°It¡¯s time.¡± I sat down, elbows on knees, head hung low. I had to psych myself up. This was the real deal. It was going to prove I wasn¡¯t hallucinating the whole night. Not some bad acid mixing with too much booze. Not that I did drugs, but I¡¯ve been roofied before; and slipping drugs into a drink at a party, while a douche move, does happen. I pulled my status up. Name: Alabaster Blackwood Race: Half-dead Human-Zombie Faction: Blackwood Company Job: Half-dead Age: 20 Renown level: Unknown Renown: 1169 Level: 6 XP: 69/130 Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. HP: 840 HP regen per second: 0.30 MP: 80/140 MP regen per second: 0.03 Stamina: 500 Stamina regen: 0.17 Strength: 42* Agility: 25* Constitution: 42* Wisdom: 7* Intelligence: 7* Charisma: 7* Luck: 14* Free points: 4 Titles: Primordial Undead, Prime Undead, Star-born: Dragon, Noble, Royalty, Capable Skills: Unarmed Combat Abilities: Earthen Bulwark I Spells: None Notes: English, Zombie Common Chakras: Crown: Locked. Third Eye: Locked. Throat: Locked. Heart: Locked. Solar Plexus: Locked. Sacral: Locked. Root: Unlocked. 1 of 3 assigned: Earthen Bulwark I. I looked at my stats in shock. I had gained two levels, a job, and a heap of unassigned points. Even more interesting, I had mana, and it was increasing. I could cast spells. ¡°I can cast spells!¡± I raised both fists in celebration. ¡°I¡¯m not an idiot anymore!¡± I calmed myself, then examined my options. I had four free stat points to assign, and I knew they would start having a much larger effect, now that I was getting some decent numbers. Already at just level six, I had over forty strength. Seeing as I was a melee focused fighter, I knew what I had to do. One point went into strength. But then I felt conflicted. I could tank hard hits, especially now with nearly a thousand health. I was more than eight times as healthy as the average human. That was a shocking thought all its own. My eyes stopped on my most lacking stats. Wisdom, Intelligence, and Charisma. I didn¡¯t know how they affected my life, not yet at least, but I knew they could be important. And this was real life, not a d&d campaign. I couldn¡¯t go around with absolute dump stats like that. My mind made up, I assigned a point to each. After everything was said and done, I checked my stats one more time. Name: Alabaster Blackwood Race: Half-dead Human-Zombie Faction: Blackwood Company Job: Half-dead Age: 20 Renown level: Unknown Renown: 1169 Level: 6 XP: 69/130 HP: 840 HP regen per second: 0.30 MP: 80/160 MP regen per second: 0.03 Stamina: 500 Stamina regen: 0.17 Strength: 44* Agility: 25* Constitution: 42* Wisdom: 8* Intelligence: 8* Charisma: 8* Luck: 14* Free points: 0 ¡°I¡¯m a freaking god.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go saying that, now.¡± Basil¡¯s familiar voice drifted in from the hallway. I jerked and looked at the doorway. He was cleaned up and nearly looked like a living human. He smiled, and I was shocked to see he had all his teeth. Then I looked closer, and saw many of the teeth were mismatch, and one was even in the wrong spot. ¡°You know you have three canines on the top row?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± he said as he probed the tooth in question with his tongue. ¡°I kinda like the way it makes me look a little more feral.¡± He smiled again, and his point was made, literally. ¡°I get it. Looks good. You clean up decently,¡± I said as I waved at him. He had also found some clothes, though he hadn¡¯t been as lucky as me. The shirt was too tight, with the sleeves already torn off. It was ruffled, like a really fancy dress shirt for a black-and-white event. He even had a bowtie on. ¡°Thanks,¡± he said as he flexed his arms. The sight was still bizarre. One was a slim, womanly arm with delicate fingers, while the other was that of a bodybuilder, complete with testosterone hair on the shoulder. ¡°Man, you are a weird guy.¡± ¡°Thank you again,¡± he said with a toothy smile. ¡°What do we do now?¡± ¡°That¡­¡± I trailed off with one finger pointed at him. ¡°That is a good question. I guess we head out front, find a car, get down into town, and find out what¡¯s going on.¡± He nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t know what a ¡®car¡¯ is, but I¡¯m a quick learner.¡± Now that I focused, I could hear that he was actually growling, not speaking in English. But he still sounded like a posh British man with a hint of the streets on the edges. ¡°You really are. Let¡¯s go.¡± I led the way to the foyer, then out the front door. It was situated next to the entrance to the grand ball room, yet no zombies had taken it. I guess I really was lucky. We walked into the roundabout that hosted all manner of vehicles. Everything was expensive, but most of it wouldn¡¯t be practical in the event of going offroad or needing to take a shortcut. In the end, I settled on a Range-Rover. I had always wanted to drive one. And, if I was being honest, I wanted to trash the fucking thing. Just absolutely wreck it. With the owner either dead, turned into a zombie and killed, or fled, it was mine for the taking. I walked over and failed to open the door. ¡°Do you need something to access the carriage?¡± I looked at Basil, then realized he had figured out what the cars were. ¡°Yeah, keys.¡± ¡°Like the kind at that little podium?¡± I looked where his daintily pointed lady finger pointed to the podium in question. It was a valet desk. Why they needed a valet desk when half the vehicles were parked out front was beyond me. ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± I jogged over and started to look. Vehicles chirped and beeped as I started pressing buttons. One Lamborghini roared to life as I pressed its remote-start button, and I groaned. ¡°Oh, man. I really, really want to drive that one.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s take it.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know what the roads are like. It could be world war three out there, for all we know.¡± I started muttering to myself after shutting the Lambo off. ¡°Drive it next time. Leave it for later.¡± Finally, I found the keys for the Range-Rover. There were eighty-some keys and fobs under the podium, so it had taken some time. It chirped, and I grinned like a kid in a candy store. Chapter 14: Nobility, Again?
I turned back to Basil and started to speak. ¡°Are you re¨C¡± A window opened and I stopped talking. Acquire residence? I paused. It was a system prompt. I had said I wanted the house just a few minutes before. Was the system listening? I didn¡¯t think I had said anything aloud. Which was even more concerning. Was the system listening¡­ to my thoughts? After a long moment, additional information popped up. The owner of this residence has died. As the nearest lord, and the one responsible for clearing out the zombie infestation, you are eligible to claim ownership. Acquire residence? I dry swallowed. This is another twist in a long night I had not anticipated. Attending a party, especially one hosted by people much richer than yourself, usually ended much differently when it was life-altering. The window shook as if to get my attention. I mentally accepted. Congratulations on your new domicile! As the new owner, you can rename the property. Current name: Humblecreek Chateau Suggested name: Blackwood Manor I snorted. ¡®Humblecreek Chateau?¡¯ What about this property suggested humble? The old name was trashy. I did like the ring of the suggested replacement. ¡°Hey, Basil.¡± ¡°Yes, boss?¡± He looked up from the key fob he was inspecting. One of the multitude of vehicles chirped in somewhere behind me. ¡°How does ¡®Blackwood Manor¡¯ sound to you?¡± He didn¡¯t respond, eyes glazing over as he pondered. Just when I thought he wasn¡¯t going to answer, he finally did. ¡°Like words, boss.¡± I felt like face-palming. I didn¡¯t give him any context, sure, but I thought he was smarter than that. ¡°I mean for the house.¡± ¡°What house?¡± I looked at him pointedly. He turned around, looking at the mansion, then back to me. ¡°This is a castle.¡± I was starting to understand him better. He had a very literal mind, and as casually as I spoke- acting as if he was a native English speaker like me- a lot went over his head. ¡°Ah, right. Well, in English, a manor can be a castle. It really just means a fancy house where the gentry or nobility live. I guess, as weird as it is to say, I am nobility now.¡± ¡°Of course you are, Boss.¡± I nodded, realizing he wasn¡¯t going to be of much help. Shrugging internally, I accepted the name change. Property name changed. New name: Blackwood Manor. Would you like to set this as your seat of power? I paused again. Seat of power? Sounds important. I mentally accepted again. Congratulations! You have gained your first property. Title upgraded: Noble II. As the first to own property under the new system, you gain a new title: Prime Realtor. ¡°Cool, new title.¡± Basil whipped his head at me so quickly, I was mildly concerned he would accidentally break his neck. ¡°New title? Again? Are you serious?¡± The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. I nodded. ¡°Yeah. Prime Realtor. Oh, and I upgraded a title, too.¡± Basil looked faint. I have no idea how a zombie can look faint, but he managed it. ¡°I think I need a lie down.¡± Following up on his words, he slumped along the nearby wall until he was on the ground, then squirmed until he was flat. I ignored his antics and pulled up my status window, then opened the titles. Titles: Primordial Undead, Prime Undead, Reborn, Primal Rebirth, Star-born: Dragon, Noble II, Prime Realtor, Royalty, Capable Primordial Undead: As the first Undead in your universe, you are the strongest. +100% to STR, CON, +1 to Luck Prime Undead: As the first Undead on your planet, you are among the strongest. +25% to STR, CON, +1 to Luck Reborn: You have been remade into a new race! +1 to luck Primal rebirth: As the first to be reborn in your universe, you are one of the luckiest ever born. +1 to luck. Star-born: Dragon: Dragons are known for wisdom, wanderlust, and hoarding; they build wealth through adventuring. +5 luck Noble: You have seized control of a region! +1% to all stats! Noble II: You have seized control of a region, and set a seat of power! +2% to all stats! Prime Realtor: You are the first to acquire a property in your universe! +1 to CHA, LUCK Royalty: As the first to seize control of a region on Planet Earth, you gain the title Royalty. +1 to all stats! Capable: As the first to unlock an ability on your planet, you are among the strongest. +10% to abilities. Some of the titles seemed unfamiliar, but maybe I had just overlooked them. It looked like the upgrade had been a flat increase, instead of stacking. I was already incredibly lucky, but my inner loot goblin wanted even more free stats. ¡°You okay over there, Basil?¡± He waved a hand at me, then let his arm fall over his face again. His muttering was too muffled by his beefy arm to be audible. ¡°C¡¯mon buddy. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°How many?¡± I paused and turned back. ¡°What?¡± ¡°How many titles do you have?¡± I did a quick count. ¡°Uh¡­ nine? Yeah, nine.¡± Basil bellowed, arms to the sky, shaking his fists. ¡°NINE?! NINE TITLES? By the gods¡­¡± I shrugged. ¡°I just keep getting them. Can we go?¡± Basil groaned like a middle-aged man as he stood. It was weird, because while he was centuries old, he hadn¡¯t behaved any older than me for most of the night. ¡°I better start getting some second-hand good luck from you.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you get your first level up in over a century tonight?¡± Basil paused. ¡°Shut up.¡± He followed me to the car, got in, then sulked in the passenger seat. ¡°Put your seat belt on.¡± ¡°My what?¡± I exaggeratedly put mine on. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because this is a fancy car, and it will probably annoyingly beep or chime or something if you don¡¯t have your belt on.¡± ¡°I can deal with a little beep.¡± I shook my head. It didn¡¯t seem like it was worth fighting him. Besides, he was already dead. What would a car accident do to him? I pressed the start button, and the motor rumbled to life. Basil¡¯s eyes went wide, and I suddenly had a grin to match. ¡°You¡¯ve never been in a car before, have you?¡± ¡°Never a car, nor a carriage.¡± The hint of nerves made me even more giddy. ¡°This is going to be fun.¡± ¡°What is?¡± Before he could get another word out, I threw it into drive and gunned it. He let out a yell that grew in pitch and volume until he sounded like an angry tea kettle. We flew down the long paved driveway, and I braked hard before swinging onto the county road. Basil was bracing himself with on hand on the dash and the other gripping the oh-shit handle like his life depended on it. We bumped along the road. I remembered the mansion being fifteen to twenty minutes outside the city proper, out in the suburbs, but with enough land that neighbors weren¡¯t close. We drove for forty minutes before seeing what looked to be well-spaced neighborhoods. It was almost like everything had grown distant. More land between the houses. ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t remember this being like¡­ well, this.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Basil had finally started to relax, though with the roads being oddly clear and dawn on the way, it was a smooth drive. I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t remember the drive taking this long. It¡¯s like there¡¯s more land than before.¡± ¡°Ah, you must have had a small planet before.¡± ¡°I mean, I guess? Not really. Our planet was right in the middle for size in our solar system, before the, well, System.¡± ¡°The System probably doubled or tripled the size of the planet to adjust for life after the System is established in your universe.¡± I nodded slowly. ¡°More space. More resources. Less reason to fight amongst ourselves.¡± He nodded in return. ¡°Exactly. Instead of fighting each other over resources, you can focus on getting stronger, as well as defending your lands from the monsters and hostile external forces.¡± ¡°Monsters?¡± ¡°They likely aren¡¯t spawning yet. Magic is still weak here,¡± he said with a hand wave. It looked like he was trying to grab the air. ¡°You also skipped the tutorial, which most of the rest of the planet are likely still in. In fact, I would guarantee it. You probably won¡¯t be seeing anyone for a few weeks at least.¡± ¡°Good to know. Guess I can take the time to level up. Surely there¡¯s other places I can get XP, right?¡± ¡°Yes. There should be dungeons either erupting or constructing right now. That¡¯s part of why the tutorial is here, now. It gives the System time to naturally fold new mechanics into your universe.¡± ¡°A peek behind the curtain, cool.¡± We drove on in silence for a bit longer. I tried the radio, but nothing was being broadcast. By the time we rolled into the city proper, I was bored. We hadn¡¯t seen anything living, and it was well after sunrise. ¡°We haven¡¯t run across anything interesting.¡± Basil pointed deeper into the city. ¡°That looks interesting.¡± I looked where he was pointing and had to agree. A massive skyscraper dominated the skyline. I had to check it out. ¡°Yes, yes it does. Let¡¯s find out what that is.¡± ¡°Make it so,¡± Basil said. I shot him a glance, but he didn¡¯t seem to know he¡¯d made a reference. ¡°Damn, that makes me sad. I hope my folks are alright.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Oh, you just made a reference to a show my parents love. It¡¯s called ¡®Star Trek,¡¯ and it¡¯s probably a big part of why I haven¡¯t freaked out yet. It sort of prepared us for aliens and other worlds.¡± ¡°Interesting. Regardless, we¡¯ll be at the tower soon. What do you want to do when you get there?¡± I frowned and thought about his question. It was a new building, that much I was sure of. But what could I do there? Why did it feel so important that I get there? Questions that only time could answer. Chapter 15: The Silver Spire
¡°Are all your cities like this?¡± I stood next to Basil, both of us with our heads craned way back. The building was absolutely massive. We were still several blocks away, and this monstrosity occupied the entire horizon. It had to be a half-mile to a side, and several miles tall. It was impossible as far as our material science was concerned. The weight alone would cause the building to collapse on itself. ¡°No. This is way beyond what we¡¯re capable of.¡± ¡°Then it was made by the system. You know what that means.¡± ¡°No, Basil. I don¡¯t. What does it mean?¡± He looked at me, then realization dawned once more. ¡°Right! No tutorial. It¡¯s a dungeon.¡± ¡°A dungeon? Like chains and whips?¡± ¡°No. Well, maybe, but they way you say it, it sounds like a sex thing.¡± ¡°Oh, it very much is.¡± I double-tapped with my eyebrows for emphasis. ¡°Whatever you just did, never do it again, mate.¡± ¡°What, this?¡± I double-tapped my eyebrows again. The look of pure horror and disgust on his face was incredible. ¡°Zombies do not use their eyebrows like that.¡± ¡°Good thing I¡¯m not a zombie. I¡¯m a half-dead.¡± ¡°Would that be ¡®I¡¯m a half-dead¡¯ or ¡®I¡¯m half-dead?¡¯¡± I put my hand to my chin while I thought. ¡°I dunno. I guess it would be correct either way, since I am half-dead, but I am also one of the race of half-dead.¡± ¡°Fair point. Shall we, then?¡± I sighed. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s find out what the freaky dungeon is all about.¡± We got back into the car and rolled through the oddly empty streets to the new building. It was weird, seeing the city absent of all the hustle and bustle. It felt wrong. On top of that, there were whole sections of the city that were intimately familiar, interspersed with brand new buildings, casinos mostly, and the odd park. It made everything feel surreal. Like I was trapped in a dream and couldn¡¯t wake up. The drive only took a few minutes, but it was tense the entire way. I didn¡¯t know what to expect. When we arrived, I took a closer look. The building, while massive, otherwise fit in with the aesthetic of the city, as far as it could be said to have one. Sleek glass-and-steel exterior, with neon signs blazing, even during the day. I reached a hand out to open the door, then felt resistance. My hand was brought short a few inches from the pull handle. Dungeon Discovered! The Silver Spire Casino Congratulations! As the discoverer of this dungeon, you have earned a new title! ¡°Wah! I got a title!¡± I looked over at Basil, and even through the window blocking my vision, I could see he was beaming. ¡°What did you get, buddy?¡± ¡°I got¨C¡± Title awarded: Adventurer! +1 to all stats. ¡°Adventurer?¡± ¡°Yeah, how did you know?¡± I smiled, and he punched me in the arm. ¡°Bastard. You got it too?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t even get a title without you taking the excitement away!¡± ¡°Why does me getting the title make it less exciting for you? You earned one! And, unless I¡¯m mistaken, it¡¯s your first title.¡± His smile returned in an instant. ¡°That¡¯s right! I have a title. First in my family in nearly a millennium.¡± The idea boggled me. Sure, he was effectively immortal as a zombie, but nobody in his family finding or earning a title in a thousand years? ¡°How?¡± ¡°We are not a lucky family. Often used as first wave cannon fodder in undead incursions.¡± Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. I slapped his shoulder, which surprisingly sent him stumbling. ¡°Ooh, sorry buddy. Doesn¡¯t matter, you¡¯re lucky now, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, you know, you¡¯re right. If it weren¡¯t for you stomping all my limbs off, I wouldn¡¯t be here right now.¡± I snorted. ¡°That¡¯s a weird way to put it, but true.¡± I turned my attention back to the window and the dungeon that awaited us. The Silver Spire Casino Adjusting level to surroundings. Level set: ground floor to level five. ¡°Hey, it just said the level was set to five on the ground floor.¡± ¡°Oh, dear lord.¡± ¡°What, you¡¯re level four now, right?¡± He paused and looked at his own sheet. I saw the stunned look on his face a moment later. ¡°Yeah. How did you know?¡± I held a finger up. ¡°Well, for one, I can see your sheet as your lord.¡± I raised another finger. ¡°B, you were with me when we killed that boss. Actually, I think you delivered the final blow.¡± ¡°I¡­ I may have.¡± He suddenly seemed sheepish. I waved him off. ¡°I¡¯m glad you did. Saved my bacon, and you got an extra level out of it. You¡¯re going to be fine. You¡¯ll get your job in just a little bit, and you¡¯ll end up even more badass.¡± He nodded resolutely. ¡°Yeah, I will.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m level six. We¡¯re going to crush this.¡± The Silver Spire Casino Level: Five Floors: 400 Would you like to challenge The Silver Spire Casino? ¡°It says four-hundred floors, but I can¡¯t imagine it¡¯s level five on all four-hundred floors.¡± Basil shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll explain once we¡¯re inside. Let¡¯s go!¡± I couldn¡¯t help it. His excitement got me going again. I nodded and accepted the prompt. ¡°Let¡¯s goooo!¡± The world faded away like pixels dying in my vision. It was quick, only about a quarter of a second, but I still caught the effect. The next thing I knew, the effect reversed, and I could see that we were standing in a downright palatial lobby. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling forty feet above. The sounds of any normal casino assaulted us. After the quiet of the city, the jangling, chiming, alarm-like call of the games was a wall of sound. ¡°Gah!¡± I covered my ears until I adjusted. ¡°Agreed,¡± Basil said loudly. I turned and saw him covering his own ears. ¡°C¡¯mon, let¡¯s go find out what¡¯s up.¡± I led the way, slowly lowering my hands. Either my ears adjusted, or somehow the ambient noise had reduced. Either way, the noise level was bearable. I could see signs hanging low on the walls, often below artwork that was equal parts gaudy and gorgeous. Some classical paintings were displayed next to memorabilia, like an electric guitar that was signed by somebody. The main entrance was directly in front of us, shaped like an arch. It was thirty feet wide and twenty tall, allowing more than a dozen people to pass without touching shoulders. One burly man in a black suit stood in the center. ¡°You know, you would think there would be more people in a place like this.¡± I turned in place, taking it all in. The walls looked to be marble, the floors were a deep, vibrant red and plush underfoot. The lighting was bright but soft, giving everything a luster that bordered on a golden glow. I shrugged, then pointed at the guy. ¡°Should we go ask what¡¯s up?¡± Basil nodded, and I led the way. As we drew closer, more detail became obvious. The man was huge. I mean, truly massive. He had to be at least seven feet tall. Then his skin tone started to look more and more gray. By the time the status window appeared, it was clear he wasn¡¯t human. Malachi Stone Golem Level 99 Bouncer Level 99 ¡°We are not going to mess with this guy,¡± I said. I heard Basil dry swallow. ¡°Agreed.¡± I waved, though the bouncer did not respond. I closed the last few feet, and his hand quickly, but silently shot up in the universal sign for ¡®stop.¡¯ ¡°No entry without Casino chips.¡± I nodded. ¡°Uh, yeah, of course. Where would I get those?¡± He pointed with the same hand toward the cage that had the sign ¡®Cashier¡¯ over it. Then he went back to his waiting pose, hands clasped in front of his torso. I wasn¡¯t even sure if he had a belly, or a thorax, or what the anatomy for a golem would be. Either way, I wasn¡¯t messing with him. ¡°Cashier it is. Let¡¯s go, Basil.¡± I led the way to the cage. Inside a small creature sat with a visor on, looking at a computer screen. It looked like a praying mantis, though the face was much more human than the skin color would otherwise suggest. ¡°What¡¯ll it be?¡± Her voice was surprisingly nasal. Like a late-middle-aged white woman, complete with smoker¡¯s rasp. I paused, looking for any signage. There was really nothing to help me. ¡°Uh, yeah. I need casino chips?¡± She nodded, popping bubblegum. ¡°Ten chips per silver. No limit. How much do you want?¡± I looked over at Basil, who shrugged. ¡°Uh, how much do I need to get past the bouncer?¡± She sighed. ¡°Enough to play a game. The minimum is ten chips per slot, but I would recommend more. If you play and lose, the bouncer will escort you out until you¡¯ve got more.¡± I checked my inventory. I had 990 copper and 10 silver. ¡°Can you change up copper to silver for me too?¡± The lady-bug thing sighed again. ¡°No more than a thousand copper.¡± ¡°We¡¯re in luck then. I have 990 copper.¡± ¡°I can give you ninety silver,¡± she said. Basil touched my shoulder. ¡°That¡¯s a 10-percent fee. Really high. Most money changers only take two-to-three percent, plus a flat fee.¡± I turned back to the lady. ¡°Give me 94, and it¡¯s a deal.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Not a negotiation. I can give you ninety. That¡¯s it.¡± I turned back to Basil. ¡°Ten copper to a silver, then what¡¯s above that?¡± ¡°Ten silver to a gold, ten gold to platinum. I¡¯ve only heard rumors about what¡¯s above that, but it¡¯s something like a hundred platinum to a mythril coin.¡± ¡°Huh. Well¡­ we have just barely enough for a platinum.¡± Basil¡¯s eyes bugged out. ¡°You have that much gold?!¡± Then he slammed his dainty hand over his mouth to muffle himself. ¡°You have that much?¡± ¡°Well, no, but I have that much copper and silver. Even after the exchanger fee.¡± ¡°Ask her if there¡¯s a changing fee for getting chips.¡± I turned back and she was already answering. ¡°I can hear him just fine. There is no fee for converting to or from casino chips. Only for tiering your money.¡± I nodded. ¡°Give me as many chips as I can get with this.¡± I pushed all my copper and silver over. She started gathering it up. ¡°Wait,¡± I said and she paused. ¡°If it¡¯s ten chips to a silver, and ten copper to a silver, can I just pay with copper instead?¡± She smirked. ¡°No luck there, kid. We only accept silver or higher.¡± ¡°Sneaky,¡± Basil muttered. She counted it out, verifying what I said, then she pushed a thousand casino chips through the slot. They came out in neat stacks of twenty-five. I reached to pick up the first stack, but everything was sucked into my hand all at once. ¡°That¡¯s handy.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Basil said. ¡°Makes it easy when handling a lot of money.¡± I mentally separated out half the chips and held a hand out to Basil. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Your half.¡± ¡°My half of what?¡± I tilted my head. ¡°Your half of the loot.¡± He waved his hands in negation. ¡°No, no, boss. That¡¯s your money.¡± ¡°Shut up and take the chips. I need you in there with me. If you¡¯re not comfortable taking it as your share, consider it minion pay.¡± He sighed and took the stack. We made our way back to the bouncer, who opened the rope without a word. ¡°Let¡¯s get our gamble on,¡± I said. Chapter 16: Fight! I rubbed my hands together. ¡°This is gonna be good.¡± Basil looked at me and shrugged. ¡°Whatever you say, boss.¡± I lightly punched his arm. ¡°C¡¯mon, get excited! We¡¯re here to gamble.¡± ¡°Gambling is frowned upon, where I¡¯m from.¡± ¡°Yeah, well, you also spent a hundred years without gaining a level. I¡¯m exciting, this place is exciting. Let¡¯s go earn a bunch of money.¡± I jogged ahead, passing the first ranks of jingling, jangling, musically jarring slot machines. ¡°That¡¯s not how it works,¡± Basil said, before sagging his shoulders in defeat. He sighed and started after me. On the third row of machines, I finally spotted one that looked interesting. It had a highly-detailed moving image of a massive wolf fighting a dragon in an apocalyptic scene. The gray wolf was wreathed in a nimbus of lighting, while the dragon had a fire aura, and the two were clashing in an epic battle, with the rocky landscape crashing and erupting far below. Even the sky roiled with black storm clouds and forks of lightning. It was all set at around sunset, for stunning orange, red, and purple hues. ¡°Now this looks incredible.¡± I took a seat at the machine, then took it in. The screen was five feet tall, curving well over my head in an immersive experience. As if it knew I was sitting there, the monsters started to fight. Well, animals? Creatures? The only thing that was monstrous was the size. They were something like fifty feet tall. The wolf was, at the shoulder, at least. The dragon was probably actually like a hundred feet long, but with arms near the head. It was an odd mix of European and traditional Chinese design elements. The wolf was gray with black striping. It had brilliant golden eyes, matching those of the dragon. The two backed away in what looked to be a very convincing video, then flew in and clashed with a visible shockwave erupting from their fight. ¡°This is amazing.¡± I finally saw the flashing digits in the bottom left. It only read ¡®10¡¯ in a flashing red block font. I pulled a chip from my inventory, noting that it came out in increments of ten. ¡°That is less amazing.¡± ¡°What is?¡± Basil leaned over from his seat, having broken the spell from his own screen. ¡°The chips are in increments of ten. Which means it¡¯s artificially inflated, nominally to make bigger numbers.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lot of big words. What do you mean? In plain speech, please.¡± ¡°The casino makes the chips artificially bigger- that¡¯s why it¡¯s the same cost as a copper, but you can only spend in units equivalent to a silver. It¡¯s so you see bigger numbers and feel a bigger dopamine hit.¡± ¡°Still big words.¡± I sighed. ¡°Big number make players feel good. Casino make small numbers bigger to make players feel better.¡± ¡°Got it. Why do we care?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just textbook manipulation. We are in a casino, though, so I guess it¡¯s to be expected.¡± Basil stared at me for a moment. ¡°Well, go on then. Try it!¡± My point had gone completely over his head. ¡°Fine.¡± I put the chip into the machine, which made a pleasing money chime sound. Three buttons lay on the console in front of me, but only one lit up: the one labeled ¡®10.¡¯ I pushed it. On the video the two creatures began fighting with a thunderous roar. I nearly covered my ears it was so loud. Three rolling bars appeared on the left, then three more on the right. The left set had white, gray, and black coloration, while the right set were red, green, and orange. They matched the colorsets of the animals fighting. Finally, two healthbars appeared near the top. I had to crane my head back to see them. Each said ¡®100.¡¯ ¡°Looks like a fight is about to go down.¡± Two buttons appeared on the screen. One said ¡®Wolf, 4/1¡¯ while the other said ¡®Dragon, 1/4¡¯. ¡°Four to one odds in favor of the dragon. Well, I have to go with¡­¡± I paused and a smirk slid onto my face. ¡°The underdog.¡± Basil groaned. I laughed, then tapped the Wolf button. Their fight began in earnest. All six slots stopped, with 2, 1, and 5 on the left, and 4, 2, and 2 on the right. The dragon swarmed in, slashing with its claws across the side of the wolf. It scored a hit, taking a chunk of the wolf¡¯s HP. The fighters reset, and the bars started rolling once more. The two circled, then paused in dramatic fashion as the bars came to a stop. 1, 5, and 6 on the left, with 5, 4, and 5 on the right. The dragon was successful once more. It breathed fire, startling the wolf and sending it tumbling backward. It was suddenly down to 60% health. I started to bite my nails as I watched the action unfold. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. The two took their places again, this time going for a yin-and-yang type lunge, with the wolf above and dragon below. They paused in place, waiting for the bars to stop. 1, 3, and 1 on the left, with 2, 3, and 4 on the right. The wolf¡¯s jaws opened wide, then seemed to unhinge as it lunged in and bit the dragon along its body. Blood sprayed in a fantastic show of gore. The dragon roared in response, shaking itself loose. Then they circled and prepared for the next attack. 5, 4, and 1 on the left, 2, 4, and 5 on the right. They both lunged, missing entirely. I laughed as they both took on surprisingly human looks of frustration and bewilderment. Then they were ready once more, reared back with forelimbs presented. 1, 4, and 6 on the left, and I groaned when I saw the right click into place. 4, 4, and 5. The dragon raked its claws across the wolf¡¯s chest, causing another spray of blood. The wolf howled in indignation, pushed the dragon back, and readied. The wolf¡¯s health bar flashed orange, with a blinking 40%, while the dragon was still at a healthy 80%. ¡°C¡¯mon, wolfy!¡± I clenched my hands, hoping for the best. They prepared for the next round, crouching in place for a lunge. 3, 5, and 1 on the left, with 1, 6 and 5 on the right. They sailed past each other, having calculated wrong. It only took a moment for them to correct and reset. ¡°This is quite exciting,¡± Basil said from his seat. I looked over and saw he was watching the same fight on his screen, though it showed he had bet on the dragon. ¡°You bet on the dragon? Traitor!¡± Basil looked hurt. ¡°Of course I did. It¡¯s the odds-on winner.¡± I shook my head and returned my attention to the fight. ¡°Come on, wolfy!¡± 2, 4, and 1 on the left, 6, 5, and 1 on the right. Both faked a lunge, rearing back to stop the other in unison. The dragon was ready quicker, with the bars going in super speed. The wolf was overbalanced, and its slot read 2, 3, and 5. The dragon, on the other hand, sped in cloaked in a firey glory. 4, 4, 4. It rolled triple, and shot straight through the wolf¡¯s chest. The wolf exploded in a cloud of blood and fire. ¡°Damn!¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Basil shouted at the same time. My credits went away, while Basil¡¯s tipped up to 12.5. ¡°Do you feel good about yourself?¡± He grinned cheekily at me. ¡°Of course, my team won.¡± I growled, feeling like it was my own loss. I clenched the console, keeping my head down. He¡¯s a friend, calm down, I thought to myself. I breathed a few times to get the strange surge of emotion to dissipate. When I felt calm again, I looked at what I had been blankly staring at. Three buttons. ¡®10¡¯ was the cheapest. ¡®50¡¯ had a little plus icon below it, but the most expensive was labeled ¡®100¡¯ with a little picture of a man below it. I didn¡¯t know what those icons meant, but I had a feeling. The screen went black for a moment, then the dragon and wolf were back, battling as if nothing had happened. My total read ¡®490¡¯ in my inventory. ¡°Might as well try it,¡± I said. I had a feeling the gambling here was not strictly numbers based. I took 100 chips out of my inventory and fed them into the machine. It ticked up with each token. When the final one was counted and chimed, the third button lit up. I smiled and pressed it. The two options appeared again, with a small variation. ¡®Wolf, 5/1¡¯ and ¡®Dragon, 1/5¡¯ were displayed. I tapped the wolf button again. The world around me went black. When I opened my eyes, I was standing at the wolf¡¯s side. It was massive, shoulder-to-shoulder with me. I looked down, clear to the ground. We were hundreds of feet in the air, though it was hard to be sure just how high. I was somewhere around sixty feet tall, if the measurements held true from earlier. The dragon was an imposing sight. It glared at us, flames licking out the sides of its mouth. ¡°Let¡¯s do this wolfy.¡± I saw the slot bars appear in the corner of my vision, as well as repeated well out near the horizon. The ones near the horizon were truly gargantuan, seeming to stretch into the heavens. They started to roll, though I noticed I had four bars on our side, versus the three on the other. I got into a fighting stance, with the wolf crouching in preparation. We took off, closing the distance, and went for a pincer attack. The dragon, startled by my sudden appearance, was unprepared and went between us. We paused, mid-attack. The bars settled. 1, 4, and 6 on the left. Then the fourth bar, my bar, came to a stop. 4. I cheered internally, still frozen in the moment. The dragon¡¯s bars slowed, then stopped. 1, 5, and 6. I wrapped my arms around the dragon in a grapple, while the wolf slammed into it with claws bared. Sixteen slashes were rent in the dragon¡¯s hide. The dragon roared and thrashed wildly, tossing me to the side and sending the wolf scrambling. We readied for the next attack. This time, we were on opposite sides of the dragon. I ran in, the wolf doing the same. The dragon coiled up. Time froze. The bars rolled, rolled¡­ stopped. 3, 6, and 5, with my bar stopping on 3. The dragon stopped on 5, 3, and 2. The wolf went low while I threw my shoulder in, slamming into the dragon. It toppled, taking damage again. I saw the health bar at the top right of my vision change to 60%. ¡°We¡¯re doing this!¡± I rolled to my feet, once again on the far side of the dragon. It eyed me warily, practically ignoring the wolf. I felt a sense of dangerous intent rise from the dragon. The bars rolled. I felt the thunder overhead. Lightning split the apocalyptic sky. Our bars stopped, and I felt a surge of energy and pride. 6, 6, and 4, with my bar stopping on 6. ¡°We¡¯re coming for you now!¡± CRITICAL ATTACK! The dragon¡¯s bars stopped with 4, 3, and 3. We unfroze, and I flew in with a superman punch. Just before I impacted, lightning struck my fist. The wolf slammed in with fangs bared. I connected, feeling the power surging through my body. This clash of titans wasn¡¯t over, but it was possibly the most exhilarating thing I had ever experienced. The dragon¡¯s tail caught me out of nowhere, sending me flying. I took a hard hit, halving my health. The dragon, on the other hand, had a flashing red bar with ¡®10%¡¯ blinking away. ¡°Son of a bitch, that hurt,¡± I said as I stood. I put a hand to my chest and felt the squish of broken ribs. The pain was blinding. ¡°One more hit,¡± I hissed out. I raced in, gathering power in my hands. The wolf was closer, jumping with its mouth open. The dragon was fast, however, and it went for a headbutt. The two skulls collided in a thunderous crack that sounded like an earthquake. The dragon fell to the earth far below while the wolf howled in celebration. I slid to a stop next to the wolf. It nuzzled me, and I felt my health restored. ¡°Nice job, wolfy.¡± Chapter 17: Outback Warfare
I slumped back in my seat. I wasn¡¯t sure if I had even actually entered the game. I could still feel the phantom pain from my broken ribs, the scratches and burns, but I patted myself down and found nothing. ¡°Well that¡¯s just not fair,¡± Basil said.¡± ¡°Oh, what, did you bet against the wolf again?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°You would have to put down a hundred chips to win twenty! That¡¯s hardly a return on investment.¡± He crossed his arms. ¡°It¡¯s a safe bet.¡± ¡°How safe was it?¡± I smiled as I turned back to my game responding. Winner! My smile grew wider as I saw it grow to 600 chips, with fanfare and confetti on screen. I pressed the ¡®Cash Out¡¯ button and couldn¡¯t help but laugh as it spit out two plastic tokens. Interestingly, it changed to a 500 chip and a 100 chip. I took them and slid them back into my inventory. ¡°That¡¯s it? You don¡¯t want to play again?¡± ¡°What are you at?¡± His eyes glazed for a moment. ¡°Right where I started, I guess. Five-hundred and two. Looks like it rounds down if you don¡¯t have a whole chip when you cash out.¡± ¡°Well I¡¯m sitting pretty at nine-hundred-ninety. I just about doubled my money on that fight.¡± ¡°Exactly, so why not go for it again?¡± I shook my head. ¡°Doesn¡¯t feel lucky.¡± I glanced at the screen. ¡°Besides, the odds have reset. It¡¯s two-to-one in the dragon¡¯s favor now. I would have to lose a few fights, losing my chips, to get to where it would be worth fighting again.¡± ¡°That¡¯s providing the machines work the way you think they do.¡± I shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s whatever. Let¡¯s try another one.¡± Basil stood, wandering off toward the depths of the casino. I followed, keeping an eye out for interesting looking machines. I passed several more rows before finding another machine that stood out. The slot machine was massive, so big it sat on its own. I still had yet to see another patron, but I had little interest in the oddity. Instead, I wanted to know what was up with this new machine. It was even bigger than the dragon-fighting-wolf one. It had side panels, like a fancy super-racing-setup. The immersion would be incredible. ¡°Damn, now I want to play a racing game on something like this.¡± It stretched overhead, showing a pristine blue sky over a placid lake, a small copse of trees, the wind blew across the short green-brown grass; it was perfect, right down to the animal noises. It wasn¡¯t the scenery that had drawn me in, though. A pack of dingoes circled a pack of goats. It wasn¡¯t the wildest matchup I could think of, but watching was another story entirely. I watched as the feral dogs zipped in, biting at ankles and calves, trying to separate a kid from the grown goats. The goats, however, were having none of it. They fought back with savage kicks, strong bites, and the deadliest of them used its horns to devastating effect. The action was so quick, I couldn¡¯t tell gender for any of the combatants. It didn¡¯t help that the goats all had beards and horns. One massive example stepped out from the flock, standing literally head and shoulders above the rest. It had muscles on muscles. ¡°This is ridiculous,¡± I said as I sat down. The goat bleated, and it obviously was a skill, because I saw shockwaves. ¡°Oh man, I wish I had popcorn.¡± I checked how much it would cost. It looked to be a similar format to the previous machine, with simple combat driven by the slots deciding the victor. The dingoes were in the lead, with a striking 1-6. The goats were in trouble, and I wanted to help. A flashing ¡®50¡¯ in the bottom left showed it was far more expensive to start this one. It also had two other buttons, mimicking the last machine, each labeled ¡®100¡¯ and ¡®150¡¯, each with little symbols as well. I checked my total chips. It was a lot, but with a return like that, I would be swimming in money. I hesitated, then put 150 into the machine. The buttons lit up and I smacked the third one. I expected the world to go dark. I expected to suddenly be in the game. I did not go into the game. Instead, the goats stepped forward in a line. The dingoes matched them with their own line. There were five on each side, and the noises grew to a crescendo, then cut. The side panels went dark, then faded in as the camera zoomed in. The goats went to the right while the dingoes took the left panel. Six slot bars crashed down from heaven, slamming into the earth in the distance. They started to roll. I felt my blood surge. This was going to be exciting. Then two more plummeted into the ground on each side. Five on five. ¡°Yeah!¡± I pumped my fist. This was the most exhilarating time I¡¯d ever had at a casino. The first attack launched. The slots stopped. I held my breath. The dingoes had their numbers display first. 1. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. 2. ¡°YES!¡± 6. ¡°NO!¡± 1. ¡°YES!¡± The final bar, bigger than the others, finally stopped. It clearly represented the dingo alpha, the dog that nearly matched the big goat in size. It was a seven. That confused me for a moment, because all the other numbers had stopped at six. I didn¡¯t have long to think about it. The goat¡¯s numbers finalized. 3, 5, 5, and 6. Then the big goat let out a bleat, and his bar stopped on 15. ¡°YEAH, BERTRAND!¡± I looked around, suddenly aware I was still in the casino. There was nobody nearby. I returned to the game, cheering on the goat. Combat began. The goats were incredible. They jumped, stomped, slashed, and kicked the dogs like the dogs had stolen all the grass in the world. The big goat, the one I was calling Bertrand, lowered his head and viciously headbutted the alpha dog. It whimpered. Blood sprayed from all the dogs, painting the screen in digital gore. Then the animals reset, the bars started rolling, and I readied for the next round. This time, the bars stopped on both sides from the outside in. 2 and 2, with the corresponding dingo and goat flying in, centered on the main screen. They exchanged a series of blows like something straight out of an anime. Paws slashed, legs kicked, and the goat threw in a headbutt that was matched in intensity by the dingo. They were clearly tied this round. They broke apart, falling back to their lines, and the next pair barreled in. The bars settled on 4 and 1. The dingo bit the goat¡¯s ear as it flew past, tearing it off in a spray of blood. I winced in empathy as the goat bleated. They split with the short exchange over. I looked at the numbers in the background. Next set was¡­ 1 and 6. I smiled in anticipation. The game did not disappoint. Like the previous dingo, it leaped into the fray. The goat, however, did not leap. Instead, it watched the dingo and lowered its head to expose the pointed ends of the horns. The dingo yelped in fear, but it was too late. The dog impaled itself on the horns of the goat, then faded away. The goat reared back, kicking its front hooves in celebration as it slid back to the line. The fourth set settled, almost overshadowed by the third bar on the left fading to dust as the dog had done. They showed 5 and 6. A close call. The goat watched for the leap, zigging and zagging as it closed the distance. The dog reached out with paws, just missing as the goat spun in place, transferring all its momentum into a massive kick that sent the dingo flying. It snorted and trotted back to the line, not even bothering to look at its matched opponent. Then came the final fight. The numbers settled and they were¡­ disappointing. A 2 and a 4. The alphas rushed in, with the dog tripping and sending the goat to the ground. Neither looked particularly hurt, except perhaps their pride. With the round concluded, I checked the health bars at the top. On the left were the dingoes, each wounded. The first had a third of its health bar left, the second was two-thirds full, the third was conspicuously absent, and the fourth was also at a third left. The alpha dingo was at 80 percent, though. On the goat side, I was encouraged. After two turns, the only two of the goats were wounded: the first and second, each with two-thirds life remaining. ¡°Yeah, goats!¡± I cheered again. I didn¡¯t care if someone thought I was weird, this was fun. The lines were ready, and the third round began. The same format as the previous turn was followed, with the dingoes going head-to-head with the goats on the center screen while the others waited impatiently on the side screens. The bars stopped, the action was quick this time. The first two were both critical failures: 1 and 1. They sprinted in, getting turned around by a glint of sunlight off the lake nearby. I couldn¡¯t help it, I laughed watching them stumble around until they retreated to their lines, clearly embarrassed. The next set readied and went in for their turn. 2 and 4, the goat delivered a flying headbutt to the dingo, sending it running back to its own line whimpering; tail tucked between legs. The goat seemed quite pleased with itself as it sauntered back to the line. The last lesser dingo stepped up, and I was surprised when two goats stepped forward. It looked like there was no such thing as a fair fight. Even so, I was disappointed when the two goats ran in and crashed into each other, then bleated in panic and pain as the dingo kicked hard at their exposed backs. Blood flew, then the combatants separated, back to their own lines. The alphas had their turn, and it made up for what happened immediately before. The dingo¡¯s bar stopped on a glaring, evil 1, but the goat did a back flip as it stopped on 18. A small bar appeared next to the alpha goat¡¯s big bar and rolled quickly, stopping on 8. ¡°Damn, no crit confirm,¡± I said to myself. This was starting to look suspiciously like D&D. Even without the crit confirm, I was proud of Bertrand. The dingo took one step and slipped on a pile of¡­ soil. Who am I kidding? It was shit. The dog slipped in a big pile of shit and went down, which the goat took advantage of. It kicked down hard, slamming the dog¡¯s head back into the filthy pile. I cheered again. ¡°Way to go Bertrand!¡± The animals separated, and I checked the health bars again. The three remaining lesser dogs were at a third health and the alpha was at 20%. Comparatively, the goats were in better shape, with two at two-thirds, two at one-third, and the alpha goat still untouched. It snorted, steam glinting in the sunlight as the bars started again. As if the game could sense my tension, all nine bars stopped at the same time. It was a team battle! The dogs had 3, 2, 3, and 7. The goats were clearly feeling confident, as they showed up with 15, 5, 5, 1, and 1. I felt a small bit of sadness, but there was nothing I could do. The game was running on its own. The clash, however, was epic. All nine jumped in, and like a cartoon, a whirlwind of dust kicked up, obscuring the action. The noise was incredible, with lions roaring, elephants trumpeting, goats bleating, dogs howling, and even, for whatever reason, a police siren in the background. Legs shot out of the cloud, often met with other legs, then disappeared in. First a goat flew out, splaying on the ground to the right. A long tongue lolled out, signifying the goat¡¯s death. It faded away as a second goat flew out of the melee. ¡°Come on!¡± I clenched my fists, biting a knuckle in anticipation. I had the numbers, but I needed to see the goats win. Next, a dog flew out. It tumbled and rolled bonelessly, then faded away. Another dog flew out, fading before it even hit the ground. Then the cloud abruptly disappeared, showing the alpha goat standing triumphant. It had the dingo in its mouth, and with a savage jerk, broke the dog¡¯s neck. Three goats turned their attention on the final lesser dingo, then lunged in and kicked it repeatedly. ¡°YES!¡± I pumped my fists in the air. They had done it, they had won! ¡°Lucky, aren¡¯t you?¡± Basil put his hand on my shoulder, startling me. ¡°Gah! Damn, Basil. You snuck up on me.¡± ¡°Enjoying your game?¡± I nodded, beaming. ¡°Yeah, I just won a mess of chips.¡± Basil looked irritable. ¡°Yeah, well, good for you.¡± I looked from the game over to him, and he looked grim. ¡°What¡¯s up, man?¡± ¡°Nothing. Go back to your game.¡± The screen faded to black, with big red letters flashing. You win! I pressed the cash out button, anxiously waiting for the chips to finish falling so I could collect them and chase after Basil. Something was wrong. ¡°Come on!¡± Finally, I grabbed the chips. There were two 500 chips and five tens. It had only been a few seconds. I looked around, trying to spot where Basil had gone. ¡°How does he move so fast?¡± I left the machine in search of my friend. Chapter 18: Dark and Stormy
¡°Basil!¡± No response. I strained my ears, but it was impossible to hear anything over the din of the gaming floor. I shouted again. ¡°Basil!¡± I walked deeper into the casino. The flashing, glaring screens and lights made it impossible to see distinct shapes. I blinked a few times, trying to clear my eyes, but the visual chaos remained. ¡°Basil?¡± Near the center of the slots room, I found a massive machine. It had a large screen like the last one, including the wing screens, but above that was a gargantuan tv showing the results on the machine in real time. I was tempted, but the anxiety of my missing friend was more important. I passed it, looking for¡­ well, anyone. The lack of other patrons was really standing out. ¡°Hello? Anybody?¡± I didn¡¯t even see any casino staff as I wandered. The stress was starting to get to me. I didn¡¯t know what time it was, but I was really starting to want a drink. Something stiff. Just to take the edge off. Just one¨C ¡°What the hell am I thinking,¡± I asked out loud. I shook my head. I wanted a drink, sure, but I¡¯m not an alcoholic. Why was I suddenly sounding like one? ¡°Basil!¡± Still nothing. Now I was starting to get concerned. I broke into a light jog, heading ever deeper. I get the whole ¡®no clocks¡¯ thing in a casino, because they want patrons to stay as long as possible. I¡¯ve heard horror stories about people wearing diapers while sitting at their favorite slot machine, gambling away life savings as they shit themselves. And the occasional old bird who had a heart attack and died right on the gaming floor, shitting herself in her death throes as she watched yet another losing game on the machine. That actually happened to a friend of mine. She sat with the lady until she had grown cold and the EMTs finally showed up. ¡°Grah!¡± I growled, trying to get my adrenaline to spike. Something was messing with my head, clouding my thoughts. The empty room was getting to me too. This place was creepy. ¡°Basil!¡± I finally spotted another of those golem bouncer guys. He was at the very back of the room, next to a roped off doorway. I made my way over to him. He was as stoic as the other one, hardly even noticing me. I reached for the rope blocking the door, and as I expected, he held a hand out. It was non-threatening, but clear. His size certainly helped reinforce the idea that he shouldn¡¯t be fucked with. ¡°Hey, I need help, I need to find my friend.¡± ¡°High rollers only,¡± the golem replied. His voice was rich and smooth, like a jazz singer, rather than the gravelly tones I was expecting. ¡°Yeah, okay, I¡¯m just looking for my friend.¡± Without moving or even looking at me, he repeated ¡°high rollers only.¡± ¡°Fine!¡± I turned around and stalked back to the big machine I had seen in the center. The screens were all identical, showing a glittering sunset on a beach. I could hear seagulls calling, and the lapping of waves. The closer I got, the more the machine was all I could hear. Everything else just sort of¡­ fell away. I had no idea what the machine would do when I put money in. It showed no creatures. No apocalyptic scenes. There wasn¡¯t even any action music. It was just the soothing ambiance of a beach somewhere, maybe in the Caribbean. The machine welcomed me in. I took a seat on the plush stool. It was backless, yet so very comfortable. Practically the second I was situated, I heard a cheerful voice to my right. It should have startled me, but I felt so¡­ at peace. I looked over with a dreamy smile on my face. ¡°Drink, sir?¡± My eyes were slow to track, jerking from spot-to-spot as my head spun. I felt drunk. No, I felt hammered. ¡°Yeah, that would be nice.¡± The woman sounded pleasant enough. But I couldn¡¯t quite make out her face. She was in uniform, of that I was certain. Well, pretty sure. Surely she was in uniform. The same I had seen¡­ I hadn¡¯t seen any other personnel. Still, she clearly worked for the casino. She held out a silver tray with a single drink on it. I could tell, just from a glance, it was my favorite: a dark-and-stormy. Black rum mixed with either root beer or ginger beer. Heavily spiced, sweet without being overwhelming, it was the perfect drink year round. I took it and tried to thank her. Stolen story; please report. ¡°Fang¡­ tank. Tank you.¡± She nodded and sped off, leaving me to the game. I smiled again, putting the drink to my lips. It was perfect. Just a hint of alcohol, which in my experience, meant it was strong as hell. I turned back, over correcting and nearly losing my drink. I put my second hand to it to steady the glass, then guided it down to the drink holder on top of the machine. Something buzzed near my eye, but I flicked it away. It was insistent, but the third time I swatted at it, it flew away. ¡°Let¡¯s do this,¡± I slurred out. Something deep in me was concerned, but I took another sip of the excellent drink, and sighed out in pleasure. ¡°So good.¡± I dug in my pocket, pulling out a chip. Somewhere on the screen I saw numbers blinking. It looked like a hundred. Or a thousand. Maybe ten-thousand, but I couldn¡¯t be certain. I put another chip in, and bells started jingling. Lights went off all round the casino floor. There was one large button in the center of the console. I put both hands on it and pushed. I moved my eyes, refusing to open them. The sun was so nice. Warm, but not too hot. The perfect temperature. I reached out my hand, feeling for my beer. Yeah, it was dumb to keep it in the sand, but it was so convenient. I kept searching, not finding the beer. The dream had been so real, so bizarre. Me? A zombie? Pfft. ¡°Hey, am I out of beer?¡± No answer. I finally opened my eyes. I was alone on the beach. I turned in place, looking up and down the beach. Nobody. Nothing but the gentle rush of the waves, the brushing of wind through the trees some fifty yards away. I sat up, feeling the sand fall out of my hair. It clung to my back. ¡°Something, something, gets everywhere,¡± I said distractedly. I slowly stood. Something was not right. I remembered this beach being full of people just a few minutes before. And smaller. The beach extended at least a hundred feet further than I remembered. Less water. No stands. A lot less water. I turned around, looking at the small patch of forest. Nobody laying in the hammocks. The umbrellas hosted empty picnic baskets and sandy blankets. Food and drink lay everywhere. Yet there was not a single footprint in the sand. Something nagged at the back of my mind. ¡°Where is everyone?¡± I turned back, looking for any evidence of people. I took a few steps from where I¡¯d been laying. Those were the only footprints. I spotted an ice cream cone melting on the sand. It can¡¯t have been laying there for long, not with how hot the sand and air were. Something was insistent at the back of my mind. Something was not right. I snapped my fingers. ¡°That¡¯s what it is!¡± I bent down and opened the cooler. My beers were there, nestled into the glittering, half-melted ice. I pulled one out and popped the top using the bottle-opener built into the side and took a swig. It was perfectly cool in the summer heat. ¡°WATER!¡± I spun, forgetting my beer as I realized what had been bothering me. The water was hundreds of feet out. I knew what that meant. ¡°Tsunami,¡± I whispered. I couldn¡¯t see the water anymore. It was too late for me to get away. This part of California was too flat. ¡°Wait, why am I in California? Why am I at the beach?¡± With one eye on the horizon, watching for the inevitable wave that would crush everything, I walked up the beach to the parking lot. It was full of¡­ not quite cars. It was odd. They were the right shape, generally. Correctly colored, with most tending toward white or black, as seemed normal. But as I got closer, I realized none of the cars had an interior. Instead, it was like a picture was painted on the windows of a car interior. I was looking closer at a jeep, which even weirder had no top or doors, but I couldn¡¯t get it. My hands stopped against an invisible wall. I kicked at it, and was sent reeling backward when it failed to budge. I hopped on my good foot for a moment, swearing at myself and whatever had created that horrible mockery. My cursing was brought short when I was knocked to my ass. ¡°Wha¨C¡± The ground bucked. A strange wailing filled the air. It felt like my hair was standing on end. Then I was sent flying as the earthquake intensified. I cried out, suddenly terrified. ¡°What the hell?¡± I couldn¡¯t even get full words out, the ground shook so fiercely. Finally, I saw what was causing the ruckus. Far out on the horizon, the water rushed back in. It had to be thirty or more feet tall, to be visible from a mile out. But that wasn¡¯t what left me breathless. No, instead, it was the creature rising from the midst of the wave. ¡°No¡­ way.¡± I had no idea what to do. But I had a feeling I was going to have to fight it. The earthquake finally stopped, and I rose shakily to my feet. The cars weren¡¯t an option. It looked like I could either run away, or run toward the monster, which was clearly a boss. My memories finally returned. ¡°Shit. Shit, shit¡­. SHIT!¡± I remembered now. I was in the casino. I had somehow ended up drunk. That was before I had the drink I was offered by the lady I couldn¡¯t recognize. Then I started the slot machine and woke up here. I had skipped a few steps. This was obviously the floor boss. ¡°Not good.¡± It moved closer, and I nearly lost my footing again. It was way too big to be feasible in Earth gravity, yet there it was. And so heavy, it caused strong earthquakes from a mile away. It must have caused the tsunami just by walking. I looked around, wondering if there was a handy tactical nuke laying around that I could use against the thing. ¡°What do I do? What do I do?¡± Chapter 19: Boss Fight!
