《Anti-Mage》
Prologue
The Nine Pillars
We start with Soul
Spirit comes next
Mental acuity is required
To put the Elements to rest
The Celestial counters Infernal
While Gravity fights Space
Look how the Time has flown
Now the Soul returns to its place
¡°What are you looking at Anton?¡± Bethenny Speckler asked.
¡°I found some writing on the wall over here Beth,¡± Anthony Nicholas Thomson, Anton to his friends, said.
¡°Well stop wasting time, we need to make our way deeper into this structure and it isn¡¯t getting any warmer.¡±
¡°But it might be important?¡± Anton said.
¡°Everything is important. We¡¯re in Antarctica, a mile under the ice in a structure that isn¡¯t supposed to exist. Take a picture and let''s keep moving. Also, watch your oxygen indicator. The air down here could be stale.¡±
¡°You got it, Beth,¡± Anton said resignedly as he pulled out his digital camera and took a photo. Anton checked the photo and froze. The picture clearly showed characters he could not read yet when he looked at it, he could read it in English easily. He took another photo and checked it. Sure, enough he couldn¡¯t read the writing in the photo but as soon as he looked back at the writing on the wall, he could read it easily. In fact, nine of the words seemed to be glowing slightly.
¡°Beth, you need to come back here and take a look at this,¡± Anton called out to the bobbing light that was Beth as she walked further into the tunnel system they¡¯d entered. Anton reached out and touched the first glowing word, ¡°Soul¡±. A moment later a slight humming filled the area and the ice on the ground started to glow from below. Anton looked down at his hand, he hadn¡¯t willed his hand and arm to move, had he? As he thought about whether he willed his hand to move he noticed that the writing was embedded on a pillar that was at least 10 feet wide that disappeared into the icy ground he was standing on and up into the ceiling as far as he could see through the ice. Admittedly, that wasn¡¯t too far, only about 10 or fifteen feet, but that simply meant the pillar was huge.
¡°Not realizing it until his finger touched the pillar again, Anton taped the word ¡°Spirit¡±. The humming intensified and the glow changed color to a soft blue.
¡°Anton, what are you doing!¡± Beth called as she started rushing back toward him.
Anton no longer felt like he was in control of his hand as it reached down and touched the word ¡°Mental¡± which also became highlighted, and the humming increased again. Anton looked over to the light that was bobbing up and down from the direction Beth was coming from when a sheet of blackness descended around him which cut off all light and sound further than ten feet out from the pillar. The floor still glowed blue so Anton was able to see just fine, though the weirdest thing was happening. The ice under his feet seemed to be melting away from him but he didn¡¯t sink or move from his position. He seemed to be floating, or standing, on air.
Anton¡¯s hand moved again and touched the word ¡°Elements¡± which started rotating through various colors when it began to glow. Anton watched as the world glowed or went dark as it switched from Yellow to light blue to dark blue to black then brown and grey to orange and finally white before the pattern repeated. Eight different distinct colors.
Anton watched this cycle five times before his hand moved to the words ¡°Celestial¡± and ¡°Infernal¡± before it moved again and touched ¡°Gravity¡± and ¡°Space¡± His had paused for just a moment above the word ¡°Time¡± before he reached out and tapped it. With each tap, the humming had increased until he touched time. At that moment he¡¯d heard a ¡°SHHHICK¡± sound behind him and the humming stopped. As Anton turned away from the pillar a circular portal that opened into deep space through which he could see a field of stars with a nebula in the distance became visible.
Anton reached out with his hand and felt his hand pass through a membrane of some sort and immediately pulled his hand back when he felt the coldness and lack of pressure from the other side. Somehow he was looking through a portal that opened into space which had a hard vacuum on the other side of the invisible barrier he was looking through.
Not Possible was the only thought that came to mind just before a pain unlike any he had experienced before entered his back, passed through him, and lanced into the void beyond the door toward the nebula. Anton, completely locked up from the pain, still had enough presence of mind to realize that his eyes were squeezed shut as he tried to adjust to the pain when a small red hexagon appeared in the bottom of his vision and unfolded like one of those origami paper animals when you took them apart. The energy continued to unfurl into what looked like a digitized monitor in his vision.
Just as suddenly as the pain had appeared it ended, though Anton could not open his eyes and was left staring at the monitor and the text that was scrolling from the bottom to the top.
Primary Pillar Activated.
Connection Conduit Activated.
WARNING biological contamination blocking Communication Link.
WARNING Communication Link is harmful to organic materials
WARNING Communication Link Establishing
Biological Contaminate Removed
WARNING, YOU HAVE DIED!
!!!ERROR!!! PRIMARY SYSTEM REBOOT COMMENCING
Sealed Abilities have been unsealed.
!!!ERROR!!! Legendary Ability Anti-Mage has been activated.
Ability Anti-Mage ¨C You are the antithesis of all magical spheres, including natural expressions of those energies, such as lightning and fire for example. Additionally, this ability allows you to break down all physical matter given enough time and will. You may break down one pound of physical material per hour equal to your willpower attribute. Energy of any type automatically dissipates within willpower inches from your body. Note: Soul, Spirit, and Mental attacks are unaffected by this ability.
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!!!ERROR!!! Legendary Ability Immortal has been activated.
Ability Immortal ¨C You are immortal. If you are killed you will automatically heal at a rate of 1% cumulative per second until all damage is repaired and hit points restored. This ability is always active and does not require you to die to activate it. Immediately after being injured, your body will begin to repair itself by using mana¡!!!ERROR!!!¡You have no mana
!!!ERROR!!! Abilities Anti-Mage and Immortal are incompatible.
Rectifying !!!ERROR!!!
Immortal is now synergistic with Anti-Mage and returns a cumulative percentage of hit points and body immediately after Death or upon taking any damage which includes disintegration. Body and hit points are returned by 1% after 1 second. 55% after 10 seconds. 100% after 14 seconds. Energy of all forms except Soul, Spirit, mental, and that which is tied up in living or undead creatures can be broken down to fuel the ability Immortal.
Additionally, if completely disincorporated or disintegrated a new body will materialize near where your previous body was destroyed. You may alter your resurrection point by a number of feet equal to your Perception attribute by concentrating on where you would like to appear while waiting for your body to be created.
System-Wide Message The 10th Pillar has been activated.
System variations will be harmonized into a single cohesive System
System Synchronization Begins Now!
The messages stopped scrolling and Adam looked around. He immediately noticed that he was still in the room with the pillar that the beam of energy had leaped through him and the portal toward the Nebula. However, he couldn¡¯t move his hands or even feel his body. It was incredibly weird. The beam of light was still traveling through his point of view, so he thought about moving a little to the left and his point of view shifted to the left. Once he was out of the light he was able to look around and saw that the pillar was glowing fiercely as the beam of light shot into the nebula on the other side of the portal.
Suddenly the most peculiar thing happened. His point of view shifted so that he once again had hands and feet. As he looked himself over he realized he was completely naked. He looked for his parka, pants, and even the backpack he¡¯d been wearing but didn¡¯t see them anywhere.
Suddenly the light disappeared, the portal closed and the runes on the pillar went dark, as did the glow from below the floor. He was still standing on something but he couldn¡¯t see anything as the room dropped into darkness.
¡°Anton!¡± Beth called out as a piercing flashlight washed over him. ¡°Anton, you¡¯re naked! Wait, don¡¯t move! What are you on,¡± Beth said as the flashlight tilted down and Anton could see that he was on a sheet of something that was clear that was sitting beside the pillar and seemed to go a long way down. A long way. The bottom was so far away the light from the flashlight couldn¡¯t¡¯ reach it.
Anton heard a tapping sound and looked over to see Beth tapping the floor with a depth stick as she stepped onto the clear surface and made her way slowly toward Anton.
¡°What did you touch?¡± Beth said with a hint of exasperation in her voice.
¡°Why do you assume I touched something?¡± Anton asked.
¡°You¡¯re naked, the ice that was in this room that you are standing in is gone and oh yeah, we¡¯re both standing on a clear surface over a hole that we can¡¯t see the bottom of,¡± Beth said.
¡°Well, when you put it like that, I guess I can see your point,¡± Anton said.
As Beth stopped beside him, she pulled her backpack off, opened it, and pulled out a hoodie and some sweatpants, which she threw over to him, ¡°Put those on, exploration is over, we need to make our way back to the entrance, get back to the submersible and head back to the surface so we can make our report. Aren¡¯t you going to ask for shoes?¡± Beth asked.
¡°Nope, my feet feel fine. I have extra clothes back on the sub,¡± Anton said.
¡°If you want to keep your feet off the ice, I have some flip-flops,¡± Beth said.
¡°It¡¯s only a hundred feet to the entrance and only another fifty feet in the cavern to where we parked the sub. Right now my feet feel fine. If we move fast, I should be fine,¡± Anton said.
¡°Okay, follow me,¡± Beth said as she continued across the transparent floor of the corridor they¡¯d entered the chamber from where she waited for Anton while he dressed.
Anton, put the sweatpants on first and then the hoodie. Once he was done Beth waited for him at the corridor entrance and then they made their way back to the entrance and down the ramp to the outside. If the structure they were in was airtight it was a simple airlock method as the water would never get further than the ramp.
As they made they were way down the ramp they came to the artificial dock where a mini-submarine, ¡°Mariner 1¡±, was docked with a walkway from the top of the sub to the docking bay. The pilot was on board keeping everything ready to go. They both knew he could see them through the external cameras and waved. Beth stepped onto a thin plate they were using as a walkway and stepped across. She held out her hand and Anton noticed that she checked his feet as she held out her hand to help him across.
Anton had followed her and been worried about his feet getting cold but as they¡¯d made their way out of the structure and down the ramp and even onto the icy parts, he hadn¡¯t felt uncomfortable at all. His feet felt fine. He¡¯d looked down once in a while just to make sure he didn¡¯t have frostbite. Both feet were nice and pink. Anton accepted Beth¡¯s hand and helped her stow the walking board before they headed into the submarine. It wasn¡¯t that big but it did have a place for four of them to sleep or sit and an actual bathroom. There wasn¡¯t a shower but there was a small sink they could brush their teeth in front of. Adam went over to the fourth bunk, opened his backup pack, and pulled out a set of tennis shoes and socks. He didn¡¯t have another set of boots so he wouldn¡¯t be able to replace those until they made it back to the Odyssey, the research vessel they were assigned to.
As Anton was going through his bag and putting on his tennis shoes the pilot, a man named Boris Kavinsky, looked at Beth and asked, ¡°What happened to Anton?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t know, we need to get back to the Odyssey though, something weird happened while we were down there.¡±
¡°You can say that again. I got some weird text scrolling across my vision talking about System synchronization or some other such nonsense.¡± Boris said
¡°You had text appear in your vision and scroll up? You both did?¡± Anton asked.
¡°I did,¡± Boris said
¡°I did too,¡± Beth said
¡°Well shit, maybe I¡¯m not going crazy,¡± Anton said.
¡°What do you mean?¡± Beth asked.
I received that message too, after the pillar activated and opened a portal into outer space.¡±
¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not crazy? Were 1,000 feet below sea level in an underwater cave that we entered with a submarine?¡± Beth asked.
¡°The structure you just left is at least 10,000 years old and appears to be brand new. The architecture doesn¡¯t match any known societies and now we have computer text being transmitted into our brains. I don¡¯t know about you but everything about this is crazy,¡± Anton said.
¡°I think you¡¯ve made your point. Maybe we should head back?¡± Beth asked.
¡°Already on it, just take a seat or get into a bunk and we¡¯ll be on our way,¡± Boris said.
Beth and Anton took a seat. Beth sat in the Copilot seat and Anton manned the science station.