I ran to the end of the nearby pier. The monster was easier to see, both because I had drawn closer, but so had it. Massive tentacles continued to pound the sand. Two or three would rise at once, slamming down with titanic force. Shockwaves traveled through the wet sand, rippling outward in complex interwoven patterns. They radiated out from the body, which on its own stood a dizzying eighty feet tall. I was sure the beak would be fearsome, enough to swallow whole ships. One question kept occurring to me as I looked on. ¡°What was the name of the machine?¡± If I could remember what the name of the machine was, I could figure out what creature I was facing. It was either an octopus of immense proportions, which meant intelligence, cunning, and a mean streak a mile wide, or something worse. A Kraken. Two more arms moved forward, impacting and sending ripples through the softened sand. The pier I stood on was firmly anchored, though I wondered how it would do when the water returned. Curiously, though I had expected it to already rush through, it seemed to be holding up some distance behind the approaching monster. I focused more intently on the creature to see if I could identify it. Sure enough, the window popped up a minute later. Ebon Dragon Kurco Race: Kraken Level: 16 HP: ??? MP: ??? Stamina: ??? ¡°I am so doomed.¡± The Kraken reared back on the back most arms, baring its horrifying beak as it slid free from the fleshy folds of its mouth. The beak opened wide, revealing a black barbed tongue, and it roared. The sound was so loud, it physically impacted me, sending me sprawling. I leapt back to my feet, wondering just what I could do against the monster. It was ten levels higher than me, which means it was well past the evolution point. And I had¡­ nothing. I tried accessing my inventory, only to find it would not open. I tried summoning my brass knuckles to my hands, but that didn¡¯t work either. ¡°What do I do?¡± The Kraken finally fell from its reared position, bringing two arms down directly at me. It was close enough that I was in real danger of being crushed by the arms. It had suckers near the base that were clearly larger than me. This thing could fight a modern battleship, never mind a single human. I sprinted the other way, legs and arms pumping frantically to get clear of the attack. The tip of one arm smashed through the pier where I had been standing not two seconds before. A spray of sand erupted thirty feet into the air. That attack would have reduced me to atoms, never mind a thin paste. Knowing it would attack again, I leaped over the railing to the sand below. It was an eighteen foot drop, which felt as small as stepping off a curb in the city. Part of me marveled that I was able to deal with such a drop with ease, but the rest of me focused on containing my mounting panic. By chance, I saw a coin the size of a dinner plate hovering in the distance. It looked to be about chest height, and would have been covered by the water before it retreated. I changed direction to head straight for it, which saved my life. An arm slammed down right where I had been, sending me tumbling. I was upright and sprinting for all I was worth in less than a second. I closed the distance, reached out, and snagged the coin. It was gold, with electrum filigree all around the edge and an intricate design on one side depicting the Kraken. On the opposite side, I saw something that gave me hope. It was a pair of crossed swords. As soon as my hand touched it, the coin shrank and pixelated, moving to, then into the palm of my hand. I saw a counter appear in the bottom left of my vision. Two crossed swords as an icon, with a ¡®1¡¯ next to it. I tried to do something with it, and was rewarded with a small menu popping up. Weak weapon: 1 token Strong weapon: 3 tokens Epic weapon: 5 tokens Legendary weapon: 10 tokens ¡°Okay,¡± I grunted out. I was still running flat out, hunting for more tokens. ¡°Tokens can get me weapons. Find more tokens.¡± I spotted another one floating above a set of rocks. They were slanted, like they were from a long-forgotten impact. I ran to the far side, avoiding the Kraken¡¯s arms by zig-zagging like a football player on steroids. Once I had a clear shot, I ran up the ramp-like stones and jumped to grab the token. As soon as my hand touched it, an arm swept into my view. My eyes grew wide as I watched the tentacle approach in slow motion. This is going to hurt, I thought just before the wrist-thick limb slammed into my chest. I hurtled away, breaking a personal speed record, marveling as the pier passed overhead before I plowed into the sand like a meteorite. My head smashed into a buried rock. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. I woke up with sand in my mouth, blood in my eyes, a ringing head like I was standing inside the bells at Notre Dame, and pain everywhere. ¡°What happened?¡± An earthquake rocked the world around me. Sand cascaded down into my little hollow, partially burying me again. ¡°Oh yeah. Kraken.¡± I struggled out of my pit, shaking off sand as I climbed. A moment later, I was clear. I noticed my token counter had gone up by two, instead of one. Somehow, I had claimed a third token. ¡°Maybe it was buried in the snack. Snack.¡± I frowned. ¡°Snack.¡± Something was wrong. ¡°Snack! Toast, why can¡¯t I say snack?¡± I shook my head. It didn¡¯t matter. I cast my gaze around, looking for more coins. I finally spotted a trio of coins floating right outside an ice-cream shop on the beach. It was about three hundred yards away. I broke into a ragged run, still feeling pain everywhere. I was certain I had at least a handful of broken ribs. The Kraken had hit me hard. What was more shocking was the fact I hadn¡¯t outright died from the hit. A quick glance at my health bar showed I was missing about forty-percent. I had no idea how long I had been unconscious for. I could practically hear Basil¡¯s voice shouting from nearby. ¡°Lucky bastard!¡± I smiled, though it was conflicted. I still didn¡¯t know where he had got off to. The Kraken was still thrashing around, but a peek over my shoulder showed it had somehow got caught on the pier. It was currently busy destroying the structure to free itself. Perhaps it had got stuck when trying to get me. I didn¡¯t care, it was a free moment to catch my breath. I touched the three coins and put my hands on my knees to do just that. ¡°Six,¡± I breathed out. I started doing some breathing exercises to bring my heart rate under control. Being a panicked, dumb animal would get me nowhere. I looked down at the token meter to double check I was right, and found I was completely wrong. The crossed swords symbol still had a 3 next to it. Below the swords was a symbol depicting a shield, and that had a 3 next to it as well. ¡°Attack and defense. Okay, this I can work with.¡± I mentally purchased the strong defensive option to see what I was working with. A little bubble suddenly sprouted from thin air right in front of my face, then popped. A sleek gray-and-black device fell from the bubble, despite the fact the bubble had been obviously empty. I caught it and turned it over to reveal a glowing blue button. I pushed the button and the device hummed, then flew from my hands to attach to my belt buckle. A shimmering transparent blue bubble formed just outside my reach. ¡°A shield? Not the best thing I could have gotten, but I¡¯ll take it.¡± I looked along the beach. I could see a few more tokens in the distance, but I could just make out a shield on the closest. It was over a hundred yards away. More defensive tokens. I turned my attention back to the Kraken. It was free and rapidly closing the distance. ¡°Shiiiiii¨C¡± I broke into a run, twisting around the shop and sprinting for the marina about a half-mile away. If the beach held defensive tokens, I hoped something holding explosives, guns, yachts, and fuel would have offensive tokens. I didn¡¯t know for a fact the marina had any of those things, but it seemed like it would. Video game logic demanded it. ¡°Hell, I hope there¡¯s an AA-12 automatic shotgun loaded with explosive-tipped slugs,¡± I half-said-half-prayed as I ran. My pace ate the ground up at a prodigious rate, and I was in the marina 75 seconds later. ¡°I think I just set a world record,¡± I gasped out. Knowing the Kraken would follow me until either I was dead, or it was, I started searching. The marina was full, with over a hundred boats sitting canted on the sand. Some had fallen clear over, masts broken. ¡°Who still sails, when these yachts are faster and more luxurious?¡± The answer occurred to me at the same time I spotted my first token. It was hovering ten feet over a fifty-foot yacht, about a hundred yards away. ¡°People who have money but want to appear like they still know what real work is.¡± I laughed at my own stupid response. That hit had really rung my bell. I jumped and grabbed for the token, falling down to the yacht. My body had grown heavier, and I found that out in the most inconvenient way. I crashed through a windshield of the multi-million-dollar yacht. The glass slashed my skin all over, resulting in more of my blood leaving my body. ¡°Traitorous blood!¡± I glanced around the room, appreciating the obvious luxurious comfort. ¡°Actually, I hope my blood really mucks this place up.¡± I didn¡¯t spot any obvious weapons. I was left with finding more tokens, but I had four. I just needed one more for an epic weapon. Six, if I wanted to be ridiculous and get a legendary weapon. And I did want to be ridiculous. What¡¯s the point of all this, if I don¡¯t get to be a little flashy? I kicked broken glass out of my way and stepped out to the deck. Then I crouched and jumped, not sure what to expect. I thought maybe I could make the eight-foot jump to the pier, grab on, and climb up. I was not ready to launch up and over the railing, landing with grace like a cat, crouched and ready. Okay, I didn¡¯t land with grace. My foot snagged the railing as I screamed and flailed, unprepared to fly like that, which resulted in my redirecting my face into the planking. I felt something break, and prayed it was my nose and not my teeth. I got up, internally swearing. That had hurt. I reset my nose, feeling the hollow crack of bone-on-bone as it moved. Tears swarmed my eyes, falling freely. ¡°Son-of-a-bitch!¡± I spat blood out, then got back to the hunt. The Kraken was about two hundred yards away and closing fast. I sprinted to the far side of the marina, snagging two more tokens along the way. That was when I hit paydirt. There was a locked building with a diesel pump outside. I could see a token floating inside the building through a grimy window. It seemed weird to me the windows would be anything but clean in the otherwise spotless marina. I shrugged, put my arms over my head, and jumped through the window. When I stood, I was amazed. It was everything I had hoped for. Nails, paint, barrels of diesel fuel, I could make a bomb. Or I could use the four tokens floating in a row. I smiled, collecting the coins. The meter flashed when I picked up the last one. I figured it meant to either notify me that I had enough to get a legendary weapon, or I had reached the cap. Either way, it didn¡¯t matter. I had no more than ten-to-fifteen seconds. I chose ¡®Legendary Weapon¡¯ and watched the meter drain to zero. Then I waited. And waited. Nothing happened for a long moment. I could hear the Kraken crashing through the far side of the marina, destroying piers and flattening millions of dollars worth of boats. I stepped outside the maintenance shed, and that¡¯s when I saw it. The streak of flame in the sky. It was just a dot, but quickly grew in radiance. A moment later, I had to jump clear as it rocketed into the ground with a thunderous crash. I stood, dusted myself off, and went into the wreckage of the maintenance shed to find my new legendary weapon. Chapter 20: Chillspine
I beheld the weapon in all its¡­ ordinariness. It looked like a harpoon. That was it. Just a harpoon. Granted, it was like seven-feet-long and looked like one of those really awesome old-timey harpoons that you saw in pictures or paintings from the 19th century of sailors fighting whales. In fact, after thinking about it, I was pretty certain it was a whaling harpoon. The material was hard to describe in any way other than ¡®bone-like.¡¯ It had a sharp, long tip that flared back into a barb. Once in, removing the harpoon would cause a much larger wound when ripped free. The shaft straight and unremarkable. However, it too looked just a little off from normal. ¡°A whaling spear to kill a kraken. Well, I¡¯m not one to back down from a challenge.¡± I grabbed the weapon, and was surprised when a box opened in my vision. Chillspine, Finger of the Skeletal God The remnant of a fallen God, Chillspine was crafted from the tip of one finger. If one was pointed at by the divine being, they were fated to die. This harpoon is imbued with the chill surety of the Skeletal God. Rarity: Legendary Requirements: Humanoid level 5 or greater, Strength over 30, fealty to the Skeletal God or no affiliation to an opposing God. I held the spear up reverently. It was truly a work of art. And it confirmed that deities were probably real. After all, it said it was crafted from the fingertip of one. Extrapolating, and doing a little back-of-the-brain math, that made the god at least a thousand feet tall. My mind swam. It was inconceivable. I thought the Kraken was huge. And that was the exact moment it interrupted my ruminations. A tentacle slammed through the roof of the shed, nearly crushing me. I leapt back just in time, spear gripped tightly. Without realizing it, I slashed out with the tip of the spear and watched in amazement as the tentacle split wide open. It was like the spear was three-feet-wide, instead of only an inch or so. The roar of pain from the kraken was deafening, and so violent it collapsed what remained of the shed on top of me. I huddled close to the spear, feeling its chill radiance as I held it to my chest. When the building stopped falling around me, I shook myself free of the wreckage. When I stood, all I saw was devastation. The marina had been annihilated. Nothing stood taller than a few feet. Boats lay crushed to powder. The piers were nothing more than twigs sticking out of the sand. ¡°Whoa.¡± I looked around, realizing the Kraken had disappeared. ¡°Where did it¡­¡± A shadow loomed over me. I slowly looked up, then broke into a flat-out sprint. The Kraken had jumped into the sky when the spear slashed its arm. It fell to earth less like a mountain and more like a vengeful god. I was in luck, though, because I had the finger of a god. Well, the tip of one, at least. I was knocked flat by the shockwave of the Kraken landing. I was back up and sprinting at the monster in less than a heartbeat. It brandished two of its arms at me, massive eyes rolling wildly. I could just feel some sort of vibration through the ground, and when it reared back, I saw it was gnashing its beak in a frenzy. Both arms whistled as they descended toward me. I stopped, hauling back and throwing the spear with all my might. It sailed fast and true. The air itself thundered as the weapon crossed the distance. I didn¡¯t wait for it to land, instead turning to my left and running to escape the incoming attack. I was tougher than any human in history, but I had a feeling several thousand pounds of anything falling on me at speed would still reduce me to a red paste. I was thankful the sand was so hard-packed by the water, which was still held back by some sort of invisible force. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! I knew the instant the spear found its mark. The Kraken reared back again, releasing a shrill, ear-piercing scream that was both far-too-human and so powerful, it bordered on a divine act. I fell to my knees, clutching my ears. My head rang. When the scream ended, I opened my eyes to find them coated in blood. I let go of my head, only to find my hands were bloody as well. I stood shakily, realizing that sonic attack would have killed me just a day or two before. I turned back to the Kraken, and immediately understood why it had screamed. The spear stuck out of one rapidly deflating eyeball, half buried in the jelly-like substance that leaked through the massive rent it had torn in the cornea. After the repeated knocks, slams, and sonic attacks, I had nothing left in the tank. No quips. No witty remarks. All I could do was stand, square myself up, and run back in. Either the octopus died, or I did. That was it. And I was attached to my life. So, I did just that. I stood, brushed myself off, and started a slow jog toward the wildly flailing monster. It tried to grasp the spear multiple times, only to flinch each time and writhe in agony. I almost felt bad for it. Almost. It had tried to kill me, possibly eat me, and crushed a whole lot of boats. I picked up speed. All I had left to do was kill the thing. Just draw the rest of the owl, right? I growled as I sped up. My body hurt. I couldn¡¯t hear anything at all. I was pretty sure the last scream had ruptured my eardrums, and I was deaf. Nor did I know how long that condition would last, or if it was permanent. I really hoped it wasn¡¯t. My feet pounded across the sand. The Kraken finally slowed in its temper tantrum, having spotted me with its one remaining eye. I felt something through the ground, but at the speed I was moving, there wasn¡¯t enough time to figure out what it was. I closed to within fifty feet, then thirty, already dodging flailing arms. Finally, I jumped up the body and grabbed hold of the spear. It was covered in vitreous fluid, and I was thoroughly grossed out. It dripped off the spear like globs of clear jello. I wanted to hurl. Instead, I pulled it free, sending a shower of the substance across me. I did throw up, then. All down the side of the Kraken, which I found darkly humorous. The monster bucked and writhed under me, challenging my precarious position. Luckily, my grip strength was unreal at this point and I held onto the eyelid as it tried to shake me free. It stopped after a long moment, though I wasn¡¯t sure if it was because it thought it was rid of me or because it tired out. Either way, I seized the opportunity. As soon as it stopped squirming, I shimmied around the ridge between its eyes and pulled back. The spear was unwieldy for use at such close range, but I didn¡¯t let that stop me. I plunged the barbed tip into the other eye, feeling satisfaction at blinding the monster. I held on for dear life as the Kraken went into a full-blown seizure. I pushed the spear in farther, forcing it through the tough cornea. Vitreous spilled out of the wound. I pushed harder, sinking the spear and my arm up to my shoulder. Then I stuck my other arm in and tore a hole in the eye, allowing a flood of fluid to wash over and past me. I forced my way into the rapidly deflating sack, holding my breath and pushing closer to the core of the Kraken. A long thirty seconds later, I stood inside the flaccid eyeball, slashing away with the spear. Massive wounds opened with each sweep of the blade. I carved at the back wall. The creature never stopped roaring, which I could feel with my entire body. Nor did it stop trying to get me out of its eye, but that ended with it doing repeated damage to its own body. Blood, both my red and the octopus¡¯ blue, mixed with the vitreous and clouded my sight. It didn¡¯t matter, though. I pushed harder and harder until I felt the thick skin give way. I thrust the spear forward, hooking inside the brain cavity and pulling myself in. Then I carved away at the brain. It shuddered with quick, spastic movements as I cut more and more of its mind away. Finally it shuddered and fell still. I sagged, completely spent. The body of the Kraken was first to disappear. It drifted away like pixelated fog, reminding me of a scene from a movie. I felt the slime drift away from my body, though I still felt absolutely filthy. Still, I smiled. I had done it. I had killed a monster not only dozens of times my size, it had been ten levels higher. Level 16 Ebon Dragon Kurco killed. Boss status confirmed. Extra xp awarded! +200 xp. Level up! The world started to fade to black, and I felt the spear that had been my saving grace start to fade as well. ¡°No!¡± I gripped it harder, refusing to let it dissipate. The thing was awesome. No way was I letting an actual ranged weapon get away from me. Everything went to black. Chapter 22: Access Denied
¡°Ah! Can you¡­¡± I motioned with one hand while I shielded my eyes with the other. His eyes had eyes. It was beyond disturbing. That, and the more eyes he opened, the worse my headache grew. ¡°Your people have had contact with mine, when the dimensional barriers were thin. It has been some time, however.¡± I nodded. ¡°Yeah. I think I¡¯m picking up what you¡¯re putting down. If it isn¡¯t too rude, can I ask how you lost your wings?¡± He shook his head. ¡°We are not friends. It is a sensitive and personal subject.¡± I raised my hands. ¡°Hey, I get it. No worries.¡± I paused, putting my hands down, then I leaned in. ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re an angel.¡± ¡°That is what your people call us, yes.¡± ¡°Weird. Also, I¡¯m pretty certain I¡¯m talking to you in English. I¡¯m hearing what you say in English, but I¡¯m not convinced you¡¯re speaking my language.¡± He smiled again, though he kept his extra eyes closed. ¡°I am, actually.¡± ¡°How did you learn English?¡± ¡°It¡¯s remarkably similar to Common. Think of it as parallel evolution.¡± I nodded sagely, saying ¡°like crabs.¡± The look of confusion on his face was worth every penny on the planet. ¡°Like¡­ like crabs? I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°A cool bit of parallel evolution right here on Earth. We even have a word for it: carcinisation. Scientists have discovered at least five different groups of crustaceans that evolved to be like crabs.¡± ¡°While that is fascinating, it is not relevant.¡± I nodded. ¡°Fair enough.¡± I took another sip of the whiskey. ¡°So, what do we do now?¡± ¡°Now? Now we enjoy the whiskey. This is a business meeting. Which means that as long as you are here, I don¡¯t need to field stupid questions by barely trained newbies in their fields. Most of them are only level one in their jobs. Half of them haven¡¯t even lived out their first century!¡± I laughed. ¡°I¡¯m twenty.¡± Douma tilted his head. ¡°Twenty what?¡± ¡°Years. I¡¯m twenty years old. Most people on Earth don¡¯t live past eighty.¡± He stared for a long moment. ¡°With lives that short, how did you get anything done?¡± I shrugged. ¡°Mostly by working together as a society.¡± ¡°Exceptional. You must have some incredible incentives for working together.¡± Eh,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°Not really. Actually, at this point, it was mostly a capitalist nightmare, headed straight for a future as an ecological wasteland.¡± ¡°Incredible. What caused you to advance, then?¡± ¡°Empathy, probably. That, and those few who expressed greed in positive ways, like by gathering and releasing knowledge. Science was mostly driven by a handful of people. That¡¯s how it looked from the outside, at least. I don¡¯t really know, I was only in my second year of college. Hadn¡¯t even declared my major yet.¡± ¡°Truly fascinating. Do you believe you know what your future would have looked like, had the system not come along?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s only been a day. But it feels like so much more. Practically a lifetime already. I was chatting with a woman on the balcony at a mansion when I fell because of a zero-frame exploit used by a necromancer.¡± Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. ¡°Oh, nasty lot, them.¡± ¡°Necromancers? Yeah. Though this one was a pushover. Broke his neck.¡± Douma¡¯s eyes widened. I even saw a few extras start to crack open. ¡°Then again,¡± I hurriedly added, ¡°he did end up becoming a weird amalgam-thing that wrecked a good chunk of the mansion. Actually, most of it still is trashed. I need to get around to cleaning it up.¡± ¡°Is it yours?¡± I took a sip and nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± I cleared my throat. Rushing that sip had made it stick a bit in my throat. ¡°Yeah. But I wanted to check out town. I was wondering if there was anybody else around, I guess.¡± Douma shook his head, swallowing his sip. ¡°No, most of humanity will be in the tutorial for three months. That will take them through leveling up, unlocking abilities, jobs, how technology will work now, all the information they¡¯ll need to be productive citizens in the System.¡± I looked into my glass, seeing it was empty. I was a little sad. It had truly been the best whiskey I had ever tasted. ¡°I think that means it is time. It has been a pleasure having you here. I will look back on this with fond memories in the future.¡± He stood, reminding me of just how massive he was. I took the hint and stood as well. ¡°I¡¯ll escort you to the floor exit. That should take you to the next available floor.¡± I thanked him, opened the door, and stepped out of his office. Despite how cramped it was, the room actually felt welcoming. He followed me a moment later, closing the door behind him. I had to jog to keep up once he started walking because of how long his legs were. ¡°Do you know off hand what other floors are open?¡± Douma shook his head. ¡°No. It was pure luck that we were, since I was expecting a shipment of furniture. The tutorial isn¡¯t just for your benefit. As much magic as there is in the System, sometimes nothing beats good old fashioned hard work.¡± ¡°Probably something to do with unemployment, right?¡± Douma waved a hand in dismissal. ¡°Not really an issue. There¡¯s so much work to be done that if anybody wants a job, they can find one easily. Support jobs pay enough to live comfortably, though nothing like adventuring. Still, you¡¯ll find about two-thirds of any given population will go into support roles.¡± ¡°I wonder how humanity will shake out on that scale. We tend to be pretty individualistic. At least, we are in America. A lot of Eastern countries, especially the Asian countries are community oriented to a mind-boggling degree. Well, for someone who¡¯s grown up in a society like this.¡± He didn¡¯t really react. I couldn¡¯t tell if he was growing tired of talking to me, or if it was something else, but he seemed far away. A moment later, he pressed on a bit of blank wall. It looked like concrete, but it slid soundlessly away. Outside was one of the most opulent elevator banks I had ever seen. Marble floors, gold filigreed furniture, gemstone buttons. It was ridiculous. I had never witnessed wealth like that before. ¡°Hey, Douma?¡± The angel stopped, looking at me quizzically. ¡°What is it, Alabaster?¡± I was stunned. ¡°Wait, when did I tell you my name?¡± He smiled again, though it was gentler than before. ¡°You didn¡¯t, nor did you need to. I¡¯m old enough, wise enough, and experienced enough to tease a lot of information out of identify.¡± I realized I had never even tried to use it on the tall man. He gave me a slight nod, as if he knew what I was thinking. I gave it a go. Douma Race: Fallen Angel Faction: Silver Spire Casino Level: 20 (99) HP: 2500/2500 (????) HP regen per second: ??? (???) Mana: 2500/2500 (????) Mana regen per second: ??? (???) ¡°Do note,¡± Douma said in his rich, faintly French voice. ¡°I am allowing you to see more of my sheet than is normal. While I can¡¯t treat you like a friend, should we ever meet again, I can at the moment.¡± ¡°Why does your level say twenty, but something else in parentheses?¡± He smiled again. There was a glint in his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re a smart young man. I think you can sort it out. Time for you to be on your way. Good luck, Master Blackwood.¡± With his parting words, he gently urged me out of the hallway and into the elevator foyer. I was too stunned to fight back, or even question him. The door slid smoothly and silently shut, leaving no visual mark it had ever been there. I gaped at the far wall, barely registering anything. ¡°Not twenty. Not twenty.¡± I wiped my forehead clear of the sweat that had just broken out all along my brow. ¡°He wasn¡¯t level twenty. Not really.¡± It took me a few minutes to get over the shock. When I finally did, I walked to the elevators and pushed the up arrow. I glanced around the room, taking it in while I waited for the elevator to arrive. A ding sounded out, announcing the arrival of the car. I noticed something at the same time. A key card was sitting on a table in the center of the room. Neither had been there when I walked in. I looked around, still seeing nobody. With a shrug, I took the card, then stepped into the elevator. There were two floors available: 50 and 99. I pushed the button for fifty, not wanting to test my luck. Nothing happened. I pushed the button for ninety-nine, and was surprised by a pleasant, neutral-toned female voice. ¡°Access denied. Please provide access credentials.¡± I looked at the key card in my hand, then held it out to the elevator buttons. A soft chime sounded. ¡°Thank you. Tier-one penthouse.¡± The world went black. Chapter 21: Risen, Fallen
The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was the brilliant lights of the screen. The words ¡®YOU WIN¡¯ were back lit by fireworks, and the ceiling all around was lit by cleverly hidden lights that echoed the fireworks perfectly. It was like one of those RGB gamer¡¯s wet dreams, or an epileptic¡¯s seizure-inducing nightmare. I blinked a few times to get rid of the dazzle and stars. My notifications were going crazy in the side of my vision until I dismissed them. The game was blaring out triumphant fanfare, nearly overwhelming me. I found the cash-out button and slapped it, then stood and paced while waiting for my chips to appear. Even though the machine was excessively loud, there was the unmistakable sound of large chips dropping into a catch. I looked and saw chip after chip drop into the catch, each an eye-pleasing brushed-steel with ¡®1000¡¯ on the side. My jaw dropped. ¡°How much did I bet? How much did I win?¡± It finally stopped after dropping eleven of the chips. My inner loot goblin rubbed his greedy hands together. I smiled, forgetting all the stress of the past¡­ however long. I had no idea how the games affected me, or messed with time. I could have been in that fight for an hour, or two minutes in real-time. It had felt like thirty minutes in game. I reached out with both hands to gather the chips, which is when I discovered I still had something tucked into my left hand. I slowly unclenched my fist, then immediately slammed it shut. I gathered the chips with my right, then put everything into my inventory, feeling the sliver disappear from my hand. I rushed away from the far-too-loud game. It was acting like I¡¯d won a jackpot. I finally made my way over to the golem. Instead of stopping me, this time it opened the rope and ushered me through without a word. I nodded, unsure of what else to do, and walked through the doorway. It faded to black, and I was treated to a loading screen. That was incredibly weird. Loading screens generally broke immersion in video games. How in the hell did I have a loading screen in real life? Were they still working on the dungeon? I wanted to tap my foot, but couldn¡¯t feel it in the black, endless limbo I waited in. Instead, I opened my status to examine how far I had come. Name: Alabaster Blackwood Race: Half-dead Human-Zombie Faction: Blackwood Company Job: Half-dead Age: 20 Renown level: Unknown Renown: 1169 Level: 8 XP: 39/140 HP: 1040/1040 HP regen per second: 0.34 MP: 300/300 MP regen per second: 0.05 Stamina: 700/700 Stamina regen: 0.21 Strength: 54* Agility: 35* Constitution: 52* Wisdom: 15* Intelligence: 15* Charisma: 15* Luck: 16* Free points: 0 Titles: Primordial Undead, Prime Undead, Star-born: Dragon, Noble II, Prime Realtor, Royalty, Capable, Titan Skills: Unarmed Combat Abilities: Earthen Bulwark I Spells: None Notes: English, Zombie Common My stats were¡­ wild. I had gone up two whole levels by beating the Kraken, which was pretty cool. I earned XP by beating a boss with a legendary weapon. Honestly, that wasn¡¯t that hard. Sure, the fight was hard, but getting the weapon was pretty easy. Only ten tokens, and I had found six in the marina. Maybe the game was still getting balanced? I was about to close my stats page when I caught something else. I had a new title. I pulled it up. Title: Titan You cleared a dungeon floor without using any skills! +1 to all stats, +1 to constitution ¡°Wait,¡± I spoke aloud, at least, I felt like I did. I didn¡¯t hear anything. ¡°I got a free stat point for everything, and two for constitution, just for clearing the level without using my ability?¡± The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. I could just hear Basil grumbling in the back of my mind. ¡°So lucky, whine, whine, whine.¡± I snorted, knowing he would blow his top at the fact I had gained another title. At this rate, I felt like they were being handed to me. That was when the world started to fade into view. I blinked, feeling fuzziness on my face. It was like I had a film of sleep on my eyes. It finally went away after blinking a few more times, and I found myself exiting an elevator. ¡°Wait, didn¡¯t I walk into a stairwell?¡± I thought back, and all I could remember was seeing stairs. They were like twenty feet away, in my memory. It was possible, however, that I had missed an elevator door just off to the side. ¡°Whatever. I¡¯m here, wherever here is.¡± I looked around, noting that this floor was more subdued. It didn¡¯t quite look like a residential floor. I wasn¡¯t going to find rooms. However, it was like the back rooms of the hotel- sterile white walls, steel doors, florescent lighting. It was where the staff walked, not the guests. Something was off, yet again. ¡°Where am I supposed to go?¡± As if that was the signal, a door opened down the hall. Suddenly, the hallway was filled with music, and a man with extraordinarily stiff bearing walked out. Wearing a well tailored suit that screamed high-end uniform; he had pale, almost paper-white skin and no hair. He had to be near nine feet tall, based on how far he crouched through the door. When he stood in the hallway, however, he looked almost normal. His limbs were long, but not excessively so; at least, not proportionally. The door closed, cutting the sound out, and he visibly sagged. With an exaggerated sigh, he leaned against the wall and covered his eyes with one long, three-fingered hand. I walked closer, hesitant to bother the man. He was the first person other than the bouncer I had seen in the casino. I was completely mixed on what to do. ¡°Are you going to say anything?¡± His voice was rich, deeper than I expected from such a thin man. He had seized the initiative. ¡°Uh, hi. I think I¡¯m lost.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to be here.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± I said with a nod. ¡°I am gathering that. I used the hallway behind the bouncer on the casino floor and woke up here.¡± The man wiped his hand down his face in a clear sign of frustration. ¡°I mean you¡¯re not supposed to be in the casino yet. We¡¯re not done setting up yet. We¡¯re supposed to have another two-and-a-half months.¡± I opened my mouth, then closed it. I repeated the action twice more as I tried to think of what to say. ¡°Relax. It¡¯s not your fault. Follow me.¡± He stood to his full height, making me feel like a toddler in his presence. He walked away from the door he had emerged from. I tossed it a look, then followed after him. I didn¡¯t know what else to do. ¡°What¡¯s in there?¡± He looked over his shoulder and down at the door. ¡°That¡¯s the high-rollers room. It¡¯s not available yet, because it¡¯s still under construction.¡± ¡°I heard music,¡± I said. ¡°That¡¯s the construction crew. Why do you think I was so irritated when I walked out? They think they know best, and refuse to listen to me.¡± ¡°Right¡­ uh, who are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the manager of the high-roller floor.¡± I stopped where I was. He didn¡¯t look like much, but neither did I, and I killed a freaking hundred-foot-tall Kraken. ¡°Relax. I am not going to fight you. We¡¯re going to get you through this floor so you can be someone else¡¯s headache.¡± ¡°Where are we going, then?¡± He jerked his head, never stopping his long stride down the hallway. ¡°My office.¡± I looked at everything as we walked, not that there was much to look at. It was all industrial drab-gray-white. He took a turn, then another. We walked through a laundry room with dozens of machines all rumbling away. Two more hallways, a lunch room, another hallway, and finally we walked into a cramped office. It was lined with bookshelves filled with of all sorts of books. I saw volumes on management, maintenance, gaming regulations, even a few on counseling. The desk was centered in the room, with barely a foot of clearance on the sides, and just enough room to move the chair to sit in it. The man, who still had not introduced himself beyond announcing he was the manager, stepped clear over the desk. It was honestly kind of impressive. He folded himself into the chair, then indicated for me to take the one available seat. It was one of those plastic-and-steel jobs you see in schools when they ran out of regular chairs. ¡°Uh, thanks.¡± I sat down, wincing as the plastic somehow slammed into my tailbone, despite sitting gently. ¡°How do these things always do that?¡± The man smiled wryly. ¡°I would replace it, but that¡¯s not in the budget.¡± I looked around. ¡°I like your library, though. I¡¯ve got to be honest. This place feels¡­ real.¡± The man tilted his head quizzically. ¡°It is real.¡± ¡°No, I mean, like, real life.¡± He nodded. ¡°This is real life. Just because it¡¯s a dungeon doesn¡¯t mean we aren¡¯t real people. We just have some protections granted by the system. I am the floor boss, which means in a few months¡¯ time you would normally fight me. We¡¯re skipping that for today. But when I die, I¡¯ll just wake up a little later with a headache in here, memories intact. Unfortunately, I¡¯m still only level twenty, so I can¡¯t pull out any crazy moves. And I¡¯m not allowed to predict fighting styles. I have to give the challengers a chance.¡± He leaned over and opened a drawer out of my line of sight. I heard the clinking of glass, and a moment later he produced a crystal decanter filled with an amber liquid. He put it down, then placed two equally gorgeous glasses next to it. Finally, he slid the drawer closed and sighed. ¡°I am not in the mood to fight. Not to mention the arena isn¡¯t ready. My weapons are on back-order. The dogs haven¡¯t finished training¡­¡± he trailed off, then sighed again. ¡°There¡¯s so much to do before we open, and here you are.¡± I nodded. I was completely out of my element. Here I was, casually chatting with the boss of the floor, who was twelve freaking levels higher than me. He could probably accidentally kill me by swatting me on the side of my head. He eyed me critically, then pulled the stopper and poured two fingers into each glass. He put the stopper back, and even from across the desk I could smell the oaky, sweet, smoky flavor of the whiskey. I didn¡¯t like whiskey as a rule, and this stuff made my mouth water. I wanted to try it. He gently picked up the rocks glass and placed it in front of me. I saw his hand up close and was so, so glad I wasn¡¯t going to fight him. His knuckles were criss-crossed with hundreds of scars that made a thick calloused layer. He probably wouldn¡¯t even feel it if he punched concrete. ¡°Thanks,¡± I said quietly. I picked up the glass. He watched me closely, and I felt very judged. I didn¡¯t know what to do, so I acted like a sommelier I had seen one time in a movie. I swirled the glass and inhaled the rich aroma, instantly feeling a heady rush. ¡°Whoa.¡± He smiled then and lifted his glass to sniff as well. ¡°Whoa, indeed.¡± I put the glass to my lips and tipped the barest taste into my mouth. It was a veritable explosion of flavor. It hit my tongue and practically evaporated into rich wood smoke. It was hands down the best alcohol I had ever tasted. ¡°Sorry I didn¡¯t bust out the good stuff,¡± the manager said. I carefully placed the glass down and then snorted a laugh. ¡°Not the good stuff? This tastes better than anything I¡¯ve ever had. And I snuck some Johnny Walker Black one time. God, that beating was bad. But so worth it. I don¡¯t even like whiskey, it was that good. This is better.¡± He laughed in turn. ¡°Good, this wasn¡¯t wasted on you.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± I said again, this time really meaning it. ¡°Uh, what do I call you?¡± ¡°My name, in my language, is¨C¡± and then he broke into a guttural speech that sounded like a jammed disposal. I winced. He smiled, this time with a bit of sadness. ¡°Not many speak my language anymore. In your tongue, I would be¡­¡± he paused to think. ¡°Douma.¡± I nodded, taking another tiny sip of the whiskey. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind my asking, what¡­ uh, what are you?¡± Douma shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s usually a rude question, but you are newly integrated. Missing the tutorial, no doubt. I¡¯ll let it go, this time. I am a Qhuvois,¡± he said it like ¡®koovwa,¡¯ with an accent that almost sounded French. ¡°You would likely know what my people were, if I still had my wings.¡± I looked at him, noticing small lines along his bald head. He smiled again, and my head began to ache. Then he opened his eyes. And he opened his eyes. And he opened his eyes. Chapter 23: Ogre
¡°This is bullshit!¡± Adam looked at the room in front of him. The monster wouldn¡¯t leave it- not because it couldn¡¯t see him, no, it was because the tutorial had set it up that way. ¡°I¡¯m only level two!¡± The system didn¡¯t respond. He¡¯d been trapped in the hallway for three days already. Kyra put a calming hand on his shoulder. ¡°Relax. They might be level five, but you are level two, you¡¯ve got a sword, and I can heal you.¡± He shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s what you said last time. And the time before.¡± She opened her mouth, only to be cut off by him again. ¡°And the four times before that! They hit so freaking hard. I can¡¯t take more than two or three hits. I need armor.¡± She hung her head. He was right. He had almost died nine times already. It was still only the third day of the tutorial. It was wildly rigged. They had lucked out in the first room, but that was when they¡¯d had Imran too. Adam and Imran had ganged up on the spider that had captured them before the tutorial began. They had used every scrap of furniture to beat the monster into a bloody pulp. That had given them their first rewards: a sword, a helmet, and a spell. She had taken the spell, realizing that her physical strength was a limiting factor. The guys had agreed. Minor Heal. That¡¯s what it was called. It required mana, but she could only cast it once, which used every point of her mana. That took hours to recharge, so here they were, waiting for her regain her mana so he could try again. ¡°Maybe you can try something different,¡± she said. He exploded then, shouting at the wall. ¡°Try something different?! I¡¯ve tried everything! Why do you think there¡¯s a freaking helmet wedged into the wall? I tried to freaking headbutt the ogre. That did nothing! It¡¯s level freaking five!¡± What made it worse was¨C ¡°Keep it down, Adam! I¡¯m trying to sleep!¡± ¡°Shut it, Karen!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not my name, asshole!¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry, Lady Elizabeth Kieran!¡± The door thumped. It was infuriating. More help on the other side of the door, but they couldn¡¯t open it. That required a key. A key, which at that moment, was behind a very upset ogre. An ogre, it should be mentioned, that had a club. And was three levels higher than the only melee fighter in the vicinity. Kyra wanted to help, she really did, but her stats were so weak, it was laughable. Even so, she was thankful for the system. It had saved her life, quite literally. She was going to take the second chance she had been given. It just meant thinking harder. ¡°Wait,¡± she held a hand up to forestall Adam¡¯s tirade. He turned glaring daggers, then softened immediately. She was tiny, legally a dwarf, though she didn¡¯t look like it. High cheek bones, delicate ears, brilliant, sparkling blue eyes, and long, soft, silken hair made her look like an elf. Just a child version of one. Her attitude made it clear, however, that she wasn¡¯t a child. ¡°I have a plan.¡± Adam shook his head. ¡°No, no way. You know how that went last time.¡± He looked down at his ragged and bloody shirt, pointing to it in emphasis. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see what my intestines look like again.¡± There was a knock on the door, and Liz spoke up. ¡°Wait, Adam. Just let her speak.¡± He groaned, then sat down. She eyed him, but he just waved her on. ¡°Well, here¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking. You are quick, strong, and remarkably resilient. Like you said, your intestines were hanging out.¡± He scoffed. ¡°Yeah, and the only reason I didn¡¯t die was because you healed me, or did you forget that?¡± She looked into his eyes. They were brown, but so rich they looked like polished mahogany. Surrounded by a brutish, yet handsome face, strong square jaw, and the perfect amount of stubble, he was frustratingly gorgeous. The only downside was his temper. At least he never let out toward her, but it still scared the hell out of her. Especially after her ex had been so abusive. She held herself to calm down, and he immediately looked sheepish. ¡°I¡¯m¨C I¡¯m sorry, Kyra.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± she lied. ¡°No, it isn¡¯t. I shouldn¡¯t be acting this way. I¡¯m just frustrated.¡± Liz shouted through the door. ¡°I can hear you two making googly eyes from here! Let her tell you the plan!¡± They both blushed, then he nodded at Kyra. ¡°Well, I need you to distract the Ogre. Try not to get hit, but if you do, I¡¯ll heal you.¡± ¡°Okay, that sounds exactly like the last six attempts.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Not exactly. This time, I¡¯m going in with you.¡± He crossed his hands and shook his head. ¡°No way. You¡¯ll get crushed. Your constitution is what, two?¡± She nodded. ¡°Yeah. But my agility is nine.¡± A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°Still so unfair,¡± Liz said. ¡°Mine is only six, and I got a point from leveling up after killing my spider.¡± ¡°That¡¯s unfair on its own,¡± Adam shouted back. ¡°I had to kill the spider in the first room, then clear this hallway. I had to kill five freaking spiders to level up!¡± ¡°Back on topic,¡± Kyra said wearily. Her stomach rumbled, and a look of pain and understanding crossed Adam¡¯s face. No food for three days was tough. They wouldn¡¯t have energy for much longer. They were trapped. They were going to die one way or another. This had a chance to work, though. If they tried. If she risked everything. ¡°I¡¯m going in with you. You keep the ogre occupied, I¡¯ll run through as quickly as I can, then I¡¯ll grab the key and run back out. You follow, we unlock Liz¡¯ door, and we plan out how to kill or get around the Ogre.¡± ¡°I hate it. Let¡¯s do it,¡± Liz said through the door. Adam grunted. ¡°I extra hate it. But if we don¡¯t do something¡­¡± his belly rumbled as if to punctuate his sentence. He sighed, slapped his knees, and stood. ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡± He took his sword in hand, then walked to the doorway again. The ogre¡¯s baleful gaze was steady on Adam, ready to smash the human once more. ¡°If I survive this tutorial, I¡¯m going to kill every single Ogre on Earth. Genocide.¡± ¡°Yikes,¡± Kyra said as she lined up behind him. ¡°First thing¡¯s first: let¡¯s get that key.¡± Adam nodded, let out a whoop, and charged into the room. Kyra was right behind him, flitting along like his shadow. He broke left, dodging the first strike from the ogre. Its club smashed into the concrete so hard chips went flying. Kyra suppressed the urge to cry out when one cut her cheek. She broke into a flat-out sprint, running for the pedestal on the far side of the room. It took her four seconds, putting out an effort that would have literally killed her before the tutorial. She snatched the key and turned, looking for the ogre. It was right in front of her, club drawn back to smash her into paste. She screamed and dove down, through the ogre¡¯s legs. At the same moment, Adam leapt into the air with a bestial scream, stunning the ogre. He slammed his sword into the nape of its neck. Unfortunately, it barely pierced the skin. She scrambled to her feet and sprinted back out of the room. ¡°I¡¯m clear, Adam!¡± He grunted in reply, working to tear the sword loose. He had to jump free of the ogre when the stun ended and it tried to grab him with its free hand. He landed nimbly, then ran for the door as well. ¡°Fuck!¡± Kyra slid to a stop in the hallway, then lunged the last few feet to Liz¡¯ door. She thrust the key in, twisted, and gasped when it worked. The door opened an inch, before jamming. ¡°Ow! Holy shit, you did it!¡± Liz rushed out of the room, gathering Kyra into a bear hug. ¡°Where¡¯s Adam?¡± A scream came from the room Kyra had just fled from. Adam rocketed into the hallway in a spray of blood. The club slammed into the doorway, stopping in place and dropping to the ground. Liz dropped Kyra and ran to Adam¡¯s side. ¡°Oh my god!¡± ¡°Move,¡± Kyra shouted. It was the worst she had seen him. It looked like the club had hit him square in the back, sending him flying. Then he¡¯d smashed into the wall at high speed. ¡°Please be alive, please be alive.¡± She prepared her spell, then placed her hands against his bloody torso. Golden light flooded out of her, lighting his wounds up. His ribcage reinflated, allowing him to take a breath. He inhaled, then screamed in pain. Liz immediately pinned his arms to the floor, keeping him from hurting himself any further. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Kyra said. ¡°Grab that club, we¡¯ll probably want it. I don¡¯t see his sword.¡± Liz looked down at the dying man, then at the petite healer, and finally at the doorway he¡¯d been ejected through. She growled, then scrambled to the door. The ogre was just beyond, reaching for the club. She snatched it, eliciting a roar from the monster. She stuck her tongue out at it, then retreated with their new weapon. It was nearly as long as she was tall, and she was tall for a woman. She was almost as tall as Adam at five-nine. She dragged the club back from the doorway, making sure the ogre wasn¡¯t following. By the time she got back to the other two, his screaming had stopped. ¡°Is he¡­?¡± Kyra smiled weakly. ¡°He¡¯ll live. At least, as long as the rest of us.¡± Liz slumped to the floor next to Kyra. Despite having only just actually met the tiny woman, she stretched an arm out and drew her in with a sideways hug. ¡°We¡¯ll figure something out.¡± Kyra nodded, then started crying. She buried her face into Liz¡¯ side, letting out great racking sobs. Liz was surprised, but she smiled softly, drew the smaller woman in, and hugged her tighter. She brushed her soft blonde hair. They stayed like that for ten minutes, neither saying a word. Adam finally started to stir, and they broke the hug. Kyra looked up at Liz¡¯ face with a watery smile. ¡°Thank you.¡± Liz smiled back. ¡°Any time. Now, let¡¯s check on the patient.¡± Kyra sniffed, nodded, then sobered as she turned to the young man that had risked everything for them. He opened his eyes and groaned. ¡°Did anybody get the license plate of that truck?¡± Liz and Kyra began to laugh, far too hard for the lame joke. There was a hint of hysteria. ¡°Still got it,¡± he groaned out. ¡°Did we get the key?¡± Liz moved to kneel over him. ¡°Hey there, handsome.¡± He smiled. ¡°Definitely a Karen.¡± Her smile dropped instantly. ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°See?¡± He waved a hand weakly at her. ¡°Haircut and everything.¡± She threw her hands up and walked away. ¡°Men!¡± ¡°Relax, I¡¯m joking! You¡¯re just intimidating.¡± She paused. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Look at you, you¡¯re gorgeous. Tall, athletic, good shoulders,¡± he said, tilting his head so he could see her. He noticed Kyra shiver at the last comment. ¡°And I have never seen purple eyes before.¡± ¡°They¡¯re not¡­ they¡¯re not purple. They¡¯re pink.¡± She kept looking away. ¡°That¡¯s even cooler.¡± Kyra walked over and touched Liz on the arm. ¡°I like them.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a freak.¡± ¡°What,¡± Adam said. ¡°Because you¡¯re an albino?¡± Liz covered her face, letting her long, stark white hair fall down like a curtain. ¡°I¡¯m a freak,¡± she repeated, tears starting to spill. Adam pushed himself slowly, painfully to his feet, then hobbled over to her using the wall for support. He had a hand to his ribs, which were still tender. It was only about ten feet, but his shuffling was slow. She never moved, and neither did Kyra. Adam finally stood right next to them and opened his arms. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like albinism is contagious. And I was serious, you are drop-dead gorgeous.¡± Kyra nodded. She turned Liz and brought her into a hug. Adam encircled both of them. ¡°We¡¯re going to sort this out. We are going to get out of here.¡± The confidence in his voice, despite his obvious lingering pain, was enough. Liz nodded, smearing tears on his shoulder. Then he laughed. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I bet Kyra is in heaven right now.¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± Liz looked down, seeing Kyra¡¯s beet-red face looking up at her. From eye-level with her chest. ¡°Oh¡­ oh!¡± ¡°Adam, you asshole!¡± Kyra pounded on his shoulder with one tiny fist. He laughed, saying ¡°Ow! Are you sure your strength is only a two?¡± Liz drew Kyra back in, making her bury her face. ¡°I don¡¯t mind it one bit.¡± Adam grinned at her, then sat down. He winced in pain. Liz sat down next to him, shoulders touching. Kyra crossed her legs as she sat, directly across from the both of them. ¡°What¡¯s the plan, then?¡± Adam wiped his face to clear it of tears. They were his, and Liz¡¯. He was glad to see her. As much teasing as they had done, he was more glad to finally have someone else. It had started to get lonely with just the two of them. Kyra tilted her head as she thought. ¡°I think I have an idea.¡± The other two drew closer. ¡°It¡¯s going to require all three of us. Liz, do you have anything we need to know?¡± Liz smiled. ¡°Oh yeah.¡± Chapter 24: Tutorial
Adam blitzed the ogre. It had its back turned, scratching at its massive ass. He didn¡¯t make a sound while closing, doing his best to surprise the creature. He flew across the concrete, silent as the night, club clutched in his hands. Just as he close the last few feet, he screamed at the top of his lungs. That surprised the ogre, causing it to leap into the air. He swung with all his might. The club connected at the back of the ogre¡¯s knee, forcing its leg forward and unbalancing it in the air. ¡°Now!¡± Liz stepped into the room brandishing her bow with an arrow already drawn to her cheek. She adjusted as she entered, then loosed the shot. It impacted on the ogre¡¯s skull before any of them had registered the sound of the bow string snapping forward. Its loose, grayish flesh was split by the arrow, drawing a scream even as the creature slammed into the ground. Adam doubled back with the club high overhead. He let out another war cry, jumped, and brought the club down on its head. Liz drew another arrow, nocking it and drawing to her cheek. Kyra slipped in beside her, concerned for Adam¡¯s safety. Adam backed away as the ogre flailed, then rolled over. Another arrow flashed in, carving another groove across its cheek. Dark, brackish blood ran freely from the two cuts on its face. It roared, swinging at Adam. He jumped back. The ogre narrowly missed Adam¡¯s feet. ¡°Adam!¡± He grunted as he landed awkwardly, twisting his ankle. ¡°What, Kyra?!¡± She gasped, covering her mouth. ¡°I got it,¡± Liz said. She shot again, this one ricocheting off the ogre¡¯s cheekbone. It screamed again. ¡°Where did it go?¡± Adam circled the ogre, shouting to the others. They all cast their eyes around, until Kyra squeaked and shouted in response. ¡°Over there!¡± She pointed across the room to a dense pile of refuse. It was as filthy as they had expected the ogre to be. That was clearly where the strong odor that permeated the room originated. ¡°Rrrgh,¡± Adam groaned. He shot a look at the ogre, but it was angling toward Liz. He threw the club with all his might at the ogre¡¯s legs, tripping it up. It went down like an ancient, dry tree. He sprinted toward the dank pile of unmentionable filth. Liz pushed Kyra into a run; fleeing the angry ogre¡¯s wild swings. Adam slid to a stop just outside the rancid puddle, gagging as the stench climbed into his nose and settled into his sinuses in a way that he knew meant it would be following him for days to come. If he survived. Liz knocked, drew, and loosed another arrow in one fluid motion before breaking into a run again. They were trying to keep the ogre distracted while Adam gathered his sword. They had hoped it would still be lodged in the ogre¡¯s neck. He dry retched as he dug through the rotten pile of half-eaten food, which was mixed with the ogre¡¯s¡­ output. He finally saw what Kyra had spotted: the hilt of the sword, mostly covered in some browned cabbage. He grabbed the sword, feeling garbage juice coat his hand. He tried to empty his stomach, but it had been three long, foodless days. There was nothing in his stomach to throw up. Saliva dripped from his lower lip. He spat out the excess, gripped the sword tightly, then turned back to the fight. The ogre was trying to catch either Liz or Kyra, but the smaller woman was too quick to grab, and the archer stayed out of range. His feet squelched as he stepped out of the puddle. Nausea coursed through him, but he fought it down. One step, two, then he was running, closing in on the ogre. It was too frustrated by Kyra¡¯s nimble moves to notice the brutish man rapidly approaching. Adam had an idea. He shouted ¡°The knee!¡± Liz took a moment to understand, then her face lit up. ¡°Get clear, Kyra!¡± The small woman rolled away from the ogre, narrowly avoiding another swipe. She was covered in clammy fear sweat. It was the craziest thing she had ever done. ¡°Now!¡± Adam jumped at the ogre, which smiled with an ugly, broken smile. The few teeth it still had were browned and blackened with rot. Liz let the shot go, which took the ogre in the knee. Surprise flashed across the creature¡¯s face as its left leg buckled, unable to continue supporting the bulk above it. Adam smiled in return, thrusting the sword with all his waning strength. It slid effortlessly into the monster¡¯s eye, then caught on the thick skull behind. He roared at the same time as the ogre. It tipped backward, taken by surprise. Adam¡¯s body slammed into the hilt of the sword, cutting the man¡¯s cry short as it drove the air from his lungs. That impact forced the tip of the sword through the thick skull, penetrating the brain just enough to cause the ogre to spasm. It also folded the man in half, making their skulls collide with a terrible cracking sound. The ogre landed with a crash. Adam hit the ground an instant later, arriving at Liz¡¯ feet in a boneless heap. He was bleeding from his eyes and nose, as well as from a gash on his chest. Kyra screamed as she sprinted toward the man, terrified to watch someone else die. Liz dropped to her knees, tossing the bow to the side. She quickly unfolded the man, laying him on his back. He was breathing, but it was bubbly through the blood in his throat. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°What do we do?¡± Liz felt deja-vu for the moment just hours before when he¡¯d crashed into the hallway in front of her. Kyra skidded to a stop and dropped to her knees next to the man, then put her already-glowing palms to his bare, bloody chest. The blood retreated into his body like a bizarre reverse-motion video. A moment later, he inhaled hard, back arching as bones set and flesh knit shut. ¡°Minor heal my ass,¡± Liz said. ¡°I think it just means how much health it can heal, which is only about sixty at this level,¡± Kyra said distractedly. She checked Adam¡¯s body for additional wounds, anxiously running her hands over his skin. ¡°Mphm,¡± Adam grunted. He groaned, turned his head and coughed a wad of blood out, then cleared his throat. ¡°What?¡± Liz leaned closer to hear what he was trying to say. ¡°Oh¡­¡± He trailed off, then coughed again. Finally, he managed a full word. ¡°O-gre.¡± She shook her head. ¡°You killed it. Sword to the brain.¡± He shook his head. ¡°Regen.¡± Liz and Kyra looked at each other, then both looked at the body of the ogre at the same time. It started twitching then. Both let out terrified shrieks, though Liz¡¯ voice was several octaves lower. Liz scrambled to her feet, jumped over Adam and Kyra, and closed the distance to the fallen monster. It was starting to wave hands around, awkwardly and feebly attempting to remove the sword piercing its brain. She stomped on foot on the creature¡¯s eye, drawing a pathetic whimper from it, then grabbed the sword and jammed it further into the monster¡¯s eye socket. It sank a little bit, but not enough. She jumped, bringing all of her weight down on the weapon. She grunted on landing, then again as it slipped a few inches further into the brain cavity. The ogre was spasming wildly as its brain was lacerated by the blade. With a fierce cry, Liz wrenched back on the handle, shifting the blade in the monster¡¯s head. It jerked again, then fell limp. Just to make sure, she grunted, leaned against the hilt, and pushed. It ground through broken bone. She gripped the cross guard of the sword, then twisted with all her might. The ogre jumped an inch with a full body seizure, then fell limp once more. She had a feeling it was done, but gave it a few more jerks to make sure. It failed to move again. ¡°I think we got it.¡± As if that was the signal, a window popped in front of each of them. Level five Ogre killed. 30 xp awarded. Liz sat down, sword left in the monster, and laughed. She hung her head in exhaustion. ¡°Did we get it?¡± Adam¡¯s voice was muffled, but strong. She turned to him, flicking a lock of white hair out of her face. ¡°Yeah, we got it.¡± She laughed again, sadly. ¡°We got it, and for just thirty xp.¡± Adam started to laugh, which made him groan in pain. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do what?¡± Liz asked with a watery voice. ¡°Don¡¯t make me laugh. I¡¯m in too much pain.¡± ¡°I can cast the spell again in a few minutes,¡± Kyra said. A window popped up. It wasn¡¯t the first time, so that didn¡¯t surprise them. What did surprise them was the content. Tutorial #3: Meditation. Meditation increases all regenerative capabilities of the user four-fold. To start, sit in a cross-legged position, close your eyes, and clear your mind. ¡°What new-age bullshit is this,¡± Liz said. She sounded more annoyed than anything at the sudden tutorial popup. ¡°More importantly,¡± Adam said with a groan. He sat upright, crossed his legs, and closed his eyes. ¡°Why is this number three? I haven¡¯t seen any others.¡± Kyra shook her head. ¡°I haven¡¯t either.¡± She looked at Liz before saying ¡°You?¡± Liz repeated Adam¡¯s motions. ¡°Nah. Whatever, maybe we just didn¡¯t activate the tutorial. That, or we haven¡¯t found the conditions to trigger each one.¡± They all grumbled quietly as they worked toward mental clarity. Kyra achieved it first, startling the others when she jumped in place and let out a little squeal of joy. ¡°I did it!¡± ¡°Jesus,¡± Adam said as he opened his eyes and put a hand to his heart. ¡°Nearly gave me a heart attack.¡± Kyra blanched, then looked chastised. ¡°Sorry.¡± He laughed and reached a hand out, resting it on her shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re fine. Just don¡¯t scare the shit out of me again, please.¡± ¡°Agreed,¡± Liz said with a smile. She closed her eyes and the other two followed suit. Soon, all three were in a meditative state, regenerating quickly. The room was quiet, filled only with their breathing for a long time. Then something whistled. That broke them all out of their trances, looking around for the source of the offending sound. A moment later, Liz gagged. ¡°Oh god, what is that?¡± She held her nose and stepped quickly away from the deflating corpse of the ogre. All three watched in fascination, noses held shut, as the body seemed to turn into a balloon. Rancid air escaped from all over, filling the room with a fresh stench that overpowered the previous odor of the room. All three met gazes, then unanimously agreed without saying a word. They bolted from the room. The air was immediately fresher in the hallway outside. It had some of the stink of their previous stay, but nothing like the ogre. ¡°Gah, what was that?¡± ¡°You would think in a world of magic, that corpses would sort of¡­ take care of themselves,¡± Adam said. Liz and Kyra looked at him skeptically. ¡°What?¡± Liz shook her head. ¡°Whatever. We need to find a way out of this building.¡± They caught their breath, then walked back into the ogre¡¯s concrete den. As if by magic, a doorway stood in the far wall, though it hadn¡¯t been there before the battle. Kyra pointed at the door. ¡°That wasn¡¯t there before, right?¡± Liz and Adam shook their heads. Liz was first to speak up. ¡°I guess we know where we need to go.¡± They started across the room, skirting the form of the ogre. It was half the size it had been. Just as they got to the door, Adam pulled up short. ¡°Oh, wait. My sword!¡± He turned and jogged back to the corpse. He marveled at how good he felt, despite having been gravely injured just an hour before. The skin was oddly rough, yet rubbery when he touched it. Some of it had wrapped around the sword, cocooning it. He was tempted to stick his tongue out, but the stench was still very present. Tutorial #2: Looting. To loot an enemy, touch the corpse after combat has ended and choose to loot it. Some may find it helpful to think the word ¡®loot.¡¯ ¡°Well, I just found out what tutorial number two was.¡± Liz groaned. ¡°What did we miss?¡± ¡°A lot. I¡¯m kicking myself right now.¡± He mimed the action, drawing a laugh from the two women. ¡°Okay, but what was it, really?¡± ¡°Looting.¡± He selected the option in his mind while touching the corpse, and it turned to digital dust, drifting away. ¡°Whoa.¡± Chapter 25: Unnanounced Visitor
¡°What do you suppose ¡®Tutorial Points¡¯ are anyway? Weird that we haven¡¯t got a tutorial for that yet.¡± Kyra waved a hand in front of her face, trying to clear the air. It was rank with corpse rot. Adam nodded, poking the next corpse. The TP counter increased in the side of his vision. ¡°I think we¡¯ll get it when the time is right. I mean, realistically, we¡¯ve cleared three rooms between the three of us. And it took three days to do.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Liz said from the side of the room. She had cleared her own room already. ¡°But the mechanics of this stupid video-game-like system aren¡¯t exactly clear.¡± Adam shook his head. ¡°We can only keep trying.¡± The last corpse drifted into pixelated dust. He stood and brushed his hands on his ragged pants. ¡°Man, what I would give for some intact clothing.¡± Both women eyed him. They were exhausted and starving, but that did nothing to tamp down the reaction they felt. He was in great shape, and they all knew it. ¡°Whatever,¡± he said with a smirk. ¡°Let¡¯s find out what¡¯s past the ogre¡¯s den.¡± Despite the surge of energy meditating and combat had given them, they were dragging. They needed food. Kyra¡¯s stomach rumbled loud enough to make the others wince. ¡°Sorry,¡± she said with a hand to her abdomen. Liz gathered her up into a side hug. ¡°You have nothing to be sorry about, hun.¡± Kyra looked up at the much taller woman, gave a half-hearted smile, then led the way to the exit. ¡°C¡¯mon. Maybe we¡¯ll find a king¡¯s feast on the other side of those doors. The ogre had to be protecting something.¡± They gathered at the door. It opened smoothly, as if someone was regularly doing maintenance. For all they knew, someone was. That, or it was only as old as the tutorial, and magic was responsible for everything. They had no idea what to think. ¡°Another hallway.¡± Adam scratched his head. ¡°Well, I guess we just keep going.¡± They stepped through and the door slammed shut, startling all three. They whirled, only to find a smooth wall. ¡°Jeez, that scared the bahookie out of me,¡± Liz said, clutching her chest. ¡°Bahookey?¡± Kyra side-eyed Liz. ¡°What? I¡¯m from the mid-west. We say ¡®bahookie.¡¯¡± ¡°The Scots say ¡®bahookie,¡¯ and it means bum.¡± Adam turned and led the way. The other two gaped at him. It took a long moment for him to realize they weren¡¯t following. He turned to find them fifteen feet back, where he had left them. ¡°What?¡± Liz waved at him incoherently. He got the meaning anyway. ¡°I like linguistics, sue me.¡± Kyra threw her hands up and walked to catch up with Adam. ¡°Honestly, not even the weirdest thing this week. Who cares if a drop-dead gorgeous guy can tell you the entomology of a word.¡± ¡°Etymology,¡± he said off-hand. ¡°That¡¯s the study of words. Entomology, which is what you just said, is the study of insects.¡± Liz shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I like you enough yet.¡± Adam was confused. ¡°Like me enough for what?¡± ¡°To deal with your pedantry.¡± He put his hands up in surrender and laughed. ¡°Alright, my bad.¡± Just then, a door they hadn¡¯t noticed opened a few feet in front of them with a bang. A smaller man stumbled out, dripping blood. ¡°Whoa!¡± Adam put his hands up, ready to fight. Kyra shoved past him and caught the man before he crashed to the floor. He was about halfway between Kyra and Adam in height, slight of frame, with freckles, thick-rimmed black glasses, and a mop of untamed, sweaty, greasy brown hair. He gasped at seeing the three of them, then his eyes rolled back and he was out cold. ¡°Adam, secure the door. Liz, help me out,¡± Kyra was straining to keep from dropping the unconscious man. He was only a little heavier than her, but she still had virtually no upper body strength. Both immediately listened to her. Adam scoped out the far room, finding it covered in puddles of green liquid, body parts, and more blood than could be explained by the corpses he could see. Despite seeing no active threat, he stood at the ready, blocking the doorway. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Liz grabbed the man and gently lowered him to the ground while Kyra cast a healing spell. His breathing went from ragged to smooth between inhales. ¡°Even if this is all I get from the system,¡± Kyra said quietly. ¡°I¡¯ll be thankful forever.¡± Adam glanced back, unsure how, or even if to respond. Liz shook her head. They had only been a group for a few days, but it was clear to her that Kyra was having a profound moment. After the man was situated and Liz was watching to make sure he wasn¡¯t a threat, Kyra peeked around the side of the door frame Adam stood in. ¡°Gross.¡± ¡°That sums it up pretty well,¡± Adam said. ¡°Why are you standing here, though?¡± Kyra shook her head, still peeking into the gore-filled room. Adam held up his index finger. ¡°First: when our door closed, it disappeared.¡± He put up a second finger. ¡°B: there are bodies in here.¡± Kyra nodded. ¡°And the third?¡± Adam extended the third finger. ¡°Trois: there might be goodies. We have no idea how long he¡¯s been in here, if there are other people, or if there¡¯s food.¡± Kyra felt a little thrill down her spine. She dismissed it. ¡°That was three more points on your third.¡± Adam shrugged. ¡°Counting is hard.¡± Liz spoke up, though she refused to take here eyes off the unknown man. ¡°What do we do?¡± ¡°I want to check the room, and see if there¡¯s anything in here. Kyra, if you can stay here with Liz,¡± he said while looking down at his friend. She nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll clear it and loot everything I can. Hopefully, it¡¯ll only take a few minutes. Oh,¡± he paused before entering. He looked down at Kyra again. His eyes were bright, almost feverish. ¡°Kyra, please don¡¯t let the door close. I don¡¯t know if it would disappear, but I don¡¯t want to chance it.¡± Kyra nodded gravely, then took his position as he walked into the room. She sat with her back to the door, glancing between both the man and Liz, as well as Adam¡¯s retreating form. He stepped carefully. His shoes were falling apart, and he was certain the green liquid was poison. The remains of a massive spider, more than four times the size of the ones he¡¯d fought with Kyra, were scattered all around the room. It was like the man, whoever he was, had taken his time dismantling the spider at each and every joint. He nudged one piece of leg, disgusted to find it was like a large tube with hair growing out of it. Black ichor dripped from both ends of the severed limb. It quickly turned to digital dust, with the rest of the body following in a rippling ring of dark gray smoke. +20 Tutorial Points. ¡°Fascinating,¡± he said as he watched the body disappear. Then he picked his way across the room. It was thoroughly coated in all manner of fluids. There was the green of the poison, which smoked just the smallest bit when he crouched to observe it. Then there was the black ichor of the spider, and a lot of human blood. Surprisingly, he found no other bodies. The hallway at the far side of the room was much like their own, with two additional rooms radiating from it. One was completely clear, and the other had a host of corpses. Four humans, so badly chopped up and decomposed he couldn¡¯t even begin to guess genders. Curious, he tried to loot the human bodies. They drifted away, but he gained nothing. ¡°Weird.¡± He made his way back to the survivor being watched by his friends. He had questions. Kyra saw the look in his eyes as he walked back and immediately jumped up. She knew something was wrong. ¡°What is it?¡± He looked down at the unconscious man before answering. ¡°There are four corpses in the far room. Would have been the room Liz started in on our side.¡± ¡°Huh,¡± Liz grunted. ¡°At least, I think it¡¯s four. They¡¯re in bad shape. Like, Dexter bad.¡± ¡°Ew,¡± Kyra said as she wrapped herself in a hug. She rubbed her arms and stared at the small man. ¡°Do you think¡­?¡± Adam shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to think. I do know jumping to conclusions is dangerous, though. He could have killed them all, or he could have barely escaped some nasty in-fighting, or maybe he¡¯s just lucky and he survived the first fight when they didn¡¯t. We just don¡¯t know.¡± He looked at Kyra, seeing her clearly shaken up. He stooped down, wrapping her in his arms. She hardly noticed, just staring at the man. He sat, drawing her down with him. She sat next to him, still comforting herself. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Liz looked over, noting the haunted expression on Kyra¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯ve seen him before.¡± ¡°Before? You mean, like, before the tutorial?¡± Kyra nodded. ¡°He worked at¡­ at¡­¡± she trailed off. Then she shook her head. ¡°Never mind. It probably isn¡¯t him.¡± Adam looked between the two women. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it,¡± Kyra said. The firmness in her voice surprised all three of them. That was when the man groaned, coughed, and opened his eyes. ¡°Oh, gods. What happened?¡± Despite his small stature and unusual appearance, his voice was a pleasant tenor. Adam stood, unsure what else to do. ¡°You surprised us here. Did you kill that spider?¡± The man nodded, closing his eyes once more. He threw an arm across his face. ¡°Yeah.¡± He swallowed. ¡°Yeah, I did. That was¡­ not fun.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Liz scooted a little away from the man, wanting a gap in case he tried anything. ¡°I¡¯m Carl. Carl Strossenberg.¡± ¡°Hello, Carl. I¡¯m Adam. Can you tell us what happened to everybody else in your room?¡± Carl grew quiet. ¡°They died.¡± ¡°Yes, I noticed that.¡± Adam looked at Liz, who stood and backed another step away. ¡°Can you tell us how they died?¡± ¡°I woke up in a room with this weird spider-pig hybrid thing. It had eight horrible legs, way too many eyes, tusks jutting from a pig face, bristles¡­ it was like God was hungover and slapping horrible things together instead of throwing up.¡± ¡°Descriptive,¡± Kyra said. She clutched the back of Adam¡¯s slacks and peered around him. Carl nodded. ¡°I was lucky. There was only one in my room. I kicked it to death, looted it, got some daggers. I guess the others all spawned in their room with twice as many of the things. It was a slaughter. I found the key at the end of the hallway and opened the door, only to find that¡­ bloodbath. I threw up, shut the door, and cried for like a day straight.¡± Liz softened her stance. He didn¡¯t look to be a threat to her. Adam was on the fence. However, he could feel the tension in Kyra¡¯s grip. Her knuckles were practically white from the tension. ¡°Did you work at UTS in Dallas?¡± Carl started, his eyes flying open and fixing on Kyra¡¯s face. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re her.¡± She swallowed. ¡°And you¡¯re him.¡± Liz looked down at Kyra, then over at Carl. She adopted a fighting stance. ¡°Who are you and why is she so freaked out?¡± Adam had never let his guard down, but he shuffled a step back to get Kyra clear of any attacks. Carl crunched up to a seated position. ¡°I already told you, I¡¯m Carl Strossenberg. Doctor Carl Strossenberg.¡± ¡°Kill him,¡± Kyra hissed. ¡°He¡¯s dangerous.¡± Adam looked down at Kyra, then over at Liz. They turned their attention to the doctor. ¡°Well,¡± Carl said. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Chapter 26: Families ¡°Welcome to the Tier One Penthouse.¡± I looked up at the ceiling. I didn¡¯t see any speakers. With a shrug, I walked out of the elevator and into the foyer. Like the lower floors, it made an effort to be audacious without being outright gaudy. Marble floors, mahogany wainscoting, black and white furniture and lamps with gold trim. It was rich, well beyond anything I would have afforded in my life before the system. A circular table stood in the center of the round room with a vase full of fresh flowers. They were unlike anything I had seen before. The stalks were a brilliant cool purple, while the flowers themselves were a luminous green. It was like someone had made flowers, but had been given a palette of colors and told to go wild. Some looked like sunflowers with a broad head, while others more closely resembled roses with petals swirling in to a geometric point. I was completely distracted by the wild look of the plants, which is why I was startled by the voice that came from somewhere behind the plants. It was smooth, with a clear affectation that was stereotypical of a British manservant. ¡°Sir, are you here for the high roller game?¡± I straightened up in a start. Looking around, I didn¡¯t spot anyone at first, until the thing moved. It was presumably what the smooth, cultured voice had come from. I just couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of the thing. While it wore a tailored suit, it was clear the clothing was meant for a human of significant proportions. Instead of a neck and head, a writhing¡­ thing wiggled. It pulsed like an earthworm, but I couldn¡¯t even begin to guess what the flesh was made of. The only thing I was certain of was it wasn¡¯t actual flesh. It rippled and shined like liquid mercury, or like the liquid Terminator from the second movie, but the color was wrong. It was like someone melted down a mood ring and that was the body of the thing. ¡°Wha¡­ what? What are you?¡± I¡¯m a freaking genius, I thought derisively. Couldn¡¯t even put together a coherent sentence. I stepped to the side, readying for a fight. The thing even had gloves at the end of the sleeves. The left hand was at its side, while the right was held palm in in front of the chest; a towel or something to that effect hanging over its arm. ¡°I am a¨C¡± it broke into what sounded like a small dump truck of shale crashing onto broken glass for an eternity, or maybe more like four or five seconds. ¡°Most other species call us ¡®Stoneworms¡¯, as translated into your tongue.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ huh¡­¡± I stepped closer, looking at the rippling stone. Based on the name, that was exactly what it was made of. Rings of moving color never stopped rising, closing at the top while more followed. It was like ripples on a pond in reverse. I felt mesmerized. Without even really registering it, I reached a hand out, ready to touch the odd substance. ¡°I would not do that,¡± the voice said again. The ripples moved a little faster while it spoke, then returned to a sedate pace. I hesitated, then pulled my hand back. ¡°Why?¡± It still did not move, save for the ripples crawling upward. ¡°My skin is reportedly quite caustic to more organic species.¡± ¡°Huh, useful. Skin that burns anything that threatens you.¡± ¡°Oh, no, sir. We use our skin for fast, chemical based communication within our own species.¡± ¡°If you can communicate chemically, why do you talk out loud?¡± My curiosity was piqued. ¡°Audible communication requires several years of training for my kind. I completed my training in a mere forty years.¡± I nodded mutely, contemplating that. It had taken nearly twice as long as I had been alive for this alien to learn to speak out loud. ¡°As I enquired before, are you here for the high roller game?¡± I nodded again. ¡°Uh, yeah, I guess so.¡± ¡°Very well, sir. It is ten thousand to buy in. Are you familiar with Texas Hold-em?¡± My attention snapped back to the butler. ¡°Yes I am.¡± ¡°We play a variant here. If you are familiar, you should do just fine.¡± ¡°O¡­ okay.¡± Not going to lie here, I was completely out of my depth. The stoneworm turned in place, still not actually moving. The door opened slowly, enough that I expected it to creak. It did not, instead gliding smoothly and silently. Beyond was what had clearly been part of a hotel suite at some point. All the furniture had been replaced with a single round table in the center. Three men already sat around it, cards in hand. I say men, and maybe they had genders in their respective species, but in the end, I was only guessing. None turned to look at me, instead focusing on the game. I took the opportunity to look them over. The first resembled a pigeon, if it was slim, humanoid, and had moved toward forward vision. The feathers along its neck were small and smooth, approaching the look of scales, while those on top of its head were so long as to appear like hair. It had a very short beak that looked almost like a long nose, though the color was wrong for skin. The eyes were a rich brown interwoven with golden highlights. Its plumage was a pleasant gray-white, with darker gray in spots that almost appeared like eyebrows and even facial hair. He had two arms that ended in slim hands with long feathers all but covering the fingers. I tried to pull its status, and got a short response. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ??? Race: Pipio Sapiens Faction: Silver Spire Casino Level: 20 HP: ???? HP regen per second: ??? Mana: ???? Mana regen per second: ??? ¡°Great,¡± I muttered to myself. A few feathers on the bird¡¯s head shifted, like it was listening to me. It still didn¡¯t look at me. Satisfied it wouldn¡¯t for the time being, I turned my attention to the next apparent boss. This one resembled a frog, again as if it were changed into human form. While the eyes were still bulbous and at the top of its head, like the more active predatory frogs, they faced forward. It had slick, almost shiny green skin, though I had a feeling it would be dry and smooth to the touch. It had a wide mouth which opened occasionally to breathe, and a bright red tongue that sat right behind its lips. Shiny brown eyes glared down at the cards it held. His fingers, like the rest of the creature¡¯s body, were long and dainty. I expected them to end in almost sucker-like protrusions, but instead, they were just slightly larger pads than my own fingers. Once again, I tried to pull up its status. ??? Race: Polypedates Sapiensis Faction: Silver Spire Casino Level: 20 HP: ???? HP regen per second: ??? Mana: ???? Mana regen per second: ??? I shook my head. I was getting nowhere. For the sake of completion more than anything, I turned my attention to the third man. He had a long mane of luxurious fur, which looked like a warrior¡¯s mohawk more than anything. His coloration was like that of a cheetah or something more exotic. Tan-brown, with some red in the background. The spots were a much darker brown, and went all over the body. He had a long snout, golden eyes, and short, muscular arms. It had hands with thumbs, though the fingers were just as snubbed as the limbs. He shot me a look, though it was so quick I wasn¡¯t sure I even saw it. For the last time, I checked out his status. ??? Race: Crocuta Sapiensis Faction: Silver Spire Casino Level: 20 HP: ???? HP regen per second: ??? Mana: ???? Mana regen per second: ??? Each of them rapidly picked up cards, playing whole hands every few seconds. I could see some blurs of movement on the table. I took a step closer, still wary of the three ¡®men¡¯, but finding my curiosity piqued. They were playing a game, and it was likely that was the one I was going to play when I sat down with them. ¡°You know,¡± said the dog-like boss in an accent that was very much inspired by The Godfather. ¡°It¡¯s pretty rude to stare.¡± I blinked, took a step back, then did just that, staring at the dog. He turned his full attention on me then. He smiled, though all that did was bare his teeth. And there were a lot of teeth. ¡°I¡¯m Patrizio Selvaggi, of the Selvaggis.¡± ¡°Oh, come on, Pitbull. Don¡¯t be so heartless to the kid.¡± This came from the frog looking boss. His voice put him around the same age as Selvaggi, though he sounded more Italian. He turned to me. ¡°I am Innocenzo Branciforte.¡± He said his name like In-no-chen-zo Brawn-ki-for-tay. It sounded very Italian. ¡°Hey, if you¡¯re gonna do Pitbull dirty, Roulette, at least give him your nickname while you¡¯re at it,¡± said the third man in an unmistakable New Yorker accent. He turned to me and nodded. ¡°I am Clodomiro Coopman, though these ¡®egg-heads¡¯ call me The Owl.¡± ¡°Uh, hi. I¡¯m Alabaster Blackwood.¡± ¡°Ooh, that¡¯s a good name,¡± said Coopman. ¡°Uh-huh,¡± grunted Selvaggi. ¡°Quite good. Some day, he may have a family of his own, and I would be delighted to welcome him to our table,¡± added Branciforte. ¡°But today is not that day,¡± I interrupted. That made all three men snap their attention to me. ¡°Am I right?¡± ¡°Ballsy,¡± said Coopman. ¡°I¡¯m guessing he¡¯s called Pitbull because he¡¯s a dog, or something dog-like.¡± ¡°My ancestors were Hyenas, if you must know,¡± said Selvaggi. ¡°And we are a proud people and family from New Jersey.¡± I snapped my fingers and pointed at him. ¡°I knew it.¡± Then I turned my attention to Coopman. ¡°You look like a dove, or a pigeon.¡± ¡°Same species, actually,¡± said Coopman in a calm tone. ¡°And yes, they call me The Owl to make fun of me. Joke¡¯s on them, owls are dumb as fuck, and I descended from one of the greatest flying species in the world.¡± ¡°You ever wonder if we already knew that, bird brain?¡± ¡°Gentlemen,¡± interrupted Branciforte. ¡°Perhaps it is best if we behave ourselves in front of our guest.¡± ¡°You guys are fine,¡± I said. ¡°What I can¡¯t figure out is why you¡¯re called Roulette.¡± ¡°That is because these two consider me to be a bit of a wild card.¡± ¡°Just like in the game of roulette, you put your bets down, and watch the game happen. It¡¯s out of your hands, and in those of fate.¡± Branciforte sighed. ¡°For the last time, I am not an instrument of Fate.¡± Selvaggi shook his shaggy head. ¡°We¡¯re all tools of Fate. It¡¯s just that some of us have more say in how and when we are used.¡± He looked pointedly at Branciforte before turning his head back to me. ¡°This is a private game. Sorry, son. Another time, maybe.¡± I shook my head. ¡°I was sent here by Douma.¡± All three fell silent. ¡°I had to buy in. Ten grand.¡± None of them moved or spoke for a long moment. I took a step closer. The board in the center of the table was completely clear. Selvaggi was the first to speak. ¡°Perhaps it is not us that are the tools, today. Perhaps it is our guest.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if I like being called a tool,¡± I said. I didn¡¯t want to disrespect the three men. Each of them were significantly more powerful than me, and all three together represented an insurmountable force. ¡°Relax, kid. He¡¯s not calling you a tool,¡± said Coopman. ¡°He¡¯s saying you were guided here.¡± ¡°Uh, yeah. Douma sent me, like I said.¡± The three men looked at each other, having the kind of rapid, silent conversation only old friends can have. Finally, Coopman spoke up. ¡°Alright kid. Have a seat. Like you said, it¡¯s ten to buy in. Have you played this before?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even know what ¡®this¡¯ is.¡± All three smiled. ¡°You are gonna love it.¡± Chapter 27: Gambling I walked to the indicated chair and grabbed it. ¡°I¡¯m sure I will love it, but can you explain it really quick?¡± ¡°Yeah, no problem, kid. Take a seat and we¡¯ll go over the rules.¡± I nodded at Coopman in thanks, then swiveled my body around the chair to sit in it. ¡°Do you know what¨C¡± Coopman¡¯s words were cut off as my everything went away. I wasn¡¯t shocked, I had dealt with the transition several times already. Still, the way his words were cut off, it made me wonder if this was normal. Even though I had nothing to base on, I had a feeling the time it took was longer than before. ¡°Well that was pretty rude,¡± said Coopman. ¡°Not like it¡¯s the kid¡¯s fault,¡± replied Selvaggi. ¡°He¡¯s here way too early as it is.¡± ¡°And that is why he is joining us for a casual game,¡± Branciforte said. I blinked my eyes, slowly gaining my eyesight back. At first it was all a bright, blurry mess. After a few seconds, I could make out broad sprays of color. Blue skies, which was a good sign. Green-brown for the earth, also encouraging. ¡°I don¡¯t even want to explain the rules anymore.¡± Coopman sounded miffed. ¡°Don¡¯t take your frustration out on the kid,¡± Selvaggi said, once again defending me. It really surprised me. ¡°It¡¯s not his fault, this is all the system¡¯s doing.¡± ¡°Yeah, but he sat down and locked up the game for over an hour.¡± ¡°Still, it is not his doing,¡± Branchiforte said. I could finally see, and it was not encouraging. I stood on the top of a castle battlement. Below stretched a massive field, over a mile to a side. The sun was high overhead, baking the blood-stained grass and turning it a dark, muddy red. There were no corpses at the moment, but it was clear the the field had seen many battles. The grass grew tall and wild, obviously well fed by the dead. Directly across the field was another castle, identical to my own. I shouldn¡¯t have been able to, but I could see Coopman angrily stomping around, head bobbing and beak snapping in irritation. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said aloud. It seemed to travel directly to Coopman, who jerked to a stop, then slumped. ¡°No, they¡¯re right. It isn¡¯t your fault. We just don¡¯t get much down time after everything starts, and you¡¯re here so early, interrupting our setup process.¡± I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t know why.¡± ¡°He has been allowed here by the system,¡± Branciforte said in his slow voice. I looked to the left and saw Branciforte sitting on the battlement. It was a hilarious sight, with him sitting as a proper gentleman on a plush chair, pipe in hand, and a new, crazy mustache on his upper lip. It was so out of place I couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°What are you laughing¨C¡± Selvaggi started to say, then went silent. He then broke into yipping laughter, not unlike the baying of his ancestors. ¡°What? What is it?¡± I could see Coopman looking at Selvaggi, then at me. Back and forth, totally lost. That is, until he looked at Branciforte. ¡°Oh my god, not again.¡± ¡°I am a proud Italian,¡± Branciforte said huffily. ¡°We are famed for our mustaches.¡± I looked at the final castle, completing the square around the battlefield. Selvaggi was rolling on his battlement, legs kicking at the air. ¡°You might be Italian, but you¡¯re a frog! Frogs don¡¯t grow mustaches!¡± ¡°That is specist and offensive. My cousin is a Leptobrachium!¡± ¡°Yeah, they do have mustaches,¡± Coopman said. ¡°I mean, they look like spiny ridges, but close enough.¡± Selvaggi continued howling with laughter for another solid minute. It was so ridiculous, Coopman started to chuckle, then I started to as well. That finally made Branciforte break, and we all had a good laugh for a long minute. When we all finally calmed down, Selvaggi was first to speak. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, that was rude. I was just caught off guard.¡± I saw Branciforte wave him off. ¡°Think nothing of it. Humor is finding the unexpected where it does not belong.¡± He smiled, wiggling his mustache. ¡°I just happen to be the bit of unexpected today.¡± ¡°Alright! Alright,¡± Coopman said with characteristic sternness. ¡°We need to explain the game to the kid so we can get started. I¡¯m itching to beat the both of you¨C¡± he paused and looked at me. ¡°The three of you like a rug at an Egyptian bazaar.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if I like being included here,¡± I said with a laugh. The others laughed with me, but there was an edge to it. ¡°Do you know the game of five cards?¡± I looked over at Selvaggi, who had a wolfish grin on his long, very canine face. ¡°Uh, if you mean something like five card draw, like poker, then yeah.¡± ¡°Great,¡± said Coopman. ¡°This is nothing like that.¡± ¡°What?¡± I looked back and forth between the two, who laughed yet again. They were obviously in good spirits. I had a growing sense of dread. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°He¡¯s right, and wrong,¡± Selvaggi said with a chuckle. ¡°That¡¯s as clear as mud!¡± I flung my hands up in frustration. ¡°Mud is not clear,¡± Branciforte said. He sat up, giving me a bit of stink eye while puffing on his pipe. ¡°Duh,¡± I said as I slumped. ¡°Relax, kid,¡± Selvaggi patted the air. ¡°It is similar in that you draw five cards. In fact, the hands even match what you know of poker. You get to discard and draw one time, and your final hand is what matters. That¡¯s where this game differs from poker.¡± I looked down at the bloodstained ground between our castles. ¡°Exactly, you¡¯re getting the idea. You lock your hand in, and that generates your units. You select an opponent, then your units go to battle with the other forces. You get gold for each unit killed by your soldiers, which you can use for upgrades.¡± ¡°Enough talking, I want to fight,¡± Branciforte said. ¡°Finally!¡± Coopman jumped a bit, then sat in a chair that hadn¡¯t been there when he started the motion. I looked over at Selvaggi to find him sitting as well. I looked behind me to find a matching plush seat. This close, I could tell it was very expensive. The red fabric looked soft yet sturdy. Dark wood made up the body and appeared quite heavy, giving it a weight that simply wasn¡¯t there for cheaper wood. It had inlaid metalwork, which looked to be made from gold. It positively gleamed in the bright sunlight. I thought that odd, since real gold tarnishes over time, and this chair looked old. The velvet even looked a little faded, but from use instead of neglect. I sat, enjoying the plush comfort for just a moment. It took a few seconds, but a message popped in my vision. Terms set. Winner take all. Last castle standing. Starting forces: 20 basic soldiers. Starting wages: 10 gold. Time limit: 5 minutes per round. Do you agree to the starting terms? I looked over what was stated. From what I had gathered, I would play a round of poker, which in turn would affect my units. I took a long moment, but I could feel the other three staring at me. It was obvious I was slowing the game down. ¡°Fine,¡± I said as I agreed. The window disappeared. I heard the clamor of men preparing for war below. I stood, then leaned forward to look down the wall. Giant wooden doors stood open just below, and twenty men with swords walked out. They had good unit cohesion, though the lack of armor was worrying. As I was watching the men walk out, another window popped up. Sit down, fool. I looked up, spotting Selvaggi staring at me with daggers. Delaying the game again. ¡°C¡¯mon, man. This is cool. I¡¯m just taking it in.¡± I watched him mouth something at me. It took a long moment for me to realize that I couldn¡¯t hear him anymore, even though I could see him. Whatever had allowed us to all chat freely was gone. I guessed it had something to do with the game starting. I sat, which prompted yet another window to pop up. Available upgrades: Soldier upgrades: +1 cost per investment Speed: 10 Health: 10 Damage: 10 Quantity: 10 Castle upgrades: Health: 10 Repair (ability): 100 Repair: Cost dependent Archers: 10 Unlocks: Archers: 30 Mages: 80 Knights: 100 Bears: 100 Dwarves: 110 Griffons: 200 Dragon: 500 I checked my total, which was once again in the lower left of my vision. I had ten gold to spend. I could upgrade my units, my castle, or save and unlock a new unit type. Lots of decisions. I waffled for a bit, though I narrowed my choices down to either upgrading the speed or health of the soldiers. ¡°Wait,¡± I muttered. I could also upgrade the quantity of soldiers. A timer popped up in my vision. It was counting down from 30. It seemed the preparation stages also had a timer. It kept ticking while I tried to figure out what I wanted to do. Greater speed meant they could close on the others faster. More health, they can last longer. More men, better chance to overwhelm the opposing force. ¡°Uh,¡± I mumbled. Fifteen seconds left. ¡°Craaaaaap.¡± Ten. ¡°What if¡­¡± I started toward the speed. Eight. ¡°But¡­¡± Five. I couldn¡¯t choose. Three. ¡°Gah!¡± I poked the line for speed, watching my gold drain. The men gave a roar below. The timer expired. Target randomly chosen. ¡°Crap,¡± I said again. ¡°I forgot to choose an opponent.¡± Coopman¡¯s castle suddenly had a large arrow overhead, pointing straight down at him. ¡°Oh, guess that makes it easy to figure out which one I chose.¡± The men all let out a battle cry, then rushed into battle. I watched them race down the hill. They moved so quickly I was worried they would be exhausted before they reached the other forces. One man had a banner, which I figured made him the standard bearer. Each unit had one. My standard looked to be a black tree on a white shield. It was a pretty damn cool symbol, and one I could easily recognize as my own, even having never seen it before. It spoke to me. I checked out the other standards. Sure enough, Selvaggi¡¯s had a stylized pit bull with a partial wreath below it. Coopman¡¯s had an owl in flight, wings spread and talons outstretched for the attack. Branciforte¡¯s surprised me, though. Instead of something like a roulette wheel, which would have matched his nickname like the other two, it was a pair of tumbling dice. They had the ones facing the front, though clearly still in motion. My men raced for Coopman¡¯s, who turned toward Branchiforte¡¯s. They angled toward my men, as well as Selvaggi¡¯s. It was one on one on one, but it was also two on one. My brain hurt. ¡°Forget all that,¡± I whispered. I didn¡¯t know why, it just felt right. The tension was high. My men were first to make contact. They got the first swing in against Coopman¡¯s soldiers, and it was surprising. I could tell, just from a glance, that the numbers for all four units were the same. Branciforte¡¯s men had small shields strapped to their left arms. That was the only difference I could see. The clash was fast. My men swooped in, and even from over half a mile away, I could make out the screams of the dying. Fresh blood painted the grass. I wanted to turn away, but found I couldn¡¯t tear my eyes from the brutal combat. I was invested. By the time the other two teams had arrived, my soldiers had slaughtered Branciforte¡¯s men. I saw five of my men go down, but the remaining fifteen had taken out all of their opponents. They turned in time to clash with the other two forces. To my surprise and delight, Selvaggi and Coopman soldiers fought each other as much as they fought my own men. Before long, the first round finished. I had seven men remaining. They were all that stood. The speed boost had really paid off. I looked across the field at my men. They were stoic in the face of terrible victory. Each was filthy with mud and blood. I felt such sorrow I had sent them to their fate. And worse, I knew what was next. They started trudging toward Branciforte¡¯s castle. One slow, reluctant step after another. There was no sign of their speed now. The first arrow flew when they were a hundred yards from the castle. It missed, but only just. The men did nothing to dodge or scramble around. They continued a straight line trek to the front gates. Tears carved lines down my face as I watched them die, one by one. It was somehow so much worse than the battlefield. One archer defending a castle. Hardly any damage done. And I had to do it again. But I had no choice. And neither did the soldiers we used. Chapter 28: Golden Adam shook his head. This was not working. ¡°Can you two stop bickering for five seconds?¡± Kyra looked back, eyes blazing. She was standing at her full height, which put her about even with Carl¡¯s chin. Neither was tall, nor intimidating, yet he was reluctant to get in the middle. ¡°He¡¯s a killer!¡± ¡°She¡¯s a liar!¡± Adam shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t have evidence for either of your claims.¡± Liz put a hand on his shoulder and stepped forward. ¡°I want you both to sit down, take a deep breath, and then we¡¯ll start from the beginning.¡± Kyra¡¯s hands shook with rage, but she broke from the conflict first. She stomped two steps to the wall, turned, and sat with her back to it. She closed her eyes and breathed surprisingly deep. It took long enough that Adam had a raised eyebrow by the time she stopped to hold the breath. He opened his mouth to say something, but stopped when Liz gently touched his shoulder. Carl finally slumped and followed her lead, going to the opposite wall and sliding down. He hugged his knees to his chest, then buried his face. Adam and Liz both felt uncomfortable as they watched his shoulders heave. He remained quiet, however. They waited until both had settled down. Kyra opened her eyes, and though she glared at Carl, she didn¡¯t say anything. Carl raised his head a moment later, wiping tears away. ¡°Why are you crying?¡± Adam was a little shocked to hear the hint of concern from Kyra. He looked at her, and she was still scowling, but there was a bit of uncertainty that hadn¡¯t been there before. ¡°I swore an oath. I broke that this week. I had no choice.¡± ¡°Oh, what, ¡®do no harm?¡¯ That¡¯s a load of crap,¡± Kyra spat out. Carl nodded. ¡°Yes. ¡®Do no harm,¡¯ or as it is in the oath: ¡®Most especially must I tread with care in matters of life and death. If it is given me to save a life, all thanks. But it may also be within my power to take a life; this awesome responsibility must be facesd with great humbleness and awareness of my own frailty. Above all, I must not play at God.¡¯¡± He fell silent. They all waited. ¡°I did my best.¡± ¡°You tried to kill me!¡± He shook his head. ¡°I tried to end your pain.¡± Liz gasped. ¡°You¡¯re an angel of death.¡± Carl buried his face again. Liz looked a Kyra. Adam felt the tension in the room ratchet up another notch. Kyra looked up at Adam. ¡°He¡¯s a killer. He put morphine in my IV. A lethal dose.¡± ¡°I was trying to help you.¡± His words were muffled. They could hear the tears in his voice. ¡°I thought I was doing the right thing.¡± ¡°YOU HAD NO RIGHT TO TAKE MY LIFE!¡± The scream was loud enough to make Adam and Liz stumble back a few steps. Kyra was on her feet in an instant, fists tight, shoulders heaving as she fought the urge to pummel the man to death. ¡°You were already dying.¡± It was practically a whisper, but it cut through the silence as loud as a crashing boulder. Kyra sat back down. Tears ran down her face. ¡°I know. But I was fighting.¡± ¡°It was in your brain, throat, lungs, breasts, kidneys, stomach¡­ it was everywhere. You were late stage four.¡± Liz gasped again, a look of horror on her face. She smashed her hands to her mouth, both in an effort to stifle her own voice, and to stop from sobbing. To Adam, it finally made sense. Kyra was so small because she had cancer before the system. ¡°I wanted to go out on my own terms.¡± ¡°You couldn¡¯t lift your arms.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you to end it.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t have to.¡± Adam took a step forward, which caused the two arguing to stop. ¡°Carl, I know you¡¯re basically a Doctor forever. Unless someone takes your license, which sounds like it might have happened.¡± Carl shook his head. ¡°I administered the dose ten minutes before the System intervened. She had maybe another five minutes to live.¡± Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°He killed me.¡± Adam looked at Kyra. ¡°That¡¯s not strictly true.¡± ¡°Without the intervention of the System, I would be dead right now.¡± He raised a finger, then let it wilt. She was right. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll end up being our healer. Kyra already has that down pretty well.¡± ¡°You¡¯re letting him come with us?¡± Adam looked pointedly at Carl. ¡°Are you going to try to finish the job?¡± Carl shook his head. ¡°No. She¡¯s cured. I don¡¯t even need to make an examination. If you had seen her before the System¡­¡± he shook his head again. ¡°You would know, too. And no, I think you¡¯re both right. I¡¯ve lost my right to be a doctor. Even the System seems to think so.¡± He slid a dagger seemingly out of nowhere. It was dark, sleek, dangerous looking. Something that belonged to an assassin. A far cry from a surgeon¡¯s scalpel. He laughed bitterly. ¡°This is what I was given. It even has a name.¡± Adam waited, looking at Liz and Kyra in turn. They were just as curious. ¡°Well? What is it?¡± Adam was still on edge, but he took one more step. ¡°It¡¯s called Angel¡¯s Mercy.¡± ¡°What a sick joke,¡± Kyra said. She stood once more, then offered her hand to him. Everyone watched expectantly. His dagger disappeared as quickly as it had shown up, almost like it was summoned, and he took her hand. She heaved him to his feet. ¡°You ever do anything creepy near me, I¡¯m going to tear your balls off and staple them over your eyes.¡± Adam flinched at the threat. Both men let out a little groan. Carl pinched his knees together and waved her off. ¡°Nope. Never going to get near you again.¡± Kyra looked over and up at her friends. ¡°Fine. But if he fucks up¡­¡± Adam nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll hold him down.¡± Liz nodded as well. ¡°I¡¯ll find the right rock. Gotta be sharp enough to cut skin, but can¡¯t be too sharp. Can¡¯t have it be a pleasant situation.¡± Adam looked at Liz. ¡°What the actual fuck?¡± Liz shrugged. She walked lightly to Kyra, placed a hand on the smaller woman¡¯s shoulder, and they continued walking to the far end of the hallway. ¡°I think it¡¯s time we moved on.¡± Adam looked at Carl. They shrugged together, then followed after the women. ¡°Think I should be worried?¡± Adam looked down at the little man. ¡°Yes. But if you don¡¯t fuck up, things will probably be okay.¡± Carl dry swallowed and nodded. The four of them gathered at a door. It was just as industrial as the rest of the complex- a solid steel slab without even a porthole to look through. They gathered up, Liz and Adam at the front, Kyra and Carl a step behind. They looked like a special forces team getting ready to breach through a door into a room filled with hostiles. ¡°Ready?¡± Adam was still tense from the earlier discussion. They all were. Liz nodded, and he grabbed the door handle. He twisted it slowly, then pushed the door. They spilled through, weapons at the ready. ¡°What?¡± Adam spun in place. The door was gone. All they could see were trees. Undergrowth grabbed at their legs. They shuffled together, eyes on every hint of movement. Though they could see daylight above, the thick canopy made it a murky twilight. ¡°We¡¯re in a forest.¡± ¡°Thank you, Liz,¡± Adam said through clenched teeth. ¡°What happened?¡± Kyra smacked Carl on the shoulder. ¡°We all arrived here at the same time, dumbass.¡± ¡°No fighting,¡± Adam hissed. ¡°Everyone stick with me. We need to find a clearing.¡± They listened, something he was starting consider a small miracle. Adam led the way, with Carl clutching his shoulder. Liz was behind the assassin, with Kyra following. They all had their heads tilted to listen for any noise other than their own. Moving was slow. They heard little for the first few minutes, aside from their own breathing and the constant wind overhead. They finally found and approached a small clearing. When they were ten feet from the edge of the clearing, Adam signaled a halt. He hunkered down on the balls of his feet, ready to move at a moment¡¯s notice, and the other three followed his example. ¡°I think we can set up a base here. It¡¯s clear enough we can make some shelter, start figuring out what to do for food, water, that kind of thing. Then we can figure out where we are.¡± The three following him nodded, and he took a step. A twig broke under his foot, and all the sound they hadn¡¯t registered went silent. No more rustling of insects. No birds calling, shuffling around, flying to new branches. No animals snuffling about in the underbrush. Save for the wind, it was suddenly dead quiet. Nobody moved. For some unexplainable reason, they all felt a sense of danger rise up. Adam gently pulled his foot back, making more rustling as his legs moved through the fronds around him. A roar shattered the silence. ¡°Into the clearing!¡± All four smashed their way into the clearing, where they once more assumed a back-to-back formation. They turned in place, working together surprisingly well. Kyra was first to spot the threat. ¡°Over there!¡± She pointed and the other three looked where she indicated. Two golden eyes practically shone with reflected light. They were deep in shadows. None could even determine what kind of animal or creature the eyes belonged to. It lingered, staring at them for long moments, then it blinked and was gone. ¡°Oh, that is bad,¡± Liz said quietly. Adam shushed her. Carl started to say something, and all three shushed him. Instead of speaking, he extended a shaky hand, pointing into the depths of the forest. Two pairs of eyes were observing them from the shadows. They blinked and were gone, just like the first set. Adam growled, pulling the ogre¡¯s club from his back. He readied for a fight. The others followed suit; Kyra drew her staff, Liz her sword, and Carl produced his twin daggers. Liz looked at his weapons and said ¡°You have two daggers?¡± ¡°Not the time, Liz,¡± Adam said. More growling came from the forest. ¡°Actually, now might be the perfect time,¡± Carl whispered. ¡°You already know about Angel¡¯s Mercy. The other one is called Devil¡¯s Promise. They¡¯re a matched set. And they grant me an ability.¡± Adam kept his eyes on where the two sets of eyes had been. ¡°What ability, Carl?¡± A moment later he repeated his question. "What ability, Carl?" ¡°He¡¯s gone,¡± Kyra said. She closed the gap where he had been. ¡°What do you mean ¡®he¡¯s gone?¡¯¡± Kyra shook her head, hands trembling. ¡°He turned to smoke, the smoke drifted into the trees. That¡¯s it. He left us.¡± ¡°Son of a bitch,¡± Liz swore. ¡°I¡¯m going to cut him from chin to crotch if we ever see him again,¡± Kyra swore. A piercing scream cut through the air and chilled their blood to ice. ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Liz sounded breathless. Adam shook his head, readjusting his grip on the club. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± The scream repeated, this time louder and closer. ¡°Down!¡± Adam shouted as he flung himself to the ground. Kyra and Liz didn¡¯t hesitate to follow his direction, dropping to the mossy ground. A black shape hurtled over their heads. ¡°What was that?¡± Liz pushed up from the ground, sword still gripped in one hand. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Adam started. ¡°But we¡¯re going to have to kill it.¡± A third scream tore through the clearing. It was closer still. Just beyond the treeline. They were being hunted by a pack. That much was obvious. And they were in the worst place possible. ¡°What do we do?¡± Kyra sounded shaky. Her staff started to glow with light. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Adam repeated. ¡°Everything and anything we can to survive.¡± Chapter 29: Ladies ¡°I don¡¯t know if I like winning,¡± I said. ¡°Yeah, I get it, kid,¡± Selvaggi replied. ¡°Oh, communications are working again.¡± ¡°In between waves, we can communicate freely. Once the hand is dealt, we¡¯ll be locked until the round ends.¡± ¡°Yes, the men die,¡± Coopman said. I turned to look at him. ¡°But as with everything else, they¡¯re protected, in a way. They¡¯re conscripts from subjugated races. This is how they gain experience until they gain sentience.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± I said, shocked. ¡°They¡¯re not sentient?¡± Branciforte laughed. ¡°Does it make a difference? Is subjugation a lesser offense if the slaves are unaware?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± I stood and paced for a moment. The three bosses gave me time. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Slavery is terrible, obviously¨C¡± ¡°From your perspective. That is one which came from a time and place that did not have the System.¡± Selvaggi looked at me pointedly. ¡°Well, that¡¯s true. But I can¡¯t really think of when slavery is better.¡± Coopman answered me. ¡°Which do you think is better: genocide because a planet is too small and weak to withstand the changes brought on by the System, or slavery which is guided and controlled by the System to prevent abuse? In the second case, all the inhabitants of a planet that cannot support the influx of power and magic are enslaved until they are capable of making their own decisions. It¡¯s basic things, such as shock troops, menial labor, mining¡­ the sort of jobs most don¡¯t want.¡± I stopped and looked at him, then gestured at the blood stained field between us. ¡°This is preventing abuse?¡± Branciforte nodded. ¡°They are unaware. No memories. Only the XP gained from what happens, and only until they reach F rank, which I¡¯m certain is what you and your kind are at.¡± ¡°Do you mean humans?¡± ¡°Of course. You do not think we are all the same?¡± I shook my head. ¡°No, of course not, but these men are clearly human.¡± Selvaggi laughed. ¡°Kid, next wave, pay closer attention. They¡¯re not as human as you think.¡± I shook my head again. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting to get into a heavy existential debate with the bosses I was supposed to fight.¡± ¡°And still are fighting,¡± Selvaggi gently reminded. ¡°You caught us in a good mood. That, and your early timing means we¡¯re not quite ready. We¡¯re required to fight you, but beyond that, it¡¯s up to us. The rules aren¡¯t fully in place yet.¡± ¡°Right,¡± I said. I walked back to my chair and had a seat. A deck of cards appeared, though it had to be some kind of illusion. It looked to be in the center of the field, but cards flew from the deck and hovered right in front of me, as well as the other three. I watched as my hand assembled itself. Jack, six, eight, queen, queen. Not a bad hand to start with. I dropped the six and eight, hoping for more face cards. The old ones drifted into the center before puffing away, and two new cards flew in. A ten, and a three. ¡°Damn. Well, still, not bad. Pocket ladies. Alright.¡± The hand slowly descended, then flew at the doors to my castle. I stood to watch as they sank into the doors. There was nothing else. I had kind of hoped for a bit of fanfare or something, but that would quickly become annoying. I sat back down, trying to focus on the game. There was way too much visual spectacle to expect me to stay seated. ¡°Hey, can you guys hear me?¡± No, but I¡¯m pretty good at reading lips. What¡¯s up, Kid? I looked at Selvaggi. He nodded, confirming that it was him messaging me. ¡°That¡¯s cool, I wish I could do that.¡± In a few months, I won¡¯t be able to, much as I¡¯ll want to. What¡¯s your question? ¡°Right. Uh, do you guys have any like, design control? I mean, can you change things or make suggestions to make the game work better?¡± No. We can send suggestions up, but that is it. I don¡¯t even know where it goes when we make the suggestion. ¡°Okay, well, there¡¯s a lot of spectacle. I think that¡¯s sort of the point. Even with the horrible things, I still want to get up and look around. Maybe you should try to change it so the players just have to be in an area, instead of in the seat. I know some of my friends hate to play games while sitting. They stand or pace.¡± Your friends sound awful. I¡¯ll get the suggestion sent up, though. It¡¯s a good point. Anything else? Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. I shook my head and returned my attention to the game. The upgrade menu appeared. Soldiers: Speed: 2 Health: 10 Damage: 3 Quantity: 20 Soldier upgrades: +1 cost per investment Speed: 11 Health: 10 Damage: 10 Quantity: 10 Castle: Health: 250 Repair: No Archers: 1 Castle upgrades: Health: 10 Repair (ability): 100 Repair: Cost dependent Archers: 10 Unlocks: Archers: 30 Mages: 75 Knights: 100 Bears: 100 Dwarves: 150 Griffons: 200 Dragon: 500 I checked my gold total: an even forty pieces. I selected the upgrade for Archers. Unlock archers for 30? I mentally accepted, and the option disappeared from the menu. Two new lists appeared. Archers: Speed: 2 Health: 5 Damage: 5 Range: 10 Quantity: 2 Archer upgrades: +2 cost per investment Speed: 10 Health: 20 Damage: 10 Range: 10 Quantity: 15 I had ten gold left, and while it was tempting to upgrade the archer¡¯s speed, I thought it could be used more effectively elsewhere. ¡°Weird that I can improve practically everything except attack speed.¡± I chose range, watched the last bit of my money drain away, then looked down below. Nothing happened. ¡°Probably need to wait for the others to finish their setup¡­¡± I sat back, looking at the three bosses. They were all silently staring into space, obviously making their own decisions. Finally, the creak of wood told me the setup phase had ended. Target randomly chosen. ¡°Crap, I forgot to select a target again.¡± I looked and found the arrow above Branciforte¡¯s castle. I stood and looked over the wall at the men below. My units marched proudly onto the field. I had twenty-two soldiers and two archers. ¡°Wait, why do I have twenty-two soldiers? I wonder if that has something to do with the hand I drew. Didn¡¯t I have twenty last round?¡± I half expected a message to pop up from Selvaggi, or maybe one of the other bosses, but no answers were forthcoming. The men all charged into battle, standards waving in the breeze. Remembering what Selvaggi had said, I looked closer at the soldiers before they were too far to see clearly. I blinked, rubbed my eyes, then looked again. My eyes were not fooling me. At least, I didn¡¯t think they were. ¡°Are those¡­ mannequins?¡± Their skin had a plastic sheen, obviously artificial. More telling were the exposed joints. I could see how they moved. It was like watching a stop-motion, after paying attention. ¡°That¡¯s wild. I guess he was telling the truth.¡± I was pleased to see the archers kept up with the soldiers. It seemed the base stats were universal, which helped. They closed the distance to the other forces, which again seemed to all be running at the same pace. Selvaggi had ten soldiers with one archer. That surprised me, because their shields had been replaced with a larger model. It was more like a buckler instead of a bracer. They moved at the same pace as everyone else, which seemed surprising, despite the increased weight. I did find it interesting that despite the higher base speed, his archer stayed behind the main force of soldiers. Coopman had obviously invested in damage. The short swords used by his men had been swapped out for a slightly larger one. The differences in visuals were an excellent clue to watch out for. I finally turned my attention to Branciforte¡¯s men and nearly threw a fit. He had forty-four soldiers! ¡°Well, that¡¯s just unfair. Them¡¯s the breaks, I guess.¡± My forces were first in, again. I was worried the number advantage would be too much for my men, but the archers were savage. They loosed arrows from what looked to be about a hundred-fifty feet away, or about forty-six meters. Soldier after soldier fell, struck true by large arrows. I marveled at the archer¡¯s ability to fire on the move. ¡°That is completely unrealistic. But so damn cool.¡± By the time our two units had met, his was down to a third of the original size. My men quickly cut them down. The archers changed to the nearer of the other hostile units when my men engaged Branciforte¡¯s in close combat. I marveled as men fell like wheat to a thresher. ¡°This seems too easy.