Boris activated the propellor and backed them out of the dock as he used the rear cameras to guide them as he lowered the sub below the surface and guided them down the mile-long tunnel they¡¯d found in the side of the continent when the ice shelf had broken away last year.
Once they were out of the tunnel, Boris reversed the propellors, turned the rudder and they began making their way to the Odyssey. Unlike most science vessels the Odyssey had a docking bay in the hull of the ship which was below the waterline so the sub could dock if it needed to in rough seas. Today the seas were calm and Boris had no issues guiding the ¡°Mariner 1¡± into the Odyssey.
Anton knew something was up when the radio chatter between Boris and the ship was completely professional. No extra chit-chat, No asking about what they found, just absolute professionalism.
¡°The dock has been pressurized and we¡¯ll be moving into a pressure chamber as soon as we exit. You two ready,¡± Boris asked.
¡°Yep,¡± Anton said.
¡°Yeah,¡± Beth said.
¡°As they climbed out they could see the Captain, Lesira James looking through the observation room as they climbed out of the sub and stepped onto the deck. As they made their way around to the airlock into the pressure chamber the Captain''s voice came over the intercom.
¡°Hold it for a moment, would any of you mind telling me what the hell happened down there? I can see Anton has had a change of clothes just by looking at you three,¡± Captain James said.
¡°Anton touched something,¡± Beth said.
¡°Did you now?¡± Captain James asked as she brought the focus of her gaze to Anton. ¡°So, Anton, would you mind explaining to me why everyone on my ship is suddenly seeing text in their vision? If the news is to be believed, it''s happening all over the damn world.¡±
Anton didn¡¯t know what was going on, couldn¡¯t explain what he¡¯d seen¡well, he could explain it, but no one would believe him. He thought about the different things he could say, how he could try to blame it on ignorance but the truth was he didn¡¯t know why he¡¯d touched the pillar. He hadn¡¯t wanted to touch the pillar, his hand had just moved.
As the different excuses ran through Anton¡¯s head while Captain James watched him like a hawk, he finally settled on the tried and true, ¡°Well, Shit!¡±
Chapter 1, System Synchronization?
Bethenny Speckler, Boris Kavinsky, and Anton all passed through the pressurized connection tube into the pressurized decompression cabin. The tube had three airlocks that allowed up to three craft to dock and offload passengers into the decompression chamber. There was also an internal lagoon in the ship so those that hadn¡¯t gone to depth could come and go without passing through the airlock system. Unlike the sparse decompression chambers of old, this one had an area for sleeping, cooking, and even a bathroom with a full shower they could use while their bodies expelled the gases that had saturated their tissues in a controlled and safe manner. Also, their chamber was connected to the outside via Wi-Fi so they could even talk to the outside world. What Anton hated the most was that because they¡¯d gone down to 1,000 feet below sea level they had at least eight days in the decompression chamber before they could exit through the outer airlock. Of course, with the way Captain James looked at them through the observation window as they entered the decompression cabin, He might try to stay in the chamber longer.
A little while later after Anton had come to the point in his story where the Pillar activated Captain James asked, ¡°What do you mean the pillar shot a beam through you?¡±
¡°I mean, a beam shot through my body, and went through a portal that opened into space toward a nebula off in the distance. The next thing I know I was reading a message that said I had died,¡± Anton said with a hint of exacerbation in his voice. Anton really wished he could just show them the message. Suddenly, a window popped into existence in front of him which read.
WARNING, YOU HAVE DIED!
The words appeared backward to Anton, but he could read them easily enough.
¡°What is that? How are you doing that?¡± Captain James said.
¡°Yeah, how are you doing that? Also, what does it mean by you died?¡± Bethenny asked.
¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Anton said honestly. ¡°I just wished that you could all see the message about me dying and it appeared. As for the dying part, I think I died.¡±
Beth¡¯s expression changed from interest to exasperation to disbelief before her eyes glazed over and another message window opened up in mid-air with three sentences visible.
System-Wide Message The 10th Pillar has been activated.
System variations will be harmonized into a single cohesive System.
System Synchronization Begins Now!
¡°I¡¯ve seen those messages before,¡± Captain James said, they¡¯re identical to the ones I received.¡±
¡°Me too,¡± Boris affirmed in his Russian-accented voice.
¡°So, we can share our messages with each other, that¡¯s pretty neat,¡± Bethenny said. ¡°Why?¡±
¡°No idea,¡± Anton said.
¡°A better question is what is this SYSTEM and what does it mean that it¡¯s being Synchronized?¡± Captain James asked.
¡°Again, no idea,¡± Beth said as someone came up to Captain James and whispered in her ear before leaving the room again.
The three waited patiently until Captain James turned to them and said, ¡°Well, you three are going to be in there for a bit. I¡¯ve gotta go answer some hail we¡¯ve been receiving for the last hour while you made your way to the surface. It seems that there was an energy surge that the United States picked up and they¡¯ve diverted one of their warships in this direction to meet up with us and talk with you,¡± Captain James said as she turned the intercom off and left the observation room on the other side of the six-inch thick plexiglass.
¡°That doesn¡¯t sound good,¡± Beth said.
¡°There¡¯s nothing the three of us can do about it so Anton, you go change. Beth, why don¡¯t you see what we have to eat, and I¡¯ll see if there¡¯s anything on the tele for us to watch until the captain comes back. How much you want to bet it won¡¯t be for a while,¡± Boris said.
Beth stood and made her way over to the small kitchen and started going through the cupboards while Anton stood and went into the small room with his bunk and his bag on top of it. While Anton was changing, he heard Bethenny rummaging through the cupboards as she pulled out and opened some cans and dumped the contents into a pot.
Anton put on some underwear, a pair of jeans, and a nice T-shirt with Deadpool on it. It just felt appropriate if he¡¯d really died. Anton put on his socks and tennis shoes. Finally, he pulled on a dark gray hoodie that had been given to him when he boarded the ship in San Francisco. Once he had all of his clothes on the message icon blinked in the corner of his vision. Anton focused on it and a new message populated into his vision.
You have equipped a complete Wardrobe that you own. Would you like to make this your default clothing set?
Anton wondered what a default clothing set was and a new message appeared.
Default Clothing Set: Because of the Synergistic nature of your ability Anti-mage and Immortal you have been allotted one default set of normal clothing. The clothing must belong to you before being equipped. Clothing designated as your default set will automatically be repaired if you are damaged, killed, or destroyed. If you are vaporized or disintegrated you will respawn with your default clothing set regardless of what you were wearing previously.
Only one set of normal clothing may be designated as your default set of clothing.
Would you like to designate your currently equipped clothing as your default set of clothing?
Yes or No?
Anton chose ¡°Yes.¡±
If you wish to change your Default Clothing in the future you will need to do so. No further prompts will be given.
Anton read the message, noted it for later, and closed the window. He walked out of the bunk area and over to the kitchen as Bethenny looked on in horror as he picked up a knife and put a hole in his hoodie. Anton put the knife back in its holder and lifted the sleeve while he and Bethenny both looked at the sleeve, ¡°Why?¡± Bethenny asked.
¡°Just checking something, now watch?¡± Anton said.
Nothing happened for the first 10 seconds then the hole seemed to stitch itself back together until it was fully restored after 14 seconds.
¡°What?¡± Bethenny asked as she watched the hole repair itself which shocked her into silence. After a moment she tried again, ¡°What just happened?¡±
¡°I received another message, it said I now have a set of default clothing because of my abilities,¡± Anton explained.
¡°What do you mean you have abilities,¡± Bethenny asked.
Boris looked over and then asked, ¡°What Bethenny said, also, are you still getting messages in your vision?¡±
¡°Yes, aren¡¯t you two?¡± Anton asked.
¡°No,¡± Bethenny said.
¡°No,¡± Boris agreed. ¡°I haven¡¯t received a new message since the synchronization message.¡±
¡°Me either,¡± Bethenny agreed.
They all looked over as the intercom was clicked on, ¡°Or any of us out here on the ship,¡± a technician named Samuel said before he clicked the intercom back off.
Anton chided himself. Of course, someone was watching them through the observation window. The three of them had just forgotten about it. Those who went down below and had to depressurize upon return became used to someone watching over them for days on end. The only privacy they had was in the shower, though there was a camera in the shower that could be turned on if someone stayed in the bathroom for too long without responding. However, it was never turned on without a verbal warning being given and the feed was also fed to a monitor in the bathroom so if it was turned on the person inside would know. Anton had never understood why that was necessary, but it did let you know if someone was checking on you while you were in the bathroom.
Anton looked thoughtful for a moment before he said, ¡°That¡¯s weird. So, the only things you¡¯ve been able to do are view those three simple sentences and also make those sentences viewable to others,¡± Anton said.
¡°Yep, nothing else has happened,¡± Bethenny agreed as she stirred their meal in the pot.
Anton had just started to smell the chicken noodle soup she was cooking. After the long trip down and back the chicken noodle soup smelled really good.
Boris looked over to Bethenny, ¡°How much longer before dinner is ready,¡± Boris asked.
¡°Since all I did was open three cans of soup, put it in a pot, and start warming it up while stirring, it should be ready in a moment or two,¡± Bethenny said.
A minute later, Bethenny removed the soup from the heated burner and turned the stove off as she put three bowls and spoons on the counter, picked one of each up, and served herself before walking to the dining table and sitting down as she said, ¡°Soups done.¡±
Anton and Boris each filled a bowl and came over to sit with her while they watched the news on the television. While the weird messages in people¡¯s vision were mentioned once in a while the news ultimately turned to the political environment. The Royal Family in the United Kingdom was doing what the Royal Family always did, making headlines. American Politicians were keeping Americans distracted and the rest of the world was just trucking on while the Stock Markets soared.
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They all watched the news while they ate their soup. Just as they were finishing their meal the icon in Anton¡¯s message indicator activated in his vision which was immediately followed by text that he could not control.
SYSTEM Nodes 1 ¨C 9 have been successfully contacted.
SYSTEM Synchronization Complete.
SYSTEM Integration Complete.
SYSTEM Version 1.2.4.1 Reiteration 10 is now active.
SYSTEM Interfaced 1.2.4.1 is now active in all sentient species.
Change Notes concerning your race, HUMAN, are as follows:
Upon Gestation, humans by age 5 will have 5 attribute points in all Primary Attributes gaining one per year on their birthday.
From Ages 5 to 11 5 attributes will be earned per year.
If distributed evenly all attributes could be 10 at age 16 which is the average human baseline
At Age 16 humans are considered adults and the only way to naturally increase attributes is through level and class progression.
Secondary Attribute Notes:
Health or Hit points have been standardized into one category, Hit Points.
Hit Points are equal to (Weight divided by 50(Rounded Up)) multiplied by (Constitution divided by 10) or (Weight/50) x (Con/10).
Stamina is equal to 10 per point of Endurance.
Mana is equal to 10 per point of Wisdom.
Hit Point, Stamina, and Mana Regeneration rates are as follows:
Hit Point Regeneration Rate, or ¡°Healing Rate¡± per day is (Weight divided by 50 (Rounded up)) multiplied by ((Constitution divided by 2) divided by 10). Or (Weight/50(RU)) x ((Con/2)/10).
Stamina Regeneration Rate per hour is (Stamina) multiplied by ((Endurance divided by 2) divided by 10). Or (Stamina) x ((End/2)/10).
Mana Regeneration Rate per hour is (Mana) multiplied by ((Wisdom divided by 2) divided by 10). Or (Wisdom) x ((End/2)/10).`
For a full breakdown of your attributes and formula for secondary Attributes see your Personal Information.
If you require further information concerning anything in your Personal Information think ¡°Help¡± and the item you wish to know more about.
For more information concerning the SYSTEM interface think ¡°Help SYSTEM Interface¡±. Information concerning notification and message notifications as well as other important information can be learned here.