¡± Another stroke of luck appeared: Coopman and Selvaggi had selected each other as targets, so their units ignored my archers cutting them down. I watched as one of Selvaggi¡¯s soldiers spotted an incoming arrow and turned his shield to deflect it, only for the arrow to punch straight through. It pinned his shield in place, causing him to go down to the next strike from one of Coopman¡¯s soldiers. I idly wondered if the arrow meant I got part or all of the credit for that kill. Before long, my remaining men cleaned up the last of the hostile soldiers. I watched, sadly, as the last of my men marched toward Branciforte¡¯s castle. I halfway expected my archers to target the one on his castle, but they never did. Twelve men swung swords, two archers fired arrows¡­ then five, four¡­ I felt numb as I watched the mannequins fall. They might not have been sentient, but their screams still sounded human. Finally, the round ended. I had earned sixty-four gold from the fight. I didn¡¯t even look at the other three men. This experience was a weird combination between standing at the edge of a war zone and playing an immersive VR game as a battlefield commander. I shook my head and pulled up the upgrade menu. Soldiers: Speed: 2 Health: 10 Damage: 3 Quantity: 20 Soldier upgrades: +1 cost per investment Speed: 11 Health: 10 Damage: 10 Quantity: 10 Archers: Speed: 2 Health: 5 Damage: 5 Range: 15 Quantity: 2 Archer upgrades: +2 cost per investment Speed: 10 Health: 20 Damage: 10 Range: 10 Quantity: 15 Castle: Health: 250 Repair: No Archers: 1 Castle upgrades: Health: 10 Repair (ability): 100 Repair: Cost dependent Archers: 10 Unlocks: Mages: 75 Knights: 100 Bears: 100 Dwarves: 150 Griffons: 200 Dragon: 500 I shook my head. The cries of my dying men still rang inside my mind. Even if I chose well and they survived the fight, they would then go die against whatever castle I targeted. ¡°Relax, kid. You¡¯re actually doing pretty well. And you¡¯re doing those men a favor. At this rate, a bunch of them might evolve out of the game.¡± ¡°Right. Thanks,¡± I said. I swallowed, and turned back to the upgrade menu. I wondered what would be the best choice to make. I could upgrade the archers to be more deadly, the soldiers to be better killers, or my castle to increase my chances. But I could see a fourth option. Increasing the speed of my soldiers early had given me a big head start, and adding the archers had further increased that lead. I was just shy of being able to make a much larger upgrade in the form of new units. I hesitated, unsure if I wanted to commit to my current course. It would mean my men would be going up against improved soldiers without any new upgrades to defend them. A timer appeared to let me know my time was almost up, and the new wave would begin soon. This game made me feel my choices, and I hated it. ¡°Gah, I haven¡¯t felt this shitty about a choice in a video game since Mass Effect.¡± Chapter 30: Jobs Adam grunted. ¡°You know¡­ this¡­ sword¡­ is the wrong¡­ tool¡­ for the job.¡± Each swing of the sword into the tree was punctuated by a grunt and thunk. He already had a sizable portion of the trunk cut away. He hoped it would only take another ten minutes of exhausting work to finish chopping the thick tree down. ¡°Another one coming,¡± Liz said. While not as strong as Adam, she was in charge of defending him while he worked. She readied his club, preparing as the spider jumped from tree to tree. It was four feet wide, including the legs, and the stuff nightmares had nightmares about. The worst part was the near total silence it traveled in. Only the jagged, claw-like tips of their legs made sound as they punctured tree bark. Adam grunted back, redoubling his efforts. They needed the trees felled to increase the space they could fight in. It also provided valuable materials for building structures and walls. Unless two or more showed up at once, he would keep chopping while she bashed the monsters. His latest strike made the entire tree shiver all the way to the crown of its canopy. He paused to wipe his brow. ¡°Where is the not-so-good doctor?¡± The spider collapsed, still completely silent, as the doctor appeared ten feet from Liz. ¡°Here,¡± he blew a strand of sweat-soaked hair out of his face. ¡°This one slipped past me. Took down another six back there,¡± he said with a jerk of his head to loosely indicate deeper in the forest. ¡°Keeping track of the loot?¡± ¡°Yes, moooooom,¡± Carl said with a roll of his eyes. Adam started chopping again. ¡°You would think¡­ a doctor in his thirties¡­ would act like an adult.¡± Wood chips flew with each swing. Carl sighed. ¡°I¡¯m busy killing big arachnids. I feel like being a little flippant.¡± He disappeared like a shadow before anyone could retort. ¡°I hate it when he does that,¡± Liz said. ¡°It¡¯s freaky. I don¡¯t even know if he¡¯s invisible, moving too fast to see, or straight-up teleporting.¡± Adam grunted, engrossed in his work again. Kyra kept an eye out, but more importantly, an ear. She had already figured out Carl¡¯s trick of near-invisibility. She didn¡¯t reveal it so that she could catch him red-handed when he did something evil. When the tree finally fell, Adam gave a shout, then pushed it toward the center of the clearing. He didn¡¯t want it to fall into a cluster and suspend, only to come down at some unsuspecting time later. It crashed to the ground, sending up clods of dirt and a surprising amount of dust. ¡°You want to take over, Liz? Kyra?¡± Adam held the sword out, but neither woman accepted. ¡°I¡¯m good,¡± Liz said with a brilliant smile. She hefted the club and swung it at a creature that skittered out of a bush just then. It sailed off into the depths of the forest. ¡°Hey Liz,¡± Kyra said from where she watched. ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°How are you not burning? You¡¯re in direct sunlight.¡± Liz¡¯s smile grew even broader. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I love it. Twenty years of avoiding sunlight¡­ now I get to feel it without any worries.¡± She closed her eyes and spread her arms, looking up to the brilliant blue sky. ¡°Don¡¯t get too relaxed.¡± Adam grunted and swung at an angle, cleaving a branch clean off the trunk. ¡°Never, boss.¡± So it went for the next hour. Liz enjoyed the sunlight and punted critters when they got too close. If a large monster wandered in, she and Adam would deal with it together. Kyra remained ready, but abstained from combat as best she could. Eventually, something broke the relative peace. ¡°Help!¡± ¡°Did you hear that?¡± Liz turned in place, trying to figure out just where the shout had come from. ¡°Heeelp!¡± She spun again, looking at a group of trees twenty yards away. Kyra looked the opposite way. ¡°Heeeeeelp!¡± Adam pointed with the sword at a stand not far from where Carl had gone. ¡°Over there.¡± ¡°Help!¡± Confused, he turned ninety degrees, but the women did the same. They were all looking in different directions. ¡°What the hell?¡± A woman burst into the clearing, bloodied and wearing torn rags that barely maintained her modesty. ¡°Please, help me!¡± Liz and Kyra raced to catch the woman as she stumbled to her knees, panting hard. Adam circled around, sword at the ready. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°What are you running from?¡± The woman gasped air in. She took great, heaving breaths. ¡°How long were you running for?¡± ¡°Baby spiders,¡± the woman gasped out. ¡°We¡¯ve dealt with plenty of spiders already,¡± Liz said comfortingly. Her expression faltered when she heard rumbling from deep in the forest. ¡°Baby spiders should be even easier.¡± ¡°Not like these.¡± ¡°Liz, I think I need my club.¡± Liz stood and walked to Adam, eyes on the trees. Some were swaying more than the breeze justified. She swapped his club for her sword. ¡°See anything?¡± A brief flash of shadows caught her eye. ¡°Carl?¡± He appeared in the treeline to their right, bloody and clutching his arm. ¡°Fucking run!¡± Adam looked at their companion, then back at the woman who was having trouble staying upright. He watched as Kyra grudgingly cast a heal on Carl. ¡°We¡¯re not moving from here.¡± A spider smashed through a smaller tree and tumbled into the clearing. Despite being on the ground, Adam gauged its size to be similar to that of a small horse. The legs were long, hairy and chitinous, and wriggled madly as it fought to right itself. It chittered horribly, like a frustrated cat turned into an insect and given the lungs of a dinosaur. It was loud enough to rattle their bones. ¡°What the¡­¡± Another spider crashed into the clearing. A third followed a moment later. Only the third landed upright, but it took just seconds for the first to right itself. The second was unmoving, and it was easy to see why: a branch had lodged where its face should have been. The spiders had been moving quickly. The first turned toward Adam and he got to see it full-on for the first time. He wished he hadn¡¯t. While the body was that of a Volkswagon-sized wolf spider, instead of a spider face with eight eyes, it had the head of a baby. Two massively oversized multifaceted eyes stared blankly, reflecting the light in discomforting ways. They looked brown, then green, then purple, sometimes one after another, and at other times all at once. The baby opened its mouth, revealing a terrifying set of chalicera with long fangs dripping venom. ¡°Kyra,¡± Adam shouted. ¡°Why do I know that the weird arm things for spider mouths are called chalicera?¡± ¡°Why the fuck would I know! Focus on killing the abomination first!¡± Adam charged the spider, then was caught off guard as it jumped twenty feet toward him. He stopped and swung using his foot as a pivot. The club connected with the baby face of the spider as it put legs out to capture him, halting all progress between the two combatants. Gore splattered as the spider¡¯s head caved in, but the little remaining momentum brought the giant body down on Adam. Liz engaged with the third spider, showing a level of skill with her sword the others hadn¡¯t expected as she clashed with the eight-legged monstrosity. She stepped up her speed and ferocity when she saw Adam go down, fearful of what had happened. The fight went from a surprising stalemate to a one-sided slaughter as she abandoned any attempt at defense. The sharp tipped limbs slashed her arms a dozen times by the time she stabbed the spider through its grotesque face. It fell limp and she rushed over to where Adam was buried. ¡°Adam!¡± She didn¡¯t hear anything. Her concern ratcheted up to panic and she shoved at the body. Carl appeared next to her, and Kyra took her other side. Together, they shoved the awkward, heavy corpse away. Adam lay with his eyes closed; chest still. Liz dropped to her knees and held her ear above his mouth, listening and feeling for breath. ¡°He¡¯s not breathing!¡± She moved to his side and started a quick, steady rhythm, whisper-singing Bee Gees¡¯ Staying Alive as she performed CPR. Kyra leaned down and breathed into his mouth, then watched as Liz pumped on his chest. ¡°Guys, I don¡¯t think¡­¡± Carl started. Adam coughed into Kyra¡¯s face. She wiped the sputum away and smiled down at him. ¡°Thank the gods.¡± ¡°I really didn¡¯t think,¡± Carl started. He shut his mouth so hard it clicked when the point of Liz¡¯s sword touched his throat. She wasn¡¯t even looking at him. ¡°I vote him out.¡± ¡°I second it,¡± Kyra said, also without looking.¡± ¡°Overruled,¡± Adam wheezed out. Kyra lunged down and wrapped him in a fierce hug. ¡°Why?¡± Liz stood and turned toward Carl, who, to his credit, had not moved. ¡°We need to work together.¡± He turned his head and coughed again, then gently pushed Kyra away. ¡°Ow.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± Kyra moved around and put his head in her lap, then put a gentle hand on his chest. She drained every last point of mana to cast a heal. He glowed for a moment, tension on his face, then relaxed. ¡°Oh, so much better. Thank you, Kyra.¡± ¡°Back to the issue at hand,¡± Liz said. ¡°Or at swordpoint, as is the case,¡± Carl said. He still hadn¡¯t moved. Adam grunted, tried to sit up, then lay back on Kyra¡¯s lap. ¡°This is more comfortable anyway.¡± Liz snuck a quick look, but returned her attention to Carl in the blink of an eye. ¡°We need every capable person now.¡± Liz shook her head. ¡°He tried to let you die. What kind of doctor is he?¡± ¡°A shitty one,¡± Adam said with a wheezing laugh. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t trust him as an Olympic committee examiner, let alone with a vulnerable patient. But he¡¯s not a doctor anymore. Are you, Carl.¡± The small man shook his head. ¡°Are you?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°You already have a job, don¡¯t you?¡± Adam said it like a question, but they could all hear the statement. Carl nodded. ¡°Job? Isn¡¯t being a doctor a job?¡± Kyra looked down at Adam. Adam shook his head. He looked into the distance, then flicked with his left hand a system prompt opened for all of them. Tutorial #7: Jobs. Jobs are generally granted at level five, based on actions and patterns presented by members of the System. There are rare cases where a job may be granted before level five by extraordinary actions, unusual circumstances, or through early apprenticeship. Both women looked at Carl expectantly. He waited, but they were patient. ¡°Fine. I¡¯m an assassin.¡± ¡°I knew it,¡± Adam said. He leaned up enough to look at Carl. ¡°How did you get it?¡± ¡°I¡­ I started with it.¡± ¡°I knew it!¡± Kyra jolted to get up, then remembered Adam on her lap. She settled down, then pointed imperiously at the little man. ¡°You killed the others who started with you!¡± He shook his head. ¡°No! I swear on my oath as a doctor I did not kill them.¡± Adam shook his head in return. ¡°Not good enough. Swear an oath to me.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I said: swear an oath to me.¡± ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Then you are as good as dead.¡± Liz pushed the sword in hard enough to break the skin on Carl¡¯s throat. He dry swallowed, causing another large bead of blood to well up and run down the blade. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Out loud,¡± Adam said. It was far more stern than he had been at any point. It was authoritative. His tone brooked no argument. None was given. ¡°I swear on my soul I did not kill those who started with me.¡± All five people present felt the air shake with the power of the binding. Adam watched for a long moment before nodding. ¡°I need one more oath.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t!¡± ¡°You swear it, or you leave.¡± Liz withdrew the sword. She had felt the power in the oath. It shook her to her core. That had touched on something she didn¡¯t even know she had: a soul. An actual, tangible soul. Something that could be felt, could be acted on. It wrecked her world view. She fell to her knees, nearly catatonic. Adam hardly noticed. He was staring daggers at Carl. The smaller man stared back, dark sunken eyes filled with anger and regret. Chapter 31: Tutorial #22 Tutorial #22: Soul oaths. Soul oaths are those overseen by the System. Any oath can be sworn for any reason, however, to have one that can be verified as true, especially with terms that must be upheld, one can swear a soul oath. At low levels, the damage done can be quite unpleasant. As an entity ranks up, however, soul oaths become more dangerous. What starts as a headache, depression, or mild disfigurement, may end up become irreparable soul damage that can result in brain, body, or spiritual death. ¡°What the hell?¡± Adam looked at a wide-eyed Liz. She looked back and forth between her supposed friend and the system prompt. ¡°How do you know about this? How do either of you?¡± Adam put a hand out to forestall her questions. ¡°I¡¯ll explain, just give me a minute.¡± He sat up, groaning with the effort. ¡°Carl isn¡¯t the only one with a job.¡± ¡°Now who¡¯s keeping secrets,¡± Carl said. ¡°I¡¯m not keeping any secrets. I hadn¡¯t mentioned it yet, because we were a little busy trying to survive.¡± He looked back at Kyra. Her face was twisted with sorrow, pain, and loss. It had only been a handful of days, but those days of hardship had brought them close. This was a large issue to have covered up. ¡°Why?¡± Kyra blinked away tears. Her already small voice was made smaller by the power of her emotions. She felt betrayed. Something that major should have been discussed immediately. ¡°How long?¡± He shook his head. ¡°Last night. I¡¯ve been reading as much as I could- the system drops tutorials really often, and my job allows me to see any that have been provided to anyone in the group.¡± ¡°Ah, so you saw new tutorials pop up that made no sense for your little friends, here,¡± Carl said with a dry laugh. Liz turned her head back to the little man, and her face clouded over like a storm rolling in from the ocean. She stood, once again pointing her sword at the snide man. ¡°Hold on, Liz.¡± Her hand trembled. Both men waited to see what she would do. She looked at Adam. ¡°Well?¡± ¡°He can still be useful to us.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a traitor, and a coward. He¡¯s tried to leave you for dead a few times now.¡± Adam sighed. This was not what he signed up for. ¡°Excuse me.¡± The unknown woman approached the group haltingly. She was still dazed from her run and rescue by the team. She shrank back as all four turned their gazes on her. ¡°What is your name?¡± ¡°Raven,¡± she said. She swallowed, then stood straight. ¡°My name is Raven. I¡¯m lost, though. Why are you pointing a sword at that man?¡± ¡°He¡¯s an assassin,¡± Liz said. ¡°And she¡¯s a witch,¡± Raven said as she gestured at Kyra. ¡°I¡¯m not a witch,¡± Kyra said. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t have the job. I liked the idea of being a witch before the System.¡± Raven shook her head. ¡°But that¡¯s his job. Being an assassin, I mean. Why should he be punished for something the System put on him?¡± Adam nodded. ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡°He¡¯s admitted to killing people,¡± Liz growled. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Only those that were dying, and couldn¡¯t get there fast enough for their liking,¡± Carl said. ¡°I was dying far too fast for my liking, and you tried to make it happen faster,¡± Kyra said. Raven looked between the two staring daggers at each other. ¡°That is¡­ admittedly, not a good starting point. But look around you. We have no idea where we are.¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Adam said. He grunted as he got to his feet, still feeling weak from being crushed. He gently put a hand on Liz¡¯s, encouraging her to lower her sword. She resisted for a moment, then let it drop. Raven continued speaking. ¡°He¡¯s uh¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I never got your names.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Adam, this is Liz, that¡¯s Kyra, and you¡¯re already somewhat familiar with Carl.¡± ¡°That¡¯s Doctor Carl,¡± he said, though it sounded so practiced it was likely by reflex. Adam shook his head. ¡°Not anymore, Carl. Kyra is our healer, not you.¡± Raven nodded. ¡°So, your options are: let him join you, kill him, or exile him, right?¡± Adam nodded again, though his action was echoed by Liz and Kyra. ¡°Okay. Think those out. You kill him, you¡¯re down a set of hands and a capable fighter.¡± ¡°Not that capable,¡± Liz muttered. Adam shook his head. ¡°I think he does more than we see from the clearing. How many spiders did you kill before you ran back here?¡± ¡°Uh,¡± Carl tilted his head in thought. ¡°Six? Maybe seven. Hard to say, the last spider was still moving when I had to run, but it was down to only two legs.¡± Adam nodded as if that said everything. ¡°Okay,¡± Raven said. She looked at each of them in turn before continuing. ¡°So, if you kill him, you get rid of a competent fighter. The second option was exile, right? Well, what if he¡¯s the kind to hold a grudge? What if he survives and comes back to fight you when you¡¯re not expecting it?¡± ¡°Not exactly making him look good, here,¡± Adam said in a flat tone of voice. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t, you know,¡± Carl said. ¡°Would you take a soul oath on that?¡± ¡°I really, really can¡¯t,¡± Carl said while waving the thought away with both hands. ¡°You haven¡¯t explained that,¡± Adam said. ¡°Why can¡¯t you swear another soul oath? It¡¯s not like we¡¯re limited.¡± ¡°Well, no, but I¡¯m already¡­ uh, kinda recovering from one that was broken.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± Liz said as the sword snapped back up to his throat. ¡°We can¡¯t trust him.¡± ¡°Actually,¡± Adam started. ¡°You can.¡± Carl swallowed, then stood. He sighed. ¡°I swear, on my soul, to do no harm to you, your friends, or anybody you declare safe.¡± The world shook again, and this time a light shot from the sky like a beam of godly intent. He arched his back and screamed silently. It was over as quickly as it began, leaving Carl crumpled on the ground. ¡°What happened?¡± Raven looked at the little man, who still shivered and spasmed on the ground. ¡°Kyra, can you do something about that?¡± Kyra shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m tapped out on mana, used the last of it to heal you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ fine.¡± Carl¡¯s voice was very strained. ¡°I¡¯m just dealing with swearing a third oath in a short window.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Adam leaned down and helped Carl into the recovery position. The man might have been speaking, but it was clear he was still not in full control of his body. ¡°Two to you, just now. And one a few days ago. The one that broke.¡± ¡°The oath that you broke,¡± Kyra said with a sneer. ¡°No,¡± Carl said, then he coughed. Something caught, his back arched, and he vomited. Nothing save some foam came out. When he was done, he relaxed. ¡°What does that mean, Carl?¡± Adam moved Carl a few feet, letting him shudder on a fresh patch of grass. ¡°I swore an oath to my sister. She was a doctor at the hospital too. I didn¡¯t know what I was doing, but we could talk through the wall. I swore I would get her out. That was only a minute or so before the spider-pigs tore her to pieces. I barely survived the backlash of the broken oath. That, and the monster that was trying to eat me while I was reeling.¡± Kyra squatted on the ground nearby, intently staring at the side of Carl¡¯s head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t want to trust him.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to,¡± Adam said. ¡°He swore an oath. And having already broken one, the next one will likely kill him.¡± Carl nodded, still trying to catch his breath. Adam leaned down, one hand on his knee, the other extended to Carl. ¡°You come with us, you are a part of our group. You fuck up, though,¡± he looked meaningfully at Carl. ¡°And next time, I won¡¯t stop Liz, or Kyra.¡± Carl nodded again. He shuddered, then grabbed Adam¡¯s hand. With a grunt Adam heaved him to his feet. ¡°Thanks. I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s just that everything is so¡­ different.¡± ¡°How old are you, Carl?¡± ¡°I¡¯m twenty-six.¡± ¡°Wait, you¡¯re a doctor of oncology at twenty-six? When did you finish your residency?¡± Carl laughed and put a hand to the back of his head. ¡°Uh, when I was twenty-four. I started college at fifteen.¡± ¡°Ridiculous,¡± Adam said as he tossed his hands in the air. ¡°I still don¡¯t trust you,¡± Kyra said. She was still holding herself. Adam stepped to her side and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. She pulled him into a hug. He slowly wrapped her in a hug as well. The silence held for a long, awkward moment. Raven was the first to speak. ¡°What do we do now?¡± ¡°Well, do you have any abilities, Raven? Any weapons? Real-world experience in bushcraft?¡± She shook her head. ¡°No, I ran a youtube channel before all this.¡± ¡°Are you a quick learner?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the attitude. Alright, here¡¯s what we do,¡± Adam said. He had a lot of ideas. It would take a lot of work, and they had few hands. But, if things went well, they would grow their little community. They would establish a base. And they would survive this tutorial, and whatever it threw at them. Chapter 32: Round Three I jabbed at a button, forgetting that it was all mental. It still took the input. The timer continued counting down, then I got a message. Quit blocking progress. We¡¯re waiting to draw hands. I looked up at Selvaggi. He was mean mugging me. I closed the upgrade menu, and the deck appeared in the center of the field. ¡°Sorry,¡± I said aloud. I wasn¡¯t sure if they could hear me or not. I kept forgetting the way the rounds worked. Cards started flying out. First was a two of hearts. Disappointment wrote itself across my face before I could school it. The others were watching me, that much I could be sure of. A seven of clubs followed. I stifled a groan. The worst possible hand to draw in Texas Hold ¡®Em. But, this game wasn¡¯t that. Another card flew out, this time a King of diamonds. I perked up a bit. At least that was a face card. Next came another King, this one of clubs, and I had to suppress the urge to jump. A pair of kings was a decent hand, especially when considering how terrible the deck had been so far. The final card flew out and I did a tiny jig. It was a two. Kings and twos sky rocketed from one pair to two pair, and eliminated a large number of potential hands. Thankful for my luck, I dropped the seven and hoped for a king or two. Instead, I drew a six. Even so, I had a nice hand, two pair. The cards sank from sight, once more entering my castle. I nodded. This was good. Then the upgrade menu popped up again. I dismissed it, having already made my choice for this round. I waited eagerly, and to my surprise, the timer jumped from seventeen seconds left to three, and counted down to zero from there. A war horn sounded, and my castle gates opened. I stood from my chair, then, because the round was beginning. Target randomly chosen. An arrow settled over Coopman¡¯s castle. I groaned at my forgetfulness. Eventually, I would remember and select my own target. The mannequin men jogged out of my castle, forming up. Twenty men were out. Then thirty. I blinked in surprise. I had way more men than I was supposed to. I had just seen the upgrade menu, I only had twenty soldiers on my side. Yet, when the unit finished forming, I had thirty soldiers and three archers. The soldiers also had bracers, showing the health upgrade I had jabbed at when I thought I was out of time. I scoped out my opponent¡¯s forces. Selvaggi had gone for another health upgrade, this one providing helmets for the soldiers. He had twenty-two soldiers. Branciforte had not made any upgrades that I could see. His soldiers were standing in uneven rows, which I figured out when I counted and found twenty-three. There was a pattern there that I just couldn¡¯t quite figure out. The last side, Coopman, had twenty soldiers and an archer. There was something there. I put the thought aside as all the men started to race into the field. My men angled toward Coopman¡¯s right off the bat. They closed the distance, and our archers started firing at the same time. Within seconds, a handful of his men were down, while one of mine had fallen. A lucky arrow caught their archer and ended their ranged threat. After that, it was a slaughter. My archers carved through his men, and then the soldiers clashed. The speed and health difference were enough to make the fight truly one-sided. All twenty-one of his men went down in short order. I lost only four men in return. The numbers advantage was not to be overlooked. After cleaning up Coopman¡¯s forces, my unit turned their collective attention to the two remaining groups. They were fighting savagely, much more evenly matched. Both were down to roughly ten men when mine rushed in. The three-way battle was intense, and I watched as men swung, parried, lunged, flanked, and fell. It couldn¡¯t have been more than two or three minutes total, but it felt like a breathless lifetime. In the end, my men killed fifteen of the twenty-two remaining men, and six walked away. They turned their steely, tired gazes on Coopman¡¯s castle. It was in good shape, and I watched as they jogged in past raining arrows to swing at the gates. The two archers were quick in putting my men down. I felt like throwing up. Instead, I returned to my seat. It was time. Cards rose from the center of the field, and I could have sworn they were redder than before. I drew a four, then a nine, a ten¡­ then my cards delivered. One Ace. Then a second Ace. Pocket Aces. I pumped my fists, not caring if the bosses saw me. I dropped the other three, saw no more aces, and stopped caring. I wondered if and how the hand would affect my forces. But the time I had been waiting for had arrived. My cards disappeared into the gates of my castle, and the upgrades menu popped up. Soldiers: Speed: 2 Health: 15 Damage: 3 Quantity: 20 Soldier upgrades: +1 cost per investment A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Speed: 11 Health: 11 Damage: 10 Quantity: 10 Archers: Speed: 2 Health: 5 Damage: 5 Range: 15 Quantity: 2 Archer upgrades: +2 cost per investment Speed: 10 Health: 20 Damage: 10 Range: 10 Quantity: 15 Castle: Health: 250 Repair: No Archers: 1 Castle upgrades: Health: 10 Repair (ability): 100 Repair: Cost dependent Archers: 10 Unlocks: Mages: 75 Knights: 100 Bears: 100 Dwarves: 150 Griffons: 200 Dragon: 500 I rubbed my hands together. It was time for another massive leap in combat ability. I ran my finger down the list, then both mentally and physically chose. The coin drained away, the menu updated, and I smiled. Two new menus were added. Mages: Speed: 1 Health: 3 Damage: 8 Range: 10 Quantity: 1 Mage upgrades: +3 cost per investment Speed: 10 Health: 20 Damage: 10 Range: 15 Quantity: 15 My smile grew wider. I wasn¡¯t sure exactly what it would do, but the archer had been a game changer. The mages were a new variable. One I hoped would change the battlefield in a broader sense. With fifteen gold left, I had enough for a basic upgrade. I dropped it on the mage speed so they would keep up with the soldiers and archers. The timer ran down, which was interesting to me considering how quick the others had been to that point. I looked across the way to Coopman, then Selvaggi, and finally settled on Branciforte. I could see the frog-man rubbing his head and muttering to himself. The last ten seconds counted down, and I was surprised by a window popping up. Select target: Innocenzo ¡®Roulette¡¯ Branciforte? ¡°Oh yeah!¡± I nodded and accepted him as the target. I didn¡¯t know what was going on with him, but I was feeling good with my hand. That, and a new upgrade the others wouldn¡¯t know about until it was too late. The timer expired. The blast of the horn signaled the start of the round. My soldiers marched out of the gate and I was stoked. I had twenty-one soldiers, three archers, and two mages. I was starting to get the idea of how my hand affected my units. The four miniature armies moved in. I was shocked to see that nobody else had made investments in speed yet. My forces raced to the west, toward Branciforte¡¯s men. When they closed to archery range, I was surprised. Not only did the arrows fly, but so did the spells. Fireballs streaked out and exploded on the green-clad soldiers. Men fell in droves, and despite having twenty-nine men, his forces were reduced to single digits before entering melee range. I cheered and jumped in place, watching the slaughter. Then reality came crashing back. I stopped, felt my stomach kick at the realization of what I had been cheering for, then leaned over the battlement and threw up. Nothing came out save some foam, and having my stomach clench that hard hurt. I missed the rest of the battle. Instead, I spent it hanging over the wall, saliva dribbling from my mouth and nose. It intermingled with stomach acid and burned like hell. I felt like I deserved it. ¡°Relax, kid. It¡¯s just a game.¡± I looked up at Selvaggi and glared daggers. ¡°It is not alright. I was just cheering the slaughter of men. I was celebrating their deaths. That is horrible.¡± ¡°Enough with your ¡®holier-than-thou¡¯ attitude,¡± Coopman said in his Jersey accent. ¡°This is reality in the system. They aren¡¯t dying for real, and in fact, they won¡¯t remember this if they ever make it to sentience.¡± I wiped my mouth with the back of my right hand and stood. ¡°I still feel terrible about it.¡± ¡°Fine, but feel terrible in your seat. You¡¯re kicking our asses anyway.¡± I grumbled, then fell back into my seat. I checked my gold totals. It was a massacre. My army had dealt more damage than ever. I had earned fifty gold from that battle; worse yet, he was right. I needed to get my head out of my ass. This was a friendly match with the bosses instead of a life-or-death fight, but it still affected my ability to proceed through the dungeon. I wiped my sweaty brow, then focused on what was next. The deck of cards rose from the field, and I was certain the cards were a darker red yet again. The hand was dealt. I was not thrilled. Two, four, four, nine, and a jack. I dropped the two and nine, but got nothing better. The cards sank out of sight, and the upgrades menu opened. Soldiers: Speed: 2 Health: 15 Damage: 3 Quantity: 20 Soldier upgrades: +1 cost per investment Speed: 11 Health: 11 Damage: 10 Quantity: 10 Archers: Speed: 2 Health: 5 Damage: 5 Range: 15 Quantity: 2 Archer upgrades: +2 cost per investment Speed: 10 Health: 20 Damage: 10 Range: 10 Quantity: 15 Mages: Speed: 2 Health: 3 Damage: 8 Range: 10 Quantity: 1 Mage upgrades: +3 cost per investment Speed: 13 Health: 20 Damage: 10 Range: 15 Quantity: 15 Castle: Health: 250 Repair: No Archers: 1 Castle upgrades: Health: 10 Repair (ability): 100 Repair: Cost dependent Archers: 10 Unlocks: Knights: 100 Bears: 100 Dwarves: 150 Griffons: 200 Dragon: 500 I shook my head. I didn¡¯t want to be responsible for more men going to their deaths. But I had to play. I was locked in. I made my choices and locked in. Fifty-five gold was a lot to work with. The mages had been instrumental in such a decisive victory. I bought three levels in mage quantity, spending fifty-four of my fifty-five gold. I selected Branciforte again. My soldiers marched out. Twenty-two soldiers, three archers, and five mages formed the unit. I sighed. I knew how this round was going to go. I closed my eyes, slumped in my chair, and waited for it to be over. Chapter 33: Click Click Adam smiled. They were all seated around a small camp fire. It was their third day in the clearing. Luckily, the forest had more than just horrifying baby-faced spider monsters. Several deer had run through the clearing the previous afternoon, and they had managed to catch a few. Carl, somewhat unsurprisingly, knew how to clean and butcher the deer. What was surprising to most of them, however, was Raven¡¯s knowledge. She was just as capable as Carl, working quickly and efficiently on one of the corpses. By that evening, they were having their first meal in days. ¡°You know, that¡¯s something that has been bothering me,¡± Carl sprayed through a mouthful of venison. Adam leaned back, ignoring the fat running over his hands. He felt filthy all over. They hadn¡¯t sorted out a good system for cleaning themselves yet. ¡°What?¡± Carl chewed a few more times, then swallowed. ¡°Hunger. I mean, yeah, I was hungry. But I wasn¡¯t three-days-without-food hungry.¡± ¡°Five,¡± Kyra said. ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been five days,¡± she said. She looked up through her hair. ¡°Two days in the facility place, then three here.¡± Carl nodded. ¡°Well, yeah, that¡¯s right. So, five days without food. With the level of exertion we¡¯ve all been dealing with, it should have had us weak to the point of being unable to move. We should have been dying of starvation. But I just felt¡­ grumpy? Tired? Like I skipped a meal or two, not five days.¡± Adam nodded. ¡°I noticed that too. Normally, I eat about three-thousand calories a day. That¡¯s just maintenance, I eat more when I¡¯m bulking for comp.¡± Liz and Kyra both eyed him, while Carl stared daggers. Raven focused on her food. He thought the different reactions were interesting. ¡°I don¡¯t feel like I¡¯ve lost weight though, and after five days, I definitely would have noticed.¡± Carl ripped another chunk of meat off his skewer with such force it broke the stick. He scrambled to keep his food from hitting the ground. Adam was looking over at the newly expanded area when Carl looked back up. ¡°To add to that, I¡¯m stronger. I was strong before, I mean, I was training for a local comp that could have put me on the path to nationals for bodybuilding and lifting. But now? Now I can lift twice as much while barely breaking a sweat.¡± ¡°What level are you?¡± Carl looked at the larger man. He appeared to weigh around two-hundred-thirty pounds. He carried it well on his large frame. ¡°Uh, still two, I think.¡± Adam pulled up his character sheet and saw it was true. ¡°I¡¯m almost to level three, though.¡± ¡°What is your strength at?¡± ¡°Twelve.¡± Kyra choked on her food, coughing and spluttering. Adam looked down in concern, then put his large hand on her back and rubbed in circles. She nodded to answer his unspoken question that she was okay. Another cough, and she sat back up. ¡°Thanks. Swallowed wrong.¡± Carl glared some more, then gave it up. That much effort was exhausting. ¡°I theorized that ten was peak of humanity. Twelve would put you above that, and not by a small margin. Adam looked down at his free hand and clenched it. He could hear his skin tightening. He smiled. ¡°Cool.¡± Carl shook his head. ¡°Where is the extra energy coming from?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I can tell you,¡± Liz said as she tore another bite from her skewer. ¡°This is the best meal I¡¯ve ever had.¡± Kyra looked around. ¡°Raven, why aren¡¯t you eating?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a vegan.¡± Adam stifled a sigh. ¡°Is it a moral stance, or one about allergies?¡± Raven shook her head. ¡°The meat industry is evil!¡± He nodded. ¡°You¡¯re not wrong. That¡¯s a good moral stance to hold. This, though,¡± he said as we waved his food. ¡°This is ethical. We hunted it ourselves. Cleaned and cooked it ourselves. We are using the meat, the skin, the bones, we¡¯re going to make that deer¡¯s sacrifice mean something. Our survival depends on us hunting. If we can find some edible plants, I would love that.¡± Kyra moaned. ¡°Oh, I would kill for a Caesar right now.¡± ¡°Like, to suppress the plebs, or just for authoritarian fun?¡± Adam smirked at her. She punched him in the arm. ¡°A Caesar salad, jerk.¡± ¡°That¡¯s how they market them, you know,¡± Carl said with a bit of a put-on accent. He looked at the group. Nothing happened for a long moment. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡°You hears about one, and you wants one,¡± Liz said slowly. ¡°That¡¯s a Texas-sized ten-four, good buddy,¡± Adam finished. Carl gaped for a moment, then smiled widely. He looked between Liz and Adam and for the first time in a very long time, wore a genuine smile. ¡°What the hell was that,¡± Kyra said. ¡°Quoting a show,¡± Adam said. ¡°You never saw Letterkenny?¡± Kyra shook her head. ¡°Usually couldn¡¯t stay awake long enough on the rare occasions when I could watch TV.¡± ¡°What? Why¨C¡± Adam cut himself off. ¡°Oh, right.¡± ¡°The cancer thing,¡± Kyra said. ¡°At the end, I slept most of the time. It was the only way I could reliably deal with the pain. I hated the opiates.¡± ¡°That¡¯s whats I appreciates about you,¡± Liz said softly. ¡°What? And why do you keep improperly pluralizing words?¡± She laughed and wiped a tear away from her eye. ¡°It¡¯s another reference to my favorite character on the show.¡± ¡°Okay¡­ but what does it mean?¡± ¡°It means, miss badass, that I think you¡¯re absolutely incredible.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say you turned down opiates?¡± ¡°Yeah. So?¡± Liz shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve seen what opiates can do to someone. Even if they needed them. You, turning them down, even though you were already dying? You¡¯re hardcore.¡± Adam nodded. ¡°She¡¯s right.¡± He turned to Liz. ¡°Squirrely Dan is your favorite?¡± ¡°Of course. He¡¯s handsome, funny, and a truly good guy.¡± ¡°Oh, he¡¯s a great guy,¡± Adam parroted. He smiled. She returned it. ¡°Well, what about you? Who was your favorite?¡± ¡°The hockey kids.¡± ¡°Whaaaat?¡± Liz laughed. ¡°Why them?¡± ¡°Because I did sports in school. I knew so many guys like them. None were as good, though. Sure, they were always up for a scrap, but they talked shit to everybody and struggled to complete their remedial homework. The hockey kids were the idealized version of those meatheads. It was comforting.¡± Carl raised his hand, and the others looked at him expectantly. ¡°Glen.¡± ¡°Haha!¡± Adam slapped his knee with a free hand. ¡°Glen was a character for sure!¡± Raven took a hesitant bite of her food. Her eyes went wide, and she chewed ravenously for a moment while listening to the others razz each other. Finally, when she came up for breath, she made a comment. ¡°I liked McMurray.¡± ¡°McMurray¡¯s a piece of shit!¡± Adam practically shouted it. Liz said it at the same time, and they laughed. ¡°Why is he a piece of shit?¡± Kyra looked between Liz and Adam. ¡°Well, he just is. Always talking about nasty things, cheating on his wife¡­¡± Adam shrugged. ¡°I think that was a running joke that went too far,¡± Raven said. ¡°I mean, think about it. Any time anybody called him, whether it be for a favor, work, or a fight, he showed up.¡± Adam nodded, looking critically at Raven. ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Sounds like I need to watch the show,¡± Kyra said. ¡°I think there¡¯s a lot of things I need to catch up on. It was a rough couple of years.¡± Though it wasn¡¯t her intention, the conversation fell off there. They ate in silence for a few more minutes. Finally, all five sat back in contemplation. The fire sparked and sizzled as meat continued to cook. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not tired.¡± Adam stood, stretching his body out. ¡°I¡¯m going to get back to work. I think, at this rate, I can get a few more trees felled, then we can get some shelters set up.¡± Carl nodded. ¡°I can¡¯t really help there, but I can get back on recon. Last time I was out, I thought I heard something to the north.¡± ¡°Which way is north?¡± Adam looked around the clearing, then up at the sky. He hadn¡¯t really been paying attention, instead working on cutting trees and spiders down. Carl pointed past Adam to the tree line. ¡°I haven¡¯t gone that way yet. But I think I heard a river or something.¡± ¡°That would be perfect,¡± Liz said. ¡°And if there is a river, I¡¯m taking a bath.¡± Carl looked over at her. ¡°Easy, boy. I¡¯m not showing you the goods just like that.¡± She smirked as he blushed. The group broke apart. Raven stuck with Kyra as they scoured the nearby woods for resources. Carl and Liz went north into the trees looking for water. Adam set back to work cutting trees down. He was amazed the sword hadn¡¯t dulled with the hard work he was putting it through. It wasn¡¯t ideal, though, and he found himself spending as much time wrenching the blade free as he did actually chopping. The night passed in relative quiet. The sky started to lighten, only noticeable by the beginning of gray touching the eastern sky. That was when the monsters attacked. Kyra was first to notice. She grabbed Raven¡¯s hand and yanked her to a stop, then quickly and quietly led them back to the clearing. She kept Raven from talking with a finger pressed to her lips. They waved at Adam, but he was too busy limbing the latest tree to notice them. Kyra pushed to her limits to get to Adam in time. She could just hear the soft footsteps of the monsters as they left the forest. ¡°Adam!¡± Her hissed whisper-shout finally broke his concentration and drew his attention. He looked at her, then stood and assumed a combat stance. ¡°How many?¡± She shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. At least three.¡± He growled. ¡°I wish the other two were here.¡± ¡°They¡¯re not. Get ready, I have your back.¡± He nodded and stepped toward the center of the clearing. The three monsters stayed near the edge, partially cloaked by the dense shadows. It was hard to get a good look. They moved quickly and quietly. Two stayed in front, but he heard something just at the edge of his hearing. The third was working to flank him. He held the sword at the ready, but quickly lost sight of the third monster. ¡°Guys, I can¡¯t see the last one.¡± Raven stepped in near him, then Kyra pushed in to form the last side of a triangle. ¡°We¡¯ve got your back.¡± He nodded. It was closer than they needed to be, but it would work for the moment. He heard the curious noise again, then noted a shift in the body language of the two in front of him. The first one stepped into the half-light of the clearing and he finally got a good look. The creature, for it was a creature and not a monster, had a long, sleek body. It had to be about three meters long, and though stout, did not look to be fat. Instead, it looked like the whole trunk was muscle coiled under fat. The coat was short and dappled, making it harder to see as it moved. He couldn¡¯t tell what color the thing was. It had four relatively short legs ending in hooved toes, making its shoulders about chest high to him. At the rear it had a long, strong tail clearly meant for swimming. He could just make out a set of small, oval ears near the crown of its sleek, yet bulbous head. Weirdest of all was the long proboscis that moved constantly at the end of its long mouth. It looked like the trunk of an elephant, yet was too short. ¡°What the hell is that thing?¡± The first one let out a coughing grunt, though the noise was far too loud for how little it moved. Then the sound repeated, and this time it was loud enough to stun him. It charged, little feet throwing clods of dirt as it closed the distance. He was helpless, hands paralyzed around the hilt of the sword he couldn¡¯t swing. He couldn¡¯t even blink, looking at the charging creature with fear and anger. Chapter 34: Better Late than Never Adam felt the paralysis wear off just before the creature impacted him. He jumped back and to the side. The sword came up practically of its own volition. That was all that saved him from the vicious looking teeth as they tried to snap down on his leg. A scream worked its way through his clenched teeth as the oddly long incisors bit in. His flesh separated with as little resistance as a sheet of paper, stopped only by the blade. He clamped his mouth shut to stop the scream. He saw movement in the corner of his eye, but was transfixed by the bloody snout that was threatening to sever his leg. The monster, looking like a terrifying mix of a dolphin and a tapir, charged in from his side. He knew it was coming, but if he shifted his weight or moved his hands, the one attacking him would take his leg. He didn¡¯t know if Kyra¡¯s lesser healing spell could restore lost limbs, but he had a feeling the ¡®lesser¡¯ part of the name indicated otherwise. He saw it take a long step, then bunch and leap. He growled, fighting to wrench the sword free. He closed his eyes and curled in to present his shoulder. Instead of having another of the typhins latch onto his shoulder, he heard a meaty thunk and a loud grunt. He opened his eyes to find Raven had tackled the typhin out of the air. She wrestled with it while it grunted, squeaked, and clicked. ¡°Rrraaaah!¡± Adam roared out. He let the sword go from his left hand, feeling the teeth sink deeper, scraping the bone. The sensation made him want to vomit. He channeled that, the rage, the helplessness, everything into his next move. He jammed his fingers into the massive eye of the typhin. It squealed and started to jerk its head around, flaying his leg open. His roar turned to a scream of pain, but he didn¡¯t relent. Instead, he changed the angle of the sword and let the tip dig into his leg, using it for leverage. He dug deeper into the monster¡¯s eye socket until he was able to grasp the side of its skull, then yanked hard. The sword¡¯s edge skittered past the teeth gripping it, then shattered two more on its unstoppable path into the creature¡¯s throat. He pushed harder, put every ounce of his fading strength into splitting the creature. He could feel his blood drain away; his vision was beginning to dim. The monster had punctured his femoral artery, he was sure of it. He had seconds left to live. He twisted the blade and shoved it deeper with every fiber of his being. Something broke, and he was sent stumbling. The ground rushed up at him, but he was unconscious before he hit. Raven was screaming, thrashing against the monster she held in place. It had powerful legs, but they were short and unable to get at her. She scrabbled in the dirt with a free hand until her fingers brushed against something hard. She grabbed it and brought it down hard on the typhin¡¯s side. It squealed and bucked. She hit it again, then felt something hot and wet. She brought her hand down again and again, screaming the whole time. ¡°Raven!¡± Kyra¡¯s scream came from nearby, startling her. Raven paused, letting her scream trail off. The monster was no longer moving. She opened her eyes to find herself absolutely bathed in blood. She retched, then fell off the creature¡¯s belly and scrambled backwards on hands and feet. Kyra was waving her hands to get her to stop moving. ¡°Raven! It¡¯s okay!¡± A minute before, Liz was walking back with Carl. She didn¡¯t have a towel, so she let it air dry. They were just approaching the clearing when Adam screamed in pain. Liz broke into a sprint before any thoughts had even formed. She knew that sound and how bad it meant the situation already was. She closed the last hundred feet. It was just light enough to see how dark everything had become. Adam wrestled with some sort of creature while Raven repeatedly stabbed another with a stick. She saw a third circling and readying to pounce on Adam. Despite her size, she had always moved quietly, and that came in handy as she launched at the monster with arms outstretched. She caught it around the throat, sending them both tumbling. She put it in a headlock with her legs wrapped as tightly around the torso as she could manage. The creature bucked and writhed, but made no sound. She knew she had a good seal when it quickly faded, then fell limp. Not wanting to risk anything, she waited another handful of seconds, then let the thing roll free. She saw Adam¡¯s club sitting near his limp body and grabbed it, then crushed the monster¡¯s skull in one savage blow. Then she turned around to find Raven screaming and stabbing one, while Adam bled on top of another, though his had half its head missing. She looked around in confusion until she saw it laying a few feet away. It looked like it had been chopped off by the sword in one clean stroke, but that didn¡¯t match the situation. Finally, Kyra appeared from behind the tree. She was shaking like a tree¡¯s last leaf in a storm. She looked around, then rushed to Adam¡¯s side. ¡°Is he alive?¡± Liz knelt next to the healer, then looked at the ruined mess that was Adam¡¯s leg. She couldn¡¯t see any blood pulsing out anymore. Carl calmly knelt next to Adam¡¯s wounded leg, pulled his belt free, and cinched it tight. ¡°I¡¯m applying this as a tourniquet. Kyra, you have enough mana to cast the healing spell?¡± Kyra nodded and placed her hands on Adam¡¯s chest. She was crying hard, barely able to take a breath, but it didn¡¯t stop her from casting the spell. Her hands glowed. The magic sank into his chest. She leaned down, stifling her sobs to listen for his breath. She cast the spell again. Liz started compressions, mumble-singing Staying Alive again. Carl gently pushed Liz aside, then started CPR, but he put his body weight behind it. Liz cringed when she heard one of Adam¡¯s ribs break. Kyra cast the spell again. Liz bent down and breathed into Adam¡¯s mouth. Carl nodded, and started again. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°I¡¯m out of mana.¡± ¡°Figure something out. I¡¯m not letting him die like this,¡± Carl snarled. It was a complete change from the blase way he had acted before. Kyra looked at him through red, watery eyes, saw the pure determination, and nodded. She tried to cast the spell, but it fizzled. She tried again. It fizzled. She simply did not have enough mana. She screamed, fighting to get the spell to work. It failed again. She pounded on his chest, crying hard. Desperate, she tried one last time. Blood began to leak from her eyes, nose, and ears. But her hands began to glow. This time, when the magic sank in, Adam gasped hard. He shuddered, then began breathing, though he didn¡¯t regain consciousness. ¡°Thank the gods,¡± Liz said as she sat back on her feet. Carl leaned back, then stretched his arms. ¡°I¡¯ve always hated doing that. Hurts me almost as much as it hurts them. My arms are going to be useless tomorrow.¡± Kyra glared at him again. ¡°Why did you help?¡± ¡°Believe it or not, I did and do take my oath seriously.¡± ¡°The last time he was dying, you did nothing and brushed him off. This time, you actually worked hard. I heard his rib break, and I know that¡¯s not easy to do on someone his size.¡± Carl shook his head. ¡°So tell me, Doctor Death, why did you save him?¡± Carl looked at Liz, who blankly looked back. ¡°I wanted to make things right. I¡¯m not a great front-line fighter. I¡¯m not a healer. But I can apply my knowledge, which still might save his life. And I can stop acting like I¡¯m better than you guys. It¡¯s only fair, if you¡¯re going to let me live here.¡± Kyra stared at him for a long moment, then looked over at Liz. Her friend shrugged, then mimed wiping at her face. She started, then felt at her cheeks. They were wet with tears and blood. She wiped at her face with her sleeve, growing angry when it just smeared blood and tears with dirt, turning it into a gross mud. ¡°Fine. But go away, I don¡¯t want to see you right now.¡± Carl seemingly ignored her, instead checking on Adam. He checked the man¡¯s wrist, then listened to his chest. Finally, he cut Adam¡¯s pants away and looked at the wounded man¡¯s leg. He nodded and stood, walking around the tree and into the shadows that were starting to take on hard edges in the early morning light. He was gone in seconds. ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Kyra looked at Liz. ¡°We had a talk. A very long, very pointed talk. I think he¡¯s going to actually make an effort now.¡± ¡°What did you say to him to get him to change like that?¡± Liz shook her head. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. What does matter is that Adam is alive. You look like hell, though. What happened to you? Why did you start bleeding?¡± Kyra¡¯s eyes unfocused as she opened the window that was vying for her attention. Skill unlocked! Skill: Life to Mana You traded some of your life force for mana. Higher levels are more efficient at converting life to mana. Cost: Convert 110 life to 100 mana. Another window popped up. Title gained! Mana Hungry I: You cast a spell when you had no mana left! +1.0 mana per second regen when out of mana. Effect ends after 60 seconds. Can be triggered twice per day. A third window popped up. Title gained! Selfless: You gave your life for someone else. Hopefully, it was for a good reason. Kyra blinked. A fourth window waited. Title gained! Rule breaker: You unlocked and used a skill that should have killed you. That probably hurt. +1 to constitution Finally, one last window popped up, explaining how the previous few had happened. Boon gained! You have been noticed by Caitr¨ªn, Goddess of Healers. She has granted you a boon of 71 life points. This may overflow your normal health pool. ¡°Uh,¡± Kyra stammered. ¡°I think¡­ I think I did something really dumb.¡± Liz shook her head. ¡°What? What happened?¡± ¡°Well, it looks like I somehow broke the rules, gained a skill, used that skill, died, and then¡­ didn¡¯t¡­ die?¡± ¡°That is as clear as mud,¡± Liz said with a sigh. Kyra explained what the windows said. She checked her character sheet, and sure enough, it backed what she saw. Name: Kyra Donoghue Race: Human Faction: None Job: None Age: 26 Renown Level: Renown: 27 Level: 2 XP: 10/110 HP: 1/60 HP regen per second: 0.02 MP: 79/180 MP regen per second: 1.09 Stamina: 180/180 Stamina regen: 0.09 Strength: 2 Agility: 9 Constitution: 3* Wisdom: 9 Intelligence: 7 Charisma: 5 Luck: 1 Titles: Mana Hungry I, Rule Breaker, Selfless Skills: Life to Mana Abilities: None Notes: English Boons: Caitr¨ªn, Goddess of Healers: 71 health points (expired) Chakras: Crown: Locked. Third Eye: Locked. Throat: Locked. Heart: Locked. Solar Plexus: Locked. Sacral: Locked. Root: Locked. She looked up at Liz. ¡°I got a boon from a goddess. It saved my life. Literally, it gave me enough life to use the skill. I have one health point left.¡± Liz looked at her in alarm. ¡°What? Are you okay? Why don¡¯t you look like,¡± and she looked at Adam, waving a little at him to make her point. ¡°I don¡¯t know. But I do know that this Caitr¨ªn, whoever she is, is wonderful.¡± ¡°So¡­ gods are real.¡± Liz and Kyra looked at each other for a long while. Kyra felt gross. The blood was dry enough to feel tacky, making the muddy mess on her face itch. ¡°Can you show me where the river is? I want to bathe and get clean.¡± Liz smiled gently. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Oh, we should probably bring Raven, too. She¡¯s kinda¡­ covered.¡± They both looked at where the other woman was sitting with her arms wrapped around her legs. ¡°And we should make sure she¡¯s okay.¡± Liz nodded, stood, then helped Kyra to her feet. They moved Adam close to the tree trunk, making sure he was tucked out of sight. ¡°On second thought,¡± Liz said, looking at how helpless he was. ¡°I should probably stay here. I don¡¯t know where Carl is, and Adam can¡¯t defend himself.¡± Kyra bit her lip, then nodded. ¡°That¡¯s a good point.¡± She walked to Raven and offered her a hand. Raven looked up, her big blue eyes wide in shock. ¡°Come on, Raven. Let¡¯s go get cleaned up.¡± Liz pointed into the woods toward where they found the river. ¡°That way, you¡¯ll see some broken branches and bark stripped from the trees. We did that to make a trail that we¡¯ll expand on later.¡± Kyra nodded, then led Raven by the hand into the trees. Liz sat down next to Adam and sighed. ¡°Geez, big guy. You really know how to be dramatic.¡± Adam groaned. Chapter 35: Mutation As I had guessed, the round was a blowout. The gap was widening. What was different, though, was the fact that Branciforte¡¯s castle was starting to show serious signs of damage. A health bar blinked in the sky over his gate. It showed he was down nearly to half health. Looking at the situation from his perspective, he was locked into a deadly spiral. Either he put everything he had into his soldiers and hoped he didn¡¯t get attacked again, or he saved up to a hundred gold so he could get the ability to repair his castle. He was up the proverbial creek, but whether he had a paddle was to be seen. ¡°I propose a change,¡± Branciforte said over what I had come to think of as the game chat. His voice was strong and clear, though I could hear a hint of strain. ¡°What did you have in mind?¡± Coopman answered first, though Selvaggi was only a moment behind. ¡°Not again,¡± Selvaggi started to pace once more. ¡°You do this every time, Roulette.¡± ¡°It makes it more interesting,¡± Branciforte said back. ¡°Uh, what¡¯s going on?¡± I looked at each of the bosses in turn. Selvaggi scowled but said nothing, while Coopman smirked. He jerked his head toward Branciforte to indicate where I should direct my questions. I looked over at the frog. ¡°What change?¡± ¡°He wants to do a mutator.¡± Selvaggi spat over the side of his castle. I shook my head. ¡°What is a mutator, and why do you look so upset?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not upset about the mutator, it¡¯s just annoying,¡± Selvaggi said. ¡°He¡¯s upset because our friend here has a habit of calling for a mutator any time he falls behind.¡± I looked from Coopman over to Branciforte, who shrugged. Coopman continued talking. ¡°The reason he¡¯s called Roulette is not because he loves the game¨C¡± ¡°Though I do love roulette,¡± he interrupted. Coopman shot him a look and he raised his webbed hands in surrender. ¡°He¡¯s called Roulette because when he calls for a mutator, even though it is randomly chosen, it seems to always favor him somehow.¡± ¡°It¡¯s disgusting,¡± Selvaggi said. He shook his head. ¡°Last time he called for a mutator, it came up ¡®Ants¡¯.¡± He made a sound of disgust and kicked at the battlement. I looked around before asking the question they were clearly waiting for. ¡°Okay¡­ what is ¡®ants?¡¯ And why does that make such a difference?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve noticed by now,¡± Coopman said. ¡°Our friend likes to pad his numbers. Sometimes that¡¯s enough. Sometimes, he gets overwhelmed anyway, because he doesn¡¯t put much into other buffs.¡± ¡°Overwhelm them with bodies,¡± Branciforte said with a smirk. ¡°The Russian gambit,¡± Selvaggi snarled. ¡°Throw meat at the grinder until the grinder breaks down.¡± I blinked at Selvaggi. I still had no idea if he was from my Earth or not, and if he was, what he had been before becoming¡­ this. But what they were describing was the Russian habit of throwing men at a problem until the problem was crushed under the weight of the dead. It worked in multiple wars. It was wasteful, but often successful if the leaders were absolute psychopaths. ¡°That still doesn¡¯t answer my question,¡± I said. ¡°Just a moment! I was getting there,¡± Coopman said with a weary smile. ¡°The Ants mutator changed all soldiers into giant ants. I don¡¯t know if you understand how ant warfare works¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s all about the numbers. Soldiers are soldiers, and specialized units can be overwhelmed,¡± I said. I put a hand to my forehead. ¡°And with all of his upgrades in numbers¡­¡± ¡°He overwhelmed us in two turns,¡± Selvaggi said. ¡°There may have been a lucky ace or two,¡± Branciforte said with a smile and shrug. ¡°These things happen.¡± ¡°Luck always favors the house,¡± Coopman said, shaking his own head. ¡°Playing this with Roulette and allowing him to call for a mutator changes it from chess to Russian Roulette.¡± I nodded. ¡°Well, it sounds interesting, at least. I¡¯m up for it.¡± Coopman looked to Selvaggi. They had a silent conversation, either on a private channel or one of those that happens with old friends through small gestures. I waited, unconsciously holding my breath. Finally, Selvaggi broke away. He kicked at the ground, waving his hands and raving at the sky. I couldn¡¯t hear any of it. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯ll calm down soon.¡± The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. I looked over at Coopman. He smiled. ¡°He hasn¡¯t won a game in a while. It can get grating.¡± ¡°I bet. But I¡¯m guessing he¡¯s pissed because you decided to vote for the mutator.¡± He nodded. ¡°I did.¡± ¡°Excellent,¡± Branciforte said with a clap. He rubbed his oversized webbed hands together in anticipation. ¡°Let¡¯s find out what we¡¯re going to be dealing with.¡± I glanced over at Selvaggi. He had his back to the field. He looked angry, resigned, but I could tell it was mostly an act. He was having fun. Perhaps he was just playing the foil. Sometimes, it helped having a straight-man. He was being the villain so the others could fight on a second battlefield. He looked at me and winked, then went back to brooding. I smirked. They were doing all this for my benefit. ¡°Alright, what do we do?¡± Branciforte made a big gesture, waving from low and out into the field, almost like he was throwing a heavy frisbee. I waited, tracking an invisible something, waiting for whatever it was to go into effect. I was not disappointed. The sky darkened and began to shake. Lightning gathered in clouds at the edges of the arena, which closed overhead so quickly, it was like magic. More lightning arced through the sky. It built, glowing white-hot, and that¡¯s when I figured out what was going on. The lightning was going to spell out the mutator. Asymmetrical Warfare ¡°Oh, damn.¡± I looked across the field at Coopman. He was looking up at the menacing arrow hovering over his castle. I could no longer choose a target. The system was making that choice. Branciforte shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Owl.¡± Selvaggi snorted. ¡°This is exactly what I¡¯m talking about. He¡¯s at half health,¡± he said with a wave at Branciforte¡¯s castle, ¡°and now he just might outlast us.¡± The cards started to fly out. I smiled when I drew a king first. A six, another six, then a king. I was grinning like an idiot. The final card flew out, and I nearly burst out laughing. A third six. I had a full house, and I didn¡¯t even need to change out any cards. I accepted the hand and watched it fly to my gates. The upgrade menu popped up next. I checked to see how much money I had to work with. I did the math and realized my forces had killed over half the men on the field last round. Forty-two gold. Another round or two and I could unlock the Knights or the Bears. I wasn¡¯t sure what they did, but considering they were the same price, it didn¡¯t likely matter much. On the other hand, I had enough to drop a handful of upgrades. I could get another boost to speed for all three types of units. That had been a game-changer to start with. I had a feeling, however, that until I dropped a few more levels, the incremental changes wouldn¡¯t have large results. Doubling speed is one thing, but adding only 50% wasn¡¯t going to do a lot. On the other hand, a boost to damage would change things up significantly. I could do two boost to soldier damage, one each to archer and mage. That would mean my soldiers could kill a base level soldier in two hits, instead of four. Archers would take down enhanced soldiers in two-to-three shots, and mages in two. I nodded to myself and allocated the money. Two damage levels for soldiers, one for archers, and one for mages. I finalized the changes, then closed the menu. The timer ticked down, and I could see Coopman brushing at his head with his feathered hands. He was obviously stressed out. The horn blew. I looked over the battlement at my forces below while they marched into the field. My jaw dropped. It wasn¡¯t the upgrades, though they were obvious. No, the number of soldiers that marched out was staggering. Rank after rank after rank marched through my gate. I counted fifty sword-wielding soldiers, and those swords had clearly been upgraded with longer, wider blades. They looked more like longswords, though it was clear they weren¡¯t quite there yet. After the soldiers, an entire rank of archers walked out, five in total. They had stronger bows. At this point, I was jumping up and down in sheer excitement. After the archers came the mages. I thought I was going to faint. Two full ranks of mages. I had more soldiers than the three mobsters combined. Branciforte had the most soldiers outside my own force. He had twenty-seven soldiers marching in staggered ranks. Selvaggi had upgraded his own again, and his twenty-two were marching in nearly full leather armor. They were impressive to behold. Finally, I saw Coopman¡¯s soldiers. He had taken a break from upgrading their weapons- still at longswords- and each now sported bracers. With the change of player-chosen targets to three-on-one warfare, Coopman had altered his strategy to increase his defensive capabilities. With an archer behind his soldiers and two on his battlements, he looked to be in somewhat good shape. That was, until he saw my force approaching. Despite the fact that I was the farthest from him, my units covered the distance in less time. I could see him cursing up a storm and stomping around gesturing wildly. I couldn¡¯t hear him, but I had a feeling I knew what he was saying, if not the exact words, then the sentiment for sure. My sixty-five made short work of his twenty-one. Right about the time his archer fell, the other two forces arrived. They fell on my army with a vengeance, but that wasn¡¯t enough. Even with Coopman¡¯s battlement archers picking my men off, the other forces simply weren¡¯t up to the fight. My soldiers cleaved through theirs, the archers drilled through weak spots in the armor, and the mages cast fireballs in the most devastating locations. In only two minutes, the three-on-one battle had been reduced to my twenty-eight, including five archers, nine mages, and fourteen soldiers, hammering on Coopman¡¯s castle doors. I was once again disappointed that my ranged units did nothing to fight back against the battlement archers, but I could hardly be angry at that bit of balancing. My soldiers fell one-by-one, often taking multiple arrows to stop them for good. By the time my last soldier fell, everything was silent. I couldn¡¯t even hear the wind. Coopman stared blankly at the mess below his gates. The bodies turned to pixelated dust. That did nothing for the blood that coated absolutely everything. The approach to his castle was bathed in red. It even ran up the walls a surprising distance. His gate was ragged, with multiple holes through the thick wood exposing the courtyard beyond. It was hard to remember this was a real battle, even if it was fought with pseudo-immortals, when they were nearly a mile away. Selvaggi finally spoke up. ¡°What the hell did you draw for that freakin¡¯ army?¡± I shook my head. ¡°Full house. Sixes full of kings.¡± ¡°Well damn,¡± Branciforte said. ¡°We didn¡¯t stand a chance.¡± ¡°I had an ace high,¡± Coopman said. We both looked at his health bar at the same time. ¡°I¡¯m down to twelve percent.¡± The arrow moved then. It shot into the sky, then came thundering back down, complete with the rumbling roar of a large object moving far-too-quickly through atmosphere. It stopped above Selvaggi¡¯s castle. ¡°What do you guys say to making it more interesting?¡± I laughed. ¡°What, like adding another mutator?¡± All three of them looked at me. ¡°Oh, you were serious.¡± Chapter 36: Sloth ¡°That¡¯s another one done and dusted,¡± Basil said as he clapped, then wiped his hands. He checked the hidden prompt again. Digital Adventurer (Hidden Quest): Play every slot machine on the first floor, 38 out of 150 complete. It had taken him two dozen machines in a row before the quest popped up. He had heard about hidden quests before, his uncle Terry had told the story of how he got to level 3 a hundred times. He never understood the point of family reunions for zombies. They didn¡¯t eat under ordinary circumstances, couldn¡¯t feel the effects of alcohol, and were usually lazy unless given explicit instructions. Getting together with hundreds of family members to be lazy in a room sounded like the worst kind of torture to him. Yet they did it every twenty-five years. Why so often? He shook his head and moved to the next machine. He had plenty of patience. That was part of being a zombie. But he could feel little thrills of anticipation running through him, especially his new arms. He had a sneaking suspicion the arm¡¯s former owner had been saddled with a nasty gambling addiction that went untreated. It practically itched to start the next round. He pulled a token from his pocket and selected the minimum bet. By that point, he had figured out that he had to win a round at the machine for it to count. Sometimes he was lucky and won right at the start, but over the course of the last few hours, he had built a nice little nest egg. Nearly a thousand tokens sat in his pocket. It was more money than anyone in his family had seen in centuries. ¡°Alright, momma needs a new car,¡± he mumbled. Strange statements kept leaking from his mouth, and he was certain it was the doing of his arm. He shook his head and pushed the button to start the wheels. He enjoyed the little animations that went on. His favorite had been a coconut dancing with katanas, cutting bananas as they fell from the sky. The imagination that had been a core part of this world was really striking to him. As he played, an idle thought crossed his mind. When was the last time I saw Bast? He ruminated on it for a minute, thinking about how long he¡¯d been playing for. He had heard some of the larger machines do some noisy jangle a few hours before. Not much since. That had been¡­ thirty machines ago? Maybe twenty-five. There had been a spate of wins, something like six in a row, where he had won immediately. Still, a single run lasted anywhere from thirty seconds to a minute, and that was when he won. Sometimes they lasted several minutes, only to turn out to be a loss. Still, the videos were very interesting. It was enough to hold his attention. The dials came to a stop, showing losing numbers. He sighed, pulled another token out of his pocket, and started again. Only one-hundred-twelve machines to go, including the one he sat at. ¨C¨C¨C Adam sighed and leaned against the tree trunk. It was his fifth of the day. He was getting faster. They were all getting better. Kyra had taken to preparing the monsters with Raven¡¯s help. That had surprised them. If they were quick enough, the monsters could be harvested for parts, which did not fade away like the whole corpses did. One of the attacks after the typhins, he couldn¡¯t quite remember which of the six, had dropped an axe. It was a regular wood-chopping axe, not the battling kind. It seemed¡­ oddly specific. Like it was made to drop, since he had been the one to kill and loot the thing. It still made him shiver when he thought about it. That particular creature had confirmed something for him: the monsters they were seeing were adapted from earth creatures. Not only that, but it was usually two normal creatures melded together in the most nightmare-inducing ways he could fathom. The one that dropped the axe had been a cross between a praying mantis and a sloth. Unfortunately, it seems they had pulled the sloth from fifteen-thousand years before the system. The thing had been patterned largely after the sloth, standing eight feet at the shoulder. However, it favored behaving more like the praying mantis, rearing back and showing all four forelimbs. It had a set of long, furry arms ending in savage looking claws, and a separate set that looked to be scaly, extending out from the shoulders and resembling scythes. It had a large mouth filled with small, sharp teeth, as well as two sets of fangs, and a set of external mandibles that clearly pulled food into the waiting Cuisinart-like mouth. That fight had been insanely stressful. He had nearly lost an arm to one of those astonishingly sharp scythe-arms. Liz had used her new bow to distract the creature, though its furry sides were too thick to be easily pierced by her arrows. It had been a lucky shot that took out one of its compound eyes that allowed him to sneak in under its guard and slash the belly open with her sword. Stinking guts had spilled out, steaming in the night air, but that had hardly slowed the thing. It had severed its own organs with a swipe from its blade arm, then continued chasing after him. It took twenty minutes of whittling it down, slashing through thick fur and hard chitin, before it went down. He had severed the head just to be certain, and that head had been mounted to a board as a trophy. It was the largest creature to attack their camp. He was just thankful there had been only one. The stench had kept them from trying to process the body, and that allowed them to loot it. Another of the lessons they had learned that day: processing a body too much kept it from being looted. They had to balance what they harvested with collecting loot. It had been a long process, aided by a different raid another night. A dozen creatures, the size of a horse, had invaded while they were working. It happened at least once a day, generally either around dawn or dusk. They were all exhausted, on edge, and starting to get cranky. But he had taken the time to butcher one right next to another that he had looted. After that, he changed how much he took while attempting to loot. Once the creature had lost approximately 30 percent of its body mass for any reason, it was no longer lootable. The more it lost to harvesting, the less they got in return for loot. And after looting, the body always faded within seconds, preventing any further harvesting. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. He stood, wiped his brow, checked the position of the sun, then started chopping away at the tree again. The clearing had grown in the week they had been there. The stout log wall was nearly completed, and already most creatures funneled toward the gap where the gate would be. He had added a lip after a few spider-crossed creatures had gone over the fence when they weren¡¯t expecting it. The lip was made from sticks woven through with barbed vines. That had been effective enough, even against the chitinous legs of the more insectoid creatures. He grunted, swinging his axe and using his ability, cleave. A clean line split the tree all down its forty-foot length. That had been a godsend, almost literally. He was level three, feeling stronger, and he¡¯d already unlocked his solar plexus chakra. Most of the rest of their group was progressing at the same pace. Raven looked down from her perch to where Adam worked on the trees. He barely even broke a sweat now, felling and stripping those trees. It was really impressive. She turned her gaze toward Kyra, who was whittling furniture from the cast-off wood Adam put to the side for her. The tiny woman was remarkably industrious. She was also filling out, not just with muscle, but with womanly curves. It was an incredible transformation. She hadn¡¯t looked sick when Raven met her, but it was easy to see the difference just a few days had made in her posture, confidence, strength, and stamina. She smiled, then turned her attention upward. The trees were tough to climb, especially near the top where the wind blew the crowns around like wheat in a gale. She continued her ascent, transitioning to using daggers as she neared the top. The wind was as bad as ever, more than sixty feet up. This tree was near the clearing, perhaps thirty feet back from the current tree line. But it was the tallest in the area, standing almost ten feet taller than the nearer trees. She took in the dazzling sight for a long moment. It looked like a sea of green. Waves could be seen moving across the treetops. But more interestingly, she could see other clearings. The nearest had to be a few miles away, and was just visible at that angle. It was mostly notable because it had part of a hillside exposed, informing her that the clearing was significantly larger than their own. It was worth mentioning to the others. Raven turned to start the descent, mind occupied with the possibilities, when something caught her attention. She paused, looking back out across the treetops. One tree was moving counter to the others around it, almost like it was shivering. Then it started to fall, disappearing from sight a second later. She memorized the direction, noting it was east-southeast from where she was perched. Another mystery to solve. That could have been an animal crashing into it, or other humans felling it. Or, perhaps, it had just been old and she had been lucky enough to catch it falling at that particular moment. It was hard to say. But she would bring it up when she got back to the group. Adam used cleave again, cutting a smooth plank from the large square log. The ability was draining, often taking half his stamina pool in one shot. It varied with each strike, and he figured it was a factor of what he was striking, as well as if there were inclusions or other factors that made the swing cost more. He leaned against his axe, taking a breather, when Raven jogged up. ¡°Hey, Adam. I think I spotted something.¡± ¡°Finally made it to the top, then?¡± She nodded. ¡°Yeah. You were right, using the daggers helped a lot.¡± ¡°Well, you should probably thank Carl for that. We don¡¯t see him much, but I know he¡¯s doing a lot of work out there.¡± He frowned. Not just a lot. Carl had already hit level five. The man was a machine, working upwards of twenty hours a day. He kept the clearing as peaceful as possible. The attacks they dealt with often came during the brief periods he rested. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll keep that in mind. Guy still gives me the willies.¡± Adam nodded, snorting a stifled laugh. ¡°Yeah, I understand that. But he works hard.¡± ¡°Anyway, do you want me to tell you now, or wait until everyone is here?¡± ¡°How important is it?¡± She shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Could be very important, could be nothing.¡± Adam sighed. ¡°Alright, just tell me now. If need be, we can catch the others up later.¡± She nodded. ¡°Right. Okay. Uh¡­ yeah. Well, I was at the top of the tree, right?¡± She swallowed. ¡°I was looking out to the south, at least, I think it was the south.¡± He had to stifle another laugh. She turned in place, pointing and muttering to herself for a moment. ¡°South is that way,¡± he said, pointing into the forest. ¡°We¡¯re still a bit north of the equator, wherever we are, so the sun stays on our southern side all day.¡± ¡°Right, duh, of course,¡± she said with a serious nod. ¡°I was looking south at some ridges and I spotted a clearing. It has to be a big one, based on the fact I could see it. But it has to be at least three miles away.¡± ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll send Carl to check it out tomorrow.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s the thing. I saw a tree fall to the¡­ east. East-southeast, I think.¡± She turned in place again, using her hands to make a rudimentary compass. Then she nodded and turned back to him. ¡°Yeah, definitely east-southeast. I don¡¯t know what caused it, but I did see a big tree fall. Maybe a mile, mile-and-a-half?¡± Adam scratched at his beard. It had started filling in and he didn¡¯t hate it, but it itched like crazy. He normally shaved every morning. ¡°That¡¯s a tough call.¡± ¡°What is?¡± They turned to see Liz walking up, bow slung across her back. She had a hip quiver filled with arrows, and she was whittling with a small blade as she approached. ¡°Raven spotted something. Go on, tell her.¡± Raven nodded, suddenly drawing in on herself. ¡°Uh, yeah. I was just telling him¡­ uh¡­ about a clearing. And a falling tree.¡± ¡°I see. That is troubling.¡± ¡°Well, they aren¡¯t the same place. I mean, the falling tree was not in the clearing I spotted.¡± Liz looked at Adam, who was doing his best to not smile. She rolled her eyes and looked back at Raven, who ducked her head. ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°Oh, no, Raven. You have nothing to be sorry for.¡± She reached out and gently lifted Raven¡¯s chin, making the smaller woman blush. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough, you two,¡± Adam said with a little wave. ¡°You can flirt later.¡± Raven squeaked and jumped in place, then turned and frantically waved in negation. ¡°What, no, I¡­ no!¡± ¡°Oh, you weren¡¯t flirting with me?¡± Liz put on her most mischievous smile, making Raven squeak again. ¡°Liz, stop embarrassing the poor girl. Keep it in your pants. We have other priorities right now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been almost two freaking weeks.¡± ¡°So suffer for another night or two. We¡¯re almost to the point where I can start making houses.¡± Liz groaned. ¡°Fine!¡± ¡°What did I miss?¡± Kyra walked up, distractedly plotting out the village to be. ¡°Liz was teasing Raven again,¡± Adam started. ¡°Ah!¡± Raven squeaked once more, then took off running. Adam sighed. ¡°Liz, go get your girlfriend. It¡¯ll be dark soon, and you know that means we¡¯re going to get attacked again.¡± Liz groaned. ¡°I was just having fun! And she¡¯s not my girlfriend.¡± ¡°Not yet,¡± Kyra muttered. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Nothing!¡± She turned to Adam. ¡°What¡¯s the plan, boss?¡± Chapter 37: Greased Lightning They continued to stare. ¡°Why are you all staring at me?¡± Selvaggi shrugged. ¡°We always argue over mutators. You are our guest. Seems fitting to leave it to you.¡± I shook my head. ¡°No way, you guys would trust me? Why not put it to a vote?¡± Branciforte snorted. ¡°We always vote the exact same way. I am for, Owl and Pitbull are against.¡± ¡°But you guys have mutators, you¡¯ve all mentioned it.¡± ¡°Ah, sometimes Pitbull does not vote, sometimes Owl does not. Rarely, they grumble and let me choose.¡± ¡°You guys would let me choose, just like that?¡± Coopman nodded. ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll honor whatever you say. As it is, you have changed things up so much, it¡¯s way more interesting than normal.¡± ¡°What? How?¡± Selvaggi answered, saying ¡°Normally we¡¯re locked in a three-way tie for the first dozen or so waves. You¡¯ve come in and thrown off our normal balance, added an unpredictable element, that is to say, you as a commander. We know how each other thinks and fights. We don¡¯t know you. So, yeah. Whatever you say, we¡¯re going with. Because you have made this fresh and interesting again.¡± ¡°If you guys are bored, why not change the game?¡± Branciforte shook his head. ¡°This is the one we were able to bring. There¡¯s a limit to what we can include from outside. And we all like this one. The other board games are usually more contentious.¡± ¡°Ha, I get that,¡± I said with a laugh. ¡°My family regularly gets into fights over Monopoly or Risk. There was one family reunion where my uncle proposed Riskopoly. That lasted all four days of the reunion, and ended with three fist fights. Mostly between my uncles, but one of my aunts got in on the action and knocked uncle Mikey silly.¡± They all stared at me. I shrugged. ¡°Alright, my family is weird. Let¡¯s do it. Throw another mutator in.¡± The storm started to gather immediately. Lightning built, though it seemed quicker the second time around, maybe because I knew what was coming. The electrical arcs built into letters, then a word. I tried to make it out, but it took a long moment before it was recognizable. Slick Approach ¡°Nice,¡± I said. The other three groaned. ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a compliment to you,¡± Selvaggi said. ¡°It¡¯s talking about our castles. Watch.¡± I looked at his castle, and two giant pots suddenly appeared at the end of a wooden crane. They were lifted to his battlements where several mannequin-men installed the pots at the one-third and two-third points on his wall. I looked behind me when I heard wood creaking and saw two pots of my own being lifted. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°Boiling grease. The first install is free, but refills take¡­ about three rounds.¡± Selvaggi put a long finger to his snout, tapping on his protruding canine. ¡°We¡¯ve never had Asymmetrical Warfare with Slick Approach before.¡± Coopman laughed. ¡°No, we haven¡¯t. But that means everyone is guaranteed a new layer of defense.¡± Branciforte clapped his hands together. ¡°Excellent! We are ready for the next round.¡± I nodded and returned to my seat. The deck of cards descended from the sky and dealt out cards. I did my best to adopt a neutral expression. A seven, followed by an ace. I felt my eyebrow quirk. A two, a ten, and another ace. I shut down the urge to shout. Instead, I selected the other three cards and traded them in, but they resulted in a five, eight, and nine. Nothing to help me. Even so, I had a pair of aces. That was a good hand. The upgrade menu opened, and I saw I had sixty-two gold to work with. I eyed the available upgrades. Soldiers: Speed: 2 Health: 15 Damage: 5 Quantity: 20 Soldier upgrades: +1 cost per investment Speed: 11 Health: 11 Damage: 12 Quantity: 10 Archers: Speed: 2 Health: 5 Damage: 6 If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Range: 15 Quantity: 2 Archer upgrades: +2 cost per investment Speed: 10 Health: 20 Damage: 12 Range: 10 Quantity: 15 Mages: Speed: 2 Health: 3 Damage: 9 Range: 10 Quantity: 4 Mage upgrades: +3 cost per investment Speed: 13 Health: 20 Damage: 13 Range: 15 Quantity: 24 Castle: Health: 250 Repair: No Archers: 1 Castle upgrades: Health: 10 Repair (ability): 100 Repair: Cost dependent Archers: 10 Unlocks: Knights: 100 Bears: 100 Dwarves: 150 Griffons: 200 Dragon: 500 I had sixty-two¡­ one more round like that, and I could afford Knights, or Bears. I really wished I could see a preview of the unit before investing that much gold. On the other hand, sixty gold could get a lot of upgrades. I thought on it for a long moment, idly watching the timer count down. Then a new thought struck me. The target had rolled clockwise, from Coopman to Selvaggi. If that pattern continued, I was next. And if I was successful enough¡­ if I could get just thirty-eight gold, I could field a new unit in the defense of my castle. Having a surprise like that would do some serious damage to the morale of the bosses. I cleared the upgrade menu away, confirming I didn¡¯t want to make any changes. The timer continued ticking away, and I saw Selvaggi in his chair, hand on chin as he looked into the distance. He was obviously trying to determine what he wanted to do. I watched him look at the timer above his menu, or so I assumed based on his head motion, then poke at the menu. A moment later, the timer disappeared and the horn blew. It was time for action; and now I would get to see the grease in action. My army marched onto the field. Twenty soldiers, six archers, and six mages. Something seemed different. I had already confirmed the hand affected what units went out, but I had a feeling aces also changed what was going on. The last time I had drawn a pair, I had more soldiers than normal. This time, I had no extra soldiers, but a boatload more archers. My men started their fast jog toward Selvaggi¡¯s castle, once again beating the others to the fight. That was when I saw Selvaggi¡¯s forces. He had forty leather-clad soldiers, and more worryingly, four archers. His force stepped forward to engage mine, and arrows started to fly. A moment later, the fireballs began to rain down as well. He started with forty-four men, while I had only thirty-two. However, while his were tougher, mine moved faster, and the ranged capability of my force was not to be underestimated. I watched in awe and sadness as the two forces slaughtered each other. By the time his last archer fell, I was down to four archers and two mages. Every one of the soldiers on both sides had died. The last of my forces marched toward the castle just as the other two forces made contact and started to fight. My men were going to attack Selvaggi¡¯s castle, which was interesting. The fight had clearly gone too fast for the others to catch up, and so the archers and mages were moving ahead with their primary target. That¡¯s when the new mutator came into play. Just as they were within firing range, the two pots of oil emptied over the battlements and washed down the wall, coating the ground in boiling grease. I could hear the men screaming from even that far away. The defense seemed¡­ savage. Primitive. Even more so than using swords and bows. The wave of boiling grease hit Coopman and Branciforte¡¯s brawling troops. The fight was taken out of them quickly as they were knocked to the ground and sent sliding every which way. It was almost comical, if I tuned out the screams of pain. Then it got worse. The first unit to regain their feet was one of my mages. He spotted one of the other hostiles, I couldn¡¯t tell which under the thick layer of grease, and cast a fireball. That set that entire section of the field on fire in seconds. It was a mercy, though, because the screaming ended very quickly after that. Once more, the four of us didn¡¯t speak. The only sound was the crackling of still-cooking flesh. Once in a while, a faint breeze carried the smell of charring meat. It made my mouth water, and my stomach turn. ¡°Why do they smell like that? I mean, you said they¡¯re not human.¡± Selvaggi shook his head, one hand pinching his nose. ¡°I don¡¯t know. We¡¯ve never had mages on the field at the same time as the grease.¡± ¡°It seems like you guys haven¡¯t seen a lot of this game, based on how often you¡¯re surprised.¡± ¡°Perhaps we have fallen into a little bit of a rut,¡± Branciforte said in his characteristically thick, yet stoic accent. ¡°Perhaps nothing,¡± Coopman said. ¡°That was horrifying.¡± ¡°Worse still, I didn¡¯t get credit for any of those kills,¡± Selvaggi said with a little whine. ¡°What?¡± I looked at my counter and my jaw dropped. I got credit for every kill, including those of my remaining men. ¡°Why did I get paid for the deaths of my own men?¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound right,¡± Coopman said. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t ever get paid like that.¡± I shook my head. ¡°Before any of you say it, I don¡¯t want any more mutators. Not right now, at least. And this is probably going to happen again, if your forces get close enough to my castle. Can we remove a mutator?¡± Branciforte shook his head. ¡°No. Once a mutator is applied, it stays until the game ends.¡± ¡°The way I see it, the game is basically over.¡± Selvaggi snorted. ¡°How do you figure, hot shot?¡± ¡°I have mages. None of you do. At this point, unless your forces get strong enough to repel all three armies, every round will go to the grease, which will likely end in one of my mages setting the field on fire, crediting me with all the deaths after that point. That gives me basically all the funding going forward. My victory is all-but-inevitable, if this mutator stays.¡± The three of them suddenly went quiet. I don¡¯t know how, but it seemed they could speak without including me. The silence went on for two long minutes, before they finally returned. Selvaggi spoke for the group. ¡°You¡¯re probably right. We could try to adapt, but odds are good you will win if we don¡¯t change something. So, we vote for a mutator.¡± ¡°I just said¨C¡± ¡°We know what you said. But the best bet to counter that mutator is a new one that can potentially rebalance the field.¡± ¡°And if it tips it further in my favor?¡± ¡°Then the game ends that much faster.¡± I growled, then nodded. The storm coalesced almost instantly. Only this time, something changed. DOUBLE MUTATOR! ¡°Damn it, how did that happen? Did one of you request as well?¡± I looked across at Branciforte. He had his brows drawn down tight. ¡°Does that mean what I think it means?¡± The storm started striking not one spot in the sky, but two. Words built quickly in the bright flashes of lightning. Slap Some Spinners On It The bosses groaned again. The building lightning drowned them out. What a Trip ¡°Ooh, that¡¯s going to make this way more interesting.¡± I couldn¡¯t even tell who had said that; my ears were still ringing from the aural assault. The storm cleared away, and when I could see the field again, hundreds of mushrooms had sprouted. They all looked relatively identical, red caps with white dots and stems. They were as stereotypical as mushrooms could get. I had a sneaking suspicion I knew what those would do. ¡°Well, that¡¯s going to change things up significantly.¡± I looked over at Selvaggi who had a satisfied smirk on his face. ¡°You won¡¯t be taking every battle, now. In fact, that might have just put the game back in Roulette¡¯s favor.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Could be. Let¡¯s play.¡± The deck descended, and cards were dealt. I looked at my ending hand. Six, seven, eight, nine, and ten. A straight. I rubbed my hands together. My defense was going to make them very, very angry. And I was ready for it. Chapter 38: Shadows ¡°The wall is working!¡± Adam swung again, using cleave with his axe. It had replaced the sword as his most effective weapon. The wave of force he projected cleaved through a dozen sets of legs before dissipating. The creatures looked like a cross between a raccoon and a giant spider. The legs were large enough they appeared to be from a crab with all the chitin around the joints. He didn¡¯t know if it was a cross between the more familiar mammal and a crab or a spider, and he didn¡¯t care. They had horrible, dripping fangs, a terrifying silhouette, and were too quick for any of the others to pin down. It even had the stereotypical mask of a raccoon, however, that just made it more sinister as they hissed. One hawked a loogie at him that was clearly poisonous, if not outright acidic. It steamed as it flew through the air. ¡°We just need to keep their numbers from building here!¡± He dodged the poison blob and brought the axe down on its head, splitting the skull through to the jaw. That dropped the monstrosity. More were coming. ¡°Why aren¡¯t they going over the wall? They look like spiders!¡± Liz spaced the words with grunts of exertion tied to each shot of her bow. ¡°Freaking spiders,¡± he grumbled. ¡°I think the razorvine crown is doing the job!¡± He spun in place to get extra torque on a blow and glimpsed the darkening sky. Several of the spidercoons were floating down with all eight legs extended to slow their fall. ¡°In the sky!¡± He grunted as his axe bit home, then put a surge of strength into the blow, severing the front half of the raccoon from the back. It screamed horribly, scrabbling at the dirt before finally falling still. That was his twenty-third kill of the night. The attacks were getting worse. Liz trusted Adam to do his job, with Carl somewhere in the dark working to reduce the incoming numbers. She turned and immediately started to shoot at the descending creatures. She channeled her first skill, Volley, and aimed at three that were clustered together. Her arrow glowed white, then burst into flame. It erupted from her bow when she released the string, splitting in flight to two, then four, and finally eight arrows. The three spidercoons caught seven of the arrows and fell from the sky. Two more landed immediately after, skittering toward her. She nocked another arrow and drew back, taking the time to aim her shot. Just before the nearest one leaped at her, she loosed the arrow. It hit with a wet smack, rocking the creature back. It slumped, legs spasming open and closed; one eye was neatly bisected by the arrow. Kyra closed the gap and swung her staff, smashing the flying spidercoon to the ground with finality. They were deadly up close, but just as fragile. She shot Liz a quick glance to make sure she was good, then went back to patrolling the back line. She was a melee fighter of last resort, instead responsible for keeping Adam in good shape. Right as she turned around to check on him, he yelled in pain and anger. She saw the ragged wound on his shoulder and instinctively cast lesser heal on him. He grunted out a thanks and used another cleave to push the monsters back. They were finally starting to thin. ¡°Why are they getting so aggressive?¡± Adam grunted again. He was too busy fighting to answer. Raven rushed by, waving with a wide grin, then continued on her way. She had finally gotten a job as a trapper at level five, just the day before. It had been a busy week. They were all level five, now. Her mind wandered for a moment, thinking about the long week she had spent with her new friends. The pressure had formed them into a weird, completely dysfunctional, but close family. She nearly tripped and returned her attention to the present. She smiled wide, somehow looking both cute and innocent while also projecting pure insanity. Her hands held onto unformed traps, waiting for the spell to finish. At least, she called it a spell. It didn¡¯t appear to work the same way Kyra¡¯s spells did. Adam made a call. ¡°Kyra, do it!¡± Kyra nodded, standing still and crossing her arms. The staff was heavy against her chest. It had gone to her a few days before, especially when the others saw it enhanced spellcasting. She felt a little like Doctor Strange when waving her hands, but there were no cool traceries of light. At least, not visible to the others. It was like a ghostly framework was building in her vision. She finished the spell, and a brilliant orb of light shot into the sky. It bloomed into a flower roughly forty feet above, just about even with the tops of the trees. It cast a bright light to the ground, and that caused each and every one of the spidercoons to hiss, then turn and flee. Some weren¡¯t quick enough to get to shade, and they inevitably tripped, fell, then withered as if under a magnifying glass and bright sun. They began to sizzle, smoke, and collapse into themselves. Kyra fell to her knees, panting from the effort. Her mana pool filled faster than ever, but the flare spell emptied her mana from full, and she hadn¡¯t even been close. A little trickle of blood dribbled from her nose and around her mouth. She began to shudder. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°How low was she?¡± Adam rushed over to hold her. Liz shrugged. ¡°Damn it, I forgot to keep an eye on that.¡± He laid the small woman on the ground and pulled the stopper from a small vial. It was a colorless liquid, but it smelled faintly of strawberries to him. Kyra always insisted it smelled like freshly picked blackberries. He tipped the liquid into her mouth and waited. Her skin tone immediately brightened to its natural color. ¡°Thanks,¡± Kyra wheezed. ¡°You¡¯re the healer, not me,¡± Adam said. He looked down at her, and she smiled up at him. ¡°Don¡¯t do that again.¡± ¡°If I didn¡¯t, how else would I get you to hold me like this?¡± ¡°Finally!¡± Liz shouted. Adam shot her a look, but Liz was too busy dancing in place, celebrating, to notice. ¡°Hey,¡± Kyra said softly. ¡°I¡¯ve been on death¡¯s door before. It doesn¡¯t scare me.¡± Adam shook his head, fighting to keep his voice steady. ¡°Yeah, well it scares me.¡± She laughed. ¡°It doesn¡¯t scare me, but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m going to welcome it, either. I wasn¡¯t anywhere close. Even if you hadn¡¯t used that potion, I would have been up and annoying all of you again in the morning.¡± He snorted. ¡°You¡¯re not annoying.¡± ¡°Would you just kiss her already!¡± ¡°Liz, would you shut up,¡± Adam said with a tone of exasperation. ¡°Yeah, do something better with that mouth,¡± Raven said. She leaped at her girlfriend, trusting the large woman to catch her effortlessly. And she did, snuggling her close. Liz laughed, then kissed Raven softly. ¡°Gross,¡± Carl said as he walked in past the small hill of bodies. ¡°We¡¯re clear for tonight.¡± ¡°Thanks, Carl,¡± Adam said. He straightened his posture, disappointing Kyra. ¡°Uh, good work, team.¡± Adam stood with Kyra in his arms, then carried her to the only hut they had managed to erect so far. It was crude, with thatch for the roof, and a pile of leaves for the bed. But it was more comfortable than the dirt, or even the grass. He laid her down, kissed her forehead, and turned to walk out. She caught his sleeve. ¡°Tonight.¡± He looked back at her and saw the look on her face. He smiled, then took his cloak off. Another of the loot rewards. He carefully hung it over the doorway, then stripped down and cuddled into the leaf pile with her. They were asleep in moments. Liz and Raven took watch together. They did most things together, at that point. Nearly inseparable, it was easier to get them to work together than schedule different watches. Carl grumbled under his breath as he trudged to his corner of the fortification. It was dry, at least. Not that it rained, wherever they had ended up. He had just bunkered down where his hut was to be constructed the next day, putting his cloak over himself, when he realized the flare had not gone out yet. That piqued his curiosity. ¡°Hey, how long has the flare been up?¡± Raven looked up from where she was carving into yet another of the spidercoons. The meat smelled usable, and the legs were stiff and strong. She figured she would harvest half the monsters and let Liz loot the other half. At least, that was what they had agreed on before starting. A glance at the sky showed what was obvious by the bright light: the flare was still overhead. The spell was new, having only been unlocked by Kyra the day before. But Kyra had mentioned it stayed lit for thirty minutes OR until all the enemies in an area had been slain. The enemies were dead, at least, nothing was moving around near the entry to their fort. ¡°Like twenty minutes,¡± she shouted back. Liz looked up then, puzzlement on her face. Carl got up and trudged over to the two women. ¡°Why is it still on?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Raven said. She crossed her arms and looked at him. ¡°It¡¯s not like anything is left alive out here. I mean, aside from us.¡± Liz walked over and draped a hand over the smaller woman¡¯s shoulder. She kissed the top of Raven¡¯s head before speaking. ¡°Kyra said¨C¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, I know. I was there too. Thirty minutes or everything is dead,¡± Carl interrupted. ¡°I can see everything here is dead. So why is it still in the sky? It kind of lights up the night. Makes it hard to see.¡± Liz nodded, then slowly nodded a second time. ¡°It lights up the night. It¡¯s not just something that helps us fight against creatures of the night. It acts like a beacon. Carl, go get¨C¡± The light went out. Carl broke into a flat sprint straight at the hut where their two wounded teammates slept. He threw the cape aside and stepped in. ¡°Something¡¯s wrong.¡± Adam was up and dressing in two seconds flat, while Kyra mumbled something and turned, too deeply asleep to register Carl¡¯s words. The small man looked at the bare shoulder he could see, then blushed and turned away. ¡°What is it?¡± Adam was half-dressed already. He needed his shirt, then the leather vest that protected him. Another of Raven¡¯s unmentioned skills. ¡°The flare just went out.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°Just now.¡± ¡°Oh. Okay, go. I¡¯ll be there in a moment.¡± Carl rushed out, just catching a glimpse of Kyra¡¯s hair falling from her sleepy face. He sprinted back to the gate, or where one would be in time. ¡°What have you seen?¡± Liz shook her head. She was gripping her bow tight, ready to draw the nocked arrow in a heartbeat. Raven walked back and forth across the archway, repeatedly dropping traps. They wouldn¡¯t last long, but it was a great early warning system. ¡°Nothing yet. But we heard something a moment ago, that¡¯s why Raven is putting traps down.¡± Raven nodded. She was concentrating on the spell, each cast becoming more difficult than the last. She was nearly at the maximum of ten she could cast at present. A rustle in a nearby bush made all three stop moving. They even held their breath. Liz quietly stepped to the side of the arch where she readied to attack. She waved for Raven to get back. Carl took the opposite side of the arch, looking out into the night. The rustle sounded again. Liz put tension on the bowstring, not quite drawing it. Adam jogged up with Kyra at his side. They looked at the tension in all three of their teammates and slowed to a stealthy walk. That was when the bushes parted and a shadow stepped out. Chapter 39: Half-and-half ¡°Please,¡± the shadow said. It was a woman¡¯s voice. She fell to her knees, but they couldn¡¯t make out her face, her clothing¡­ they couldn¡¯t even be sure she was human. Adam jogged up, making quick hand signals they had been practicing. Liz kept her position at the side of the archway, arrow nocked. She nodded back to acknowledge his order. Carl melted into the shadows using his level ten ability, Shadow Walk. He used it to slip into Adam¡¯s shadow as backup. They had thirty seconds as long as Carl made no aggressive moves. ¡°We really need to clear the perimeter around the wall. Did you see the spidercoon things paradrop into the fort?¡± Adam whispered as he walked to the fallen woman. There was no response, since Carl was limited in his actions; talking would break stealth. Adam closed the the final few feet and looked down. The moonlight was weak, he was exhausted, his eyes hurt, and she had something on to make her appear indistinct. In fact, even as he blinked and squinted, her form never quite took shape. ¡°Who are you? What are you?¡± The form shifted in front of him, though it was hard to tell exactly how. She appeared to be looking up at him. ¡°Are you real?¡± Her voice was thin, ethereal, almost like it was coming through a wall. He leaned closer, grip tightening on the dagger as he did. ¡°Are you real?¡± She repeated her question, this time sounding just a bit closer. ¡°Uh, yeah, I am.¡± He sheathed the dagger at his belt, then made a hand signal with his left hand still out of sight. The moving shadow of Carl moving into the trees was hard to see even when looking for it. The timer on his ability was about to run out, anyway. Once he was sure Carl was clear, he extended his hand to help the woman up. She reached out, and he felt an odd sensation. It was like what he thought static would feel like, but not like having his hand go numb. Instead it was a mild prickling feeling. A little tug indicated she was pulling, and he did the same. She stood, albeit slowly. He kept an eye on her while walking back toward the gate. ¡°Come with me, we¡¯ll help you.¡± ¡°Thank goodness,¡± the woman said again. He looked again, closer now that she was in direct moonlight, but still couldn¡¯t make anything out. It was like she was in a hood, swallowed by deep shadows. There was a hint of form, but nothing else. Liz stood ready, still tucked around the corner of the archway. Another silent hand signal from Adam had her rush to find Kyra. Though the young woman was tired, she was needed. Raven jogged up with a lit torch, giving them their first good look at the woman. She was tall, nearly as tall as Adam. However, it was impossible to tell her skin color, race, or even if she was human, because she was still cloaked in darkness. It was like viewing her through black-tinted frosted glass. She was simply an indistinct shadow, even under bright light. The effect was unsettling. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Raven looked at the shadowy woman, squinting to see through the shroud. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Let¡¯s go by the fire.¡± He led the way, never letting the woman out of his sight. She did nothing to resist, following while holding his hand. The fire was large, though not so large they couldn¡¯t douse it quickly in the event of an emergency. It had a ring roughly thirty feet wide where the light was bright before tapering off. It stood at the far end of the fort from the gate, near where the first houses would be built. The woman¡¯s form flickered, almost giving a glimpse at what was under the shadow. However, even the bright, hot light of the fire was not enough. Kyra walked up with rumpled hair, rubbing at her eyes. Adam felt his attention slip and his heart melt a little when seeing her. He shook his head to refocus. ¡°Kyra, can you take a look at this woman? We¡¯re not sure what¡¯s going on here.¡± Kyra nodded, then walked up and started to examine the shadowy being closely. She reached out and touched the darkness. It shifted and waved, not unlike oil on water. She closed her eyes and extended other, new senses she had gained in the three weeks since the system tutorial had started. The shadows extended into those senses as well. ¡°Can you hear me?¡± Kyra didn¡¯t open her eyes, still checking with her healing ability, as well as something she could only call her ¡®divine sense.¡¯ ¡°Can you help me?¡± The response was odd, still sounding a long way off. ¡°What is your name?¡± ¡°I need your help¡­¡± Kyra shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know what this is. There could be a woman inside. But this feels¡­ I don¡¯t know how to explain it.¡± Adam looked on warily. ¡°Try explaining what you¡¯re feeling.¡± ¡°Well, you know, ever since I was blessed by Caitr¨ªn the goddess of healers, I can sort of feel divine or godly stuffs, right?¡± Adam and Raven nodded. Liz was outside the ring of light, looking in with her bow at the ready but not drawn. Carl, if he was doing his job, was watching the gate. Adam cleared his throat, then spoke. Stolen story; please report. ¡°Ahuh, uh, yeah. Yeah, I do remember you saying that.¡± ¡°Well, this feels like the opposite of that. My healing magic feels good, and warm, and bright. This¡­ whatever it is, it feels the exact opposite. Cold, isolating, lonely, dark.¡± She shook her head. ¡°I think it¡¯s a curse.¡± ¡°I am cursed,¡± said the shadowy woman. Her voice warbled. It was impossible to tell anything about her. For all they knew she wasn¡¯t even speaking English, even though that was what they were hearing. ¡°I also think there¡¯s a communication barrier. Only certain things make it through this curtain kind of deal. That¡¯s why she responds sometimes, while other times just saying the same thing.¡± ¡°That sounds like hell,¡± Raven said. Kyra nodded. ¡°I can try two things. It looks like bright light affects this shadow form. I can try my flare spell. That might be enough to break the curse. Alternatively, I can try simply healing her, though I don¡¯t know what that would do.¡± ¡°Can the woman tell us anything?¡± They waited, but there was no response from the shadow. Adam looked around, then started to pace. ¡°Can you safely cast the flare?¡± Kyra¡¯s eyes unfocused as she looked at her status window. Her MP had refilled a few minutes before. She nodded. ¡°Yeah. I can cast once, then maybe a heal, but that will completely drain my mana. Should I do it?¡± Adam looked at Raven, who shrugged. He sighed. ¡°Yeah, I guess we should. Liz, you have her covered?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Liz took a solid stance, then drew the bow until it was tight to her cheek. She could hold the drawn shot for several minutes. Her stats were impressive. Compared to where they had started, each of them was simply superhuman. Once Liz was ready, he pointed to a spot behind the shadow woman, which Raven took. She readied a sword. Adam took the obvious spot to the woman¡¯s right, banking on her being right handed. Once they were all set, he gave Kyra a nod. She put her hands together and started to cast. ¡°Wait, one thing,¡± Adam said. Kyra paused, but didn¡¯t let the spell go. ¡°Can you cast it so it stays low? Less than the forty feet it was at before.¡± Kyra thought on it, then nodded. She thought there was a spot in the incantation that could be changed. It was an intuitive feeling, not one from any learned knowledge. She made the requisite change to the spell as she chanted. The orb built in her hands, then launched roughly fifteen feet in the air. It was reduced in brilliance as well. However, that reduction in outward brilliance seemed to be balanced by an increase in some ephemeral feeling of warmth. ¡°Huh,¡± Kyra said. ¡°Looks like I earned XP for doing that.¡± She dismissed the little window. Adam smiled, proud she had discovered another tutorial. Tutorial #29 Skill Evolution. Skills can be used in unusual ways, and if done often enough, can result in a skill evolving. Make your skills suit your style. He dismissed the tutorial window, making a mental note to tell the others. That was his policy, any time a tutorial that could be beneficial to the whole team he would inform them. However, Carl was unlocking a lot of tutorials that were not¡­ wholesome. They were also much higher in number than the ones the rest were discovering. The flare bathed the already bright fire-circle in radiance. The woman fell silently to her knees, arms raised to Kyra. The small woman held her hand out and began to channel her lesser healing skill. The normal golden glow was tripled, nearly blinding them all. Kyra pushed her brilliant hand into the shadow, deeper, deeper, the shadows consuming her golden aura. Then she grabbed onto the woman contained inside the shroud and pulled. She grunted, braced herself, and pulled harder. Adam stepped behind her and grabbed her around her waist. They pulled together, and the shadow began to fracture like glass. Suddenly, all three tumbled to the ground. The flare winked out. The golden light abated just as abruptly. Raven leaned down to help untangle the mess of people. Kyra was first up. She helped Raven pull the woman up, and Adam slowly stood, rubbing his sternum. The woman was surprisingly attractive. Long hair that looked like vines in the firelight, soft, greenish hair. A curvy figure accentuated by hard muscles made her look both intimidating and welcoming. Her mouth was in a pout, drawn down around the protruding fangs. Fangs, or tusks. She blinked hard, wiping at her watering eyes. ¡°Who are you? Where am I?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Adam. This is Kyra, Raven, and Liz.¡± He waved at each of the women as he introduced them. ¡°As for where you are, I don¡¯t know. We¡¯ve been here for about a week, and we¡¯ve been working on scouting and setting up a base. How did you get here?¡± ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t remember.¡± The woman¡¯s voice was soft, not at all what he had expected based on her appearance. ¡°What about your name?¡± ¡°My name? My name is¡­ it¡¯s¡­um¡­¡± the woman tilted her head back and to the side. She put a fingertip to her chin. It was a strange affectation to see from what he could only think of as an orc. ¡°Uh, well, can you tell me what your¡­ uh¡­ race is?¡± ¡°Adam,¡± Kyra said. ¡°You can¡¯t ask that!¡± ¡°What? She¡¯s¡­ not like us,¡± he said with a generalized wave. ¡°Still, that¡¯s racist.¡± Adam nodded. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. Sorry¡­ uh, ma¡¯am.¡± The young woman waved him off. ¡°I think I¡¯m used to that.¡± ¡°Still, it doesn¡¯t excuse behaving that way. Now that I think of it, can you open your stat sheet?¡± She shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean.¡± He nodded. ¡°Yeah, I get that. We had to figure it out when this all started too. Just kinda think ¡®status¡¯ and a window should open.¡± She pinched her face in thought, then her eyes went distant as she obviously started to read. ¡°Oh, wow. It says here that my name is Emma Liberti. Spelled with an ¡®i¡¯ at the end.¡± ¡°Wait, why would you say it that way?¡± Adam looked at the others, then asked his next question. ¡°She kinda sounds like she¡¯s from the East Coast, doesn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°It says my race is ¡®half-orc¡¯, whatever that is.¡± ¡°Are you telling me you don¡¯t remember anything?¡± Emma shook her head. ¡°Well, yes and no. The last thing I remember is¡­ there was a necklace¡­¡± she trailed off, touching a silver chain around her neck. It was a completely different style from the simple, rough-hewn fur trimmed leather clothes she wore. ¡°Like the one you¡¯re wearing?¡± Raven stepped closer, inspecting the necklace. ¡°Hey boss, think I can stand down?¡± Liz was starting to feel the strain from holding the shot. He nodded, she gently eased the tension from the string until she could safely remove the arrow. ¡°Yes,¡± said Emma. ¡°I was in a weird, white room. Like something in a terrible office building. There were two pedestals. One had a necklace, and the other a dagger. I don¡¯t like weapons, so I walked to the necklace. The last thing I remember is touching it¡­ then I woke up here.¡± ¡°That just gives me more questions.¡± Emma shook her head. ¡°I think I¡¯m starting to remember more. I think I lived in a place called¡­ Boston?¡± Adam snapped. ¡°I knew it. She has a faint accent, Massachusetts without the Bostonian. Maybe a transplant?¡± ¡°Not really the point, right now, Adam.¡± Kyra guided Emma to a rough seat made from a stump. ¡°Emma, tell us what you can remember.¡± Chapter 40: Ursa Major I had drawn a straight, and I couldn¡¯t conceal the wide grin. It threatened to split my face. I was ready to show them I could mount an effective defense. And, even better, I had a surprise up my sleeve. I checked my gold total, then summoned the upgrade menu. Upgrades: Soldiers: Speed: 2 Health: 15 Damage: 5 Quantity: 20 Soldier upgrades: +1 cost per investment Speed: 11 Health: 11 Damage: 12 Quantity: 10 Archers: Speed: 2 Health: 5 Damage: 6 Range: 15 Quantity: 2 Archer upgrades: +2 cost per investment Speed: 10 Health: 20 Damage: 12 Range: 10 Quantity: 15 Mages: Speed: 2 Health: 3 Damage: 9 Range: 10 Quantity: 4 Mage upgrades: +3 cost per investment Speed: 13 Health: 20 Damage: 13 Range: 15 Quantity: 24 Castle: Health: 250 Repair: No Archers: 1 Castle upgrades: Health: 10 Repair (ability): 100 Repair: Cost dependent Archers: 10 Unlocks: Knights: 100 Bears: 100 Dwarves: 150 Griffons: 200 Dragon: 500 With a villainous cackle, I selected the Bears. Two new entries filled the menu. Bears: Speed: 2 Health: 20 Damage: 8 Quantity: 1 Bear upgrades: +4 cost per investment Speed: 20 Health: 20 Damage: 20 Quantity: 20 I selected quantity, watching my total drain to 12, then selected archer range for 10, bringing my gold total to 2. It was only an increase of one unit, however far that was, but the extra distance would give my units at least a one-shot advantage. I dismissed the upgrade window while I thought on what the range could be. Perhaps it was the number of arrows a trained archer could loose before a soldier at base speed could approach. That seemed at least as plausible as anything else, such as yards or meters. I could find it believable that the archers were firing arrows at moving targets fifty or so feet away. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. The blast of the horn signaled the start of the round, and I gripped the arms of my chair in excitement. The first thing I heard as the gates of my castle creaked open was the bizarre sound of an animal. It was like the creature had been autotuned to sound like a car. Unable to bear the anticipation, I raced to the battlement and looked down. My soldiers were marching out in their massive ranks, which I had expected. What I had not been ready for was what they were riding. Giant birds, somewhat resembling Ostriches, but far, far larger and covered in chrome. It looked like the bird could nearly touch the top of the eighteen-foot archway with its head. ¡°Is that a freaking Moa?