Anton finished reading the notes and glanced over at Beth and Boris who both had glazed eyes as they seemed to be looking at something Anton couldn¡¯t see. Anton sat patiently and waited. When their gaze hadn¡¯t focused after another minute Anton thought Personal Information
Name: Anthony Nicholas Thomson
Identity:
Race: Human
Age: 27
Weight: 225
Birthday: September 13th, 2013 (Friday the 13th)
Animae: Normal
Primary Abilities:
Anti-Mage ¨C Cannot use Magic (No access to Mana)
Immortal - Cannot be killed. Synergistic with Anti-Mage. When damaged surrounding materials including air, will replenish hit points by ascending percentage. 1% after 1 second 55% after 10 seconds, 100% after 14 seconds,
Titles:
Character Level 0
Attributes
Strength 9
Agility 10
Dexterity 10
Endurance 11
Constitution 14
Perception 10
Intelligence 8
Wisdom 8
Willpower 8
Charisma 8
Luck 10
??? 0
Primary Stats
Carrying Capacity: 101.3 lbs. (45.9 kgs)
Hit Points: 10
HP Regeneration: 4 per day (NOTE: Immortal, fully healed after 14 seconds)
Stamina: 110
Stamina Regeneration: 1 per second
Mana: None
Mana Regeneration: N/A
Movement
Normal Running Speed: 8 mph (12 FPS)
Standing high Jump: 16 Inches.
Note. Falling Damage is not mitigated by maximum jumping Distance.
Flying Speed: N/A
Base Attack
Unarmed Attack: 1-4 -1
Critical Damage Maximum Damage x2
Skills
Total Skills: 0
Total Unused Skill XP: 0
Anton closed the Personal Information sheet now that he could see how some of the SYSTEM messages made sense. It looked like the lack of skills and levels didn¡¯t matter right this second. As he was thinking about his Personal Information he saw Bethenny and Boris looking at him. Anton smiled and asked, ¡°Did you two look at your Personal information?¡±
¡°Yep¡±, Bethenny said.
¡°Yeah,¡± Boris said next.
¡°Do either of you have levels or skills yet?¡±
¡°Nope, both those were empty,¡± Beth said.
¡°Same here,¡± Boris said.
¡°Huh, Anton said. This looks a lot like a role-playing or computer game. Why wouldn¡¯t the SYSTEM give us credit for skills we already have?¡± Anton mused out loud.
¡°What are you talking about?¡± Beth asked.
¡°I was just thinking how this notification system and the Personal Information looked a lot like rules for games I¡¯ve played in the past and Character Sheets for those games,¡± Anton said.
¡°I know right, but what does it all mean?¡± Beth asked.
¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what it means, I¡¯m more interested in why this is happening now when it wasn¡¯t happening before?¡± Boris said.
¡°Both are good Questions,¡± Anton said. ¡°I do have a different question for both of you. Did either of you look at your Personal Information?¡±
¡°I did,¡± Beth said.
¡°Me also,¡± Boris said.
¡°Do either of you have abilities listed?¡±
¡°Abilities?¡± Beth asked as her eyes glazed over, and she looked at something.¡± Actually, yes, I have one ability. It was listed as Bookworm and says I can read 50% faster than normal.¡±
¡°You didn¡¯t have a second ability listed?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Nope.¡±
¡°How about you Boris, did you have any abilities?¡± Anton asked.
¡°I have two. One was called Natural Pilot which says that with just a moment of study, I can drive or fly just about anything. My second one is related to my time in the Russian Army. It seems that I have something called Marksman that increases my chance to hit when aiming by 25% and also increases by critical hit multiplier from x2 to x3, whatever that is., Boris said.
¡°What are your abilities?¡± Beth asked Anton.
¡°Well, I have something called Anti-Mage which makes it impossible for me to use magic.¡± Beth gave him a look, ¡°I¡¯m just telling you what it says. I also have another ability that enhances my longevity.¡±
¡°You have an ability that will allow you to live longer?¡± Beth asked.
¡°Yeah, and it must work because the SYSTEM has already said I died once,¡± Anton said.
¡°Yeah, you showed that to us,¡± Boris agreed.
¡°So, you think everyone got those abilities?¡± Beth asked.
¡°I don¡¯t know but we can watch the news and find out,¡± Anton said as he picked up the remote and switched the channel to one of the headline new channels.
For the next hour, the three of them watched the news as expert after expert came on and tried to explain what was happening.
Anton had started to doze off as the world went crazy trying to figure out what the SYSTEM was and how it was doing what it was doing. Every crackpot on the globe from every country was claiming they caused it. Others, some from the countries making the claims that they knew what was going on, were making pleas to the international community for help.
Anton thought about how the world had stabilized since the fall of Russia as a single country. There were still small terrorist groups but not too much was heard about them. The last major attack had been against Vatican City back in 2010. That had been three years before he was born. Other than that attack, the last 30 years had been pretty uneventful. No major wars, no terrorist attacks. Nothing.
The Dark Web had rumors that shadow organizations were taking out anyone who thought to cause a ruckus, but realistically all the countries got along. Members of all the religions on the planet had seemed to become more tolerant since the failure of that attack when it was learned a nuclear device had been procured and disaster had only been averted at the last second. Just before he¡¯d dozed off he¡¯d thought how shocked those conspiracy nuts would feel if they knew what he¡¯d found down here near the Antarctic continent.
Anton was woken by Bethenny shaking him, ¡°Anton wake up, we have visitors!¡± Bethenny said in a slightly frantic voice.
As Anton opened his eyes he noticed three military men entering through the airlock. While they didn¡¯t have weapons pointed at anyone, each had a submachine gun on a strap and a pistol strapped to the front of their combat vest. Additionally, each wore a tactical face mask that covered their features and seemed to be attached to hoses coming out of a backpack.
¡°Please stay where you are,¡± The first man through the airlock said.
¡°Why are you entering the decompression chamber?¡± Bethenny asked from beside Anton where she was also sitting on the couch. ¡°If you stay in here for any length of time you¡¯ll need to decompress, just like us and we do not have enough supplies for six people. Whatever questions you have, you could have asked them from the observation room.¡±
¡°We¡¯re not here for questions. First, my call sign is Alpha One. The person on my Right is Bravo Two and the person on my left is Charlie Three.
¡°Very well Alpha One,¡± Anton said to cut Bethenny off, ¡°What can we do for you?¡±
Captain James has shared all the information and data you have collected with the U.S. Government. Charlie Three will be staying topside with Miss Speckler and Mr. Kavinsky while Bravo Two, You, and myself head back down to the structure you investigated earlier.¡±
¡°You want to see the Pillar?¡± Anton asked.
¡°We want to see what set off an energy spike that we detected from our vessel which was over 200 miles away. Also, it is our understanding that you didn¡¯t explore the entire structure. We¡¯re going to go down and take a look.
¡°I want to go too!¡± Bethenny said.
¡°That is impossible. Our vehicle only holds three,¡± Alpha One said.
¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± Anton said as he stood. ¡°Let¡¯s go, I have to restart my decompression cycle when I get back. The sooner we go, the sooner I can get back.¡±
Charlee Three went back into the airlock and picked up a duffle bag which he brought in and set down in front of Anton. As he reached for the zipper, Alpha One distracted him for a moment as he said, ¡°Inside the bag is a set of gear like what we¡¯re wearing, minus the weapons. Well, except for the knife. The knife comes standard in case you need to cut something off. Other than the knife though, it¡¯s just the gear we¡¯re wearing.¡±
As Alpha One stopped talking Anton felt a slight pressure on his neck and heard a hissing sound.
¡°What was that?¡± Anton asked as he reached and rubbed his neck.
¡°We¡¯re the United States Military, we have all the cool toys. Put on your gear and I¡¯ll let you know what the hypo had in it on the way down,¡± Alpha One said as Anton was starting to get a bad feeling.
Chapter 2, Back to the Pillar
Anton followed Alpha One and Bravo Two through the pressurized tube to the three-way junction and turned right. As they came down the tube there was a port that looked into the small docking bay which showed a craft unlike anything Anton had ever seen before.
Before Anton could say anything Alpha One said, ¡°No questions until we¡¯re underway. Also, don¡¯t worry, before the military releases you¡¯ll be signing the mother of all NDAs, you know a Non-Disclosure Agreement.¡±
Anton nodded and thought about what he¡¯d seen. The craft he¡¯d seen didn¡¯t look like any submersible he knew of. Of course, with his background, he wouldn¡¯t know if it was something new or just uncommon anyway. It looked a little like something he¡¯d seen in one of the science fiction series he¡¯d watched but not like a submersible. If he had to guess he¡¯d say that the craft looked like something that had been built for speed, more than diving to high-pressure depths.
Alpha One entered the craft and sat in the pilot seat while Bravo Two took a seat behind him. There were six jump seats behind the pilot and copilot. So, they could only bring him, huh? What horseshit! Before he could voice his thoughts Alpha one raised one finger as he said.
¡°Odyssey, this is Sightseer 1. Request permission to detach¡± Alpha One called into his mike.
¡°Sightseer 1, this is Odyssey, you are clear to detach,¡± Came over the single speaker in the cab.
¡°Detaching,¡± Alpha One said as their tube released its clamps, and the vessel he was in started dropping deeper into the ocean. Anton felt a slight vibration and Sightseer 1 dove away from the Odyssey. A minute later the depth gauge read 100 feet as they leveled out and Alpha One turned to Anton as he said, ¡°Okay, ask your questions, Mr. Thomson.¡±
¡°First, Anton is fine. As for questions, what was in the hypo you gave me?¡± Anton asked.
¡°I can¡¯t tell you that,¡± Alpha One said, ¡°I can tell you that it will help you decompress after we get back to the surface. The drug helps your body adjust to higher pressure and readjust to normal pressure when you return to the surface.¡±
Anton, nodded and then asked, ¡°How long will I need to decompress when we''re done?¡±
¡°Who said you¡¯ll need to decompress? ¡° Bravo Two asked.
¡°Are you two serious?¡± Anton asked. Both nodded and Anton asked a different question, ¡°Why hasn¡¯t anyone heard about this drug before now?¡±
¡°Two words, Tactical Advantage,¡± Alpha One said.
¡°Yep, if two groups are deep below the ocean and both surface, the one with this in their system will be able to continue working without worrying about having an aneurism or other complications,¡± Bravo Two explained.
Anton nodded, ¡°I guess that makes sense. So where are we going now if we¡¯re not headed deeper.¡±
¡°We¡¯re heading back to our submarine. From there, we¡¯ll be going with a little bit bigger group than just the three of us. I saw you looking at the six jump seats. Yes, your two friends could have fit in here fine. Taking you along is already going to make the trip a little cramped though.¡± Bravo Two said.
¡°Oh okay, how long until we get here?¡±
¡°We¡¯re already here,¡± Alpha One said as the largest submarine Anton had ever seen solidified out of the darkness. Sightseer one dipped and went along the underside until they came to a dive pool which had a good-sized submersible that had a much more familiar shape docked in it. It was longer and looked a lot sturdier than anything he¡¯d ever seen in the civilian sector.
Anton looked at the depth gauge which put them 100 feet below the surface. The reason he hadn¡¯t seen the submarine was that it must still be dark outside, though Anton had a feeling something else was going on. Probably some type of active camouflage. Alpha One drove their vehicle into the underwater docking lagoon of the huge submarine. A robotic arm reached down and secured Sightseer 1. The craft was lifted and placed on a cradle as both of Anton¡¯s companions moved toward the back of the cab to the hatch and opened it.