¡± I looked at the bosses for confirmation, but they were watching their own forces. I got the feeling the animal changed every game, with the way they were all cursing and shaking their fists. A metallic bleat brought my attention back to my army. And army it was, because the soldiers had finally finished massing outside my gates. I normally had twenty. I counted four rows of ten and a half row of five for forty-five soldiers. My archers were behind them, also riding the extinct mega-bird. The glint of metal off each bird was like being stuck in the middle of a dance hall with way too many disco balls. The archers had a half rank of five as well, and then the mages were behind them, with nearly a full rank at nine. Then I clapped my hands as I saw what I had been waiting for, the bears. All three were big, burly, gorgeous creatures with soft brown fur, big, intelligent faces, and simple vests with my crest on the back. The black tree on a white heater shield looked even more fierce when on the back of a bear the size of a freaking minivan. ¡°YEAH!¡± I jumped and pumped my fist in the air, not caring if the bosses saw or judged me at this point. I had a freaking army, complete with bears that could flatten a smart car by sitting on it. They sat once in position, showing just how massive they really were. Even sitting, they nearly stood as tall as the birds. I looked at Selvaggi with the biggest shit-eating grin I think I had ever worn. He was staring at my army, jaw slack and eyes wide. He wasn¡¯t even ranting. I looked at Coopman, who had the same expression. And finally, Branciforte. He was still seated, but his pipe was nowhere to be seen. He also looked flabbergasted. ¡°Gentlemen, shall we?¡± Their armies took off, racing toward my castle. As they approached many of the men stumbled over or simply right through the mushrooms that littered the field. Some of them shrank, while others grew to almost twice their size. It wasn¡¯t enough. The three converging forces shouted a war-cry as they drew within a hundred yards. My army let out an intimidating roar in response. The bears trundled toward the oncoming units. I rubbed my hands together again. Even if it ended up being a horrible, foul-smelling, wailing massacre, this was going to be a fight for the ages. Arrows flew just before the soldiers clashed with the bears. And holy shit, was it the right call to unlock the massive creatures. They were slow, almost ponderous. Or, that¡¯s what I thought. I watched closely, and I saw the bears only looked slow because they were so big. They swiped, slashed, clawed, kicked, and rolled over the soldiers. The dead piled up in seconds. I pulled up the upgrade menu, even though I couldn¡¯t make any changes, and saw why. The bears had a default speed of 2. They were as fast as any of my other units. ¡°Oh, yeah!¡± By the time my soldiers closed in with swords at the ready, only a handful of hostile men were even left alive. The bears had single-handedly¡­ or single-pawedly as the case would be, had slaughtered the oncoming forces. My oil defenses hadn¡¯t even been tripped. I looked across at Coopman. He was perched on the battlement wall, screaming his beak off. I could just hear him over the sound of my army marching away. ¡°Wait, what?¡± I watched as the army split into three. One bear, fifteen soldiers, two archers, and three mages to a unit. Though most of the mushrooms had been cleared by the attacking forces, some of my men managed to find some and trigger transformations. The force marching toward Coopman¡¯s castle had only one archer, but I knew that made little difference. He didn¡¯t have oil to defend his castle. I looked at him again, and he was once more staring in dumb shock. ¡°Well, I guess drawing a straight really did me a favor. I¡¯m feeling pretty lucky today.¡± My soldiers marched quickly. Coopman shook his fist at me, even as the bear started to hammer on his gate. It took less than a minute, and even though the bear died to his defending archers, the gate collapsed. My soldiers marched in, and Coopman disappeared from his battlement. I looked to see where the other forces were, to see them already battering on their respective gates. I looked back to Coopman¡¯s castle to see black smoke rising from the courtyard, his flag gone, and the battlements decorated with my crest. Great Enemy Felled I nodded to myself, then looked at Selvaggi. He had taken a bit of damage on his turn, though nowhere near as much as Coopman. The last of my men fell a few minutes later, but his gate was all-but-crumbled. The little blinking health bar showed he was on the verge of losing. I checked on Branciforte¡¯s castle to see my men had fallen about as quickly, leaving him with 15% health. ¡°What the hell, Blackwood?¡± Selvaggi sounded aggravated. I looked at him and shrugged. ¡°I saved and got an upgrade, and the mutators favored me. That, and I drew a straight.¡± ¡°A str- a straight? That¡¯s it? How the hell did you have so many soldiers?¡± ¡°I bought a few upgrades for mages, but my soldiers are still base quantity.¡± ¡°Pitbull,¡± Branciforte said in his slow way. ¡°Remember, a straight means one and a quarter increase.¡± I snapped my fingers and pointed at Branciforte. ¡°Ah-hah! I knew it affected the units somehow. Did you all know that from the start? Try to keep me in the dark so you have a chance to win over the noobie?¡± ¡°Pfah,¡± Selvaggi said with a dismissive wave. ¡°Beginner¡¯s luck.¡± ¡°Beginner¡¯s luck or veteran gambler, either way, I¡¯m winning this round. You¡¯re both done.¡± ¡°That much is true,¡± Branciforte said. Selvaggi grunted. He poked at the air, then disappeared. His gate fell to the ground and the castle sprouted black smoke. Great Enemy Felled ¡°Huh,¡± I said. ¡°That is how it is. You have won. Perhaps it is for the best. You have played well, young man.¡± With those parting words, Branciforte disappeared. I hadn¡¯t even seen him do anything. Great Enemy Felled Game Over I punched the sky, celebrating the monumental victory. I shouted even as the sky winked out and I was swallowed by void. A moment later, or at least, it felt like only a moment, I sat up in my chair. I shook myself, feeling stiff muscles complain. ¡°Ow, what the hell?¡± I put a hand to my neck to calm a twinging muscle. ¡°The only downside to the game,¡± Selvaggi said as he stretched. He sounded completely different. ¡°Long games can leave you feeling stiff.¡± Coopman stood and walked around the table. It was back to looking like a simple, if ornate, marble table. He towered over me, standing much taller than I had initially thought. He extended a hand to me. ¡°No hard feelings. You fought very well.¡± I shook his hand. It was strange, like gripping feathered steel. He took a step back, and Selvaggi offered his hand as he approached. I shook it. ¡°Like he said, you did great, kid.¡± ¡°Uh, thanks, guys. That was a lot of fun. I mean, it ended really fast, and I probably enjoyed it so much because I was winning most of the time. I understand why you guys play, though. And I have a few suggestions to tune it for when you roll it out full-time.¡± ¡°Oh, we weren¡¯t going to use this for the boss fight,¡± Coopman started. Selvaggi stopped him with a stubby hand on his friend¡¯s forearm. ¡°Go on.¡± I nodded. ¡°Right, well, if you play with more people, there¡¯s a few things you¡¯ll absolutely have to change. First, only allowing decisions from the chair will be detrimental. I know quite a few people who would be pacing non-stop. That, or trying to jump into the field to take part in the fighting themselves.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Selvaggi said. He shot a look up at Coopman, then over my shoulder to Branciforte. I checked, and the mustachioed frogman was still sitting in his chair, smoking his pipe. ¡°Is there anything else we should know?¡± Branciforte smiled, though it seemed less than friendly. Certainly less so than he had been in the game. ¡°Yeah. You guys need to step up your game a little bit. I understand the cards play a significant role in how the forces shape up, but only investing in one or two things, and never unlocking new units led you guys to fall behind when I got a lead. Then the gap widened even further when I save and bought a second. After that, the game was mine. I think we all saw that.¡± Selvaggi nodded. He pulled me to his side with his arm across my shoulders, or as near as he could manage. He was several inches shorter than me. ¡°Those are some good suggestions. We will take them into advisement. Now, I believe it is time for you to move on up.¡± I nodded. ¡°Hey, I just wanted to say, thank you guys. That was actually pretty fun. I had a good time.¡± ¡°Any time,¡± Branciforte said from his seat. ¡°Of course, kid,¡± Coopman said from near the table. Selvaggi patted my shoulder and let me go. ¡°Get ¡®em kid. Show ¡®em hell upstairs. If you go at them the same way you did with us, they won¡¯t know what hit ¡®em.¡± He cracked a toothy smile, winked, then turned back to the table. I looked down to my hands, finding a keycard he had placed. I nodded, turned to the elevator at the end of the room, and walked over. The three bosses were already seated at the table, starting a fresh match of the game. Idly, I wondered what it was called. I held the keycard up to the cleverly disguised swipe, heard a faint charm, and the doors opened soundlessly. I stepped into the ornate elevator and found only one button available. It was marked ¡®100.¡¯ I shrugged, pressed the button, and waved to the three bosses as the doors closed. They didn¡¯t notice. The elevator lurched into motion, and I wondered what sights I would see when the doors opened again. Chapter 41: Hidden Quests Three men, or as near as they could be called men, stood atop battlements. There was no warfare, as was the norm for the constructed reality. Instead, they sat, smoked, drank, and talked. ¡°You know, being nice to him like that, I don¡¯t think we did him any favors.¡± It was followed by a baying laugh that set the others on edge. ¡°No, but have you ever seen anything like that? I checked the logs. He never lost a hand outright.¡± This one preened, adjusting feathers and pecking bits of dirt out. Smoke drifted upward from the third. He tapped his pipe on the ash dish and reloaded it before speaking. ¡°Did you forget to check his threads?¡± ¡°His shoes were mediocre at best, and most of his clothes looked like he¡¯d been wearing them for a few weeks, at least.¡± ¡°Pitbull,¡± the smoking man admonished. ¡°I mean his threads of fate, not his clothing.¡± ¡°No,¡± the hyena-hybrid said. ¡°No, I did not forget to check. I just didn¡¯t. Why would I? He¡¯s a random kid that wandered in before we were ready.¡± A rumbling, smoky laugh came out of the frog. ¡°That alone should have clued you in to how special the young man is.¡± ¡°I did forget,¡± said the second man. ¡°I guess, with everything going on, I wasn¡¯t all that invested.¡± ¡°His fate threads are very interesting. You can still see some of the echoes in this place, if you look hard enough.¡± All three fell silent, looking into the distance for a long time. ¡°Did we do the right thing?¡± ¡°What, sending him up without a real fight? Sure, why not?¡± The bird shivered, shaking loose a bit of dust. The hyena picked up a glass filled with amber liquid and took a sip, enjoying the drink but not really noticing it. ¡°His threads are wild. If I¡¯m reading them right¡­ his luck is off the charts.¡± ¡°That is pure hyperbole,¡± admonished the frog. ¡°He is, however, the luckiest person I have ever been near. I wonder what his luck stat is. Surely at least a four.¡± The bird laughed, a cooing sound deep in his chest. ¡°A four? Did you see the hands he drew? If he didn¡¯t have the highest, it was the second highest. Constantly. A four does not do that.¡± ¡°It nearly looks like outside influence.¡± ¡°As if the gods would notice a little¡­ what was he, level six?¡± The frog shook his head. ¡°I think he was level eight.¡± ¡°The tutorial isn¡¯t over,¡± said the bird. ¡°Never mind his presence, how is a new entrant to the system already level eight? And just a few weeks in? Those in the tutorial are what¡­ level three? True geniuses might be level five?¡± ¡°Three weeks in? Five is a stretch, but I have heard of it.¡± They sat in silence for a moment. ¡°What kind of planet are we dealing with? Especially to turn out a monster like that, this quickly?¡± ¡°You do know we¡¯re level ninety-nine, right? About to break into the next rank?¡± ¡°Yes, and that young man has managed to climb nearly to the second rank in three weeks. It took me a year, and I was called a genius in our world.¡± ¡°You made level twenty-five in a year?¡± The hyena whistled in appreciation. ¡°It took me fifteen months.¡± ¡°And that kid out there is a third of the way there, after three freaking weeks. At this rate, he¡¯ll be twenty-five by the time the tutorial ends for his planet.¡± They all looked to the sky, as if they could see the elevator that had taken the young man away. The bird shook his head. ¡°What a monster.¡± ¡°You know,¡± the frog said, letting out a cloud of smoke. ¡°I think it is a good thing we did not tell him he could get on the field.¡± ¡°Why? The game probably would have ended even faster.¡± The hyena shook his head and started pacing. ¡°No, we did it right. As it stands, he got what, thirty-some XP?¡± ¡°Yes, and for a single match. Now, imagine if he had earned direct XP.¡± He stopped pacing and looked across the field at the frog. ¡°At one-to-one, instead of ten-to-one. He would have gained levels like mad.¡± ¡°He probably would have figured out a way to prolong the game.¡± The dove spoke up. ¡°If he¡¯s the monster we think he is. What if it is just pure luck?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way someone would be doing this well with only luck. There¡¯s a drive there. He will overtake us, and not in the distant future. He¡¯s going far. Let¡¯s just hope he remembers us fondly, if we ever run across him again.¡± They sat in silence for a long time. Finally, the frog spoke. ¡°Well, he was right about one thing. We need to start adapting our strategies. And I like his idea, we should do this instead of directly fighting the humans. What if there are more like him?¡± The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. The hyena shook his head. ¡°That one? I don¡¯t think he¡¯s a once-in-a-generation genius. I think he¡¯s rarer than even that. But a planet that can give birth to something like him? Yeah, we should put a layer between us and horrible pain. I would rather play this anyway.¡± The frog tipped his pipe toward the canine, then tapped the ash out again. He reloaded, looked at his friends, and nodded. ¡°Then we have practicing to do. We can step our skill down, but we cannot fight higher than we are capable of. It is time, gentlemen, for us to become serious.¡± ¨C¨C¨C Boss scenario completed! XP Awarded: 32 Hidden quest completed: Befriend the bosses Additional Award: 100 XP, Title Upgrade:Titan, Title awarded: Pacifist, Title awarded: Sleuth, +101 Renown Title upgraded: Titan became Titanic Titanic: You cleared a dungeon Boss floor without using any skills! +2 to all stats, +2 to constitution Pacifist: You cleared a dungeon floor without engaging in combat a single time! +1 to all stats Sleuth: You found a hidden quest and completed it! +1 to intelligence Investigator: You are the first in your world to find a hidden quest and complete it! +10 to intelligence Level up! Name: Alabaster Blackwood Race: Half-dead Human-Zombie Faction: Blackwood Company Job: Half-dead Age: 20 Renown level: Unknown Renown: 1270 Level: 9 XP: 31/145 HP: 1840/1840 HP regen per second: 0.92 MP: 480/480 MP regen per second: 0.24 Stamina: 1200/1200 Stamina regen: 0.60 Strength: 93* Agility: 60* Constitution: 92* Wisdom: 24* Intelligence: 35* Charisma: 26* Luck: 29* Free points: 2 Titles: Investigator, Noble II, Pacifist, Primal Rebirth, Prime, Prime Realtor, Primordial, Reborn, Royalty, Sleuth, Star-born: Dragon, Titanic Skills: Unarmed Combat Abilities: Earthen Bulwark I Spells: None Notes: English, Zombie Common Chakras: Crown: Locked. Third Eye: Locked. Throat: Locked. Heart: Locked. Solar Plexus: Locked. Sacral: Locked. Root: Unlocked. 1 of 3 assigned: Earthen Bulwark I. ¨C¨C¨C Basil sat back, wiping his brow. The last one had been a doozy. He had finally been a bit more adventurous and tried a larger bet. Alabaster¡¯s words were still haunting him. The minimum bet was working. It hardly affected his reserves. But being in the action¡­ just that was enough to justify a larger bet. Knowing he could potentially alter the results by helping one side? He looked at the total chip count sitting in the corner of his vision. 1310. It was a fortune. He could retire right then and there, go home, and live in luxury for a hundred years. Then he checked his quest. Digital Adventurer (Hidden Quest): Play every slot machine on the first floor, 77 out of 150 complete. He was halfway done. There had been a mean streak around the forty machine mark where he had lost three hundred chips on six machines. Still, he had made that up in the last five machines. He felt a rush, hitting that button. It was a bigger thrill, the more he bet. And so far, he had come out on top, but he wondered how long his luck would hold. ¡°How long have I been doing this?¡± He looked around the casino, still a riotous mix of flashing lights, brilliant displays, strobing spotlights, and all manner of electronic noises meant to entice gamblers. But there were still no signs of other patrons. It had bothered him a bit. Then again, the tutorial was still active. ¡°Right, nobody left on the planet, except, apparently, Bast. And those poor sods that were caught up in our zombie invasion¡­¡± Basil shook his head to refocus. Even if it had taken a day or two, that meant he only had a few days left to finish the hidden quest. Hidden quests could give some serious rewards. He might even, if rumors were true, get something like a title. And, since there was nobody else on the planet at the moment, he would probably get the First title, which always rewarded more. He rubbed his hands together in anticipation. He would be the most powerful zombie in his family in thousands of years. ¡°C¡¯mon,¡± he said. It had become a sort of mantra. ¡°Mama needs a new car.¡± He jabbed the button and the world faded to black around him. ¨C¨C¨C ¡°Man, those guys sure were nice. I mean, the game was kinda weird, and definitely traumatizing, but nothing a few weeks of therapy can¡¯t help me overcome. Or months. Probably a few months.¡± I shook my head. ¡°Aw, who am I kidding? This is the new world. Everything is horrifying. People died all the time before, now they¡¯re going to die even more often, except some people who die won¡¯t stay dead. Well, not us, I guess. Stupid resurrection being locked away.¡± The elevator came to a smooth stop. My senses were much more attuned to the world around me, and it was enough that I felt the gentle easing of motion. It was uncanny, yet I felt sure in myself. Perhaps it was my increased wisdom, allowing me to accept things about this new world. Of course, that made me wonder if the system was messing with my head, but even if it was, there was nothing I could do about it. A chime sounded and the doors slid open. Bright light filled the room, drowning out the gentle ambiance the elevator had maintained. The roar of a crowd assaulted my ears. I stumbled back, coming to a stop against the rear wall of the elevator. I could just make out people screaming and shouting, though nothing was clear. I blinked my eyes and put a hand up to shield them. Even as I did that, though, the light went away. ¡°WHO WILL FACE THIS MONSTER?¡± That voice, while not one I had heard before, had a very familiar cadence. That was an announcer, like the kind I had heard for sports events online. ¡°THIS IS A ONCE-IN-A-GENERATION GENIUS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! GET IN THAT RING, AND YOU GET A THOUSAND CREDITS, NO QUESTIONS ASKED. AND IF YOU WIN? OH-HO, IF YOU WIN.¡± The clearly barrel-chested announcer took a break to breathe in. I stepped out of the elevator and felt like I was slapped in the face with a wet towel. The room was rank with the stench of people. Beneath the smell of sweat, though I could make out blood, urine, even shit. I had a sinking feeling in my chest. ¡°THAT¡¯S RIGHT, IF YOU WIN AGAINST THIS GENIUS, I WILL PERSONALLY FUND YOUR RISE TO LEVEL TEN!¡± I smirked. That was only one level. At the rate I was going, that would happen in another floor or two anyway. All I could see was the underside of bleachers. People clapped, stomped, whistled, hooted, and hollered. It was insane. I had only heard a crowd like that once or twice before. ¡°IT SEEMS WE HAVE A CHALLENGER!¡± Right as I stepped past the bleachers into a clear area, the light blinded me again. I put a hand up to shield my eyes, and that¡¯s when I saw it. ¡°WELCOME TO THE OCTAGON, FIGHTER.¡± Chapter 42: At least its not Latin ¡°Easy, now!¡± Adam stood back and watched. Eight men in four teams hauled on ropes that were attached to pulleys high in the trees outside the fort walls. Carl gave hand signals from near those pulleys to make sure pressure was even. ¡°More on team one, team two, ease off.¡± The left-hand door had started to twist in place, which would have prevented them from lifting it smoothly. The two teams listened and the door straightened out. ¡°Alright, ease it up. Three and four, keep going.¡± A long moment passed, then the doors came to a rest against their temporary home, a framework meant to hold the massive twelve foot doors until the hinges were finished being installed. Adam gave a nod, and teams one and four broke away to start on the hinges. The other two teams took up the slack by splitting to a single man per rope, but they were only there to keep the doors steady with gentle pressure. Five minutes later, the last man gave a thumbs-up. ¡°Alright, let the ropes go.¡± Carl put pressure on the low side of the ropes and they fed through the pulleys until they fell to the ground some thirty feet below. He gave another hand signal, and the ropes were removed from the doors. ¡°Let¡¯s test it.¡± Each door was gently pulled, and every man and woman present watched as they swung slowly, yet silently inward. ¡°I can¡¯t believe we had hinges drop as a loot reward,¡± Liz said. She stood next to Adam¡¯s shoulder, watching with her arms crossed over her chest. ¡°Yeah,¡± he said with a laugh. ¡°Almost feels like someone is looking out for us. Except, you know, the part where we¡¯re trapped in what appears to be a literally infinite forest full of horrifying hostile creatures.¡± Liz nodded. ¡°If we ever get out of here, I¡¯m putting some therapist¡¯s kids through college. Maybe the grandkids too.¡± He glanced at her. ¡°You good?¡± ¡°Eh,¡± she said with a one-shoulder shrug. ¡°The nightmares are about as bad as the fights. But I am sleeping most nights.¡± ¡°Raven helping?¡± She shook her head. ¡°She has them too.¡± Adam sighed. ¡°Yeah¡­ I get it. I¡¯m not really getting many nightmares. Actually, I don¡¯t think I dream much. But Kyra¡¯s been having some rough nights lately.¡± They stood in silence for a while, watching as the last touches were put on the doors. ¡°At least we got all this help.¡± ¡°Weird, though,¡± he said. He glanced around. ¡°Why do you suppose¡­¡± ¡°Why do I suppose what? Adam?¡± He turned fully around, looking toward the center of the fort. It was larger than they had needed, but he had accounted for growth. It was part of what had taken so long. They would be able to fit at least three dozen small one-room huts in the fort, as well as two or three larger buildings. He could envision a meeting hall and warehouse for storing goods. But that wasn¡¯t what grabbed his attention. He gently turned Liz¡¯s body with a hand on her shoulder until she spotted it too. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he said. He started walking toward it. ¡°But I¡¯m going to find out.¡± A crystal spire had started growing from the ground. At the rate it was emerging, it had started just a minute or so before. ¡°Do you suppose it has something to do with the gates?¡± He shook his head. ¡°Liz, I have exactly as much information as you do.¡± ¡°Yeah, and I¡¯m trying to speculate.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± he said. ¡°It could have something to do with the gates.¡± They stopped about ten feet from the crystal. It looked like a quartz, with smooth sides and sharp angles, but it was the wrong color compared to any he had seen before. He¡¯d heard of black quartz, but this was not quite like that. Where black quartz looks like glass tinted so deeply it was opaque, this looked like clear quartz with a view into space. It was a deep black with shining stars far away, glittering in all the colors he¡¯d ever seen in the sky. It was simply mesmerizing. Liz took a half step forward and reached a hand out. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Either very important, or very dangerous¡­ or both.¡± She stopped moving, then let her hand fall back to her side. ¡°Dangerous?¡± He nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t you feel it? This thing has some serious power.¡± Even as they watched, it continued to push out of the dirt. It was nearly silent, at least, compared to the sound of two dozen people running around doing construction. ¡°Maybe it has something to do with the number of people we have now?¡± She nodded slowly. ¡°Yeah, that sounds right. We only had five people until three days ago. Then, what, twenty people all showed up within a day of each other?¡± ¡°Yeah, that was weird.¡± Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. ¡°Stupid lights.¡± ¡°Hey, Kyra¡¯s lights saved our lives every time.¡± ¡°Stupid animals attacking us constantly.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± he said with a small laugh. ¡°That I agree with.¡± ¡°What do we do?¡± He took a step toward the crystal. It was almost three feet tall, just about even with his hips. It had started to garner more attention from the other survivors in the settlement. He glanced back at her, then the people gathering nearby. ¡°I¡¯m going to touch it. Everybody, be on the ready. If I go crazy, put me down. If I explode¡­ well, I guess, don¡¯t touch it.¡± ¡°What if you shit your pants?¡± Adam looked around, saying ¡°Who said that? I¡¯m not gonna shit my pants. What the hell, dude?¡± Someone else piped up. ¡°What if it makes us shit our pants, and you¡¯re fine?¡± ¡°Okay, folks, let¡¯s stop worrying about pants shitting and focus on the present. Everyone be ready.¡± Liz took a few steps back and readied her bow, though she kept the arrow pointed at the ground. She nodded to him. Kyra ran up then, sticks in her hair. ¡°What the hell do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± ¡°Taking the risk so nobody else has to.¡± ¡°If you die, I¡¯m bringing you back to life, again, so I can kill you myself,¡± she said and she crossed her arms. She stood across the crystal, only a few feet away. She made no effort to close the distance, however. He looked at her and waited. Her eyes were hard, but then they softened. She nodded, though it was a tiny movement. ¡°Adam¨C¡± He reached out and rested a hand on the crystal. The world vanished from his senses, and he found himself floating in the void he had seen through the sides of the crystal. Tutorial #20: Settlement Obelisk. Welcome to the Settlement Obelisk! You have fulfilled the requirements to found a town. Requirements: an enclosed area of at least 500 square meters, and a permanent population of twenty or more sentient beings. This is the minimum to found a settlement. With this, you can declare ownership of a region, manage settlement related functions, accept or exile citizens, and more. This Obelisk can be upgraded. Requirements to upgrade to a Village Obelisk: enclosed area of at least 2500 square meters, and a permanent population of one hundred or more sentient beings. Would you like to name your settlement now? This cannot be changed until the Obelisk is upgraded. Adam floated in the void, thinking over the sudden new information. It had filled in one of the earlier number he had been missing, too. Carl had slowed on gaining new tutorials. The monster was level ten, and had been there for a few days. He rarely interacted with anybody, keeping to himself whenever he was in the fort. ¡°Well,¡± he mused aloud. ¡°We¡¯re in a forest, there¡¯s a river nearby, it all appears to be some sort of pocket universe¡­ ha, I can¡¯t be as lazy as some companies. Pokun is right out. Latin is always fun, but anytime I do that, I get people whining. Still, Silva has a ring to it. But Forest what? Nox¡­ Silva Noctis? Forest of the Night? Silnoct? Silvox?¡± He continued to muse while talking over options. ¡°Shadows? Umbra¡­ what¡¯s the declension? Umbra¡­ umbrarom? That sounds right. Silva Umbrarom. It has some gravitas to it, but that¡¯s a mouthful.¡± He shook his head. ¡°Maybe something else. We are potentially the last people. We appear to be the first settlement. First stand, last stand, the enclave¡­ no, that¡¯s too Fallout. Ooh, I think I know what to name it.¡± He snapped his fingers, and mentally put the name in. The system asked for confirmation, and he accepted. A moment later, a small menu popped up. Settlement menu: Citizen List Citizen Actions Quests Settlement Supplies Building Blueprints Region Ownership Expansion Curious, Adam selected ¡®region ownership.¡¯ The screen changed. Region: unnamed. Ownership: 1.3% Amount required to declare partial ownership: 10% Amount required to declare sole ownership: 70% Amount required to set region policy: 51% ¡°Huh. Well, guess we need to put people to work. I wonder how we claim ownership of the region. And what, exactly, denotes ownership.¡± He returned to the first menu, noting down the options, then opening the Expansion menu. Current Obelisk level: Settlement Next level: Village Area: 507/2500 square meters Population: 25/100 Adam made sure to memorize the requirements, as simple as they were, and then left the menu. He floated in space for a moment, enjoying the blissful, weightless silence. Then he mentally chose to exit the obelisk. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything stupid,¡± Liz said. ¡°All done,¡± he replied, giving her a wink. Everyone had a window pop up simultaneously. Welcome to Verdant Fort, the newest settlement in the tutorial. You have been granted citizenship. Settlement leader: Adam Cortez. "At least it''s not Latin or something," someone said. A separate window popped up for Adam. Elect a second in command? He dismissed the prompt. That would lead to an argument, and he wasn¡¯t ready for that. ¡°Alright, guys. Let¡¯s get back to work. We¡¯ve got a lot to do, if we want to make this place a real home.¡± Kyra and Liz closed in as the rest of the villagers went back to their work tasks. ¡°What happened? You froze for a split second then started talking again,¡± Liz said. She put the arrow back into her quiver and slung the bow on her back. Kyra grabbed Adam in a fierce hug. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay.¡± He hugged her back. ¡°Me too, Kyra. As for what happened, it was kinda cool. I dunno, maybe you should try it.¡± He gestured at the crystal, which was still moving upward, though at a significantly reduced pace. It was almost even with his ribs. Liz looked at him, then the crystal, and back at him as if for confirmation. He nodded, then she reached out and touched the crystal. He waited a moment for her to see everything. ¡°What¡¯s supposed to happen?¡± ¡°Huh? Hey, Kyra, can you try?¡± A little window popped up in his vision before he finished speaking. An unauthorized user is attempting to gain access to Settlement Obelisk: Verdant Fort. Grant user: Elizabeth Kieran access? An unauthorized user is attempting to gain access to Settlement Obelisk: Verdant Fort. Grant user: Kyra Donoghue access? Adam allowed both women access, and they both went stiff for a moment. Then they were back and he grinned. ¡°Pretty cool, right?¡± ¡°Absolutely the fuck not,¡± Kyra said as she punched him in the side. ¡°That was terrifying!¡± Liz shrugged. ¡°I dunno, I thought it was nice. Floating out there¡­ it was like being in the ocean at night.¡± Kyra turned with her mouth open and stuttered before finally shaking her head and shouting ¡°EXACTLY! That was awful!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t like the open water?¡± Adam leaned down and planted a kiss on the crown of her head. She swatted him away, still irritated that he hadn¡¯t warned her. ¡°No, I don¡¯t. I¡­ I never learned how to swim.¡± Both of them looked at her in shock. ¡°Well, we need to fix that,¡± Liz said. ¡°Agreed. Let¡¯s go to the river, we can discuss what we¡¯re going to do for the fort as we walk.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not skinny dipping with you two,¡± Kyra said. She took a step back and crossed her arms in defiance.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter,¡± Liz said with a wink. ¡°Don¡¯t want to see all this?¡± Adam laughed. ¡°Or this?¡± They both adopted saucy poses, as if they were modeling for a photographer. Kyra fought it for a moment, then burst out laughing. ¡°You both suck.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my specialty. C¡¯mon, let¡¯s get going.¡± Kyra tucked into Adam¡¯s side, and Liz started walking alongside. Raven appeared out of the shadows nearby and took her spot at Liz¡¯s side. A few paces later, Adam spoke up. ¡°I wonder if the blueprints menu has a bathhouse.¡± Chapter 43: Under Pressure ¡°IT SEEMS WE HAVE A CHALLENGER,¡± said the announcer. I had no idea how his voice could be so loud and yet I had heard nothing just one floor down. He continued, saying ¡°WELCOME TO THE OCTAGON, FIGHTER.¡± The light was blinding. I couldn¡¯t see a damn thing. I was trying to shield my eyes when I felt my arms grabbed on either side. I didn¡¯t know what was going on, but I didn¡¯t feel threatened, either. I went with the flow. The firm grip on my arms told me whoever it was had to be tough, inhumanly strong. Well, inhumanly strong for a pre-system person, at least. I had no idea what level these guys could be. ¡°Now,¡± continued the announcer. He was no longer full-on shouting into the mic, which meant his words only vibrated my chest, instead of threatening to crush my organs. ¡°Let me remind all of you what the rules are.¡± The crowd roared. I had never heard anybody excited to hear rules, let alone an entire crowd. ¡°One!¡± The crowd roared along with him, like some sort of call-and-return routine for a comedian. I blinked and finally could see. It was like I had been flash banged, but the blindness went away all at once. I was absolutely surrounded. What was strange was that while I could hear the people, even smell them¡­ they weren¡¯t there. It was holograms. Half the reason I had been blinded was the thousands of little projectors creating images in the seats. And there was a riot of color, shape, form, even light level and smell. As we walked past a row, I heard and saw a small mist jet out from the projector. The smell of body odor immediately grew worse, nearly choking me with its ferocity. ¡°Oh, man, someone tell that guy to take a shower!¡± I waved my left hand in front of my face to fan the smell away. ¡°That¡¯s rude.¡± I looked up at the guy dragging me along. Well, I looked up, at least. Then down. Then back up. Then all around me. ¡°What the hell?¡± There was no guy dragging me. Nobody pulling me along. Well, no body. It was just a pair of arms, neatly dressed in sleeves that enclosed where the shoulder would be. Floating. That¡¯s it. Just a pair of floating arms, dragging me down an aisle to what was very clearly an octagon fighting ring. ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± I looked for the announcer in the ring. I saw him. Her. It? The¡­ being¡­ had proportions not unlike those of Douma. However, it had to be almost twice as tall. That made me reconsider the size of the octagon. Either something was messing with my perception, a conclusion I did not rule out, or the ring was enormous. While it was hard to get a good pin on the size, I guessed it was at least twice as wide as a normal fighting ring. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t you alien egg-heads know the smaller ring promotes more action and faster fights with more frequent finishes?¡± I suddenly had a headache. I pulled back against the arms hauling me down the aisle and paused to rub at my temples with my eyes squeezed shut. I don¡¯t know how, but it seemed like the arms were surprised. Maybe they weren¡¯t expecting me to stop during the entry walk. Either way, they waited a moment, then started to yank on my arms again. My headache subsided as quickly as it had appeared, and I opened my eyes to find the ring was further away than I had thought. No, it wasn¡¯t farther away, it had shrunk. Reduced to just twenty-five feet across. I blinked a few more times, but it didn¡¯t change again. ¡°As I was saying, rule number one: you get in the ring, you don¡¯t come out until someone goes down.¡± ¡°TWO!¡± Roared the holographic crowd. ¡°Two:¡± the announcer said while extending a second extraordinarily long finger. ¡°No powers, abilities, skills, chants, auras, channeling, chi, mana usage, or biting. This is a strictly stats-based fight.¡± I shook my head. Everything there made sense, except the biting. I could think of a few different creatures or animals that would handicap to an unfair degree. Not that I was going to argue against the ruling, I did not want to get bitten in a fighting ring. By this time, I was at the stairs to the ring. I looked around, but the fighter that had been talked up was nowhere to be seen. ¡°THREE!¡± ¡°Three:¡± he said. His words grew quieter, more sinister. I could see him now, and he was definitely male, like Douma. Masculine features, a deep voice, and hard muscles despite the extremely lanky frame. ¡°This is a fight to the death.¡± The announcer flickered, then disappeared. The door to the cage opened toward me and I was shoved up the stairs and into the ring. ¡°Our challenger: Alabaster Blackwood, a half-dead human zombie hybrid. Standing six-one, one-hundred-ninety pounds, this is not his first fight. The heart of a lion, the brain of a strategist, the body of a hard-core partier. Can he last against our reigning champion?¡± Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. The lights swiveled down on me, and I¡­ stood. I had no idea what to do. The crowd half-heartedly cheered. I waved generally, feeling confused. I hadn¡¯t volunteered for this. ¡°And now, the moment you¡¯ve been waiting for. Fresh from the regen chamber, the brutal artist, the blood-spattered ballet star, the creature from the abyss; standing at two meters tall, weighing in at ninety-five kilos, a genius in cultivation, the ten-year-tenth-level monster, let¡¯s hear it for¡­. CRRRRRRRAIIIIIIIG!¡± ¡°Craig? That¡¯s this guy¡¯s name? Craig?¡± I shook my head and laughed. ¡°That sounds like the name of the guy my step-mom would date if my dad kicked the bucket and left her everything. He probably wears cyclist shorts everywhere, because he brings his folding bike with him, just in case he gets a chance to ¡®lay some rubber¡¯ or something equally lame.¡± My words were drowned out by the roar of the crowd as Craig entered the ring. He was¡­ well, he looked mostly human. Tall, broad shouldered, he looked like a bodybuilder mixed with a martial artist and carved out of granite. Right down to his skin tone, a very rock-like gray. What was weird, well, weirder than his skin apparently being made of stone, was the long mane of hair that shot up from his head like an anime character. The hair was well defined, but appeared to be made from lava. It glowed like smoldering coals, with lights moving along the length like a flowing river of magma. He raised his fists in the air and let out a battle-cry that I would never forget. ¡°For the Swan!¡± I burst out laughing. ¡°This? This is your undefeated champion? He sounds like a squeaky toy!¡± The crowd fell silent as Craig pointed a meaty¡­ uh, stony hand at me. ¡°You don¡¯t know who you¡¯re picking a fight with.¡± ¡°You¡¯re damn right. I walked out of that elevator and got shoved in here fifteen seconds later. I don¡¯t know you from Adam. Or, more appropriately, Adam¡¯s dog¡¯s chewtoy. Say, do your species suffer from cauliflower ear, or are yours just that ugly naturally?¡± Craig let out an undignified squeaky roar and charged me. I side-stepped him, watching him swing like he had sent a postcard a day before. ¡°You¡¯re a once-in-a-generation genius? What the hell is wrong with this system, if you take ten years to reach the same level I did in three weeks?¡± ¡°Shut up! I have been sent to the greatest curated farming worlds, where monsters are allowed to breed and roam free. I have been given opportunities most would weep to hear about!¡± ¡°Okay,¡± I said as I dodged another slow haymaker. ¡°But, like, this planet has been covered in monsters.¡± ¡°What?¡± Craig tripped over his own feet, crashing to the floor. I heard murmuring in the stands. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve been fighting like non-stop. The system arrived, I fought zombies. Well, actually, I was a zombie. But, yeah. Killed a bunch of zombies. Even had to put down a chick I was talking to before the system arrived. That sucked. But she had an arm missing, half her face had been chewed off. I¡¯m not really all that certain it had been her.¡± Craig got up, watching me warily. I had hardly moved from my starting spot. ¡°You said there were monsters.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± I said. Then I trailed off. ¡°I mean, I think¡­ actually.¡± ¡°What monsters?¡± I shook my head. ¡°I guess¡­ I guess there haven¡¯t actually been any. But I fought monsters in the slot machines. Got some XP for that. And I played a game with soldiers, that gave me a little bit. Not enough to make up for the trauma, but I got a title, so that¡¯s cool.¡± If it was possible for rocks to explode from sheer surprise, Craig would have done it. ¡°You have a title?¡± ¡°One? No.¡± ¡°Ha,¡± Craig said, turning in circles to rile the crowd. ¡°Listen to this guy lie!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have one title,¡± I continued. ¡°I have twelve.¡± Craig stopped mid movement. He peered over his shoulder at me, then immediately fled to teh far side of the arena where he had entered from. ¡°GET ME OUT OF THIS CAGE!¡± ¡°Craig, Craig! What¡¯s the issue, buddy?¡± The announcer boomed from above. ¡°Rule one, Craig. You enter, and you don¡¯t leave until one of you can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Well that¡¯s just poor wording,¡± I said. ¡°Neither of us can leave, according to your stupid rules.¡± Craig looked at the sky, then shook his fists and screamed in high-pitched rage. He turned, then thundered back across the ring at me. Three steps away, he launched himself at a full run into a superman punch aimed at my face. I stepped to the side and dropped a hammer fist on his back. ¡°Ow!¡± I jumped away from the rock-man as he crashed to the mat and looked at my hand. It had burned from that brief contact. ¡°What temperature do you run at? And what the hell is the cage made of to prevent it from burning?¡± Craig rolled to his side and leaped to his feet, surprisingly agile for a man made from burning stone. He pointed at me and said ¡°You talk too much!¡± I shrugged, then ran at him. Technically, he was a level higher than me. I had no idea what his race or job gave him in stats, in fact, I had no idea what level his job was. He probably had higher constitution and strength, owing to his nature as a living rock. Even so, I felt like my stats were probably better. Basil had mentioned titles were important. Craig ran in, throwing remarkably quick punches and kicks. A right jab, followed by a one-two combo, then a kick at my side. He developed a flow and put the pressure on. I found it interesting. He used a style not unlike a mix of karate and boxing. I had studied both for a while, then dropped those for capoeira, the Brazilian dance-fighting style, because there had been a wildly attractive woman in the class. She ended up being in a committed relationship with her long-time girlfriend, a fact I mourned but respected. After that, I settled on a wholly different style that spoke to me in its utilitarian approach to fighting. Krav Maga, a constructed style from Israel that taught fighting as the last resort. If a fight had to happen, the idea was to end it as quickly as possible. On his next flurry of attacks, I saw an opening. Craig tried to trick me with a right hook, which he pulled back and switched to a southpaw left jab. I stepped in, ignoring the heat pouring off him, and grabbed his arm, turning into a throw. I held onto his arm, bring it down on my knee as he flipped and slammed into the ground, using the momentum to shatter his elbow. As it turned out, despite being made of rock, he was built very like a human, and screamed so loudly, I thought he went into the infrasonic. It was a surprise, hearing his voice drop like that so rapidly. I could feel the scream in my guts. ¡°Please, don¡¯t let that be the brown note.¡± Chapter 44: Your winner... ¡°The brown note is a myth,¡± said the announcer. I glared up at the ceiling. ¡°Now you respond?¡± I finally noticed how quiet the arena had become. I looked around at all the holographic audience members, and they were flabbergasted. Then I jerked my hands back and stumbled a step, then two away from Craig. ¡°Fuuuuuuuu¨C¡± I fell to my knees screaming through my clenched teeth. I had held onto Craig¡¯s nearly molten body for far too long. The burns were horrific. My hands looked like bacon, all crispy and charred, while the blisters joined together, growing as I watched them. Fluid gushed from my ruined skin, sloshing around in the mega-blisters on each arm. The pain was so great I wanted to retch. I cradled my arms to my chest and tried to catch a breath. The pain in my arms and chest, my whole front, really, was absolutely incredible. ¡°Uh, hey,¡± Craig said as he stood. He did something and I heard the rocks crunch in his arm. He winced and looked at me. ¡°You okay over there?¡± ¡°Now this is unusual,¡± boomed the announcer. ¡°It seems the combatants are pausing to talk to each other. We rarely see this.¡± ¡°You know,¡± I grunted through grit teeth. ¡°You¡¯re hot enough to boil water?¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. That¡¯s my day job. I fight to put money away for my kids.¡± I looked up at him, all pain forgotten for a moment. ¡°You have kids?¡± ¡°Yeah, just little rubble piles at the moment, but Craig Junior shifted yesterday. Made me so proud. He¡¯ll have his first land slide any day now.¡± I shook my head, though I tried to isolate the movement from my neck on down. ¡°I don¡¯t get it.¡± Craig pointed up to the side, and a projection started, showing an aerial view of a town at the foot of a moderately sized hill. ¡°That¡¯s Craig Junior, there. He¡¯s only a few decades old. Very advanced.¡± I blinked at the picture, then looked back at Craig. ¡°Only a few decades old? How old are you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s kind of rude,¡± he said. ¡°Most people know better than to ask a lady her age.¡± My brain crashed to a halt. ¡°You¡¯re a woman?¡± He laughed. ¡°Not as you would understand it. My species doesn¡¯t have binary genders.¡± I shrugged, then winced as it pulled on my blisters. ¡°You might be surprised. A lot of people of my species don¡¯t define themselves as one gender, or even, sometimes, a gender at all. It¡¯s all a bit beyond me, I just figure I¡¯ll treat them as people and call them whatever they want. Doesn¡¯t cost me anything to be respectful of people¡¯s self-identity.¡± Craig put a rocky finger to his lips and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ surprisingly forward. Some species just don¡¯t understand. Then again, a lot of species out there have only one or two genders, and some have hundreds or even thousands. Actually, my kind, the Strata, have seventeen-thousand genders.¡± I nodded along. My hands were already healing, I could feel an intense itching as my skin grew a new layer, even as the fluid in the dead skin was reabsorbed. ¡°That¡¯s a lot, how do you keep it straight?¡± ¡°Oh, we don¡¯t care. Nearly every gender can mate with another, with very few exceptions. That¡¯s how most Strata children are born, with a mating of two genders, which also defines what gender they end up becoming.¡± The image shifted, and I watched as the side of the hill shifted, then slid down onto the town. There was no sound, but it was clear the slide was of considerable size. Craig jumped up and down. ¡°Oh! Craig Junior just slid! Her first slide!¡± ¡°What about the town?¡± Craig looked back at me. ¡°The town? What about it? They knew for the last thirty years Craig Junior was there. In fact, having sentient life nearby helps accelerate the process. Why do you think he¡¯s already had his first slide after only forty years?¡± ¡°So, let me get this straight,¡± I said, working to hide my receding blisters. ¡°Your kind give birth to mountains, which kill sentient people to grow, then somehow end up like you?¡± ¡°Oh, yes. As we age, we become more compact. Some become more dense, some end up taller, it all depends on your gender. But eventually, almost all of my kind take on a humanoid shape and go out into the cosmos to find a mate and settle somewhere nice and flat.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t looking very settled,¡± I said. He shook his head. ¡°Not yet. Land is very expensive on that planet. I took a job here with the System for a handful of decades to earn enough for a few thousand acres. I want a dozen more kids.¡± I shifted my weight, and Craig quirked a rocky eyebrow. ¡°All healed already? Your kind are quite resilient.¡± Busted, I shrugged with my arms wide open. ¡°Maybe not all of my kind, but I seem to be doing okay.¡± He nodded, and just as his eyes closed, I launched. Burns or not, I had to take the guy down. I couldn¡¯t have his kind destroying cities on my planet. I caught him around the midsection and slammed him to the ground with my shoulder. The rock burned, but it wasn¡¯t as fierce as before. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°That¡¯s more like it,¡± said the announcer. ¡°Back to the action. Though, we should thank contestant Craig for the enlightening lecture about the Strata.¡± Just like that, the crowd was cheering again. Craig, for his part, was incredibly fast. He grabbed the back of my shirt and yanked me up and over his head, tossing me into the cage wall. I crabbed the chain link as I impacted, then pulled my feet up and braced. He looked at me, and I sprang out, using the fence for extra oomph. The whole maneuver took less than a second. My fist connected with the side of his stony head, and I felt my hand break. More satisfying, however, was the chunk that sheared from his skull. It took a portion of his face and crumbled to dust as it hit the mat. I rolled and sprang to my feet, shaking my hand. ¡°Yikes. You¡¯re even more hard-headed than my cousin.¡± Craig spun his legs and used the momentum in a flashy kip-up. ¡°Is he a Strata too?¡± ¡°No, he¡¯s from Florida. He heard about monks who would hit stones and wood to make their arms harder, so he started headbutting concrete. A few dozen concussions later, he¡¯s dumb as a brick but holy fuck. I saw him headbutt an ox one time, and the ox was knocked out.¡± The projector overhead changed to a video of my cousin doing just that, and the crowd ooh-d and ahh-d over the short clip. Craig nodded. ¡°That is impressive.¡± He lunged forward, clearly trying to headbutt me like the video. I slipped his attack and kicked the side of his knee. It broke with a sharp crack, sounding like a bullet skipping off stone. His center of balance shifted and he tumbled to the ground. ¡°Look, we¡¯ve had a good discussion here,¡± I said. I raised a foot and struck down on back of the same knee. Craig howled with anger and pain. I kicked again, and this time, the leg separated as the knee completely gave in. Craig curled up, gripping at his severed leg. Magma oozed from the center of his thigh. The amputated limb rapidly crumbled to dust. ¡°My leg!¡± ¡°But I think it¡¯s time to wrap this up,¡± I said as if there hadn¡¯t been an interruption. I lashed out with another kick, this time catching the side of his partial face. The rest of his face broke off, landing nearby. I saw the eye blink, before that, too, crumbled away. He immediately started flailing, trying to catch me with a solid swing. Even if I was tougher than before the system, I figured having a hundred pounds of rock slam into the side of my leg was a bad idea. I jumped clear of his wild attacks. He tried to stand, then fell over again. ¡°What will he do? It looks like our champion is in trouble!¡± I should have figured it wouldn¡¯t be that easy. Any time I tried to close the distance, Craig started flopping around, trying to smack me. Then, when he got enough space, he did something I did not anticipate ever seeing. He raised his hand high, and brought it down on his good leg just above the knee. Even though he could no longer scream, since he didn¡¯t have a mouth, I felt the tremors through the mat. He raised his hand again, and this time, he sliced through his leg. Before it could crumble away, he stood on the stumps of his legs and held the severed limb like a club. ¡°What? Why is everything so freaking weird now?¡± I shook my head, then started analyzing. It was clear what was normally a fatal wound for most humanoids was instead an inconvenience. Painful, sure, but not debilitating. Then he surprised me again. He gripped the end of the leg-club and crushed part of it in his fist, put the resulting dust to his face¡­ and started to scream. ¡°AHHH! Gods, I haven¡¯t been injured like that in years!¡± I blinked, and just like that, he had a face again. ¡°Did you just cut your own leg off to repair your face?¡± He smiled, mouth looking like a jagged mountain range in winter. ¡°I did. Pretty cool, huh?¡± ¡°And what about your legs?¡± He shook his head. ¡°They¡¯ll regrow in a few years. Nothing to worry about.¡± I sighed. ¡°I was hoping this would be easier.¡± Craig nodded. ¡°So do they all. I¡¯ve been champion for ten years now. How do you think I stuck around, despite not being the strongest?¡± I ran in again, using my size and speed to counter his new reach with his leg-come-club. He swung, harder and faster than I expected. I jumped, but it was too slow, too late. I almost cleared his attack, but he pulled it up a hair, and my foot was clipped. I was sent spinning, crashing to the mat a moment later. My head rang from the impact. Even handicapped, he was putting up a hell of a fight. ¡°Damn, now I wish I could use my abilities.¡± ¡°Ha, you and me both,¡± Craig replied. He readied his club, looking me in the eyes. We both understood. This was it. I took the initiative, since he was movement impaired. I sprinted in, juking left, then right, and finally jumping at him. He swung, trying to catch my feet again, but I cleared his head, slammed to a stop, then released a vicious scything kick that took his head from his shoulders. I worried, for a moment, that it wouldn¡¯t be enough. That his kind could function without a head, using a distributed neural network or something. But, after a long, breathless moment, his torso caved in. Just like that, his body stopped holding its shape and slumped into a pile of gravel. The gravel continued to break down, going to pebbles, then sand, and finally being blown from the arena as a fine dust. ¡°Ladies, Gentlemen, and all fine beings with the honor of witnessing this historic match, I give you your winner¡­ Alabaster Blackwood, of Blackwood Company!¡± The crowd erupted in cheers, some even standing and throwing holographic roses into the ring. A trap door opened in the floor, and up rose¡­ Craig. ¡°Bloody hell, I thought I had you.¡± I fell into a fighting stance again, fists curled despite the pain. My hand was still broken, I had blisters everywhere from fighting him, and I was pretty sure a good portion of my face and hair had sloughed off. But I was ready, if I had to be. ¡°Oop- no,¡± he said as he held his hands out in front of him. ¡°The fight¡¯s over. You won.¡± I stood up, though I still had my fists ready to block or attack. ¡°You really did,¡± he insisted. He extended a hand to shake. I hesitantly reached out, and was once again surprised. His hand was cool, like touching a wall in a cave. ¡°How?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s easy. I¡¯m contracted to be here. Like I said before,¡± he said. I smacked my face in realization and frustration. ¡°Duh. You¡¯re like the soldiers in the game.¡± Craig shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know what that means.¡± I shook my head in return. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I get it now. You lose, but you come right back because magic and whatnot.¡± ¡°Uh, yeah. Anyway, congrats.¡± Quest Completed! You defeated the boss on floor 100! Rewards: 100xp, 100 recognition, new title: Delver (100) New title awarded: Centurion. The announcer appeared in the arena, looming over the both of us. ¡°What a bout! Excellent fight, if a little¡­ wordy for my tastes. But a promise is a promise. What level are you?¡± I looked up at the holographic face and smiled, feeling the adrenaline crash set in. ¡°Level nine. One-hundred-thirty-one out of one-forty-five.¡± The announcer¡¯s face fell. ¡°Oh.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Well, what now?¡± Chapter 45: Inspiration ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯ve been meaning to talk to you about.¡± Adam couldn¡¯t contain the thoughts anymore. Everything looked fine. In fact, the settlement was doing great. They were closing in on four weeks in the tutorial, and they had almost a hundred people already. Almost twenty a day showing up. People worked hard, contributing anywhere and everywhere they could. Most people, at least. There were a few extraordinarily lucky layabouts who were as workshy as anybody he had seen. That wasn¡¯t what concerned him though. ¡°Well, go on,¡± prodded Kyra. She was sitting on the edge of their bed. It was somewhat awkward, what with Raven and Liz sitting on either side of her. They were shoulder-to-shoulder-to-shoulder, all sitting in rapt attention. It was both weirdly empowering and terrifying. These women were some of the toughest people in the settlement, third to him, and he was second only to Carl. ¡°Carl is becoming a very serious security concern.¡± ¡°I FUCKING TOLD YOU!¡± Kyra exploded from her seat, fingers pointing at his chest. Raven and Liz restrained her, then pulled her back to her seat. She was significantly stronger than she had been just four weeks earlier, but she had been on the verge of death back then. They had not, and the system had distributed stats accordingly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Kyra. You were right.¡± He paused, his back to them while he gathered his thoughts. ¡°Before we discuss exactly why he¡¯s a problem, we need to go over a few things.¡± ¡°Get on with it, Adam,¡± Liz said. She had an arm across Kyra¡¯s much smaller shoulders, only somewhat restraining the little woman at that point. Her curiosity was piqued. Raven nodded and let out a peppy ¡°Mhm!¡± Adam sighed and wiped a tired hand down his face. He was staring at the colonist screen, a feature of his job as an Administrator. Carl was the highest level. Rank E, level 11¡­ he was an entire tier above them; he was moving way too quickly. There were not enough monsters attacking to justify the growth he was seeing. ¡°You remember we talked about jobs a while back, right? Well, mine lets me see a bunch of stuff. I can see any new tutorials our villagers unlock. It¡¯s slowed down¡­ well, the low numbers have slowed down. The stuff I would expect to see. The common sense stuff.¡± ¡°Adam,¡± Kyra¡¯s voice wavered. ¡°Why are you talking in circles?¡± He shook his head. ¡°I think the first hundred tutorials are more-or-less the stuff anybody and just about everybody who survives the tutorial are going to see. You guys should have seen, at a minimum, the first thirty or so. Right?¡± He turned and looked at them. The haunted look in his eyes, how sunken they were, it scared them. He was losing sleep. Kyra had noticed, of course. How could she not? He woke up screaming most nights. Liz and Raven nodded in unison. As they had grown closer, they had started adopting similar behaviors. It was odd to see from the outside, but they were so ridiculously happy together, nobody said anything. ¡°Well, Carl is unlocking tutorials. Almost daily, actually. And most of them are up in the thousands. A few have been over ten-thousand. I tried to turn a blind eye; to ignore what he was doing and unlocking. Obviously, that hasn¡¯t been working. You can just ask Kyra how well I¡¯ve been ignoring them.