From the top of Sightseer 1it was a simple hop down and a short walk across a gangplank until they were climbing into the hatch of the bigger submersible. Alpha One led the way with Anton second and Bravo Two pulling up the rear. Bravo 2 secured the hatch and the three of them took the last three seats right near the hatch. Unlike Sightseer 1 there were no view ports although there were monitors in strategic locations that cycled through the view outside the submersible.
Anton watched as the monitor closest to him switched to a map of the Antarctica coastline south of South America and then zoomed in until it showed their current position and the coastline. An arrow appeared and the point of view followed it to the coastline and the shelf that the tunnel they¡¯d accessed the structure in had been found. Then the image repeated.
Anton was startled when a voice called back to him from the front, ¡°Mr. Thomson, I¡¯m Zulu One, please look at the monitor, is that location where we need to go?¡±
Anton watched the video one more time and then said, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s where we need to go. There¡¯s a huge tunnel directly under the shelf that leads to a cave that leads deeper into the continent. All told it¡¯s about three miles from the edge of the ice. One mile from the coastline of the ice shelf above.¡±
¡°Thank you, Mr. Thomson, looks like the map and coordinates from Captain James are accurate.
There was a ¡°Thunk¡± sound as the submersible was released and the submarine was underway.
The trip down was quiet. Anton noted that there were a total of twelve other people in the submersible with him. From where he was, he couldn¡¯t tell if any of them were women because they all wore tactical masks. Shoot, the masks were so comfortable that Anton had forgotten that he was still wearing one. He reached up to try to open it and Alpha One¡¯s hand shot out and touched his.
¡°The only two people in this sub that know what you look like are Zulu One, Bravo Two, and me. The others don¡¯t need to know who you are so keep the mask on,¡± Alpha One said.
Anton put his hand back down and got comfortable. ¡°Fine, I¡¯m going to take a short nap while we¡¯re headed down. It¡¯ll be about an hour before we get to the shelf,¡± Anton said as Alpha One nodded and also made himself comfortable. An hour later Anton woke when he was slightly nudged by Alpha One. Anton woke up, looked around, and remembered where he was before he looked at the monitor to verify their location.
¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, how did you find the entrance to the underground structure?¡± Alpha One asked as Anton glanced over at him.
¡°Dumb luck really. We happened to be in our submersible trying to get an ice sample from the bottom of the glacier when some ice dislodged and came floating up from below us. Since there wasn¡¯t supposed to be anything that deep we went to investigate and found a circular tube in the foundation of the continent¡±
¡°The hole was covered with ice? Sonar should still have been able to tell ice from a rock wall.¡±
¡°The ice was incredibly thick. Unless the sonar pulse was coming at the entrance from a horizontal angle it would have looked like another depression in the canyon wall. It¡¯s not surprising civilian and military vessels missed the tunnel,¡± Anton said.
¡°Any idea why the ice came free?¡± Alpha One asked.
¡°Yep, Climate change,¡±
¡°Why do you scientists use that excuse for everything?¡±
¡°Well in this case it happens to be true. The water behind the iced tunnel warmed and expanded which put pressure on the ice cork, for lack of a better term, and it popped free. I¡¯m not one of those activists. Warm water expands, so the answer is climate change¡±, Anton said.
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¡°We were wondering why we¡¯d never noticed it before because we have operated in this area before with active sonar and no one ever reported any anomalies,¡± Alpha One said.
¡°As I said, not their fault. That ice was very thick and one thing about ice is if there are air bubbles in it, remember, only low-frequency sound can go through the air. High frequencies tend to attenuate and reflect which makes the readings look like a wall.¡±
Alpha One looked puzzled for a moment before he said, ¡°Anton, we looked into your background, how do you know so much about sonar?¡±
¡°Not sonar, sound. Also, we use sonar on our submersibles so I thought I should learn about sound and how sonar actually works. I watched some YouTube videos on ultrasound and sonar.¡± Anton said. His attention was drawn back to the monitor as it showed a sonar image of the entrance to the tunnel.
¡°Mr. Thomson,¡± Zulu One called from the front, ¡°How old would you say the structure you found yesterday is?¡±
¡°Considering that the location the structure is located on the surface is covered by ice from the last ice age. If it was built when the continent was ice-free, at least 100 million years. If the facility was built after someone dug this hole to that location before ice covered the hole it¡¯s at least 10,000 years old up to the 100 million I already stated, though it could have been built any time before 10,000 years ago. At least that¡¯s what Bethenny said, and she has the Ph.D. in the subject,¡± Anton said.
¡°Did she say how the facility would continue to exist accounting for continental drift, earthquakes, and such?¡± Zulu One asked.
¡°She did not, though she said that if the facility was not built to withstand those factors that would indicate that it was built closer to 10,000 years as everything still appeared pristine. She said that right after we found the Pillar in the room with the clear floor.
¡°Clear floor?¡± Alpha One asked.
¡°Yeah, right after we enter the facility there¡¯s a hallway to a room with a Pillar in the center of it that extends into the floor and down as far as the eye can see. The Floor there is not the glass and it¡¯s clear, you can see right through it. There was ice there when we arrived but that all melted off after the energy surge,¡± Anton explained.
¡°Back to this tunnel, is there anything we should know?¡± Zulu one asked.
¡°Nope, it''s just a flooded tunnel that extends about 2 miles into the continent. The depth stays about the same at 1,000 feet below the current sea level,¡± Anton said.
¡°How would they build something that can survive at his depth, is there an airlock of some sort?¡± Alpha One asked.
¡°No airlock, the tunnel ends in an underground lagoon which is lighted by something in the roof, which we weren¡¯t able to reach. It must be airtight because the pressure of the ocean does not push the water up into the cave. Also, the air was breathable, and some mechanism was replacing the air because Boris said there was no change in carbon dioxide levels while we were out of the submersible. It¡¯s one of the reasons we left him inside, just in case the air went bad, and we couldn¡¯t get back.¡±
¡°You shouldn¡¯t have to worry about that, the mask you¡¯re wearing has a rebreather in it. It has about an hour of air and automatically switches to outside air if available. It¡¯s why we¡¯re all wearing them,¡± Alpha One said.
¡°I thought It was so I wouldn¡¯t be able to identify you later if we see each other on the road,¡± Anton quipped back.
¡°That too, of course,¡± Alpha One said.
¡°Back to the tunnel, the other thing we noticed is that it is perfectly circular,¡± Anton said.
¡°Perfectly Circular?¡± Alpha One asked.
¡°That''s what we¡¯re seeing up here,¡± Zulu one said. 30 feet, or 10 meters in diameter. A little tight for this submersible. How big is the lagoon at the end Mr. Thomson?¡±
¡°I want to say the lagoon looked to be about the size of a football field, so 100 yards long, give or take.¡±
¡°And the width,¡± Zulu One asked.
¡°Probably a little more than half that,¡± Anton said.
¡°Should be plenty of room to turn around,¡± one of the soldiers next to Zulu One said.
¡°Alright, we¡¯re head in, unless there¡¯s any sharp turns we need to worry about?¡±
¡°No sharp turns, it¡¯s a straight, two-mile tunnel,¡± Anton said.
¡°Very well, we¡¯re headed in,¡± Zulu One said as everyone watched the monitors as the submarine entered the tunnel.
Even though Anton told them it was a straight shot, they made their way carefully down the tunnel. Just under 15 minutes later the sub exited the tunnel into the lagoon and the pilot brought it to the surface where the monitors showed the docking station Anton had just left less than a day ago. After a little bit, they pulled up beside the docking port and Bravo Two opened the hatch and climbed out. Anto watched as another soldier followed him out of the submarine and they disconnected a plank from the top and made a walkway onto the docking structure.
¡°Lock her down, then everyone out. Mr. Anton if you¡¯d wait for everyone except Alpha One and then follow. Alpha One, follow Mr. Anton out the hatch and lock her down please.¡±
¡°Yes, Sir!¡± Alpha One said.
Anton watched as everyone deployed out of the submarine, onto the dock, and then onto the shelf that led to the tunnel that went into the structure. They were in a standard two by two formation by the time Anton and Alpha One pulled up the rear. Anton watched Zulu One make a hand gesture then everyone headed up the ramp into the structure. They had their submachine guns ready and made their way forward.
For Anton, there were no surprises. The ramp led up about 50 feet above the lagoon water level, leveled off for about 30 feet, and then some steps dropped down about 20 feet leveled off for 20 feet, and then more steps back up 20 feet. A simple air lock that was meant to trap water if it ever flooded this far the water would fill this depression and stop, as long as there was no pressure leakage further in of course.
After the basic water lock feature a tunnel went on for 50 feet into the pillar room. This time, time, however, something was different. As he was climbing the steps Anton heard a buzzing sound and noticed a bright light at the top of the stairs.
Anton turned to Alpha One, ¡°That buzzing is new. It wasn¡¯t bright before either.¡±
A moment later Zulu One¡¯s hand came up and everyone took up a defensive position along each wall. Slowly the group moved down the tunnel until it opened onto the transparent floor. Anton watched as the men entered the chamber and then kept to the wall as they went right and left. When he finally made it to the entrance of the room he had Alpha One beside. Zulu One and five other soldiers were off to his right while Bravo Two, who was right next to him, and four other soldiers were off to his left. Wait, that meant thirteen of them were in the room. A feeling of dread washed over Anton.
Anton was born on September 13th, 2013, which happened to be on Friday the 13th. Yesterday was Thursday, April 12th, 2040, which made today April 13th, 2040, another Friday the 13th. Whenever there was a conjunction of 13s, especially on Friday the 13th, bad shit always happened to him. The last time had been right after he¡¯d turned 13. A couple of months later on November 13th, 2026 both of his parents had been in a car accident and died. As the only living child and no relatives to speak of he¡¯d been dropped into foster care and without going into detail, he¡¯d been in one shithole after another.
Anton had refused to give up his last name, and though his first name was Anthony, a nickname one of the foster kids he¡¯d lived with had given him stuck. He¡¯d hoped that adopting the nickname would change his luck, though after this recent turn of events he was thinking the answer to that question was no. He had thought himself extremely lucky to have been added to this expedition at the last second. He¡¯d been with Bethenny when the discovery had been made and she hadn¡¯t wanted him talking to anyone so she asked him to come with her when she went down to explore the cave which turned out to be a tunnel. She hadn¡¯t had any nefarious plans as far as he could tell. She¡¯d just thought that bringing him along would interest him. Anton thought she¡¯d brought him along to make sure he didn¡¯t tell anyone about her discovery, which he wouldn¡¯t have, he liked Bethenny, plus she was cute. Of course, that was just wishful thinking, especially after he touched the Pillar.
Anton¡¯s thoughts were drawn back to the present as he looked over to the Pillar and saw someone standing next to it. He could tell that there was some kind of holographic digital control panel next to the person, no it was a female. It was a beautiful female with black hair and red eyes who was pushing buttons on the holographic display. Anton watched as without looking up she called out something that he couldn¡¯t understand.
Zulu One responded by aiming his weapon at the woman and calling out, ¡°I cannot understand you. Please step away from the glowing panel. This is your only warning.¡±
The woman paused for a moment, moved her fingers, and touched her forehead. She cocked her head to the side as if listening to something then said in accented English, ¡°Leave now and rejoice, The Entropy Shield will be activated momentarily, and the Chosen will continue forever.¡±
Zulu One switched on his laser sight which put a green dot on the woman¡¯s body as the other eleven soldiers did the same. There was a grouping of green dots that he could see directly over her heart. Anton watched as the women sneered and began to turn back toward the council. Zulu One must have been one of those men that didn¡¯t fuck because as soon as she decided to turn away he pulled his trigger and a 3-round burst sped toward the woman.
Anton watched as nothing happened to the women though he heard the sound of bullets ricocheting and bouncing all around him and the others.