¡± Raven and Liz looked in at her. She shied away, looking down and letting her hair cover her face. She was inordinately proud of her hair. It had been thin, stringy, on the verge of falling out when the system arrived. Now it was lustrous, thick, full, enough to break a hairbrush. But at the moment, it was a shield. Not just from the two women, but from the world, and the pain it brought. ¡°He¡¯s torturing people. Not just killing them. And I think he¡¯s killing people before they get to Verdant Fort, so he¡¯s never violated the soul oath.¡± Adam shook his head. ¡°I was so short sighted. I thought the oath was enough.¡± ¡°How could you know? How could you guess he would do this?¡± ¡°Because I told him he would,¡± Kyra said. She looked up, red eyes wet with tears. ¡°I warned you.¡± Adam shook his head. ¡°I know. I thought we could do better. I thought he could be better. I was wrong.¡± Raven finally spoke. ¡°What do we do?¡± ¡°We stop him. If we can. He¡¯s level eleven already. What is worrying is how fast he¡¯s leveling. I¡¯m certain he¡¯s the highest leveled person out there, at this point. Which means if he is killing people, he gets no XP for people five levels below him.¡± ¡°How do you know that?¡± Raven looked at the two other women, then back at Adam. ¡°Did I miss something?¡± Adam cocked his head to the side, distracted by the sudden surprise. ¡°That¡¯s tutorial four. You never saw that one?¡± If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. She shook her head. ¡°I guess not.¡± She paused, looking into the distance. Adam figured she was looking at her list of tutorials. It was difficult for him to tell, because he had them unlocked, but it never told him who had unlocked it, when, how, or who had access to the listing. It was purely big-picture. ¡°Okay. Well, to sum it up, when you kill something, you get one XP for anything up to five levels lower than you. At your level, it¡¯s five, one above is ten, and every level up is another ten. It caps at ten levels and one-hundred XP. Doesn¡¯t matter if you, by some miracle, kill something a hundred levels higher, you get one hundred XP. I think it¡¯s a hard cap to prevent stupid people from hunting something impossible for them to kill.¡± Raven nodded slowly. ¡°Okay. So, you can get XP by farming lower level stuff, but you would have to kill¡­ hundreds of creatures¡­ or people.¡± She looked up, blood draining from her face. ¡°Is he killing hundreds of people?¡± Adam shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Ability tutorials are not like regular ones. I don¡¯t see them, because, as far as I can gather, they¡¯re unique to each person.¡± Liz asked the next question, saying ¡°then, as best as you can tell, he¡¯s doing something to get extra XP from killing people lower level than him?¡± Adam chuckled mirthlessly. ¡°Everybody is lower level than him. Whatever it is that he¡¯s doing, it breaks the rules as we know them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because,¡± Carl¡¯s voice broke in just then. It startled all of them, and they drew to attention. ¡°The rules are for the weak. When you are powerful enough, you not only ignore the existing rules, you make them.¡± Carl sauntered in. Adam looked at the women, then backed up to present a united force against him. All three women stood, ready for battle. ¡°Relax,¡± Carl said. He patted the air to emphasize his point. ¡°I¡¯m soul-bound. Adam is right, if I break another soul oath, I will die. I can feel it. Guys, I¡¯m on the ragged edge here.¡± Adam put a hand out as if to protect his friends. ¡°However it is you¡¯re getting around the oath, you¡¯re not hurting them.¡± Carl shook his head. ¡°I just told you, I can¡¯t break my soul oath. The one I gave you was surprisingly thorough. Trust me, I checked.¡± Adam watched Carl¡¯s hands. He knew the smaller man could draw daggers from seemingly nowhere. To make things worse, he knew the assassin had skills focusing on shadows, and they were all in deep shadow. ¡°Really, I¡¯m not here to hurt you. Or harm you. Or do anything untoward.¡± He held his hands up at shoulder height. ¡°Believe what you want, but I¡¯ve been protecting this settlement. Congrats, by the way,¡± Carl said as he nodded toward Adam. ¡°Congrats for what?¡± Carl cocked an eyebrow. ¡°For upgrading. Or, I guess, for the upcoming upgrade. You just accepted your one-hundredth settler. You¡¯re about to become a Village Head.¡± The window popped up a moment later. Alert: you have met the requirements to upgrade your settlement obelisk. Return to the obelisk to begin the process. Adam shook his head and slashed the air with his off-hand. ¡°No, you need to give us answers.¡± Carl shrugged, hands still at shoulder height. ¡°What do you want to know?¡± ¡°Are you torturing people?¡± He nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Adam was taken aback. In fact, all four of them were. They had not expected a straight-forward answer. ¡°It took me a long time to figure it out. My Hippocratic oath was for shit. You guys were right. I did a lot of good, but I was also doing a lot of evil. Well, by pre-system standards. I wasn¡¯t preying on the weak, but I was killing them when they asked for it. These days though?¡± He shrugged. ¡°These days, I do what I want. And I want to stay alive.¡± Adam stood up straight, looking down at Carl. ¡°That doesn¡¯t explain why you are torturing people.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t,¡± Carl said with a sagely nod. ¡°I¡¯m doing it to protect you. Did you know people are ganging up out there?¡± He hooked a thumb over his shoulder as if to include the entire world. ¡°No,¡± Adam said. He was less sure of himself. Carl was killing people. He¡¯d even confirmed it. ¡°It¡¯s true. Roving gangs. They wear the skins of whatever they kill. Mostly animal, but I¡¯ve run across a few groups wearing human skin. They usually run about level five, these days. Not exceptionally powerful, but better than the average.¡± ¡°So, that¡¯s it?¡± Adam didn¡¯t drop his guard, and he wanted to cross his arms over his chest. But he also didn¡¯t want to leave himself or the women defenseless. Never mind the fact each of the women were accomplished combatants. He felt in charge. He was in charge. Masculine pride be damned, he was the first line and the last line. His life would fall before theirs did. That was his job; no, not his job. His goal. His meaning. Adam stiffened as light started to drip out of his pores like sweat. His entire body began to glow. ¡°Lucky bastard,¡± Carl said with a hint of awe. ¡°You¡¯re having an inspiration.¡± The pain was immense, but it was nothing before the might of finding his Purpose. And that was with a capitol ¡®P¡¯, not some half-assed journey-of-the-soul nonsense. It was a system recognized advancement in self awareness. Chakra unlocked: Crown. Adam hovered an inch off the floor; golden light pouring off him and forming a beautiful crown of golden light above his brow and to the back of his head. ¡°Quite inconvenient. Hope you never get an inspiration in the middle of battle. You¡¯re left wildly unprotected for that window.¡± Carl shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re going to have your hands full. He¡¯s going to have the hangover from hell, if I¡¯m right. Bit early to be unlocking the Crown. Still, he¡¯s doing well. Oh, and you have to level up the Obelisk. That¡¯s going to hit like a truck, too, if what I¡¯ve been told is right. So, I¡¯m going to leave. But I¡¯ll tell you this for free: I¡¯m protecting Verdant Fort. Remember, to make an omelet, you have to break a lot of eggs.¡± He never let his hands fall below shoulder height as he walked backwards. What freaked the women out, though, was how he blended into the shadows outside. It was like blinking to find someone gone, but not one of them had blinked. ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Raven looked at her friends, then at the still-glowing Adam. ¡°And what do we do about him?¡± Kyra stood, feeling that whatever he was going through was coming to an end. The light started to fade and she caught him as he drifted down, directing him toward the bed. ¡°We have a lot to figure out. He¡¯s probably going to sleep right through the night, since he hasn¡¯t had much lately.¡± Raven and Liz nodded. ¡°And it sounds like we¡¯re in charge until Adam recovers,¡± Liz said. ¡°Good thing Adam figured out how to make us both second-in-charge,¡± Kyra said. ¡°Yeah,¡± Raven said. ¡°But you have to agree, or nothing happens.¡± Liz offered an arm to each woman. ¡°Shall we, ladies? We have a town to run.¡± Chapter 46: Piggy I tapped my foot to the quiet, weirdly comforting muzak. It was like a mix between a lo-fi dubstep and smooth jazz, a concept I would have hated had I only heard of it on paper. The elevator had been set to move only one floor, to 101. I guessed that was where the rewards were given to victorious fighters. But I had been in the elevator for what felt like a long time. For all I knew, it had only been thirty seconds and my increased perception, along with my anticipation, was expanding that window of time well beyond what I would normally feel. After what felt like an eternity, or perhaps another minute, I couldn¡¯t be sure, the doors slid open. I was not prepared for what I saw. Marble floors, gold-trimmed chandeliers, fresh flowers in intricate vases, all that I had seen before. Wildly over-the-top exhibitions of wealth. That was what I expected. Instead¡­ ¡°Come, Master Blackwood.¡± I took in the sight. It was the Announcer, truly in the flesh. His voice carried like it had in the arena below, but without artificial amplification. It had a booming resonance, reminding me quite strongly of Ving Rhames, one of my favorite actors. That was where the resemblance ended, however. The Qhuvois stood around nine feet tall, another semi-educated guess based on their size relative to the trees. That¡¯s right, trees. The room didn¡¯t have walls that I could see. I wasn¡¯t even certain I was in a room. Instead, it appeared to be a clearing in a dense forest at night, complete with the sky filled with stars twinkling far above. The trees were familiar, more like what I had seen while camping in Colorado, or backpacking through Washington, certainly nothing native to Nevada. Tall, with green leaves or needles, the room was richly scented with earth, clean air, and mossy trees. There was a hint of a smell deep under everything else, but I couldn¡¯t place it. I was certain, however, that it wasn¡¯t blood. That smell would never be unfamiliar to me again. I started walking toward the Announcer, noting that it felt like real grass underfoot, where there was grass. Otherwise, it was loamy soil, fallen leaves, needles, and sticks, even some moss and mushrooms. The whole experience was made far more real when the doors to the elevator slid shut, cutting off the light it provided. I was in the forest at night, and the silence was deafening. ¡°You¡¯re a Qhuvois,¡± I said. It was more to stop the sudden ringing in my ears than anything. I was a city kid, not someone used to the quiet of the country, or worse, the dead silence of the woods when nothing was moving. Even the wind seemed to be holding its breath. The Announcer nodded. ¡°I am. I take it, then, that you¡¯ve met another of my kind?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± I said. I didn¡¯t even need to increase the volume of my voice. The quiet air carried it to the angel, and their voice to me just as well. ¡°I met Douma a few floors ago.¡± The Qhuvois shifted their head, appearing like an owl, and two eyes opened. I felt a little flare in the back of my head. ¡°Douma is on floor twenty-three. He¡¯s the first major boss.¡± I nodded. ¡°Yeah. We had a bit of whiskey together. Damn good stuff.¡± I came to a stop about ten feet from the still-unidentified angel. My response had apparently not appeased them. ¡°We are on floor one-hundred-one. It is pure luck that one-hundred was even open. We focus on it first, so that employees can relax with some entertainment between shifts. We are not scheduled to open for over two months.¡± I tilted my head, much like the Announcer had done a moment before. Douma had said two-and-a-half months. That had only been a few hours before, by my estimate. ¡°What¡¯s the date?¡± The Announcer shook their head. ¡°I do not understand.¡± ¡°The day, on the calendar?¡± I held a hand out and moved my other hand to indicate flipping through one. ¡°I think this is an artifact from before the system, yes?¡± I nodded slowly. ¡°Yeah¡­ why?¡± ¡°We only use the system. You can check the current date-time by thinking that.¡± I did, and a number popped in view. 124,665,044,124,967 ¡°Woah,¡± I said and held both hands out. ¡°Is there a way I can make that¡­ more digestible?¡± ¡°You consume numbers? What an interesting species.¡± I shook my head and my hands. ¡°No, no, nothing like that. I mean, the number is too big. I think it¡¯s in the trillions. That¡¯s way too big for me to make heads-or-tails of.¡± ¡°Ah, I see. Think ¡®current era¡¯ at it.¡± The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. I did, and a new number popped up. 14e2C1b3a I shook my head again. ¡°Okay, it¡¯s a lot shorter, but that is a coded sequence if I¡¯ve ever seen one.¡± A rich, sonorous laugh echoed out from the Announcer. ¡°I forget, your tutorial is currently ongoing. You are something of a special case. I will explain it to you. Fourteen-E stands for fourteenth Era. Two-C is second century, one-b is first band, three-a means third annum. There should be some numbers after that, but you might have it truncated. What is relevant is everything after the fourteen-e.¡± I nodded. ¡°Thanks, uh,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°Do you have a name, in common,¡± I said as I remembered Douma trying to tell me his name in his native language. ¡°You know, that I can address you as?¡± The Announcer tilted their head as if thinking, then nodded. ¡°Yes. You may call me Anubis.¡± I took a half-step back, then stumbled and fell on my ass. ¡°A-anu-bis?¡± ¡°Ah, I see you have heard of me. My last visit to your world was¡­ eventful.¡± I dry swallowed. ¡°Yeah, you could say that. You know there are myths about you?¡± He smiled, and it was unsettling. My vision flickered, and I saw, just for a split second, the head of a Jackal grinning down at me. Then it was gone and only the emotionless visage of the six-ish-eyed angel looked down at me. I shook my head and decided I wasn¡¯t going to let him intimidate me, regardless of his level. Slowly, deliberately, I stood and faced Anubis. ¡°Well done, human. Few have the fortitude to withstand my aura like that.¡± I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t know about any aura, but your jackal face won¡¯t scare me again.¡± Anubis nodded. ¡°You are quite strong, indeed. Now, I believe I owe you a level.¡± He gestured out at the forest, a gentle wave as if introducing a dear friend. A massive boar trotted out from the treeline a moment later. It looked wrong, however. It had the body of a boar, the face, even the tusks, but the pelt was wrong. It looked like it had spines or¡­ quills. Like a boar had been cross-bred with a porcupine. I decided to call it a piggypine. It waited ten steps away, snorting lightly. ¡°I owe you¡­¡± Anubis sighed before continuing. ¡°Fourteen xp.¡± ¡°Yeah, that seems¡­ I mean, the quest was nice.¡± Anubis shook his head. ¡°The thing is, Craig is actually supposed to go down sometimes. There¡¯s never really supposed to be a hard-core fight. We expect fighters around six, maybe seven. And it should be months after the tutorial ends, not months before.¡± I laughed. ¡°Really? You think people will be level six by the time they reach floor one-hundred?¡± ¡°Dungeons are meant to be completed in teams, often comprised of six members, which means rewards are split six ways. This is a beginner dungeon, where level one fighters enter, then wash out at floor one-hundred around level six.¡± ¡°Oh, buddy, I have some bad, bad news for you.¡± Anubis looked at me with squinted eyes. I couldn¡¯t tell if it was anger, disgust, me calling him buddy, anything. I plowed onward. ¡°We humans are remarkably stupid creatures. Not to mention, your dungeon is located near one of the greatest monuments to human individualism and stupidity on the planet. We, humans, that is, are going to challenge this dungeon alone. Some might figure out eventually that teams are allowed, but you¡¯re going to have solo combatants running through at much higher levels. You¡¯ll probably see level ten or higher shortly after the tutorial finishes storming through the first hundred levels, breaking and stealing everything they can.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure, not in that weak moonlight, but I thought I saw Anubis grow paler. He blinked, and I felt pressure build in the back of my mind, but then it passed. ¡°I see. Perhaps we need to fine-tune this dungeon.¡± I shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve been having a good time, but Craig was the first halfway-intense fight I¡¯ve had so far. The Kraken, the boss in the big slot machine on the first level, was way too easy. I shouldn¡¯t be able to take down the floor boss with a legendary weapon I got after like three minutes of effort.¡± As I spoke, I felt the Chillspine Sliver give off a pulse of cold, like it knew I was talking about it. ¡°This is good feedback. As for your reward, you need only slay this monster, and you will reach level ten.¡± I looked at the piggypine. It shuffled in place, making little squeaking and snorting noises. ¡°Is it going to, uh¡­ do anything?¡± Anubis shook his head. ¡°No. It is being held in place by my will.¡± ¡°That hardly seems like a fair fight. To get enough experience to push up a level, it has to be at least eleven.¡± He nodded. ¡°Okay, so let me fight it. For real, I mean.¡± ¡°If you die,¡± Anubis said, a note of warning in his voice. ¡°If I die, that¡¯s my fault. At least the piggypine had a chance of its own.¡± ¡°Piggypine¡­? An interesting name. I like this. Very well, you may fight it.¡± The piggypine roared, a high-pitched porcine squeal mixed in. I felt my eardrums rattle and it felt like my ears started to bleed. Before it finished its war-cry, I dashed in. It rocked its head as I closed the distance, wielding those big tusks like swords. I dodged and put my whole body weight behind a superman punch. It screamed, a human-like sound that set my teeth on edge and made my skin crawl. The piggypine rocked back, then fell on its side and started to thrash, even as I lay far too close to the tusk for comfort. I kneed the bottom of its jaw, heard bone crunch and saw teeth scatter, then jumped up and dropped a crescent kick on its bloodied eye. The sound of its eye popping, its skull caving in was indescribable. I wanted to throw up again, but I held it back through sheer force of will. This was a kill-or-be-killed world now. Level 11 Piggypine killed. 20 xp awarded. Level up! +2 to strength, constitution, agility, +1 to wisdom, intelligence, charisma, +1 free stat point. Rank up! Titles awarded: Ranker, Primordial Ranker. ¡°That was¡­ underwhelming,¡± I said. I shook my head and stood straight, looking at Anubis. I wanted to loot the corpse, but wasn¡¯t sure what the protocol was for this kind of thing. He smiled at me, as if he knew something I didn¡¯t. I figured that was going to be the case with everyone I met. Then I fell to my knees. ¡°Try not to fight it, that makes the pain worse.¡± My vision started to turn red, then a cone of darkness wrapped in from the outside. My body grew cold. Then it felt like I was on fire. This was like every cold, every flu, every stomach bug I had ever had all wrapped into one. I vomited, and felt my throat, tongue, even my teeth and face coated in an oily substance. I fell to my side, shaking uncontrollably. Then, with no warning, it was gone. I was left feeling exhausted, sticky, and foul smelling. ¡°Ugh,¡± I moaned. ¡°First rank up? What am I saying, of course it was. Congratulations, young master. You are the first in your world to rank up. I will watch over you until you wake, then we will have a new conversation. One about your future.¡± Chapter 47: Tricks and Traps Adam woke with a start. He was laying in his bed, drenched in sweat. He blinked in the darkness. Kyra wasn¡¯t in bed with him. He felt to his left, where she normally lay, and found it cool to the touch. He had either been asleep for a day or more, or it was still the same night. Then Carl¡¯s presence registered from his memory and he bolted up, fists at the ready. It took a long moment for the rest of the meeting with the creepy little man to play out in his head, and he relaxed. ¡°How long have I been out?¡± The question bounced around in his mind while he got dressed. He wasn¡¯t sure how the encounter had ended, but seeing as he was still alive, with access to the settlement stone, it had ended peacefully. Stepping through the heavy curtain into the night air, he found the settlement awash in light and fraught with activity. He caught a passing man by the shoulder, shocked to find a pair of short horns jutting from his forehead. ¡°Hey, uh, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard? The settlement is about to level up, and we¡¯re going to get attacked when it does.¡± The man hurried off. Adam looked around, seeing people moving equipment around in crates and barrels. There was a hut being erected as he watched, which then had a caduceus- a staff with twin wood snakes winding up it- put over the entrance. He nodded in approval. People were already manning the walls, often wielding spears or bows. There was even a crossbow, which surprised him. That was the most complex machine he had seen in weeks. Finally, he spotted the calm in the storm. At the center stood three women, all talking with a half-dozen people each. Kyra was only visible because she stood on a box, presumably to get a better view of the activity. On her left stood Liz, nearly even in height despite the size of the box, and on the right was Raven. The women appeared to be working together so well, it was like watching clockwork. Kyra spotted him standing idly and waved him over. He did a little wave of negation, figuring they had everything handled, but she pointed toward her feet insistently. He sighed, smiled, and walked over. Raven¡¯s voice carried to him first, a bit of a shock on its own. ¡°I want the alchemists making potions overtime. That¡¯s all they¡¯re doing. I don¡¯t care if monsters get into the compound, they are not to stop making mana or health potions at any point, not until the attack is over.¡± Liz was addressing her own set of people. ¡°Ammo isn¡¯t infinite. We only have one crossbow user, and he¡¯s already got three hundred bolts loaded into his quiver.¡± ¡°Woah,¡± said one person. ¡°Nice!¡± ¡°I¡¯m jealous!¡± ¡°Yeah, I know guys,¡± Liz said with a wince. ¡°Epic level gear. I hear he got it last night in the raid. I¡¯m jealous too. Back on point, we need our crafters to focus on arrows. I know there¡¯s only three, but they¡¯re going to be located right next to the alchemists. The good news is, they¡¯re going to have their own tent, so they don¡¯t need to worry about the fumes.¡± The three that had commented nodded. Adam couldn¡¯t tell who those people were, they were new. And one of them had blue skin. That was also new. Kyra gathered their attention, all eighteen focusing on her. ¡°You have your orders. The timer is ticking, we have less than ten minutes. Go. Go!¡± The people she addressed scattered to the winds. She finally turned to address him. ¡°Good morning, sleeping beauty.¡± He rubbed the back of his head. ¡°Yeah, about that: how long was I out?¡± ¡°About an hour. How do you feel?¡± He finally took a moment to check himself. He felt¡­ incredible. Like a fog had been lifted from his mind. ¡°Good. Really good. I feel like I¡¯m finally clear-headed.¡± Raven nodded. ¡°You opened your Crown chakra. That is the seventh, the chakra for self-realization.¡± ¡°Ooh, cool,¡± Liz said. ¡°Did you get an ability with opening your chakra?¡± Adam checked. Chakras: Crown: Unlocked. 1 of 3 assigned: Empowered Sacrifice I. Third Eye: Locked. Throat: Locked. Heart: Locked. Solar Plexus: Locked. Sacral: Locked. Root: Locked. ¡°Yeah, I got an ability called ¡®Empowered Sacrifice.¡¯ Let me see what it does.¡± Empowered Sacrifice I: Once per day, you can spend 50% of your max HP to double your damage dealt for ten minutes. Damage taken is doubled. Defeat 100 foes with Empowered Sacrifice I to level it up. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Well, that¡¯s a trade-off. I can use it once per day to double my damage, but it has a serious cost. I take double damage, and it costs half my max health to activate.¡± Liz sucked air through her teeth. ¡°But double damage, if you¡¯re careful¡­ you could take a bunch of monsters out really quick.¡± Adam nodded. ¡°Well, here¡¯s hoping I don¡¯t need to use it.¡± He looked back to Kira. ¡°What¡¯s situation? And how can I help?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to be attacked in¡­¡± she checked her hud. ¡°Seven minutes. If you are willing, guard the medical tent, the alchemists, and the crafters. If anything gets into the fort, you take it down.¡± He nodded. ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to be in the medical hut. Raven is on traps, she¡¯ll be roving the walls. Liz, you have a bow, you take out anything flying in. That¡¯s it, let¡¯s get this over with.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Adam said. ¡°When does this event end?¡± ¡°It didn¡¯t specify. I would guess it¡¯s going to either be a specific window, or a specific kill count. I¡¯m sure details will pop once it starts.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got the lead, then. I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s because you two were in charge when the upgrade was initiated.¡± Kyra nodded and Liz grunted. ¡°Cool. I¡¯ll be, uh¡­ here? Yeah, I¡¯ll be here.¡± Kyra leaned out and grabbed his collar, then pulled him in and kissed him hard. ¡°Don¡¯t die. If you do, I¡¯ll bring you back from the dead and kill you myself.¡± He chuckled, then grew still. ¡°Wait, can you do that?¡± ¡°Do you want to find out?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°Good. I¡¯ll be in this tent. Don¡¯t let anything but wounded settlers in.¡± He nodded, then pulled armor and his trusty axe from his inventory. It was on him just in time. A flashing window appeared in the corner of his vision. It counted down from thirty. ¡°Ten seconds. Everyone get ready!¡± As if that was the signal, they heard squealing, grunting, roaring, and all manner of animal and monster noises suddenly explode from the surrounding forest. The tension amped up. Adam could feel the adrenaline crash into his veins. 3 2 1 Event start: Settlement Obelisk Upgrade Objective: Survive the day. 3/24 hours completed. A veritable tidal wave of monsters slammed into the walls. The noise was incredible. The fighters on the wall attacked with spears, potions, arrows, and axes. Anything with enough reach to put creatures down. The first wave died quickly; a hundred corpses hit the walls. A shout went out. ¡°They¡¯re level ten!¡± The news spread quickly all through the fort. Kyra heard, and started to pray to Caitr¨ªn for power and the will to get through the night. Another wave came, and they were put down. A third. A fourth. Ten minutes passed, and every person on the wall had leveled at least once. The bodies were building at an alarming pace. The sixth wave had the first major injury for the settlers. A monkey-badger hybrid sprang off the pile of corpses and sank its teeth into the shoulder of an axe-wielding settler. The woman screamed, despite increased stats and a fresh level up. Her blood sprayed across the nearest fighters. ¡°Medic!¡± The woman was pulled by two large men, while a third ripped the monkey-badger from her and stomped it to death. He then took her place. She was carried by the two men to the medical tent. Kyra took the woman and immediately started casting a light heal. The two men ran back to the walls, looking for more wounded. It only took another thirty seconds for the next one. Within five minutes, half a dozen more were in the medical tent. Raven sprinted from one open spot to the next, using her trap ability constantly. Her trap skill leveled twice in the first ten minutes. Half the time it sprang before hitting the ground. She tossed another one, eyeing a terrible snake-horse hybrid, when the world disappeared from her perception. ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you something interesting. Not a single combat strike thrown, and yet, you have almost seventy kills already.¡± She looked around, but she wasn¡¯t even sure she had eyes. The darkness was so complete, it was impossible to tell. Then a spotlight shone brightly in the abyss. It highlighted a man sitting in a comfortable looking arm chair. She had her legs crossed, a large cigar sticking out of one side of her mouth, bubbles drifting lazily upward. His red hair was long, curly, and shined like gold under the brilliant light. ¡°Who¡­ what are you?¡± ¡°Oh, what an impertinent question. I like that.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t answer my question.¡± She smiled. ¡°I am Eligu. I have decided to become your patron. Keep up the good work.¡± Raven blinked and she was back on the wall, but her trap had changed. Even as it left her hands, it grew, then appeared to glitter. It burst, or more like it splintered, and six traps large enough to stop a bear cold fell on the crowd of animals. Each one took on a sinister light, glowing different colors. Then they went off. One exploded in a wave of cold, freezing a dozen monsters in place. Another let out a ring of fire. The third had lightning arc out. Number four pulsed with hardened razors of air, the fifth sent out spikes made from rock, and the final trap exploded in rainbow confetti. Each brilliant metallic piece that landed on an animal caused boils, lesions, pustules, and rot. Ability: Trap III evolved to Eligu¡¯s Surprise I Trigger a hundred different effects to level it up. She smiled, then ran to the next spot. Liz stood on the far side of the fort, loosing arrow after arrow. She refined her skill, improving the speed, and leveling it up three times in the first hour. Adam kept an ear out for what the fighters on the walls were saying. The onslaught refused to let up, and by the time the first hour was out, the animals had built ramps out of the corpses. The air stank of death. He noticed the bodies building and ran to the alchemists. ¡°Hey, can any of you make something to dissolve bodies?¡± Six people looked up, haggard expressions showing how much pressure they were under. Ingredients were scattered haphazardly, bottles all over the work tables and floor. Kyra had been right about the fumes, too. It smelled like ten different kinds of cleaning solution had been spilled in enough quantities to make his nose burn. ¡°Uh, yeah,¡± said one pimply man. He was near six feet tall, had tusks and green skin, but otherwise looked like a gangly teen after an all-night bender. ¡°I have a potion of corrosion that I think I can make into a throwable.¡± Adam nodded and pointed at the kid. ¡°Make as many as you can. Everyone else, back to it. How long will it take?¡± The orc looked up at the tent ceiling for a moment like the answer was written on the canvas. ¡°Uh, maybe a minute?¡± ¡°Well, get to it!¡± The teen jumped at his barked order, spun around, emptied his cauldron, and started feverishly putting ingredients together. Just over a minute later, he blindly held a bottle out with a glowing black-and-green potion swirling inside. ¡°Just throw it. Don¡¯t let this stuff touch anything you want to keep.¡± Adam paused. ¡°How bad?¡± ¡°Like having your face melted off. And it won¡¯t come back with regular potions.¡± Adam looked at the thin glass vial he held in his hand with sudden concern. ¡°Got it, don¡¯t crush the deadly acid.¡± With that, he ran to where the pile of corpses was the highest. ¡°Make way!¡± The fighters turned, saw him sprinting at them with the vile concoction in hand, and made a hole. He threw the vial as hard as he could and watched as the bottle shattered, spreading its contents for ten feet. The bodies started to emit a foul black smoke, rotting away to bones in a matter of seconds. Then the bones melted to goo. Somehow, the stench was even worse than that of the mound of corpses. It hadn¡¯t melted enough bodies, not yet, but it was a significant start. ¡°We need more of that,¡± Liz said to Adam. She shot an arrow at a flying squirrel with oversized fangs, sending it careening into the darkness. ¡°And a serious talk with whoever made it.¡± Adam nodded, then ran back to the alchemy tent. He had work to do. They all did. Chapter 48: Future ¡°I have reviewed all the footage available to me since the system was established.¡± I felt like I should have been horrendously hungover. I remembered black ooze coming from my pores, my nose, mouth, ears, even my eyes. I had been covered in the oily substance, sitting- well, laying in it. My clothes had been ruined. I cracked an eye open. Nothing hurt. That alone caught me by surprise. ¡°How do you feel, young master?¡± I sat upright and shook my head. ¡°Don¡¯t call me that. I don¡¯t like that title.¡± ¡°Very well. Mister Blackwood, you have ranked up. How are you feeling?¡± I felt¡­ good. Really, really good. Better than I had the first time I leveled up. Granted, that had been just minutes after my death, so a bit of a rocky start there. This was different. My skin felt healthy without being oily. My hair was soft. My muscles felt¡­ strong. Stronger than they had been before the level up. Stronger, even than the extra stats warranted. I stood and stretched, and was shocked when nothing popped. ¡°What the¡­?¡± Anubis smiled from where he sat, and that caught my attention. With my newly enhanced vision, I could see his skin was completely flawless. ¡°Yes, you are starting to grasp what a rank up means.¡± I nodded while looking at my hands. The texture was so easy to make out, yet looked smoother than I had ever remembered my skin being. ¡°More than just a quantitative jump, then.¡± I could hear the smirk in Anubis¡¯ voice when he answered. ¡°Quite so. You have taken the first step, though a small one, to joining the greater cosmos. Now, about what I said before.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± I interrupted. Anubis quirked an eyebrow, but otherwise did not respond. ¡°You were talking about reviewing footage of me. There was something before that, though. You were muttering to yourself. Something about¡­ threads? Am I remembering that right?¡± I looked up at his face, and just as I did, I swear his eyebrows had been trying to climb off his face. But I blinked, and it was back to that mask of neutral pleasantness. ¡°Perhaps you were dreaming while undergoing the rank up. It would not be the first time I had heard of that, though it is rare.¡± I snorted. ¡°Buddy, rare things seem to happen around me with startling regularity.¡± He smiled again, though this was the practiced, public-persona smile, all plastic and shiny. ¡°So it seems. I reviewed the footage, and you have had a hand guiding you along your rather¡­ tumultuous journey.¡± I huffed air. ¡°You could say that.¡± ¡°I did. What I find interesting, however, is how often you willingly enter seemingly impossible situations, only for you to waltz out like it was a breeze.¡± I shrugged. ¡°I dunno.¡± Anubis shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think you understand. Your friend, Basil? He¡¯s a prime example of a slow-growth adventurer. His kind live inordinately long lives, but proportionally, he¡¯s around average in his growth through the levels.¡± ¡°A hundred years a level?¡± I scoffed. ¡°Right.¡± ¡°Yes, for a species that lives thousands of years with only a little effort. That¡¯s before they rank up.¡± I opened my mouth, thought better of what I was going to say, then shut it again. ¡°Yes, now you are starting to see. You took Basil in, which you did not need to do, and you forced him to grow three levels in a day. That isn¡¯t just unheard of in the Undead Empire, at least, without significant resources. That¡¯s an impossibility. That is the sort of growth royals might enjoy, if there is a weak enough world on one of their front lines.¡± ¡°Okay, so I¡¯ve been a good influence on my weird undead friend.¡± Now Anubis snorted. The very act caught me by surprise, with how buttoned-down he appeared to be. ¡°A good influence.¡± He shook his head as if he enjoyed a joke only he knew. ¡°You just ranked up. You are the first of your kind to do so. You are three weeks into your three month tutorial, which, impossibly, you are not part of.¡± ¡°Well, there was a necromancer,¡± I started to explain. Anubis waved my explanation off. ¡°I am aware of the exploit that was used. That branch of the Undead Empire has already been pruned for sanctioning an exploit. It was only a few million, but the point has been made to them.¡± I blinked at him. Was he saying several million zombies were killed, all because the house party I was at was gate-crashed by an over-enthusiastic necromancer? ¡°And then you made your way into this dungeon, well before it was ready. That was the second day in the System. Not a single human had escaped their tutorial room yet. Despite that, you walked in the front doors of a dungeon. And then you beat the first level in a day. Would you like to know how long the average adventurer is projected to take to speedrun the boss?¡± I shook my head. ¡°I don¡¯t know, how long?¡± ¡°Three days. If they come in prepared, with potions and elixers on hand, and a blessing of luck. It¡¯s been nearly three weeks since you last saw your friend. Aren¡¯t you concerned about him?¡± It finally clicked in my head. ¡°Oh, holy shit. Basil. It¡¯s been three weeks? Seriously?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The grave finality of the angel¡¯s tone told me everything he thought of my thoughtlessness.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°Is he okay?¡± The gathering storm of negative energy was wiped away in a second. ¡°Of course. Would you like to see?¡± I nodded, and Anubis made a little square with his hands. He expanded it, and a window flickered into existence with video showing Basil sitting at a slot machine. ¡°Woah, he¡¯s still on the first floor?¡± ¡°He is. And he discovered a hidden quest.¡± He paused for a moment while his eyes flicked around, seemingly looking at information on the screen that I couldn¡¯t see. ¡°Yes, it seems he is on the verge of completing it. He¡¯s a fine young man, very diligent. A hard worker, as you would say.¡± I shook my head. ¡°He¡¯s playing a slot machine. How does that make him a hard worker?¡± Anubis grinned. ¡°He¡¯s playing his one-hundred-thirty-eighth machine. Of one-fifty. It¡¯s taken him weeks. Even he is not aware of the time spent in each dive. But he will walk out of that floor a millionaire, even if he loses to the boss.¡± ¡°Good on you, Basil,¡± I said with a whistle. Anubis¡¯ eyes snapped to my mouth as he looked at me for a moment, and it looked to me like he was going to ask a question, then the moment was gone. ¡°That title, should he never meet up with you again, never fall into your influence again, will be enough to catapult him into the lower echelons of high society in the Undead Empire.¡± ¡°Are titles that important?¡± This time, the laugh that erupted from Anubis was a loud bark, more like a sharp yip from a dog the size of a horse. He wiped a single tear from his eye before speaking. ¡°I brought it up, and still I forget that you did not go through the tutorial. That will put you at a significant disadvantage against the rest of your populace. They will understand the framework that you now operate under.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lot of words to call me ignorant.¡± I crossed my arms. ¡°Forgive me, you are right. To answer your question: yes, titles are immensely important. He will get not one, but two. One for finding and completing the hidden quest, and the other for being the first to do so.¡± I shook my head. ¡°I already got that one.¡± Anubis¡¯ eyes locked onto me, and I felt a surge of adrenaline as his gaze was like a particularly vicious predator sizing me up. ¡°Explain.¡± I shrugged. ¡°I got Sleuth and Investigator a while ago. Got it for befriending the guys on floor ninety-nine.¡± Anubis put a hand to his face and held it there for a long moment before wiping downward, making his already long face much longer. It was almost enough to make me laugh. Almost. I didn¡¯t want to find out if his teeth were as sharp as they looked. ¡°Of course you did.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s why I was wondering if the titles were really that important. It feels like half the things I do get me a title, these days.¡± Anubis set his gaze on me again. ¡°Explain.¡± ¡°I have¡­¡± I paused, pulled up my sheet, and checked it over. Name: Alabaster Blackwood Race: Half-dead Human-Zombie Faction: Blackwood Company Job: Half-dead Age: 20 Renown level: Unknown Renown: 1270 Level: 10 XP: 1/150 HP: 3700/3700 HP regen per second: 1.85 MP: 880/880 MP regen per second: 0.44 Stamina: 1700/1700 Stamina regen: 0.85 Strength: 190* Agility: 85* Constitution: 185* Wisdom: 44* Intelligence: 56* Charisma: 47* Luck: 46* Free points: 4 Titles: Centurion, Delver (100), Investigator, Noble II, Pacifist, Primal Rebirth, Prime, Prime Realtor, Primordial, Reborn, Royalty, Sleuth, Star-born: Dragon, Titanic Skills: Unarmed Combat Abilities: Earthen Bulwark I Spells: None Notes: English, Zombie Common Chakras: Crown: Locked. Third Eye: Locked. Throat: Locked. Heart: Locked. Solar Plexus: Locked. Sacral: Locked. Root: Unlocked. 1 of 3 assigned: Earthen Bulwark I. ¡°Fourteen.¡± If I had thought his eyes were big before, that made him look positively cartoonish. ¡°Fourteen? At level ten? What kind of mon¨C¡± he stood, hands on his head, taking a step away, then another. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± He looked at the sky and started shouting. ¡°I WOULD BE BETTER OFF¨C¡± The scene froze. The wind through the trees died. There had been no animals making sounds, not that I heard. But the silence became so loud, it hurt. His form fuzzed, then blinked like an old signal on a TV. Red, green, and blue interspersed with static flashed like a filter over him, though I was positive he had been with me, in person. ¡°Uh, hello?¡± I stood, walked around the still open video of Basil sitting at his slot machine. The lights were still revolving, still glittering away in the video. ¡°Anubis? Hello?¡± I took a step closer. I could feel something in the air. His legs were long, and the three steps he had taken had added something like twelve feet between us. My steps were a lot shorter, but at ten feet away, I could feel a charge. My hair stood out, like when I put my arms too close to my grandparent¡¯s old TV. It was static electricity, and a hell of a lot of it. Despite it clearly being a stupidly dangerous idea, I took another step closer. The charge built even higher. At just over six feet away, I couldn¡¯t approach any closer. It felt like there was an actual wall in front of me. I put my hands out and felt like I couldn¡¯t even turn. The pressure on my front was incredible. ¡°Anubis?¡± I took a step back, then another. Finally, I felt the static charge lessen, and all at once, it disappeared. The shimmering effect disappeared from around him and he turned to appraise me. ¡°Forgive the interruption, Mister Blackwood.¡± ¡°Uh, no worries,¡± I said. He waved to where we had been sitting and led us back. Once we were seated, he spoke again. ¡°I have been¡­ cautioned. That is as much as I can tell you. However, I am told I should extend congratulations for your success thus far. Which brings me back to the original point, before we devolved into a never-ending rabbithole of knowledge you are lacking.¡± I nodded. He sat up straighter, adjusted his already perfect tie, and went on speaking. ¡°You have been flippant, ignorant, and downright stupid. You have the greatest opportunity of this world. Possibly that has ever existed. And you are squandering it.¡± My mouth fell open in shock. ¡°I am not!¡± ¡°You are acting as if you are owed everything you are getting.¡± ¡°I am not!¡± I repeated myself, feeling a flush climb from my chest up my neck to my cheeks. ¡°I¡¯m not being entitled. I don¡¯t know why things keep happening in my favor. I was lucky before the system, sure, but nothing like this.¡± Anubis shook his head. ¡°You are beyond lucky. The highest I have ever heard of was eleven. What is yours?¡± ¡°Uh, forty-six.¡± I saw a flash of anger run through him, so weirdly recognizable despite being so alien. ¡°That is what I am talking about. Most people, with all their titles, get maybe eight-to-ten extra from their titles. And that is when they are high level and high rank. You have the highest luck ever recorded.¡± ¡°Okay, so?¡± ¡°It is going to grow higher. You need to understand that. Not just understand. You need to leverage it. Make it work for you. And you need to stop acting like this is all a game. This is your life now. Make the most of it you can.¡± He stood, an action so stiff and full of bearing, I found myself standing with him. ¡°You are to move on. I believe the next floor that is open to you is one-forty-one. That will be an interesting one. Good luck, Mister Blackwood.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± I started, but I blinked while saying it, and I found myself standing in front of a dingy, beaten elevator. It dinged and creaked open. This was a far-cry from the opulence I had seen before. This looked like where all the freight and dead bodies were hauled. I swallowed, looked around, and realized I was already in the elevator with the doors closing. I just saw Anubis standing in the darkness beyond the doors, and then they were closed. I had no idea what was going on. Chapter 49: Camouflage ¡°We need relief on the west wall!¡± Liz¡¯s shout carried over the tumult. The sheer numbers of the early morning were gone, replaced with slow, strong enemies. The latest was a cross between a gorilla and an armadillo, complete with leathery armor plates covering nearly the entire body. The only thing that had kept the much deadlier creatures from overrunning their waning defenses was their incredible lack of intelligence. They reacted slowly, didn¡¯t plan at all, and generally seemed like they were created specifically to be a wall of flesh. ¡°You heard the lady, up on the wall! We¡¯re already halfway through the day!¡± Adam worked to ferry new weapons and ammo around. The crafters were on a half-hour rotation system now. Every half hour, one person stopped working and their relief took over. That had extended how long each of the six could work non-stop. That was working well, though with almost ten hours left in the day, he had no idea if it would hold up. Kyra was a different issue entirely. She was manic from exhaustion. There was one other ¡®healer¡¯, if they could be called that. While Kyra had her divine-blessed lay on hands ability, there was an old woman who had an ability that, when boiled down, staunched bleeding. While it didn¡¯t sound wildly useful in general, during their ongoing war it was a life saver, literally. The old woman worked in triage, figuring out who could be patched up with her ability, and who needed to see Kyra immediately. Her strong, yet old voice was thick with a northern English accent. ¡°Another one coming in, Priestess.¡± That was another thing that they had stopped fighting. With the way Kyra glowed with golden light every time she healed, the soldiers had started calling her priestess. It had got to the point where Kyra was offered a job change, and she had wearily but gratefully accepted. The new job worked retroactively, granting her additional wisdom, and further boosting her healing. It had also come with two new skills: Caitr¨ªn¡¯s Waters, a skill to refresh Kyra and anybody in a three meter radius that was friendly to her, and Lesser Regeneration, a long heal-over-time. She rotated between all three. Her mana was constantly dangerously low, risking activating her Life to Mana skill. ¡°Thank you, Greta.¡± Kyra brushed a sweat-soaked lock of hair out of her face. ¡°Adam, do you need something?¡± ¡°No, but you need to take a break.¡± ¡°Tell our soldiers to stop getting wounded, and I will.¡± He shook his head. ¡°We¡¯re at the closest thing we¡¯ve had to a lull since this all started. Take fifteen minutes.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t, there are too many wounded.¡± ¡°No, Priestess, there aren¡¯t.¡± Kyra looked at Greta, startled. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve set everyone to healing. None have come from the walls in the last few minutes.¡± Adam shook his head and started out of the tent. ¡°Kyra, get some rest. You need it. I have a bad feeling. I¡¯m going to go check on the wall.¡± Kyra opened her mouth to argue, when Greta put a surprisingly strong hand on her arm. ¡°No, love. Just have a seat.¡± She guided the young woman to a makeshift cot. ¡°You can take a breather. Old Greta has it covered for you.¡± Kyra nodded, but the exhaustion was so deep, she was asleep before she could lift her head. Greta gently laid the exhausted healer down, then started checking on the remaining patients. Most of the ones still in the tent were mind-shocked more than physically affected. Adam looked at the walls, noting that nobody appeared to be in combat. He scanned for either pink hair or stark white. They were nowhere to be seen. Until he spun in place and found them standing near the gates, visibly arguing with an unknown man. He jogged over. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°These women,¡± the guy said with a sneer. ¡°They won¡¯t let me leave.¡± ¡°If we open the gates, that¡¯ll start a rush that we probably won¡¯t be able to stop. It could kill everyone,¡± Liz said with anger biting around the edges of her words. ¡°There¡¯s nothing out there!¡± ¡°Which is why we are so concerned,¡± Raven said. ¡°Oh, I see how it is. Because you two are shacking up¨C¡± ¡°Choose your next words very carefully,¡± Adam said. He didn¡¯t step in the way, nor did he try to shield his friends. He knew they could handle themselves. Better than the angry level four that was trying to intimidate them. ¡°Or what, you¡¯ll hit me?¡± Adam laughed, catching everyone off guard. ¡°Hit you? No. I just won¡¯t stop them.¡±The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Yeah, like these girls can do anything.¡± Adam cleared his throat, stopping the braggart. ¡°Pay attention bud.¡± The guy shook his head. ¡°Nah, I don¡¯t need to listen to you assholes. Open the gate, I¡¯m leaving.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Liz looked at him, fists clenched so tightly Adam could hear her gloves creaking. ¡°Because I didn¡¯t sign up for this shit. I didn¡¯t survive out there,¡± he said with a nod at the wall, ¡°to take orders from some uppity¨C¡± Liz took one smooth step in and grabbed the man by his collar. The man smirked like he had been waiting for her to make a move, but the smirk disappeared a split second later when she grabbed his belt. She planted one foot, spun in place, and threw the man thirty feet, over the wall and into the clearing beyond. He screamed as he flew, high, loud, and very frightened. ¡°Fragile masculine bullshit,¡± she said as she dusted her hands off. ¡°We¡¯re better off without people like him anyway.¡± Adam shook his head. ¡°We really shouldn¡¯t be throwing people like that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to sue you!¡± ¡°He¡¯s obviously fine,¡± she said. Adam hung his head, shaking it. The idiot was still ranting about pre-system actions. It obviously hadn¡¯t set in yet that the old world was dead and gone. They had no idea where they were on Earth, or if they even were on Earth at all anymore. ¡°I¡¯m gonna fuck you up!¡± Liz growled, stomping toward the battlement. A dozen people watched her approach and scattered out of her way. Raven trailed behind, all concern. Adam followed as well, but he found himself wondering if he would step in should Liz go too far. He didn¡¯t want to order her around, not when she was just coming into her own. But he also didn¡¯t want her killing citizens, prospective or otherwise. ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± ¡°Oh my god, he¡¯s one of those kind,¡± Raven said with a glance at Adam. ¡°I am Richard Blake Wellard the Third!¡± ¡°Oh, for fu¨C¡± Liz cut herself off with another growl. It came from deep in her chest, and with her increased stats, most of the people around her could literally feel the vibrations from up to five feet away. ¡°Listen here, blowhard!¡± ¡°Blowhard?!¡± Richard¡¯s voice rose to a screech. ¡°When we get back to New York¨C¡± Liz pulled an arrow from her quiver, nocked it, drew back to her cheek, sighted, and loosed in less than a second. The arrow passed between his legs and opened a very shallow cut on his thigh. He stopped moving, staring down at his leg in disbelief. ¡°These slacks cost a thousand bucks!¡± Liz drew another arrow to her cheek, looking down the shaft and aligning with his chest. Adam stepped up next to her, but resisted the urge to put a hand on her arm or weapon. ¡°Liz, he¡¯s a nobody.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a danger to our settlement.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to sue you back to the stoneage!¡± The idiot was standing in the clearing, scuffed, dirty, covered in sticks and leaves. Blood dribbled from a cut on his forehead, as well as his leg. He was stomping, screaming, waving his hands. Bizarrely, he was still wearing his suit, though it had obviously seen better days. Adam wondered if the man had been wearing it for the entire three weeks. ¡°Hey, moron,¡± Adam said. That cut the man short, though his face went a shade of red usually reserved for vegetables. ¡°We¡¯re in the stoneage now, in case you didn¡¯t catch that.¡± ¡°I will kill you! I¡¯m going to burn your village, salt the earth, and piss on your ashes!¡± Richard had both fists raised to the sky as he swore vengeance. He was completely unprepared for what happened next. Liz squinted, then adjusted her aim and let the shot go. Raven gasped. Adam¡¯s eyes widened when he realized she had actually taken the shot. Everything seemed to move in slow motion. All three watched as the arrow wobbled in flight. Their enhanced perception almost made it trivial. The blowhard had yet to even realize his death was approaching. He jumped again, screaming in rage. Adam saw a smirk spread on Liz¡¯s face like a blooming sunflower. The broadhead arrow streaked in, and Adam thought for sure it was either going to hit the man in the eye or the throat, but it was hard to tell with how much the idiot was moving around. Then it struck. The arrowhead cut a groove across the man¡¯s left cheek, taking his ear clean off, and slamming into something just behind him. It died on impact, but that didn¡¯t stop its momentum. It slammed into the back of the man, bowling him over. ¡°Contact!¡± Adam¡¯s jaw dropped. Now that he was looking, he could see dozens of shapes in the grass. They looked like a cross between a thirty-foot-long anaconda and a chameleon. It had no legs, scales that shimmered and shifted in the light, and a long, diamond shaped head. The natural camouflage explained why nobody had spotted them. His respect for Liz went up another notch. ¡°Get back in here, dumbass!¡± Liz roared at the man, letting four more arrows fly. Every shot killed one of the snakes. Instead of listening to her, Richard Blake Wellard the Third grabbed at the side of his profusely bleeding head, screaming in pain and rage. He flipped Liz off from his prone position. Liz watched impartially as one of the nearby lizards coiled, then sprang at the man. His screaming was cut short by eight-hundred-pounds of angry lizard smashing him into the ground. ¡°Good riddance,¡± Liz said. She sighted down another arrow and let it loose. The arrow multiplied in flight, striking six lizards down. Raven threw out Eligu¡¯s Surprise, her multiplying trap, and that exploded into nine different traps with a wild range of effects. One of the lizards exploded into butterflies that scattered and flew away. Another turned into a living inferno that lost its shape a second later, falling as regular fire on the ground. With no fuel to feed it, the fires guttered and went out in the mud. A third turned into a crystal statue that shattered from internal stress when its momentum carried it into the wall of the fort. ¡°Your abilities are so cool, but so gruesome,¡± Adam said. He watched the last arrow land and simply cause the serpent to explode into little gibbets. ¡°Absolutely disgusting.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Liz said with a shake of her head. ¡°I really hope after the tutorial, I never have to use it again.¡± Raven bumped her hip. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t it¡¯s pretty cool. And you¡¯re basically keeping this entire side safe by yourself.¡± Liz looked at Raven and smiled. ¡°Thanks, babe.¡± ¡°Ooh,¡± Adam said with a smile. ¡°She called you babe!¡± Raven blushed, then did a twirl with one finger in her hair. ¡°I know!¡± ¡°Get back to work, you trolls,¡± Liz said with an eye roll. ¡°I¡¯ll need more arrows soon.¡± Adam saluted with his left hand in a lazy imitation of the french. ¡°Oui, oui, madame.¡± Liz swatted at him, which he dodged with a laugh. He left them to start running around again. The fighting was ramping back up, with the snakes attempting to slither up and over the walls. Luckily, they were relatively weak. It seemed the camouflage was their primary way of staying safe, since their skin did little to stop blades. ¡°We¡¯re going to be fine,¡± Adam said with a sigh. A roar shook the world. ¡°Why did I have to open my mouth?¡± Chapter 50: DDDDD Lights, smoke, some sort of nauseating aroma. That¡¯s what hit me first when the doors slid open. The crash and clatter of an active, large scale kitchen settled around me. I heard a man shouting from somewhere on the other side of the rows of appliances. Each had shelving holding pots, pans, tools, spices, all manner of kitchen¡­ kitsch. People were rushing around. Steam came pouring from one pot, while one blue-skinned androgynous humanoid skillfully flipped something that caught on fire mid-flip. It was impressive, all the more for his lack of reaction. ¡°Hurry up, the customer is waiting! Where is that prime rib? Table 32 is getting impatient.¡± The man¡¯s voice carried through the cacophony of the kitchen like a knife, calm yet in charge. I had heard drill sergeants with less presence than this man. I was curious what he would look like. I continued walking past row after row of busy kitchen bays. With that much control and patience, I wondered if he would be more like the golem I had seen on the first floor. Or, perhaps, he would be a willowy alien with hair stalks like ferns. That image stuck in my head as I made it to the front of the kitchen. It was beyond massive, like something that would be used, along with a few others, for a stadium. ¡°That roux is not ready, put a bit more of the juices in,¡± the man said. I couldn¡¯t see him, not yet, but I saw the chef nod quickly and immediately ladle liquid from one pot into another. ¡°Yes, chef!¡± I walked around the last bay to find¡­ a normal man. He was slight, with jet-black hair in a horseshoe around his tanned head. Sharp brown eyes, clean shaven¡­ he was an old Chinese man if I had ever seen one. But that made no sense, since all humans, at least, not including me, were in the tutorial. That thought made me stop short. I wasn¡¯t human anymore. I knew this, but it was so easy to forget. Especially since my heart beat most of the time. I could feel it, thumping away at thirty or forty beats per minute. ¡°You! What are you doing in my kitchen?¡± I was snapped out of my reverie by the old man. He was staring at me with one eye squinted nearly shut. ¡°Are you dumb?¡± I shook my head. ¡°Then say something!¡± ¡°Uh, how are you here?¡± ¡°That is my question to you!¡± He shook his head while muttering to himself in a language I did not know. It could have been Mandarin, but I hadn¡¯t ever heard enough to be certain. ¡°I¡¯m lost¡­ I think. I mean, I know I¡¯m in the Silver Spire, but I have no idea where, or what floor.¡± He stood, which did not make him taller. That actually brought him to eye level with my collarbone. Not the shortest man I¡¯d ever dealt with, but it was better than the short person I had tangled with a year or so back. That guy had the meanest temper ever, and at three feet tall, he had one option when he felt like being a bully. He had punched me in the dick. Not once, not twice, but three times. But when I fight back and kick him, I¡¯m somehow the asshole. So ridiculous. ¡°You are in my kitchen, that is where you are.¡± ¡°That tells me nothing.¡± I took a step back, phantom pain making my balls ache. ¡°Boss, I need to go,¡± a young man said as he rounded the corner. That broke the tension, at least, for the moment. ¡°B¡¯tessu is giving birth!