One of the soldiers to his left grunted as he said, ¡°Ricochet,¡± as blood started dripping from his upper arm.
Anton hadn¡¯t even seen what repelled the bullets.
Without looking up, the woman called out ¡°Leave Now, you cannot get through my Force Barrier?
Zulu One pointed to a soldier who moved forward until he was ten feet away from the Pillar and the women and he ran into something. Anton watched as he looked like he was feeling for a door and then a wall flattened his hand. He thought the soldier was acting until he stepped back and jumped into the air which stopped him cold. He landed on his feet lightly.
¡°Anything?¡± Zulu One asked the soldier.
¡°Nothing, Sir! It stopped me in my tracks, whatever it was. It doesn¡¯t feel like glass, aluminum, or anything else I¡¯ve ever come across.
¡°That¡¯s because it''s not,¡± the woman sneered, ¡°It¡¯s magic!¡±
Chapter 3, Really, Im Not the Hero Type
Magic? Anton thought as he looked at the woman¡¯s sneer. He had seen that kind of sneer on a woman¡¯s face once before. He¡¯d come home from work early one day and found his girlfriend getting railed by the mailman. It was so clich¨¦. With cameras everywhere you¡¯d think he would have gotten in trouble, but no. He timed that stop with his lunch hour and railed her while on his lunch. When Anton had walked in on them in his apartment they¡¯d been in his bed. She¡¯d looked at him with a grin like the bitch in front of him had right now and then sat there on top of the mailman while she wiggled her hips and started to berate Anton.
He¡¯d been so angry, that he¡¯d turned and walked out of the room and closed the door behind him. Never one for inaction, he¡¯d walked into the living room over to his computer desk, grabbed his computer and monitor his car keys, and walked out of the house. He walked down to his car put the computers inside and drove south. At the time he¡¯d lived in North Dakota just south of Fargo. He¡¯d had a relatively good job in an auto parts store with the she bitch from hell.
While he was driving south he¡¯d called his boss, told him what had happened, and quit. The boss wasn¡¯t happy but understood. Anton had been sure he probably laughed his ass off after they¡¯d hung up their phones. He didn¡¯t care. Anton had driven southeast toward Minneapolis, over to Madison, and was going to stop at Rockford but decided to keep on going. During the middle of the night, he went through the Chicago area without problems, down through Indianapolis, and finally stopped near Nashville Tennessee in the early morning.
She wasn¡¯t on any of his bank accounts and all of his checkbooks, spare checks and such were in a safety deposit box in the West Fargo Bank branch in Fargo. He¡¯d dodged a bullet there. He rented a hotel room at the Marriot and then hooked into the net with his laptop. He had the computer he¡¯d grabbed out of the apartment, which was also his, but his work computer had all of his prewritten letters, as getting up and moving quickly seemed to be something he kept on doing. The first time had been when he was 20. The second time was when he was 25. The time he was thinking about with the she bitch had been the third time just six months ago. He opened the folder with the prewritten letter to his lawyer and sent him an email instructing him to take care of his affairs immediately. His lawyer already had notarized letters just in case so he should be able to handle everything for him.
Most people wouldn¡¯t bother, but he¡¯d grown up in the system. He always made sure to pay those bills that the government would come after him for. Something he didn¡¯t let people know was that he had money, a lot of money in a trust fund his parents had left him. It wasn¡¯t a lot of money but he could pull out about $5,0000 a month and not spend any of the principal, which was what he¡¯d done. With the email sent, he hadn¡¯t had to worry about anything. He went to sleep, woke up, and made it to Orlando Florida the next day. That drive had ultimately led him to this moment where he was looking at a woman who was smiling evilly as she wiggled her fingers.
Anton had no idea what she was doing until he saw a portal, not unlike the one the beam from the Pillar shot through. As Anton Watched a red ball of energy formed in her hand and then shot through the portal beside her and out of the one above his head. As soon as the red ball of energy was through the portal it closed and slammed into the ground not five feet in front of him. The good news, it didn¡¯t hit him. The bad news is it was a goddamn fireball. Like from that Dungeons and Dragons Role Playing Game (RPG) he¡¯d played as a teenager with the other kids in foster care. It hit the ground and exploded hitting everyone on this side of the barrier that was protecting the woman.
Time seemed to slow down as the energy wave washed foward. Alpha One turned his back on the fireball and slammed into him, the blast propelling them both back down the hallway with Alpha One on top of him. Anton checked himself and then realized something was off. Alpha One was lying on top of him but it didn¡¯t feel like there was a full-sized man on top of him.
Anton asked, ¡°Alpha One, you okay?¡± When he got no response he asked again, ¡°Alpha One?¡± When he didn¡¯t answer a second time, Anton gently pushed Alpha One to move him off of himself and realized that both of his weapons had been wedged between their armor. Even so, Alpha One was much lighter than he should have been.
As Alpha One slid off to the side Anto immediately found out why. The entire backside of Alpha One was gone. All that was left was a cauterized mass of flesh sitting inside the front part of the armor. It looked almost like someone had taken a knife and sliced him in half. Alpha One was most assuredly dead.
Anton looked over the armor. Counting for the armor he was wearing being wedged up Alpha One¡¯s armor, it looked like everywhere that had been within a foot of himself had not been affected by the fireball, including his own Armor. Anything further than a foot away had been disintegrated or scorched. So maybe that ability Anti-Mage did do something after all. Anton was pretty sure if this was what the fireball did to Alpha One the rest of the team was dead and that bitch whose smile reminded him of his whore of an ex-girlfriend was probably up to no good.
Anton was thinking about what he could do when a slow flashing yellow Icon appeared on the visor of his helmet. He moved his head and his eyes. Nope, the icon didn¡¯t move with his vision, it moved with his head so the icon was being displayed on the visor of the suit he was in. It didn¡¯t say anything. Maybe it was something that showed battery usage or damage? There wasn¡¯t anything he could do about it so he stood and picked up Alpha One¡¯s handgun and submachine gun. He slung the submachine gun over his shoulder and let the gun slip behind him as he grabbed the Desert Eagle, a gun he was a little familiar with.
When he was sixteen, the foster family he¡¯d been living with had given him one of the coolest birthday presents he¡¯d ever received. His foster dad had taken him to a gun range and let him shoot his Desert Eagle. He¡¯d been shown how to clean it, clear the weapon, and check the barrel without pointing the weapon at his head. Rule #1 never point a gun at something you don¡¯t intend to shoot which meant never look down the barrel. His foster dad had shown him the safe way to check the weapon. It was still one of the happiest memories he had. He¡¯d actually lived with them until he turned 18 and then moved on, though they had called once a year until he was 21 on his birthday. Lately, they¡¯d call around Thanksgiving or Christmas. They hadn¡¯t had a falling out. Dave and Sue Ellis lived near Minot and he¡¯d moved over to Fargo, over four hours away so they hadn¡¯t talked that often. After he¡¯d moved to Orlando and then booked the job he had on the Odyssey. They still called once in a while but visits were a little harder to manage.
Anton looked over the weapon, popped out the clip to make sure it was full, and checked the chamber. Once that was done, he reloaded the weapon and started walking back toward the chamber with the pillar. When he made it to the entrance he looked to the left and the right and saw the eleven crumpled dead bodies of the squad that had brought him here. It also looked like the woman had been waiting for him as a black line of energy lanced out from her pointed finger as she called out, ¡°Your friends died easily enough, now it¡¯s your turn.¡±
The beam disappeared a foot in front of him, ¡°You missed,¡± Anton said with disdain while he looked around. Anton noticed that all of the armor and weapons of the eleven other men were mangled and destroyed. It looked like the only weapons to survive that first fireball were the weapons that had been wedged between Alpha One and himself. While he was thinking five black bolts of energy left the woman¡¯s right hand and flew across the room at him. As they disappeared in front of him she reached over and picked up a staff that had been resting against the pillar which glowed briefly.
¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re doing to protect yourself. Fine, I can¡¯t kill you with magic easily. My Force Wall should keep you at bay while I finish what I came here to do,¡± she said as she turned back to the terminal and pointedly ignored Anton.
Anton smiled. This bitch had just killed 12 men in front of him. He had no idea who she was but she reminded him of his ex which meant that she had at least 12 reasons to die and thirteen reasons for him to dislike her. Also, that yellowing flashing light in his vision was flashing faster so he should get a move on and attack her before it disappeared or something else happened.
Anton started walking forward as he said, ¡°Lady, I don¡¯t know who you are. Honestly, I don¡¯t care. Strike number one was having a smile like my psycho slut bitch of an ex-girlfriend. Yes, that means I¡¯m calling you a psycho slut bitch.¡±
His statement caused the woman to look up as he walked toward her, ¡°Like what you think matters. You can¡¯t do anything to me from that side of the Force Wall.¡±
Anton continued talking like she hadn¡¯t said anything, ¡°Strike number two was killing all of the soldiers. That was just fucked up. I don¡¯t know which country you''re from and I don¡¯t care. You killed some of my fellow Americans.
¡°Americans? What is an American you pathetic mongrel? You¡¯re just a human! Also, I¡¯m not even from this planet, why do I care what you or these Americans think!¡± she spat out the word ¡®Americans¡¯ like it was a curse word. She also tossed a rock toward Anton which stopped dead and fell to the ground where the Force Wall was. Anton couldn¡¯t see where the Force Wall was until she threw that rock which helped him gauge where it was. It also allowed him to gauge when she was going to react to him if what he thought was going to happen, happened.
Anton looked at the woman again and noticed that she had two nubs from pointy ears sticking through her hair and she kind of resembled what he thought an elf should look like, ¡°Wait, are you an elf?¡± he asked as he stopped just short of the force wall while he also made sure the safety on the desert eagle handgun was off.
The woman huffed but didn¡¯t say anything as she started pushing more buttons. At that moment anger flared in Anton. It started as a burning heat in the back of his shoulders that radiated up the back of his neck and saturated his skull from the back of his head forward until his vision narrowed and before he knew what was happening Anton walked forward.
Anton passed through the wall as if it wasn¡¯t there, made it to the elf, and grabbed the back of her neck as he pulled her toward him. As he started to yank her forward she struggled slightly and seemed to be a little stronger than Anton but the fact that he had surprised her gave him the second he needed. What she didn¡¯t understand was why he¡¯d grabbed the back of her neck. He was holding her toward him so she wouldn¡¯t fly away from him as the desert eagle''s barrel was pressed into her breastbone just above the inside curve of her left breast where her heart would be if she was human.
There was a muffled crack as Anton fired the weapon and blood sprayed from her back. He twisted the gun so the bullets would hit new parts of her chest without lifting the weapon. He pulled the trigger over and over until eight of the nine .357 magnum rounds had traveled into and through her body. As she started to sag, Anton brought the gun up under her chin as he looked into her eyes.
Anger flared in her eyes as blood trickled out of her mouth and she whispered, ¡°Heros don¡¯t kill¡¡±
Anton, his anger still an unquenchable heat in his veins, said ¡°I¡¯m not the Hero,¡± and pulled the trigger sending the last .357 round through the bottom of her jaw, through the roof of her mouth, and up out of the top of her head. The spark in her eyes left and three message notifications entered his vision.
Congratulations You have killed a level 18 Mage. 1,800 XP awarded.
You have leveled from Level 0 to Level 1. You have earned four attribute points which can be distributed as you see fit.
You have also received one Skill Point.
While he¡¯d never killed anyone before, he had to admit killing this person at this moment after what she¡¯d just done felt good. Also, part of him wished he could have done that to the she bitch but he wasn¡¯t a psycho. If she killed someone though...
Anton refocused his thoughts. Luckily for him, whatever mess the top of her head exploding had made was stopped by the armor and mask he was wearing. Anton dropped the elf to the ground and stepped over her to the console which seemed to have a countdown of some sort going on. He couldn¡¯t read the numbers but it was pretty obvious it was a countdown. When the countdown switched to single digits he knew he was in the last 10 seconds. At the same moment, the rapidly flashing yellow icon changed to the number 10 in red which began counting down as well.
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Both counters continued with the counter for the Pillar control panel being about a second ahead of the one in his mask. He didn¡¯t want to touch the console and mess things up because of the way things went the last time he touched the Pillar. Also, there was no way for him to influence the counter in his mask. It seemed to be completely independent of anything else his mask did.
As the Pillar console seemed to reach zero when the symbols disappeared, a SYSTEM message filled his vision.
SYSTEM MESSAGE
SYSTEM INTEGRATION of the Nine Pillars Initiated
The Sixth Pillar has been designated as the Primary Pillar. Quantum Integration will establish 6th Pillar constructs as Primary, all others will be utilized to reset Entropy¡
Everything went white. The only thing Anton could see was the SYSTEM Messages.
SYSTEM ERROR
!!!You have been Disintegrated!!!
SYSTEM ERROR
Pillar 10 Console Device destroyed at subatomic level.
Pillar 10 Damage
Pillar 10 Repair Commencing.
Data Loss nominal
Quantum Integration halted.
Quantum Integration backup plan initiated.
Please Wait
Please Wait
Please Wait
Unrecoverable ERROR
Quantum Integration Cancelled.
Quantum Separation is impossible.
Non-biological mass will be repurposed to fuel Quantum Separation and Transformation
SYSTEM Instances combined to fuel transformation.
SYSTEM Response ¡°Multiple SYSTEM Coexistence during Entropy Reset¡± Initiated.
Temporal Hold Activated.
Temporal Hold deactivated
SYSTEM Interface 11.0.0.1 Activated.
Disorientation is to be expected. Please refrain from any sudden movements or rash actions.
During the initiation of the Entropy Shield, A catastrophic error occurred.
System Integrity Damage
System Reset Initiated
History of the SYSTEMS and Entropy Shield are available in the SYSTEM Library if you possess the required clearance level.
System 11.0.0.1 Change Log
All users reset.
All Classes removed
All Titles Removed.
Abilities are no longer automatic and must be unlocked. More than two abilities can be unlocked.
Class choices are no longer automatic and must be unlocked.
Skills have been reworked. Users earn 1 Skill Point per user level automatically as well as extra Skill Points as rewards or for other activities.
Skills can provide bonuses with specific combat and non-combat actions. See specific skill for details
Attributes remain the same
Secondary Attributes remain the same
Experience is awarded as follows:
Minimum Deduction: Target Level ? current level (Class Levels are not used for this comparison) = ? XP award.
Target Level 1/3 current Level (Class Levels are not used for this comparison) = 1/3 XP award.
Target Level ? current level (Class Levels are not used for this comparison) = 1/2 XP award.
Base XP award: 100 XP per Level
Target level 2 times current level (Class Levels are not used for this comparison) = 2x XP award
Target level 3 times current level (Class Levels are not used for this comparison) = 3x XP award
Maximum Bonus: Target level 4 times current level (Class Levels are not used for this comparison) = 4x XP award
User Level is 1,000 XP per new level.
User level 0 = 0 ¨C 999 XP
User level 1 = 1,000 -1,999 XP
User Level 2 = 2,000 ¨C 3,999 XP,
etc¡
User Level Maximum removed.
Class levels do not require XP. Each User Level can be utilized to increase a Class Level for any unlocked classes that the User desires. For example, A User at Level 10 could have a Fighter Class at Level 5 and a Rogue Class at Level 5. To earn another Class level they would need to increase their User level to 11 and increase their class level by 1 in the class of their choice, so long as they meet the prerequisites, if any.
Additional Notes:
A SYSTEM Shop will be available in any City with a population of at least 100,000
Entropy Shield Protocol Prevents Labyrinth connections from forming.
Mana Overflow Protocol ¡°Dungeons¡± Active.
You have Respawned
You have Died
Anton looked around, He¡¯d seen the message that he¡¯d died. He checked his Personal Information again and noted that his XP was at zero. That sucked, he¡¯d just earned 1,800 only to have that SYSTEM ERROR wipe out that gain. Also, everything was still white, what the hell was going on? He kept an eye on the clock the SYSTEM provided and 14 seconds later received another message.
You have Respawned
You have Died
Anton checked and sure enough, he still had the abilities Anti-Mage and Legendary. Maybe that hadn¡¯t been reset because he was technically dead and under the influence of an ability during the SYSTEM reset? If so, he¡¯d dodged a bullet there for sure. It would have sucked to give up two legendary abilities. 14 seconds later he respawned and died again. What the hell had happened?
As he thought that he pulled up his Combat log. He¡¯d been looking at his messages but he hadn¡¯t checked his Combat Log. The first thing he noticed was that none of the spells that had been cast at him showed up on the log. If it didn¡¯t affect him his Combat Log didn¡¯t record it. That was good to know. Thought it could be bad if someone tried to snipe him from behind with a spell. He¡¯d never get the notification that a spell had been cast at him so he wouldn¡¯t know. He refocused on the Combat Log
You have grabbed a female Elf by the back of the head
You have shot a female Elf at point-blank range for 6 points of damage
You have shot a female Elf at point-blank range for 6 points of damage
You have shot a female Elf at point-blank range for 6 points of damage
You have shot a female Elf at point-blank range for 6 points of damage
You have shot a female Elf at point-blank range for 6 points of damage
You have shot a female Elf at point-blank range for 6 points of damage
You have shot a female Elf at point-blank range for 6 points of damage
You have shot a female Elf at point-blank range for 6 points of damage
Critical Hit! You have shot a female Elf at point-blank range for 12 points of damage
Congratulations You have killed a level 18 Mage. 1,800 XP awarded.
You have leveled from Level 0 to Level 1. You have earned four attribute points which can be distributed as you see fit.
You have also received one Skill Point.
You have been destroyed by a tactical nuclear device 30 feet behind you.
You have Respawned
You have taken ERROR heat and radiation Damage
You have Died
You have Respawned
You have taken ERROR heat and radiation Damage
You have Died
You have Respawned
You have taken ERROR heat and radiation Damage
You have Died
You have Respawned
You have taken ERROR heat and radiation Damage
You have Died
Well shit, He was almost dead center on the blast sight of a thermonuclear explosion. No wonder he was dying over and over. How long was that going to last Just then he received a new message
Congratulations! You have died 10 times, Title Unlocked, "I Ain¡¯t Worried". Attribute Efficiency for all Attributes increased by 10%
Anton opened his Personal Information again and noticed that a new category next to each attribute had been added, ¡°Efficiency¡± and each attribute now had three entries.
Attributes
Strength 9, 10%, 10
Agility 10, 10%, 11
Dexterity 10, 10%, 11
Endurance 11, 10%, 12
Constitution 14, 10%, 15
Perception 10, 10%, 11
Intelligence 8, 10%, 9
Wisdom 8, 10%, 9
Willpower 8, 10%, 9
Charisma 8, 10%, 9
Luck 10, 10%, 11
??? 0, 10%, 0
So dying 10 times had given him a bonus to all of his attributes that he could see. While 10% didn¡¯t seem like a lot and it only looked like he¡¯d gained 11 total attributes once he started leveling that 10% would get bigger and bigger. At 20 points it would be +2 per attribute. At 30 points it would be +3 per attribute. Though that¡¯s not what he was thinking about. What he was thinking about right now was the fact that the heat and radiation in this place was killing him every 14 seconds, if he kept dying and coming back, would that bonus keep increasing? If yes, how long would this room continue to be deadly to him so he could keep increasing that bonus?
Chapter 4, I Aint Worried, I Can Take It!
Anton watched his Combat log as he respawned and died over and over. Three minutes and Thirty Seconds later he found out that the bonus did indeed improve when he received a new notification.
Congratulations! You have died 20 times, Title Rarity Upgraded to Uncommon for ¡°I Ain¡¯t Worried¡±. Attribute Efficiency for all Attributes increased to 20%.
Eight minutes after that another notification stated that he¡¯d died 50 times and that the title had been upgraded to Unusual, then Advanced, and finally to Scarce. Attribute Efficiency increased to a total of +50%. While the Title was nice, and it was going up, he was growing concerned. The heat in the chamber with the Pillar didn¡¯t seem to be lessening. Of course, it had only been about 11 minutes but still, it had to cool off at some point.
After 23 minutes something started to change. As his body reformed after his 101st death he didn¡¯t die instantly, there was a moment of intense pain as he took the damage and then died again. Also, the blinding white light was interrupted as there seemed to be a grey mass for a moment which then disappeared. If he had to guess his body was lasting a little longer before it disintegrated which was what he had to be seeing. Also, his Title upgraded to Legendary and his bonus to Attribute Efficiency for all of his attributes increased to 100% which looked to be the maximum for that title.
Congratulations! The Title, I Ain¡¯t Worried has increased in rarity to Legendary. Attribute Efficiency has increased by +100% for all attributes. 100% is the maximum attribute efficiency bonus any single Title may grant
For the next 23 minutes and 4 seconds, he died 99 more times. That brought his count during this continuous death count to 200 with a total death count of 201 times if he counted the Pillar killing him that first time. His Attribute Efficiency upgraded to 100% and he received a new title.
Congratulations! You have earned the Title, ¡°I Can Take It!¡± You have endured excruciating pain continuously until 100% of your total hit points were removed 100 times in quick succession. Willpower and Endurance are increased by 10.
What about the first 100 times he died? Maybe the SYSTEM didn¡¯t count those times because he died too quickly? He guessed that could be the case. After 70 minutes of dying every 14 seconds his life was getting tedious, painful, and boring. The good news was that he was feeling the pain for just a little bit longer and he could see his body falling to the ground as he died and his spirit remained standing where he¡¯d respawn. Also, every time he died 100 times the bonus to Endurance and Willpower increased by 10 points.
Congratulations! The Title, ¡°I Can Take It!¡± has increased in rarity to Uncommon. Willpower and Endurance now receive a +20 to their Base Value.
After two hours and twenty minutes, he¡¯d died 600 times. The rarity of his Title I Can Take It had increased to Unusual, Advanced, Scarce, and then Master. His Attributes had effectively doubled and his endurance and willpower were continuing to increase as well. Unfortunately, that¡¯s when it started taking two seconds to die. It took a long time for the amount of time it took him to die to increase by another second, 7 hours to be exact. At that time his Title I Can Take It increased in rarity from Master to Rare. After Rare was Epic, then Mythic, and finally Legendary. Where his Title I Ain¡¯t Worried had jumped quickly to Legendary it had taken a little time for the Title I Can Take It to get to Legendary. He¡¯d also received a message when the bonus for that title maxed out as well.
Congratulations! The Title, ¡°I Can Take It¡± has increased in rarity to Legendary. Willpower and Endurance both receive a +100 point bonus. Legendary is the maximum rarity for Scaling Titles. This Bonus can no longer be increased.
From dying repeatedly all of his attributes had increased by double and willpower and endurance had increased by 100 points. Well, 200 actually since the efficiency bonus doubled the base value of his attributes.
The 2 seconds of agonizing pain increased the time between death and respawn to 16 seconds which reduced how many times he died per hour. For the next 6 hours and 13 seconds, he lived in excruciating pain for 3 seconds every 17 seconds until at exactly 13 hours and 13 seconds since this started he received a new notification right after he died.
As a new message popped into his vision Anton realized he was really beginning to hate the number 13. Then again, maybe he was looking at that wrong. In this case, being in this state of perpetual death and rebirth had helped him out quite a bit. Maybe the number 13 wasn¡¯t a curse for him after all. He checked the message that had popped into his vision.