¡± The old man turned, with hands behind his back and nodded. ¡°Of course, young Argryll. We are family here. I will have your shift covered,¡± he said as he shot me a glance. ¡°Give my best to B¡¯tessu. Have you chosen a name?¡± The young man, whom I could see was actually a grayish-mustard color, hurriedly stripped his apron off and grabbed a coat. The apron was flung toward a hook some six feet away, yet it landed so neatly it looked like he had walked over and placed it. ¡°Not yet, boss.¡± ¡°Please, I¡¯ve told you time and again to call me Don when you are not on the clock.¡± ¡°Yes, Don.¡± Another employee rushed in, even as Argryll left. ¡°Chef, the Mayor is here, and he¡¯s requesting your special!¡± Don muttered under his breath again, nodding as he moved. He gave me a gentle shove, though I stumbled a step when he succeeded in moving me. I was not expecting that level of strength from the little man. ¡°Did he say what protein?¡± ¡°No, Chef. He said ¡®bring me the Chef special, same as last time,¡¯ just like that.¡± ¡°Ai-yah. You, new kid. Go get the noodles, chicken, eggs, green onion, mushroom, and jalapeno.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. I spun in place, but the server had already left, and Don was hurrying toward a nearby range with a massive steaming pot on it. The pot had to be almost two-hundred quarts. It was easily two feet tall and two across. He walked up a small set of stairs positioned there, seemingly explicitly for him. He began stirring, smelling the steam as it started to bubble. ¡°What are you waiting for? An invitation? Fine, you are invited to get the ingredients I already told you to get!¡± He pulled the ladle out and took a sip of the surely scalding liquid. He grimaced and shook his head, then looked at me again. ¡°Go!¡± He brandished the ladle like a weapon, pointing at me like he was going to jump off and start swinging it like a fencing foil. While the mental image was humorous, the murderous glare coming from the old man was not. I started to ask him where to go when he beat me to it. ¡°Go that way. It¡¯s about fifty yards. Chicken, eggs, noodles, green onion, mushroom, pepper. Hurry up.¡± I jumped a bit and ran in the direction he had pointed with the ladle. Sure enough, I found a large stainless steel door about fifty yards away, and inside was a large refrigerator. It was one of the largest I had ever seen, being roughly a hundred feet deep and thirty wide. Shelves went clear to the ten-foot ceiling, and the aisles were just wide enough for two people to pass shoulder-to-shoulder. The veggies were easy to find, right at the front. However, the proteins looked to be deeper inside. ¡°Why am I doing this?¡± I shook my head and kept searching for the eggs. I found them about halfway down the hundred-foot aisle. My arms were nearly full, though it was easy enough to carry the noodles. He hadn¡¯t mentioned how much he needed of anything, so I was grabbing by the case. A dozen eggs, three bunches of green onions, a plastic one-pound bowl of brown mushrooms, three large jalapenos, and I was going to take¡­ well, however much chicken he needed. It occurred to me that he hadn¡¯t mentioned what kind of chicken I needed to grab. It seemed like he was making some sort of noodle soup dish. A ramen or something. I guessed the massive stock pot was the bone broth. At the end of the fridge, I saw what had to be the most impressive collection of meats outside of an exotic butcher shop. Each bin was labeled. I could see chicken, beef, alligator, kangaroo, snake, a dozen different kinds of fish. That was what I could recognize. There were another two or three dozen bins labeled in some symbolic system I couldn¡¯t even begin to decipher. I took a long moment to appreciate the well-laid-out fridge, then grabbed a parchment paper and filled it with two chicken breasts, four thighs, and even a few wings. Didn¡¯t know what he needed or wanted, but that was on him. I returned quickly, arms full of goods. ¡°Where are the noodles?¡± I shrugged, nearly losing everything. I put it down on the stainless steel table next to his range before doing anything else. ¡°You never told me. You¡¯re lucky I found all this.¡± ¡°Not lucky. I told you where to find. Noodles you make. Did you get the dough?¡± I shook my head. ¡°You have ready-made dough?¡± ¡°Yes, in fridge. Near entry. Go, get. Use noodle machine over there. Return when they are ready.¡± ¡°Uh, okay.¡± This whole thing was striking me like a fetch quest in a terrible MMO. Still, it was better than fighting a hundred guys with knives. Especially without any weapons of my own. I jogged to the fridge, grabbed a five pound container of dough, and returned ot the noodle machine he pointed me to. I put about half the dough through the machine, dropping it into a handy pot of boiling water. Once they looked done, I pulled them with one of those fancy pasta ladles with the teeth. It only took about five minutes from start to finish. Once it was complete, I took a bowl of noodles to the old man. ¡°Acceptable, barely.¡± He took the noodles, portioned out two bowls, paused, then made a third. He sliced the chicken breast so thin I could just about see through it, quartered the mushrooms, cut the jalapenos into medallions, and layered the bowl so nicely it looked straight out of a photo shoot. Then he ladled steaming broth over the bowls. It smelled absolutely divine. ¡°You, come here.¡± I nodded and walked over, wondering just what he had in mind. ¡°This my signature Dan Dan noodle dish. You have this one. I take these out to customer. We talk when I back.¡± With that, the old man took the other two bowls and walked out of the kitchen. I went to pick up the bowl and it scalded the shit out of my hands! ¡°Yow! What the hell are his hands made of? Asbestos?¡± I left the bowl there and went to find something to eat with. All I could find was a pair of admittedly very nice chopsticks. I shrugged, hoping I could remember how to use them, and returned to the bowl. I tried the noodles first. They were¡­ noodles. I didn¡¯t know what I expected. But just the bit of broth I slurped up with them was incredible. It seemed the Silver Spire really was working to be the best entertainment and eating in town. They were succeeding as far as I could tell. Even if it had only been a minute or two, the flavors were superb. I savored the meal while I waited for the old man. He returned after five minutes shaking his head. ¡°That man always want something. Now, you, what you think?¡± I finished my bite and nodded. ¡°This is the best noodle dish I¡¯ve ever had.¡± ¡°This my famous Dan Dan dish.¡± That¡¯s when it finally clicked. ¡°That¡¯s what it¡¯s called? Dan dan?¡± The old man nodded. ¡°And your name is Don?¡± He looked at me, then nodded hesitantly. ¡°And you own this restaurant?¡± Again, a nod. ¡°And your employees are like family?¡± ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°And people come to you for favors.¡± The old man smiled wide, with his arms out like a shrug. ¡°This is how it is.¡± ¡°Then could it be argued that you are the leader of a family, perhaps one with not-so-legal sources of funding?¡± Don shook his hand. ¡°Eh, perhaps.¡± ¡°Which would make you the Don.¡± He nodded again, grin growing a little wider. He did a little wave with his hands to encourage me to continue. ¡°Could it be said, then, that your noodles, the Dan Dan, are a signal as much as anything?¡± ¡°It could be.¡± I clapped my hands together. ¡°Then I know who and what you are.¡± ¡°Please, enlighten me.¡± ¡°You are Don Don, the Dan Dan Don.¡± Hidden Quest achieved: Discover the old man¡¯s true identity! Rewards: 10 renown, 100xp, unknown. ¡°Well, young man,¡± he said as he stood upright for the first time. There was a dangerous aura around him now, and a more dangerous gleam in his eye. ¡°What will you do now?¡± As if to punctuate his statement, words burst into my view. DON DON, THE DAN DAN DON HP: ???/??? Level: 20 Chapter 51: Monsters Every one of the snake-chameleon creatures fled at the sound of the roar. It came from somewhere far deeper into the forest, though none of them could pinpoint the actual distance. Adam looked at Liz, who was staring down at the ground outside the fort. He ran back up beside her, concerned about the oncoming threat, and wondering just what would hold her attention. He quickly understood. The man from before lay in the mud, and at first glance, he appeared dead. It was an easy assumption to make; every limb bent the wrong way, all four had exposed bones, and he could see the man¡¯s intestines where they had ruptured from his belly. It was impossible to blood from mud with how thoroughly mashed into the earth the man was. The only reason they knew he was still alive was the occasional blood bubble oozing from the man¡¯s nose, which would pop a moment later. ¡°Adam, I don¡¯t know what to do.¡± The rage was gone. She stared helplessly at the man. He should have been long dead already. ¡°Can we bring him back in?¡± She looked behind them at the gates, which were still barred. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°¨Cme.¡± Both were caught off guard. It was as quiet as a whisper on the wind, and that¡¯s all it really was. But it came again, a moment later. ¡°Kill¡­ me.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Adam shouted down. There was no reaction. ¡°What was his name again? Uh¡­¡± ¡°Hey Dick,¡± Liz shouted down. ¡°We might be able to save you!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call him a dick, he¡¯s dying down there!¡± Liz shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s his name: Richard, or Dick. Never understood that one.¡± The name popped back in Adam¡¯s head. ¡°Dick Wellard? Holy shit, his parents must have hated him to name him like that.¡± ¡°No kidding.¡± She shouted down to Dick again. ¡°We might be able to, if you can hold on!¡± He coughed, spattering blood everywhere. All she heard for a long moment was a wheeze, which she thought might have been a death rattle. ¡°Kill¡­ me¡­¡± The roar came again, obviously closer. They were nearly out of time, and they had to get to the south wall to face down whatever it was challenging them. ¡°Well, it¡¯s up to you Liz. I can¡¯t make that shot.¡± ¡°Just¡­ order me to do it.¡± He shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t. Not as the leader of the fort. Anyway, he¡¯s asking for it.¡± Raven sprinted up. ¡°Can you hear that?¡± The roar repeated, loud enough to shake the fort. ¡°Obviously you can. What the hell are you doing over here?¡± Liz looked at her girlfriend with sad eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°Do what?¡± ¡°Shoot Dick.¡± ¡°Woah, why are you shooting dicks? I mean, I get it, we¡¯re not exactly pro-men most of the time¨C¡± ¡°What? No, babe, the asshole we were just arguing with. He¡¯s still alive, but he¡¯s asking to be killed.¡± ¡°Can we save him?¡± ¡°The only person who might be able to is Kyra,¡± Adam said with a look at the healer¡¯s tent. ¡°And I¡¯m pretty certain she¡¯s still dead asleep.¡± ¡°So what¡¯s the problem? He was an asshole to you,¡± Raven said, then turned to Adam, saying ¡°and you. And you were going to kill him just a few minutes ago anyway.¡± ¡°Yeah, that was different. That was when he could have fought back. Now he¡¯s a helpless puddle of guts on the ground,¡± Liz said with a wave at the injured man. Raven looked, and even with Liz¡¯s help, it took her almost fifteen seconds to find the man. He coughed more blood up. ¡°Oh, gross. Could Kyra even heal him?¡± Adam shook his head. ¡°I have no idea. Even when I was seriously wounded, it wasn¡¯t like that.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re doing him a mercy. We don¡¯t have time to go and get him, never mind getting him back inside in one piece, to deliver him to our healer who is currently out of commission.¡± Liz looked at Raven. Her eyes were watery, and all three knew she was on the verge of tears. It was a bizarre sight. She was usually so stoic.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t do it.¡± Adam sighed. ¡°We have more pressing issues. Liz¡­ just¡­¡± he sighed again and pinched the bridge of his nose. ¡°Take¡­ the.¡± ¡°Oh, for the love¨C¡± Raven snatched the bow from Liz, nocked an arrow, and loosed it all in one smooth motion. It whistled away, and in the silence after the most recent roar, they heard the arrow impact. It was a wet crunch, and that was that. Richard never even exhaled. He hadn¡¯t inhaled. Only one person knew if he had been alive when the arrow hit. Only one person would ever know. ¡°We need to go,¡± Raven said quietly. She handed the bow back to her girlfriend, then started walking away. She had no other ideas of what to do to help Liz. ¡°Let¡¯s go. She¡¯s right,¡± Adam said. He thought about putting an arm over her shoulders, but thought better of it. She was not a very touch-friendly person, most of the time. He walked past her, headed for the southern wall. ¡°Adam.¡± He stopped. He didn¡¯t turn around. It wasn¡¯t his place to help her. That was Raven¡¯s responsibility. But he was willing to be by her side, come hell or high water. ¡°How?¡± He shook his head. ¡°She knew you needed help.¡± ¡°Yes, but how? How did she take that shot?¡± He sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know. That¡¯s a question for her. Come on, whatever it is, it¡¯s almost here.¡± They could see the trees shaking to the south. Whatever it was, the thing could topple forty-foot trees like stalks of corn. Adam started walking again, though not at a hurried pace. Liz trailed behind him, still lost in thought. It took them two minutes to get to the wall. ¡°What is it?¡± Raven shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t seen it yet.¡± She looked back and saw the two of them standing a foot apart. She felt a spike of jealousy, just for a moment. Then Liz took the last step forward, and wrapped her large arms around her girlfriend. ¡°I know we don¡¯t have time.¡± She spoke down into Raven¡¯s hair. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you managed to take that shot. But I do know that we are in a different world. You keep proving that. And no matter what happens¡­¡± She put her hands on Raven¡¯s shoulders and made her take a step back. She looked into the smaller woman¡¯s eyes. ¡°I love you.¡± That stunned both Raven and Adam. Liz leaned down and put her nose to Raven¡¯s, waiting. It took a long moment, but then Raven kissed her. ¡°Nice, but uh,¡± Adam said. The crashing stopped. The sudden lack of noise was deafening. ¡°We have company.¡± He looked out across the no-man¡¯s-land, the cleared zone out to the trees. Even in the late afternoon light, he could barely make out a shadow in the forest. Thirty feet above the ground, two brilliant golden eyes glowed with reflected light. Or, perhaps, without reflection, and their own internal luminance. Even from a hundred feet away, they could hear it breathing. A hand reached out, wrapping around one tree. The arm flexed, all sinewy muscle under dense black fur, and he heard the tree creak, groan, and crack. ¡°What the hell is that?¡± Adam didn¡¯t look away. He didn¡¯t want to look away. There was something grotesquely wrong with whatever it was. He kept staring, until the details finally popped. ¡°It has seven fingers.¡± Liz nodded, dry swallowing. ¡°And two elbows.¡± Another arm grabbed the other tree it stood behind. It flexed, and the tree toppled. ¡°Oh, we are so up the creek,¡± Raven said. A rumble came from the creature. It was like a cat purring, only a thousand times louder, and with a hostile intent that was palpable. It shifted in the shadows. Then a third hand grabbed the first tree. ¡°Oh, no.¡± Liz leaned on the battlement. It was all that was keeping her up. Raven leaned against her side, holding herself. A fourth hand came out, resting on the other fallen tree. A sound came out of the creature. It was like a transformer arcing, a loud buzzing click. Then its head finally entered direct sunlight. At least, it looked that way. The skin was such a deep black, it still looked like a shadow. ¡°What¡­¡± Adam breathed out. The anticipation was truly nerve wracking. It took a step into the waning light. The body was every sort of wrong. Bulky shoulders, a square body that went right down to a tapered thorax. It had fur, but it also had chitin. The thing walked on two legs that looked like the trees it had felled only moments before. Each had a foot with long digits that churned the mud. ¡°It¡¯s a beetle,¡± Liz said. ¡°No, half of it is a beetle.¡± Adam shook his head. They watched as it trundled across the field. Liz drew an arrow back to her ear, straining against the heavy draw of the bow. She let it fly. It sailed across the ninety feet in near total silence. Even the creature paused to watch the fast moving projectile. It didn¡¯t move to avoid the shot. They understood why a moment later. The arrow, despite being over two feet long and tipped with a wicked barbed blade, skittered off the thick armored skin. Then it opened its nightmare of a mouth, revealing two massive fangs, and let out a bellow that shook them all deep in their guts. ¡°I think it¡¯s a beetle¡­ and a gorilla.¡± Raven shook her head. ¡°I just hope it isn¡¯t as smart as most gorillas. Or as tough as most beetles.¡± It started to move again. ¡°Verdant Fort.¡± Adam cleared his throat, then he turned his back on the approaching Beetlerilla. ¡°Verdant Fort! We have a great foe closing in. You have seen it shrug off the arrow of our greatest archer. Why don¡¯t we see if it can shrug off a hundred arrows, a hundred spells, and a hundred traps?¡± While not the most rousing speech, it was what the soldiers and guards of the fort needed to hear. They let out a ragged cheer. Adam turned back to find the monster had lumbered half the distance to their fort in that short time. He raised his axe high, then pointed it at the creature. ¡°Fire!¡± It wasn¡¯t a hundred arrows, or a hundred spells, and certainly not a hundred traps. But dozens of every kind of offensive ranged ability, shot, and spell went off at once. Liz fired her volley, while Raven tossed out Eligu¡¯s Surprise, which had leveled up earlier in the day. It bloomed in flight, sending out fourteen traps that all shimmered different colors. Adam put his axe away, saving it for when the creature was far too close. Instead, he drew a crossbow and started firing bolt after bolt. It wasn¡¯t his preferred weapon, but he had figured it was better to have some sort of ranged option when the fight couldn¡¯t be brought face-to-face. Fireballs splashed on its carapace, lightning crawled across its skin, icicles shattered, rocks crashed, arrows broke, traps exploded. The creature never stopped its approach. And worse still, it appeared to be taking little damage. It closed to thirty feet, then twenty, ten. Then it was towering over them, chuffing out hot, rank breaths. It leaned down to Adam, opened its mouth, and roared. Everyone was thrown back except the man it had chosen to target. Adam opened his mouth and screamed back. He dropped the crossbow, pulled his axe out, and jumped toward the creature. It was five times his height, and he had zero hesitation. He pulled the axe high over his head, and he started to glow. ¡°Adam, no!¡± Liz gasped from where she had been knocked to the ground. She had never seen him glow before, but she knew only one explanation. He had activated his ability. Adam grinned. His health had plunged to the half-way point, which was dangerously low when facing a monster like that. The blow landed square on the monster¡¯s chest with a flash of golden light. And it broke through the natural armor. Chapter 52: Queso a la Parilla ¡°How the hell did I get here?¡± Noodles whipped at me from every direction. I held my arms up to stop them, sprinting around the arena-like kitchen. Knives flashed past constantly. I had to avoid boiling cauldrons of soup. This was a nightmare. The non-slip concrete floor was slick with spilled food and broth. ¡°This really isn¡¯t very safe, you know!¡± I dodged two more knives aimed at my throat. Don laughed from where he hovered like an organic, food-based Doc-Ock. He was grinning maniacally, using his hundred noodley tentacles to lob random kitchen shit at me. ¡°I call this my Dan Dan special!¡± An entire uncooked chicken flew at me, splattering marinade everywhere. ¡°What the fuck, man?¡± He threw two massive woks filled with spicy fried rice next. I jumped to clear them, doing a twist as several sharp metal spatulas sliced through the air under me. My fists were useless, I couldn¡¯t close the distance to the madman. ¡°Come, now. If you can dodge a pot, you can¨C¡± ¡°Hey! Let¡¯s not get into quotes like that!¡± A wrench flew at me from the side, clocking me in the jaw. I grunted and grabbed at the spot, wondering if my jaw was cracked and was that blood I was tasting? A noodle snagged my ankle while I was distracted and yanked me upside-down. I dangled in the air for a long moment until a hundred different food articles slammed into me. I was unceremoniously dropped, landing hard on my head. I groaned and curled into the fetal position. ¡°Is that all you¡¯ve got?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand how this will help me advance in the tower, let alone learn to cook your signature dish.¡± The barrage stopped, though a single raw egg slapped onto my head and ran down my cheek and over my nose. I spluttered, wiped it away, then slowly stood. I was covered in so much food, I looked like the lunch lady¡¯s ghost monster from that one cartoon I had seen as a kid. I tried to shake some of it off, but it clung stubbornly to me. I was thoroughly grossed out. ¡°Come, have a seat over here.¡± Don pointed down at one of the massive soup cauldrons set into the floor. It had calmed down from before, looking to be at a simmer instead of a rolling boil. ¡°Uh, one, that¡¯s soup, and two, won¡¯t that kill me?¡± He looked at me with a wild side-eye, then cracked another unsettling grin. ¡°What? No, of course not. You¡¯re level ten, aren¡¯t you?¡± I nodded, and he pointed more insistently at the pot. I shook my head. He sighed, then used his noodles to lower himself in. He sighed, like he was getting into a hot tub. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Really,¡± he said with his eyes closed. I could still see the health bar at the top of my vision. DON DON, THE DAN DAN DON HP: ???/??? Level: 20 ¡°You know, I¡¯ve dealt with some really weird shit in this dungeon. There was a rock golem on the ground floor, and I fought dragons in slot machines. After that, I had a meeting with an angel, like a real one, and had whiskey with him. Then a weird auto-battler kind of game, with living people that died over and over again.¡± He didn¡¯t respond. I blew a half-hearted raspberry, then stepped into the pot across from him. To my surprise, it didn¡¯t feel like soup. The food stuck to my skin immediately loosened, then began to drift away. To add to that, it was the perfect temperature. Just hot enough to make my skin tingle, without being scalding. ¡°Look, not to be rude or anything, but, uh, are we still fighting?¡± ¡°We were never fighting to begin with.¡± He had his head laid on the back edge, arms floating in the clean-feeling but disgusting-looking water. He still had his apron and work clothes on. The whole situation felt weird. I sank into the water until only my face was out. At that point, I didn¡¯t care. Besides, the water really did feel surprisingly clean. Every time I looked at it, it seemed clearer. It could have just been my imagination, but I didn¡¯t think that was the case. Several minutes passed before Don startled me. ¡°Were you going to finish your thought?¡± ¡°What?¡± I spluttered as water splashed into my nose. I could taste the water in the back of my throat, and as I suspected, it was so clean as to be flavorless. ¡°What thought?¡± ¡°You were telling me about the weird things you have experienced.¡±This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ¡°Oh, right. Uh, sure. I fought a kraken with a legendary spear, killed it in like one or two hits.¡± That made me think of the sliver that had come out of the game with me. I shook my head and got back on track. ¡°There was a game that I played with three mob bosses. Huh, I almost forgot that they were bosses. Makes them like you.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. You must surely be speaking of Messrs Selvaggi, Branciforte, and Coopman. I am familiar with them. What game did you engage in?¡± I snorted. ¡°You know them? Of course you do. Like I said before, it was this weird auto-battler. I had an army that I could direct, but not control. The units that fell to my army were converted into gold, and I bought upgrades that way. I never did catch the name.¡± ¡°Yes, I know that game. In my world, it was called ¡®Four-Arms¡¯, after the four weapons that decorated the card deck.¡± ¡°Uh, most decks have hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades, at least, here. And I don¡¯t remember the deck having different suits. In fact, I¡¯m pretty sure it had those.¡± ¡°That would be localization. There¡¯s always something lost in translation.¡± ¡°Four-Arms. Alright then. So, I played that with them. Won after something like ten rounds.¡± ¡°Impressive,¡± he murmured. ¡°Then I was sent up. After that I fought a guy in an arena.¡± ¡°Missing a bit there?¡± I shook my head. ¡°No, that¡¯s the order of things. I beat that guy, I was given a free ride to level ten, which was fairly disappointing. It was a single monster that was held in place for me.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Well, a deal is a deal.¡± ¡°After that, I was sent to your kitchen. That¡¯s more-or-less it.¡± ¡°You have skipped a large number of levels, then. That would explain how you are here so early, however. I was not expecting my first entrant for at least three months.¡± I looked around the weird kitchen-come-combat-arena. ¡°Is that why you¡¯re¡­ not fighting me?¡± ¡°I am not fighting you because I don¡¯t wish to. As for what that was earlier, I was simply¡­¡± he cracked an eye and smiled impishly. ¡°Letting off some steam.¡± I groaned. That was absolutely terrible. ¡°Don Don, I get the urge to make puns, but that was half-baked at best.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯ve mustard the courage to ketchup to me.¡± ¡°That was downright cheesy. Taco ¡®bout low hanging fruit.¡± He snorted. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m a big dill around here. But I admit, you¡¯re on a roll.¡± ¡°Well aren¡¯t we just a pear of cunning linguists.¡± I couldn¡¯t help myself and I laughed after that one. ¡°I believe that we have spent enough time in here. You have become far too saucy.¡± He stood and I watched as the water dropped away. It was like his clothes had a hydrophobic coating. He didn¡¯t even look wet. I stood, hoping my clothes would be the same. They were not. Instead, I was weighed down by what felt like a hundred pounds of water trapped in my formerly nice suit. There was one noticeable difference, however. I no longer had blood, gore, and random bits of enemies stuck to me. The smell that had been percolating was gone as well. ¡°Much better,¡± Don said. ¡°Now I can stand to be within ten feet of you.¡± ¡°Hey, I wasn¡¯t that bad.¡± He glared up at me. ¡°Not that bad? You smelled like week old roadkill on the side of the road. I¡¯m fairly certain someone urinated on you at some point.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think¡­¡± I tried to think back. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s probably been a while since I showered, sure.¡± ¡°When did you enter the Silver Spire?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Maybe a day or two ago?¡± He shook his head, and I saw his eyes unfocus as he looked at a screen only he could see. ¡°This says you¡¯ve been here for three weeks.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s just not possible.¡± I shook my head. ¡°No way. It¡¯s been like a day at most.¡± ¡°I have smelled rotten meat that was more pleasant than you when you walked into my kitchen.¡± ¡°Why has nobody said anything?¡± ¡°Probably because you keep skipping the rest floors. Not that I blame you, those floors aren¡¯t open yet. Only a handful are. In fact, you will likely finish the dungeon in a fraction of the time projected, because you skip so many levels. Nobody will ever match your record.¡± ¡°Well, thanks, I guess.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°What happens now? And, well, why do the bosses of these levels keep acting nicely?¡± ¡°You have caught most of us at a relatively good time. That, or you¡¯ve been a convenient excuse to slack off for a bit. As for what happens now¡­ perhaps we will have a fight.¡± I wearily took a stance. Despite how refreshing the weird tub-bath thing had been, I wasn¡¯t ready to fight the old man. He shook his head. ¡°No, not that kind of fight. We will do something that is more of a middle ground. But first, we must dry you off.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s fine,¡± I started to say, then noticed I was still dripping everywhere. There was a growing puddle of water at my feet. He looked pointedly at the puddle, then back up at me. He smirked and snapped his fingers. Two massive blowtorches appeared out of nowhere. I yelped, surprised as much by the man-sized flamethrowers as by the four-foot long blue flames they emitted. The heat was unbearable. I raised my hands to cover my face, hardly even noticing the steam that practically exploded from me. Something tickled the back of my mind, and it took a long moment to click. I was transported back to a high-school chemistry class for a moment. ¡°Always wear your p.p.e., guys.¡± Mister Thornson, the overly energetic chemistry teacher for my school, always spoke like that, like he was our contemporary instead of our teacher. Looking back, he had seemed old, but now, with the benefit of a few years, I would guess he was at most in his late twenties. He was actually pretty close in age to us. More so, at least, than most of our teachers. ¡°Especially your gloves. Getting a burn from boiling water hurts, but steam is way worse. In fact, it¡¯s the worst burn you can get, because the steam itself scalds you, then the condensing water burns you again. You do not want that. Wear your gloves!¡± I snapped back to the present, where, once again, I noticed the sheer amount of steam pouring off me. I was not being burned, however. In fact, I was pleasantly warm, like putting on a pair of pjs fresh from the dryer. ¡°How am I not being barbecued right now?¡± ¡°Magic, boy. Magic.¡± I groaned. ¡°Of course it¡¯s magic. Something comes along and breaks the rules of physics. The answer?¡± ¡°Always magic,¡± Don interrupted with a smile. ¡°Now, let¡¯s return to the kitchen. We have a competition to participate in.¡± I groaned. ¡°What is this one?¡± ¡°Tired?¡± ¡°Exhausted.¡± I sighed. ¡°Lead on. Can you tell me what we¡¯re going to be doing at least? Will it make more sense than you whipping me with noodles and throwing things at my head?¡± ¡°That was merely a warm-up. Truth be told, it was also an excuse to cover you in food so you would take that bath.¡± I let out a dry half-chuckle. ¡°Fine. What is this competition, though?¡± ¡°I assume you do not have fine culinary skills.¡± I shook my head as I followed him from the arena back to the industrial kitchen. ¡°Nope. Most cooking I¡¯ve ever done was make ramen. I burned the ramen one time.¡± Don shot a worried look at me. ¡°How?¡± ¡°I was crazy stoned and forgot to add the water.¡± ¡°Ah. Well, you are not petrified currently, so that should not be a concern.¡± I started to open my mouth to correct him, then shook it and let the issue go. ¡°What is your go-to dish when you want to impress someone?¡± I grinned. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s easy: queso a la parrilla.¡± Chapter 53: Rivers and Fountains Adam¡¯s roar was impressive, for a man. It was completely drowned out by the rage-and-pain filled scream that ripped from the throat of the Beetlerilla. Liz surged to her feet and sprinted back to the wall. She arrived at the battlement just in time to see Adam bear the monster to the ground. He stood, shaking his axe triumphantly. She was too slow to warn him. The creature¡¯s arm moved both fast and slow. She felt like she was watching the world in slow-motion as the hand swept in from the side. He never even saw it. The action looked like something out of an anime- he was there, axe above his head, and then he wasn¡¯t. A shock wave hit her a moment later, though it hardly did anything more than ruffle her clothes and hair. She let out a wordless scream and leaped at the monster. Though she flew quickly, dozens of shots overtook her, all aimed at the gaping rent in the monster¡¯s armor. Somewhere, in the back of her mind, she marveled that every shot seemed to hit the target. Not one missed. The sound of wood shattering came to her, but she was focused. Arrow after arrow flew from her bow, faster than she had ever thought possible. She cast volley. It was like the wound his axe had created was a black hole. Spells and arrows that would have normally skittered off the hard chitin instead veered into the break and smashed more of the vulnerable flesh underneath. Just before she landed, she pulled an arrow and drew the bow with her hands and feet until it was stretched completely taught. Just as she landed with the bow spanning the crack, she loosed the arrow. All two feet of shaft disappeared into the bloody pool. That wasn¡¯t enough for her. She kicked the bow aside and drew a pair of wicked daggers from her belt, then jumped with her feet together, and descended into the ragged hole. Raven stood on the battlements, throwing traps as often as she could. She managed three sets of Eligu¡¯s Surprise in the time Liz was flying. She watched in horror as her girlfriend landed on the monster that had just swatted the strongest man in the settlement, then dove in. ¡°LIIIIZ!¡± She jumped from the battlement, sprinting across the no-mans-land while she equipped her hand crossbows. That was a skill she hadn¡¯t wanted to show off yet, but now she found herself with few options and no time. Carl stepped through the shadows near where the Beetlerilla had entered the clearing. He was cloaked in them, hardly visible even when looked directly at. He smirked, then felt a twinge as the soul oath started to eat him from the inside. He held out until he coughed blood, then growled and sped toward the beast. As it turned out, the soul oath had been more stringent than either man had suspected. If he knew the settlement was under attack and tried to ignore it, the oath began to kill him. Bloody foam flecked his lips as he climbed the monster¡¯s face and leaped into its eye. The nictitating eyelid that flicked out nearly took his hands off. He back flipped away from the sharp membrane. It didn¡¯t immediately reopen, and he seized his chance. Both knives plunged into the thick, fleshy, nearly opaque lid tore with a meaty sound not unlike a pair of shears cutting away at a steak. Kyra woke when the monster screamed. She had never heard something so angry, or so full of pain before. It made her instinctively reach for her divine magic, but she stopped herself. Something was wrong. Her armor was still on, and she felt almost fully rested. That came as a shock to her, because she was certain it had been only minutes. With a shake of her head, she left the tent and raced to where most of the settlement gathered on the south wall. As she moved, she heard and saw Liz leap inhumanly far, toward something on the far side of the fifteen-foot wall that made the border of their fort. The sounds coming from beyond it were horrifying. Despite her small size and low stats, she cleared the jump with relative ease. Even if she had started off with a two in strength, she now possessed more than any human had pre-system and had - to her - a very impressive ten-foot vertical.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Nobody paid her any attention, and she quickly figured out why. The massive monster was howling and flinging its body around like it was having a seizure. She watched as one of the nearby massive trees fell on the creature¡¯s face, though she was certain a shadow had moved away from it a split second before. That gave her goosebumps and she didn¡¯t know why. Her attention was torn back by the creature shuddering from the tree slamming into its face. Two arms weakly tried to push the tree away while the other two scrabbled at the wound on its chest. Then, for some reason, she followed the tree back to where it had fallen. A red stain bloomed across the wood, so dark it was almost black. Her pulse jumped, then again, and she found herself sprinting toward the fallen body with no recollection of the fifty feet she had crossed. ¡°ADAM!¡± She slid to a stop next to his still form, ignoring how the sticks and rocks tore at her knees. His skin was still warm. His body felt like a water balloon filled with slime and gravel. Nothing moved the way it should have. Even his skull deformed as she held him. Tears welled from her eyes, and she began to channel her divine healing. Raven climbed the weakly thrashing Beetlerilla and made her way to the widened wound. Blood poured from it like a grisly fountain. She stood outside for a long moment, unsure of what to do. Then she made up her mind. She inhaled hard, almost making herself dizzy, and dove arms first into the welling blood. The settlers on the wall watched as every one of the founding four were brought low. Shock set in. Nobody knew quite what to do. The kaiju-sized monster fell still, as still as the air itself. It was like the whole world was holding its breath. Then a shape broke the surface on the blood. Something trailed after it. Exactly what it was remained a mystery, until it snapped down on the roughened chitin. In fact, it seemed like everything about the Beetlerilla was aging quickly. Not quickly enough, because Liz had been inside the creature for going on five minutes, with Raven down for over a minute. The Verdant folk waited, unsure if they could or should help. The rope attached to the trap drew taught. A long, breathless moment later, another shape broke the surface of the blood. Liz rose, her broad back slick with bright red blood. She flopped back, showing she was unconscious or dead. Then Raven emerged, face frozen in a snarl. She spat the daggers clutched between her teeth to the side, then spat again to clear her mouth of the foul blood. She grabbed Liz¡¯s arm and pulled her into a fireman¡¯s carry, sliding down the side of the creature. She hit the ground and spoke for the first time. ¡°Healer?!¡± One man pointed toward where Kyra had disappeared into the edge of the forest. Raven set off at a fast jog, struggling with her much heavier girlfriend but refusing to slow for anything. The sight that greeted her stunned her. Blood everywhere. Both Kyra and Adam were covered like she and Liz were, but it was all his blood. Despite that, his face was remarkably clean. Tears carved pink rivulets down Kyra¡¯s face. Raven steeled her resolve. She carefully shifted Liz around, then lowered her to the ground. She gently wiped Liz¡¯s face clean of the blood they were both saturated in. Then she looked to Kyra and said a single word. ¡°Please.¡± Kyra looked into her eyes. Tears ran like rivers. Chapter 54: Perfection ¡°Queso a la Parrilla¡­ is that what I think it is?¡± I nodded. ¡°Yup. Good old fashioned grilled cheese.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ not an impressive dish.¡± ¡°Oh, you haven¡¯t had mine then.¡± He shook his head. ¡°No, I have not had food made by you. We just met an hour ago.¡± It was my turn to shake my head. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it was only an hour. Time is weird, here. Sometimes it feels like it¡¯s only been a few hours since I entered the casino, others, man, practically a lifetime.¡± Don laughed. ¡°I know what you mean. Now, you have talked big game about this¡­ grilled cheese. Show me what you¡¯ve got.¡± I shot him a cheeky grin, then set about gathering ingredients. ¡°We start with only the finest. White bread, butter, and the most important ingredient, cheese.¡± Don crossed his arms while standing near the end of my all-in-one kitchen setup. His neutral expression fell lower and lower into a frown, complete with furrowed brows. I browsed through the bread selection on the rack near the side of the kitchen. It wasn¡¯t where I would keep bread in a hot and humid kitchen, but I also was not used to working with magic, yet. For all I knew, the bread was kept fresh by some ward. Of the breads available, a surprising number were ¡®white.¡¯ I saw three different kinds of potato, which were excellent, dense breads in my experience. There was the traditional white-bread, made with ¡®enriched¡¯ flour, whatever that meant. And there were even two milk-breads. I gently prodded each until I found the one I wanted, a potato from a bakery I would guess came from Germany. It was dense, yet fluffy. Perfect for taking on the butter and crisping to give that perfect browned edge. I put the bread down and wandered in search of dairy. I found the butter and cheeses in the walk-in fridge. The butter came in two varieties, exactly like I was used to: salted and unsalted. I took the unsalted butter, not my usual choice, but for the grilled cheese, it was perfect. Then I looked at my cheese options. That is where I got hung up. Not because the options weren¡¯t good, no. It was actually the opposite: I was paralyzed by too many choices. Dozens of baskets held all manner of cheeses, some so soft they had to be stored in tins, a handful that looked more like mold than cheese, crumbles spilling from another set, and even a few that were vacuum packed. Out of curiosity, I looked at one of the vacuum sealed cheeses. It had a small label that read ¡®Limburger¡¯, and the basket next to it read ¡®Epoisses¡¯. I blanched. ¡°Nope. No foot cheese here.¡± I kept looking until, at the end, I found what I sought: single slice cheeses. The variety honestly shocked me. I was used to American sliced, which was more solidified oil than actual cheese. But I saw pepperjack, mozzarella, provolone, colby, and cheddar. A few other types were there, but I didn¡¯t recognize their names. I took a handful of cheddar, mozz, and pepperjack each, then made my way back to the kitchen I was using. Don still stood at the end of the aisle, arms crossed, eyeing my armful of dairy with clear disgust. ¡°I did not know we even stock those cheeses.¡± I shrugged, unwrapped a slice of American, and popped it into my mouth. I spoke around the gooey goodness. ¡°Must be magic.¡± He grunted in disgust. ¡°Is that everything you will be using?¡± ¡°Huh? Yeah, grilled cheese is easy. Three ingredients: bread, butter, and cheese.¡± ¡°Very well,¡± he sighed. ¡°I will gather my own ingredients. You may begin whenever you want. You will have thirty minutes to provide two dishes.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Okay.¡± I flicked on the gas burner, selected a wide skillet, and set it to warming. I started to whistle, feeling some energy return to my limbs as I started to work. ¡°Hey, Don, is there some sort of music available back here?¡± ¡°This is a kitchen!¡± Came his shouted response. I wasn¡¯t sure what he meant by that. I figured he was just upset he had to make the best American dish on the planet, instead of his fancy French cuisine or something. ¡°Keep it simple, stupid,¡± I muttered to myself. An old adage my dad had drilled into me for years. He allowed me to choose the competition. I wasn¡¯t going to throw myself under the bus trying to cook some haute cuisine. I was going to drag him down to my level and utterly stomp him with experience being a stoner. It wasn¡¯t going to be pretty. It wasn¡¯t going to be expensive. But by the gods, it was going to be tasty. Once the pan felt warm, I dropped an entire stick of the butter in. It melted quickly, quicker than I was anticipating, so I turned the heat down to low. I gently stirred the butter with a little spatula, spreading it over the entire pan. While the butter melted, I opened the bread and cheeses. I cooked with my nose, or rather, I cooked by the smells offered to me. Another side-effect of hyper awareness, or maybe I had undiagnosed hyper-osmia. I could tell just by smelling if something would be a good addition to a meal. I pulled the pepperjack and sharp cheddar to the front, and put the rest of the cheeses aside. Then I took the heel from the bread and tossed it away. It wasn¡¯t going to do me any good, and there was no way anyone would want it. ¡°Did you just throw perfectly good bread away?¡± The reproach in Don¡¯s voice was staggering. He sounded like he watched me kick his puppy. ¡°It was the heel. Nobody likes the heel.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± He grunted, then turned to his own work. I shrugged. Then I chose four slices of bread with no holes. They would be perfect. The butter had just started to brown and foam, which I stirred a little more, and it was ready. I dropped the first two slices in, letting them soak up butter like sponges. Normally, that would be too much, but I had a secret. One time, while nearly couch-locked, I had come up with a solution to soggy bread with my friend. The bread was allowed to soak until it was nearly falling apart, then it was transferred to an air fryer. There, it crisped up while the next two slices went into the skillet. By then, there was the perfect amount of butter, and they wouldn¡¯t get soggy. While the first two slices crisped in the air fryer, I watched the other two. As soon as they started to brown, I flipped them, stirring to get the last of the butter onto the bread. Then I draped four slices of pepperjack on each slice. Once they started to melt, I put in my secret ingredient. I sprinkled salt over the cheese, then grabbed the pepper grinder and cranked out five turns on each sandwich. Then I put four slices of cheddar. At that point, I pulled the two air-fryer slices of toast and put them on the cheese, and flipped it. ¡°Oh, hey, can we add something last minute?¡± ¡°Last minute? You have twenty minutes left.¡±Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. ¡°Dope,¡± I said. That made Don quirk an eyebrow again. For someone who spoke such good English, he sure struggled with the language. I hurried over toward the dry storage and found exactly what I was hoping for: a can of tomato soup. I brought that to my station, poured the can into a small soup pot, and started it warming. Then I went over to the fresh ingredient walk-in and grabbed a few different herbs. Returning once more, I added a few torn leafs of basil, a pinch of thyme, and a bay leaf. Then I let it rise to a simmer. Meanwhile, I killed the flames for the sandwiches, flipped them again, and put a lid on the skillet. That would keep them perfect while the soup heated. I grabbed a two plates with matching bowls, got the sandwiches out and cut diagonally, plated them, and ladled soup into the bowls. ¡°Ready.¡± ¡°Wh-what?¡± I turned around looking at Don. He was slicing tomatoes and putting them into a steaming pot. It looked like the sandwiches were half done. ¡°Oh, uh, I guess I can wait.¡± ¡°Excellent work, young man.¡± He swallowed hard. He looked flustered, which confused me. He was an experienced chef. He should have been ahead of me at every turn. ¡°You good, bro?¡± ¡°Yes, I am just not used to this type of¡­ dish. So simple.¡± He looked at my dishes, then back to me before speaking. ¡°You can put your food in stasis until the thirty minute mark. That will keep it fresh.¡± I turned and looked at the stainless steel counter, not understanding. ¡°How? I mean, where, or¡­ what?¡± ¡°Put the food near the end of the counter, then hold your hand near the back wall. You¡¯ll see.¡± I did as he said and saw three sigils appear on the back wall. Both were a light, pleasing blue, each a circle about the size of my hand, the left one had a little flame, the center had two bars, and the right had a snowflake. I figured it was magical controls to set the temperature before sending a dish out. Not wanting to mess with perfection, I touched the two bars, the apparently universal symbol for pause. Nothing seemed to happen, but when I looked closer, I saw that even the steam had stopped moving. ¡°Well, that¡¯s cool.¡± ¡°It is neither cool, nor hot. It is in stasis.¡± I opened my mouth to argue the point, then stopped. He was right, even if he hadn¡¯t actually understood me. I shrugged, then crossed my arms and leaned against the counter. He was a whirl of activity, seemingly working on four different actions at once. The sandwiches were built with care, crisping in his skillet while he brought his soup to a boil. It didn¡¯t look right to me, but I was reserving my comments. He was the professional, after all. At five minutes left, he pulled both grilled cheese from the heat and began plating them. At the same time, he started some sort of sauce in the same pan, using the browned goodness stuck to the bottom of the skillet. He took a ladle of the soup and made a roux in another pot, thickening it with flour, making it nearly into a paste before reintroducing it to the soup. That made it thicken rapidly. Then he added a few seasonings, ladled into two bowls, poured fresh cream in a delightful pattern, and garnished with a single fresh basil leaf. ¡°I am prepared.¡± ¡°And with a full minute to spare, nice,¡± I commented. He started to glare, then shook his head. ¡°I am unused to being the late finisher. It is¡­ odd.¡± I shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m usually the last to finish a project, but that¡¯s what I get for being a slacker. Well, that, and having to psych myself up to do anything.¡± That made Don quirk an eyebrow, obviously a non-verbal question about my last statement. ¡°Yeah, I, uh¡­ well, before this whole ¡®zombie¡¯ thing, or, I guess I¡¯m actually a half-dead now¡­ anyway, I had this condition. It¡¯s called hyper awareness. Say, for instance, I tell you that you are manually blinking. You¡¯re suddenly aware of your eyes and how often you blink, right? Same for manual breathing. You become aware of these normally completely autonomic processes.¡± Don held a hand up as he shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not a fan of that sudden awareness, but I do not understand that word: ¡®autonomic¡¯.¡± The corner of my mouth twitched. I suppressed the urge to smile. It wasn¡¯t all that funny, anyway. ¡°Autonomic, which is just a weird, fancy way of saying unconscious and automatic. Your body handles breathing, blinking, your heartbeat, all that stuff.¡± He nodded, satisfied to listen to my story while the food was held in stasis. ¡°Well, hyper-awareness means I felt all of that, all the time. I see my nose all the time. It doesn¡¯t get filtered from my perception. I¡¯m aware of blinking, of breathing, I can always feel my heartbeat. Well, I could. Now, sometimes, it doesn¡¯t beat at all.¡± ¡°Sounds exhausting.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s the not-so-bad side of it. When I was younger, I had a problem with things touching my skin. Being permanently aware of my body means anything that felt unpleasant, well, it wouldn¡¯t go away. There was no ¡®getting used to it¡¯ for me. If a shirt was scratchy in one spot, it would itch constantly, no matter what I did. In any case, all that means that if I wanted to go out, be social, or really do anything but leave my bubble of comfort, I had to psych myself up. Parties, even the fun kind, like birthday parties, were exhausting. I usually only went for an hour or two before leaving.¡± ¡°That leads me to believe you had a difficult life.¡± I smiled and shook my head. ¡°I did, but I didn¡¯t. My mom was incredible, she did everything she could. Even tried getting me diagnosed with autism, to see if I could qualify for special programs in school that could help with my condition. It didn¡¯t, and funny enough, I¡¯m not autistic. Just weird. But she helped me get through a lot.¡± I hadn¡¯t realized it, but my arms had grown tight across my chest, and I was holding myself. I took a deep breath in, then relaxed as I let it out. ¡°I miss her. I hope she¡¯s okay.¡± Don nodded, and I could tell he was at a bit of a loss for words. He turned and swiped at the stasis control, releasing his food. I followed his lead and released my own. ¡°How do you want to do this, Don?¡± ¡°Since it is just the two of us, and between you and me, I¡¯m mostly making the rules up, I think we can keep it informal. You try both dishes, I try both dishes, and we see if we can agree on a winner.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Works for me.¡± I traded a plate for a plate and a bowl for a bowl. His food was so delightfully presented, I almost didn¡¯t want to eat it. ¡°It looks incredible,¡± I said. ¡°I think we can both agree I have better presentation,¡± he said with a wry smile. ¡°Oh, for sure. I¡¯ve never really cared about presentation. I¡¯ve always been a function-over-form kind of guy, even when it might look the other way.¡± I took half of the sandwich he made, dipped the corner into his tomato soup, and bit in. I let the bite linger on my tongue for a moment, appreciating the perfect melding of grilled cheese, crispy toast, and rich tomato soup. I opened my eyes to see Don looking on with something like¡­ interest. Like he hadn¡¯t done a one-on-one like this in a long time. ¡°It¡¯s incredible. Everything fits with everything else like it was meant to be.¡± He nodded, finishing his bite. ¡°And now for yours,¡± he said. I once again followed his lead, taking my sloppy-looking sandwich, dipping it into my cheater soup, and savagely tearing the bite off. A long string of cheese dangled between my mouth and the sandwich for a long moment. Then the flavors slammed into me like a boulder. The cheese was just crisped at the edges, while the toast had the lingering flavor of smoke, all paired with the homeliness of cheap soup that all-but-screamed soul food. I let out an involuntary ¡®mmmh¡¯ as I savored the bite. A small sound brought me out of my reverie. Don had his back to me, shoulders high and bunched. It was weird to see him looking like an old man again. Then I heard the sound, and saw his back heave. ¡°Ah, damn, that bad?¡± He turned to me, and I saw the truth in his eyes. A single tear rolled down his cheek. Then another. ¡°It¡¯s not fair.¡± I shook my head. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a professional. I¡¯ve been cooking for a hundred years. I used the finest ingredients. My dish, by all accounts, was perfect.¡± I smiled, feeling the sadness around the edges of it. ¡°Maybe that¡¯s why mine is better. It isn¡¯t perfect.¡± He swallowed, then took another bite. I laughed and ate the rest of my sandwich while he devoured every last bit of his lunch. ¡°You win.¡± I looked at him. He was back to being the old man in the back of the kitchen. ¡°I¡¯m not even trying to fudge the rules. You win, hands down. You may continue higher.¡± He swept his hand in a grand gesture, and a doorway I hadn¡¯t noticed before lit up. It led to a shadowed elevator bank, with a single button between the two simple metal doors. ¡°Good luck, Master Blackwood.¡± I nodded. ¡°Thank you, Don Don. One last question: where is my friend?¡± ¡°Basil, the zombie you brought in with you?¡± I nodded. His eyes went distant for a long moment, then he smiled. ¡°He¡¯s still on the first floor. It looks like he got distracted.¡± ¡°For three weeks? Dang, those games are good, but I didn¡¯t think they were that good. I might have to talk to him about the possibility of him having an addiction when we get out of here.¡± ¡°A conversation for another time. Best to be on your way, young man.¡± ¡°Thanks again, Don.¡± He nodded, and I walked into the dimly lit elevator room. I pressed the button, humming a tuneless song while I waited. Something alerted me, and I turned around to find¡­ a blank, dingy tile wall. Then a ding sounded, and the elevator opened. To my surprise, I found a gorilla in a uniform standing just inside. ¡°This way, Master Blackwood.¡± Epilogue Basil stumbled back from the game. It was done. He was done. The quest confirmed it. Digital Adventurer (Hidden Quest): Play every slot machine on the first floor, 150 out of 150 complete. Quest complete! Rewards: New Title awarded: Sleuth: You found a hidden quest and completed it! +1 to intelligence Pacifist: You cleared a dungeon floor without engaging in combat a single time! +1 to all stats +1000 reputation, +10000 chips Basil¡¯s eyes bugged out. He had to stop one from falling out of his skull with his quick, dainty lady hand. Not one, but two titles for the quest, and a whole mess of reputation, as well as enough credits to live in luxury for centuries. He could turn around, cash the chips out for silver, for gold¡­ for platinum. He could raise his entire family out of poverty, push every one of them to level five, and find a nice place somewhere in the Undead Empire. Not in the core, not even close. But somewhere better than a single dark room in the basement of a half-rotten skyscraper. He could. And that was just from the first floor. ¡°Dare I?¡± His voice was rough, more so than usual. It must have been some time since he last spoke. Without realizing it, he found himself in front of the bouncer at the back of the floor. The golem stared at him mutely for a long moment, then lifted the rope. Basil walked through the doorway, curious as the world around him faded to black. ¨C¨C¨C Raven and Kyra sat side by side. They were both crying hard. It had been a long, bloody, awful day. They were coated in grime and gore. Neither cared, nor did they notice the clean rivers their tears cut down their cheeks. Kyra felt light-headed for the first time since the system had cured her cancer. Pain throbbed behind her eyes, in her ears, her nose, and the dryness of her throat. It didn¡¯t stop her.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. She clutched Raven¡¯s hand tighter. Raven held on just as tightly. They continued to pray, to cry, to hope. Both of them felt the presence, and knew instinctively they should keep their eyes shut. It would be too much for them. ¡°Be calm, my children. I have heard your prayers. I can help you, just this once. I will pay a great price today.¡± The silence in the camp was suddenly deafening. Nothing moved. Nothing breathed. Nothing dared to, not in her presence. A warmth blossomed in the tent. Light bathed the entire fort. Then it faded, and with it, the world returned to life. A racking cough sounded harsh after the hush. Kyra opened her eyes and fell forward, burying her face into his chest and sobbing hard enough to rock them both. ¡°Ow, stop, ow! That hurts! I think I have a broken rib¡­ or ten.¡± She let out a laugh that turned into another sob. He gathered her into his arms. ¡°I¡¯m here. I don¡¯t know how, but I am.¡± ¡°Keep it down, the world is ending inside my head,¡± griped the woman laying next to him. Raven threw herself on the woman, wrapping her arms around Liz in a tight embrace. ¡°Thank the gods,¡± Raven whispered into Liz¡¯s hair. ¡°Thank Caitr¨ªn,¡± Kyra whispered. Then she rolled to her side and hissed in pain. Adam coughed again, unable to turn to see what was going on. ¡°What? What is it?¡± He coughed again, wincing as blood spattered across his face. Kyra screamed in agony. Smoke poured from her waist where she clutched her hands. In a moment, it was over. Tears of a different sort poured from Kyra¡¯s eyes, but only a moment later, she was up and leaning over Adam. ¡°Hold on. You¡¯re not fully healed,¡± she breathlessly said. Then she tried to channel her divine heal. Nothing happened. She tried again. Another failure. ¡°What?¡± She shook her head and used her mundane Lesser Heal spell. Her hands glowed and suffused Adam with a dull light. ¡°Good.¡± Her eyes rolled up, and she fell next to Adam. Both were deeply unconscious, but breathing. Raven checked them both, then let out a sigh. ¡°They¡¯re alive. I wonder what that was about?¡± Liz sat up slowly, stretching stiff muscles. She then pulled Raven in and held her girlfriend tight, kissing her head. ¡°We¡¯ll find out in time. For now, let¡¯s just enjoy the moment. We still have each other.¡± ¨C¨C¨C Name: Alabaster Blackwood Race: Half-dead Human-Zombie Faction: Blackwood Company Job: Half-dead Age: 20 Renown level: Unknown Renown: 1280 Level: 10 XP: 101/150 HP: 3700/3700 HP regen per second: 1.85 MP: 880/880 MP regen per second: 0.44 Stamina: 1700/1700 Stamina regen: 0.85 Strength: 190* Agility: 85* Constitution: 185* Wisdom: 44* Intelligence: 56* Charisma: 47* Luck: 46* Free points: 4 Titles: Centurion, Delver (100), Investigator, Noble II, Pacifist, Primal Rebirth, Prime, Prime Realtor, Primordial, Reborn, Royalty, Sleuth, Star-born: Dragon, Titanic Skills: Unarmed Combat Abilities: Earthen Bulwark I Spells: None Notes: English, Zombie Common Chakras: Crown: Locked. Third Eye: Locked. Throat: Locked. Heart: Locked. Solar Plexus: Locked. Sacral: Locked. Root: Unlocked. 1 of 3 assigned: Earthen Bulwark I. The End