SYSTEM Message: Pillar 10 Control Room Flushed and Repaired
Anton respawned into the empty and pristine Pillar room. He looked around and couldn¡¯t see a single thing wrong in the room. The Pillar came up through the transparent floor and into the ceiling. Anton checked over himself and noticed that the armor he had been wearing was gone and he was now wearing the clothes he¡¯d designated as his default set of clothes, which he could swear were up on the Odyssey where he¡¯d left them on his bunk. The eleven bodies of the military men that had been in the room were gone, as was the body of the female elf.
Anton looked over his attributes. While he didn¡¯t know what the numbers meant double in all cases and +100 in two cases had to be good. He looked over his Personal Information and focused on his attributes.
Attributes
Strength 9, 100%, 18
Agility 10, 100%, 20
Dexterity 10, 100%, 20
Endurance 111, 100%, 222
Constitution 14, 100%, 28
Perception 10, 100%, 20
Intelligence 8, 100%, 16
Wisdom 8, 100%, 16
Willpower 108, 100%, 216
Charisma 8, 100%, 16
Luck 10, 100%, 20
??? 0, 100%, 0
He now had 15 Hit Points and if he didn¡¯t heal all damage every 14 seconds his Health Regeneration said he could heal 7 Hit Points per hour. His Stamina was 2,220 thanks to his 222 in Endurance. His Stamina Regeneration was 411 per second. His Mana attribute was still sitting at a nice big ¡°0¡±. With 216 in his Willpower Attribute, he¡¯d thought he¡¯d get some mana, but no, no mana for him. No mana meant no spells, which meant no magic. While the little female elf had been a psycho bitch from hell, the fact that she could cast spells had been pretty cool now that he¡¯d had time to think about it.
Anton closed his Personal Information and decided he needed to look around, especially if this structure was now powered up, which it looked to be. The hallway Bethenny had gone down looked lit now. Before he went exploring he backtracked to the hallway he¡¯d entered from and looked to where the remains of Alpha One had been and noted they were gone as well. He walked down the hallway to the steps that went down 20 feet and checked to make sure that the body hadn¡¯t been blown down the stairs. There was nothing. Alpha One was gone. Anton walked back to the Pillar room where the console had been and looked around. The only thing in the Pillar room was the Pillar that extended down through the transparent floor. The holographic control console was gone.
With nothing else to do, Anton turned toward the Hallway Bethenny had explored earlier and began walking. Fifty feet down the passage it branched. The corridor to the right seemed to curve to the right and go down while the branch to the left stayed level and straight as it went on for another 50 feet to two doors. One door was on the right wall and the other was at the end of the corridor. Anton chose to stay on his current level and went down the left corridor. As he came to the end of the corridor he stopped at the door on the right first. Both doors looked like pressure doors that were made of metal that he couldn¡¯t easily identify. They appeared to be made out of Iron but they could just as easily have been Aluminum. Also, neither door had a porthole so he couldn¡¯t see what was on the other side.
Anton opened the door on his right which led into a small 30 x 30 foot room. It was lit dimly but otherwise, there was nothing in the room. On a hunch, Anton stepped into the room and looked at the door he¡¯d just stepped through. As he¡¯d suspected the number 10 was above the door. Anton exited the room and closed the door. If this was like a role-playing game he was betting that the room he¡¯d just exited was an incoming room for travelers that were either teleporting or using wormholes to travel to this Pillar facility, at least that was what he was going to call it from now on. The Pillar 10 Facility.
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He opened the other door and would have patted himself on the back if he could. Directly in front of him was an Arch which was currently filled with darkness. This room was a little bit larger at 50 x 50 feet and about 20 feet high. So not much bigger than a nice-sided dining room. Off to the side of the arch was a pedestal with a grey orb on top of it.
Anton walked over to the orb and looked around it to see if there were any buttons or obvious controls but there was a hand-shaped impression on the top of the orb which he placed his hand on.
Welcome
You have established contact with the Pillar 10 Portal Node. Would you like to add this Node to your local Network, Yes or No?
Anton chose ¡°Yes¡±
The Current Node is outside of the normal space-time configuration. Only local Nodes are accessible from this Node
You may use this Node to connect to any other Node within the local network or to travel to any point on the current planet.
Anton chose ¡°Current Planet¡±
A three-dimensional holographic map of the current world appeared directly in front of Anton, though it looked a little off. Anton reached out with his hand and found that he could manipulate the map with hand gestures, not unlike what Tony Stark did in the movie Ironman. The continents seemed different than he was used to but he was able to find North America and from there he was able to zoom in on the location of North Dakota. After that, it was a simple matter to zoom down until he could see a town map except that the map of Minot was wrong. Anton knew that from Minot to Grand Forks was a 4-hour drive or about 199 miles, give or take. The distances looked okay, but¡
Anton played with the image for a few seconds until he figured out how to activate a measurement function that looked to be in miles. He measured the distance between Minot and Grand Forks and was shocked to find that it was 1990 Miles.
I wonder what the diameter of the planet is, He thought. A console window opened and a message appeared.
79,176 Miles
That couldn¡¯t be right the radius of the world was only about 4,000 miles which should make the diameter less than 8,000 not 80,000. Anton looked back to the holographic image and zoomed in on his mother and father''s house, except that there wasn¡¯t just one house that matched that description, there were 10 different copies of Minot in the area Miont should be on this map that had streets and houses that looked identical to each other. It looked like someone had put a second Minot beside the first one then put eight more cities of Minot around those two for a total of 10 different Cities of Minot together.
Minot had been a small town, approximately 8 miles wide from east to west and 7.4 miles wide from North to South. What Anton was looking at right now was about 35 wide from east to west and at least 33 miles. The rivers that went through the town, towns, were all wrong as well. How the hell was he supposed to be able to tell which town was his foster mom and dad¡¯s?
As he zoomed in he realized that the map was a real-time interactive map that could show him what was going around the world he started looking around. He¡¯d lost track of time but it should be around 8 p.m. in Minot which meant it should be dark. Even so, the map he was looking at showed him what was going on as if it was the middle of the day. Minot seemed to be stable though there were people in the streets looking around at the edges of each Minot zone.
Anton scrolled the map over to Fargo and noted that the same thing had been done there though riots had seemed to break out and people were ransacking various stores for supplies as he watched.
For the next 12 hours reviewed various locations around the world. What he was able to figure out was as scary as it was surprising. First, it looked like most big cities had no power. Everything on the planet had been duplicated 10 times and it looked like that included damns and infrastructure but the way it had been put together wasn¡¯t efficient. It also looked like every single satellite in orbit was missing. He¡¯d figured that out when he¡¯d zoomed into a house and found a family cooking over a wood stove with no electricity or television. Then he¡¯d zoomed out away from the planet so he could see if any satellites still existed. None had. The only things in orbit were 10 copies of the International Space Station (ISS) which all seemed to be in a very close similar orbit.
Some places had electricity but most of them were places near reactors, damns, or solar farms or running on diesel generators. Places that relied on the power grid, especially outside of North America seemed to be suffering tremendously though vehicles still worked. After looking over everything for 12 hours Anton knew that things were going to get bad before they got better. The question was what could he do to help? He had no way to get what he¡¯d discovered to anyone else, or did he?
Anton moved the image of what he was looking at to Washington DC and looked through each White House until he found the President he was looking for. After the 2016, 2020, and 2024 elections, the American people decided that they were fed up with Washington DC, lobbyists, and anyone who was bought out by big tech. Every single Senator and House Representative who held their position for more than two terms was replaced between 2024 and 2030. In 2031 the 31st Amendment had been passed and signed into law.
The 31st Amendment had been a relatively simple Amendment to the Constitution. Senators could never hold more than 2 terms, and Representatives could never hold their office for more than 6 terms, which limited each to 12 years. Additionally, From that point on the pension of any Senator, House Representative, Supreme Court Justice, or President of the United States could not be more than that of a four-star General with 30 years¡¯ service. The Amendment had also rescinded all other Amendments that guaranteed pay, even if the Government shut down. If federal employees weren¡¯t getting paid, neither were the politicians. The Amendment had been simple and it had worked. There hadn¡¯t been a government shutdown since 2032.
Of course, thinking about all the good changes that had happened while he was graduating from high school didn¡¯t matter now. The world was almost 10 times the size it had been. Speaking of which, He¡¯d sucked at science but shouldn¡¯t a bigger world have higher gravity? He didn¡¯t feel any different. Again not something he needed to worry about, that whole ¡°If it ain¡¯t broke don¡¯t fix it!¡± mentality his foster dad tried to teach him. What was he thinking about again, oh yeah, finding his President?
All the changes that had come about had ensured that votes actually mattered and were handled fairly because a neat bit of technology had been invented that made it incredibly hard to hack someone¡¯s identity and everyone voted. Also, there was a very powerful A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) running things which was double-checked by two other A.I.s. They watched and verified all voting machines and kept track of who voted.
If someone was found to be cheating. It was a felony to tamper with the votes. Once those in charge started using common sense again, those who tried to cheat found themselves either going to jail or paying a fine dependent on how large a scheme they¡¯d implemented to cheat. In some cases, the fine had been so large that they had nothing left after. The Government needed money to pay down the deficit after all. While voter fraud wasn¡¯t proved during the 2016,2020, or 2024 elections it was obvious that some cheating had gone on. Since 2031, that habit has been curbed dramatically.
The government had made real headway in the last 10 years. The budget was down to 20 trillion dollars and balanced for the third year in a row. A lot of programs had been cut but then again they needed to be. He hadn¡¯t paid attention all that much except to know that unless he was truly disabled he needed to work or he would be forced to work. It wasn¡¯t the government¡¯s job to spoon-feed its citizens and there was plenty of infrastructure to fix around the country.
As Anton moved the map around he was looking for the last duly elected President, a former Air Force General, Ezekial Louis Ainsworth. President Ainsworth had been elected in 2036 and if he won the next election in November he would remain the President next year. Anton played with the Map a little bit in areas that didn¡¯t have anyone in them and figured out that he could have the Arch create a portal to any location he was viewing with a push of his will. He zoomed in and viewed each of the ten Oval Offices.
Only three of the offices had President Ainsworth. Two had a female who was being addressed as President, though he didn¡¯t recognize her. Four more had the individual that had run against President Ainsworth, though he couldn¡¯t think of the guy''s name, it had been so forgettable. The 10th Oval Office was in ruins. Not something that had happened recently. It looked like it hadn¡¯t been rebuilt from whenever it had been damaged. Anton looked closer and noted that there were huge blood stains all over the carpeted floor.
Anton went back to the three Oval Offices that contained President Ainsworth and looked over each. It took a little while but finally, he was able to pick out the Oval Office that had news he remembered seeing that didn¡¯t feel off from what he knew. Like Minot Washington DC was laid out with two copies in the center of eight, one on each directional spoke. The Oval Office he was looking into was the one that was on the North West side of combined cities. Anton shifted the map back to Minot, went to the North West version of Minot, and found his Foster parent''s house. He looked into the house and found his foster dad and mom barricaded in the basement with a gas lantern for heat and a couple of sleeping bags to sleep on. He quickly checked the other two versions of Minot that matched locations for the alternate versions where President Ainsworth was President. There was one on the west spoke and the other was on the south spoke. Neither house had anything that looked like it belonged to him.
That gave him the idea to shift his view to the Antarctic, which was weird. He was able to zoom through the rock until he found himself, standing in this room, fiddling with the map floating in the air before him. Unlike the cities, there was only one facility. There was no other facility near him. He wondered what that meant but honestly, he needed to get this information out so he stopped messing around and brought up the image of the North West Oval Office with ¡°his¡± President Ainsworth in it. It was a simple thing for him to direct the portal to shift to where he wanted it to open and then initiate the Arch. As the Arch solidified into a view of the Oval Office a portal opened and 13 people looked directly at Anton.
Thirteen! Thirteen? There had been twelve people a second ago¡ Before he could move or utter a word two Secret Service Personnel had pulled their weapons and fired. Anton was flung back and away from the Portal Node, which deactivated the Arch and the portal in the Arch to the Oval Office disappeared as Anton was flung back and away from the node.
This time it was a weird sensation as he lay there looking up through his open dead eyes not moving or breathing. A message Notification entered his vision. Since he wasn¡¯t doing anything else he opened them.
WARNING! You have been shot through the heart
Critical Hit, Damage is multiplied by 2
Damage Taken 12 (6 x 2)
WARNING! You have been shot through the heart
Critical Hit, Damage is multiplied by 2
Damage Taken 12 (6 x 2)
Total Damage 24
You Have Died
1% Damage healed
3% Damage healed
6% Damage Healed
10% Damage Healed
15% Damage Healed
21% Damage Healed
28% Damage Healed
36% Damage Healed
45% Damage Healed
55% Damage Healed
66% Damage Healed
78% Damage Healed
91% Damage Healed
100% Damage Healed
Respawning
As Anton reached up and felt his chest he said, ¡°That Sucked!¡± Seriously, if he had to die, he wanted to be vaporized, it was much easier to come back when he could move his point of view. As he checked his shirt he realized there were no holes in it. Just to make sure he pulled the shirt and the hoodie off quickly and looked them over. Nope, his clothes were also repaired. Nice, it looked like he wouldn¡¯t be respawning naked again.
As he put his shirt and Hoodie back on he realized that was the third way he¡¯d died. The first had been the Beam. The 2nd had been the detonation of a nuke and the subsequent respawns into the radioactive center of that nuke and now he¡¯d been shot. Among the many questions that he now had the most important question right now was how was he going to let the President know about what he¡¯d found down here without getting shot?
Just then a couple of new messages popped into his vision.
SYSTEM AMALGAMATION COMPLETE
NEW SYSTEM ENVIRONMENT ANALYZED
To all beings reading this Announcement, please make your way to a safe location. SYSTEM Announcement will commence in 60 seconds.
Chapter 5, Entropy Shield Process
Anton moved over to the wall near the entrance to the Arch room and sat down. If The SYSTEM was going to explain what was going on or give more information he didn¡¯t want to be distracted. Once he¡¯d made himself as comfortable as he could, he waited for the SYSTEM messages to start. He didn¡¯t have to wait long.
SYSTEM Interface 11.0.0.2 Activated.
Cultural Connotations loaded for Earth, Human Culture 21st Century and Variants.
Founders Note: This note is being left to explain why this process was created. Some will look at the destruction of 9 universes, even alternate universes, as a horrendous crime. We need not explain ourselves to you. This process was created to ensure that the uniqueness of our reality continued to exist forever. We discovered, near the end of our Universe, that as Universes Aged, they eventually reverted to their base quantum state. From that quantum state the Universe could become anything else and what it was before would be lost forever. To prevent that loss of life, data, or meaning from all the entities that had existed within than universe this process was created. We, The Founders, created The Nine Pillars. These Pillars were each placed within an Alternate version of the Original Universe A 10th Pillar was placed with the Original or Prime Universe. Once activated the 10th Pillar reconfigures the Universe to an earlier state while utilizing the energy of the other 9 Universes. The Nine Pillars are then relocated into newly created Alternate Universes to await the activation of the 10th Pillar so the cycle can be repeated. In this way, the Data within the Prime Universe is never lost or converted as it is always available. This process was designated as an Entropy Shield as it keeps true entropy at bay.
Annotation Note: Locations, objects, and entities may be described with the Title ¡°Pillar 1-10¡±. This title designates which Universe the location, object, or entity originated in. In all instances where duplicates were not present, the Pillar 10 Universe version was kept. Everything else was used to fuel the transformation process. As an Example. All 10 alternate Universes contain Earth and 9 planets. The Pillar 10 Universe contained a 10th planet. The Pillar 7 Universe contained a 10th Planet instead of an Asteroid Belt. The Pillar 6 Universe contained a 10th Planet opposite Earth in the same orbit. During the combination process, the Pillar 10 extra planet was left in place. The extra planet in the 7th Universe was uninhabited, it was broken down and utilized for the conversion. The 10th planet in the Pillar 6 Universe was inhabited and added to the current solar system configuration in the Prime Universe.
Entropy Shield initiation, results, and current SYSTEM Status.
Number of times This Entropy Shield Process has been initiated: 9
Entropy Shield Change Log Notes:
Entropy Shield Activated by Pillar 6 Administrator Sahria Feylorian
The Entropy Shield Process Interruption Reason: Command Console Destroyed.
Pillar 10 Control Console Destruction Catalyst: Pillar 10 Tactical Nuclear Device. The Pillar 10 Integration Control Panel was destroyed by the Pillar 10 entity designated Zulu One posthumously.
System Recovery initiated.
Interruption Investigation Notes:
The 10th Pillar Beacon was activated by the 10th Pillar Entity, Anthony Nicholas Thomson.
Pillar 6 Entity Sahria Feylorian detected the Beacon and followed it back to the Pillar 10 Control Console with the intent to subvert it and have the inhabitants of the Pillar 6 Universe take the place of the Pillar 10 Universe.
Pillar 10 Entity Anthony Nicholas Thomson Stopped the process.
Pillar 10 Tactical Nuke detonated.
The Detonation of the Tactical Nuclear Device before the Entropy Shield Process was completed destroyed the control matrix for that process.
Entropy Shield Process Recovery Notes:
ERROR, no Prime Universe Designated
ERROR, Reversion to Original State impossible
ERROR Rectified! Kinslayer Protocol Activated
Kinslayer Protocol: Fight for Dominance.
Kinslayer Protocol Setup: Matter has been rearranged so that all planets containing sentient species that had duplicates among the 10 Universes have been enlarged and combined to include the populations of all versions of that planet. As Earth existed in all 10 Universes All sentient beings from all 10 Earths have been added to a single Earth designated Earth Prime.
Adjustments have been made and cities have been placed in the same relative geographic area.
While some infrastructure stayed connected this could not be done in all cases. Each geographical location has been recreated. There is no set size, as the Earth is a Globe however all geographical placements follow a similar pattern to the original planet.
The Geographic Pattern setup is as follows:
NW (P8) / N (P1) / NE (P2)
W (P7) / M1(P9) // M2 (P10) / E (P3)
SW (P6) / S (P5) / SE (P4)
From the diagram provided, you should be able to determine that individuals from the various Universe within a specific geographic location will start within the same general area in each geographic location. Example: Pillar 10 Universe will always be located in the geographic middle right. While individuals from Pillar Universe 6 will always be located in the geographic bottom Left.
Universal SYSTEM Rules:
1) An Entropy Shield has been placed around the Prime Universe. This Universe is currently cut off and hidden from the rest of the Multiverse. This includes all adjacent dimensions.
2) This is now a SYSTEM-maintained Universe.
3) The ambient magic of this Universe is set to normal or 100%. All magic-based classes are available.
4) No limitations on technological advancement or technology-based classes will be imposed.
5) All SYSTEM Users have been reset to User Level 0. All Classes have been removed.
6) All Users have a chance to unlock abilities unique to themselves. While it is true that most entities are born with one or two innate abilities it is also true that this SYSTEM has been configured to suppress and adjust the abilities of entities to more suit their personality and style once unlocked.
7) User levels will increase as described previously. 1,000 XP per new level cumulatively. 1,000 XP to reach level 1. 3,000 XP to reach Level 2 (1,000 + 2,000) and so on.
8) XP is awarded based on the User or Monster Level at 100 XP per level of defeated creature as modified by level disparity.
9) Users that receive the ¡°You Have Died!¡± message and have an ability or class that allows respawn or those users Resurrected by other Users with Classes, Abilities, or Spells that allow for Respawn or Resurrection are reduced in level to the bottom of their previous level. For example, to reach level 3 would require 6,000 XP. If a user had 5,999 XP and was killed they would be reduced to Level 1 with only 1,000 XP upon respawn or resurrection. They would lose all XP earned between levels 2 and 3 and then lose level 2 as well. Additionally, any abilities, skills, or spells that have a prerequisite minimum Level for use may not be utilized until the prerequisites for the ability, skill, or spell are met again.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
10) All SYSTEM-based support Classes are currently automated
11) SYSTEM-based Shops are available in all Geographic regions that have a population of at least 100,000 Users. Personal Shops and Merchant Classes can access the SYSTEM Shop once classes or abilities are unlocked. SYSTEM-based Shops will always be located in the Regional Geographic Location for Pillar 10.
12) Universal SYSTEM-Based Monetary Conversion rate is as follows: 100 Copper = 1 Silver or 1 Credit // 100 Silver = 1 Gold // 100 Gold = 1 Platinum
There are of course more universal rules to The SYSTEM but as some of your cultures believe, figuring things out for yourself is half the fun.
The following information is specific to inhabitants of the Sol Solar System.
1) The Diameter of Earth is approximately 80,000 miles, 10 times its previous size. Modifications have been made to the internal structure to ensure the gravity remains 1G. The distance between locations is roughly 10 times what it used to be.
2) Water to Land ratio is 71%. Users can expect extreme weather variations outside of system-controlled areas due to the increased moisture levels in the atmospheric cycle.
3) Mana Density has a direct correlation to random Mana Events. Mana Events can include but are not limited to Dungeon Creation, Monster Spawns, Dimensional Rifts, etc¡ There is no way to predict what will happen. Note: As a rule, SYSTEM User densities of more than 1,000,000 users dramatically increase the likelihood of Mana Events.
4) Dungeons created on Earth will not gain access to the Labyrinth.
5) All Vehicles have been placed near or on the closest port for their type of vessel as a courtesy. Vehicles that were serviceable before the Entropy Shield was activated are still serviceable.
6) All weapons of mass destruction have been rendered inert. Individuals may Acquire classes that can create and utilize similar weapon types and effects.
7) Earth''s Population of Sentient Species is currently 93 billion.
8) Users may have doppelgangers or alternate versions of themselves. Quantum Signatures have been adjusted slightly to prevent accidental quantum entanglement or temporal cascade errors from cropping up. You are individual SYSTEM Users from this point on.
9) When these messages end the SYSTEM-mandated stability will end and the natural processes will commence.
The Kinslayer Setup Protocol has been activated successfully.
Cultural Connotations Removed, SYSTEM Interface reverting to default settings.
Welcome to The SYSTEM version 11.0.0.2
Anton read and reread the messages over and over. There was so much to take in and so many more questions he had. Then a thought came to him, and he stood and moved over to the Node. He activated the holographic map and zoomed in on his location. He followed the underground tunnel up and out as he zoomed in and out looking for The Odyssey. It was nowhere to be found. He searched all over and then finally asked, ¡°Where is the ship, The Odyssey?¡±
He was surprised when the holographic image responded to his verbal question. The map zoomed out and then zoomed in just off the east coast of Rio Grande and showed the Odyssey anchored there with an Aircraft Carrier, its support fleet, and multiple other ships were also anchored there. Just to make sure it was the same ship, Anton zoomed in until he was looking into the decompression chamber where Bethenny should be. Anton gasped as he saw both Bethenny and Boris slumped over the only table in the chamber, each with two bullets in their chests and one through their heads. They were both dead.
Anton could be angry. Shit, he¡¯d been pretty sure they were going to kill him once they¡¯d investigated the facility. No, wondering now, they were most definitely going to kill him. Though he had to admit, Alpha One had done a bang-up job faking it before he died. He¡¯d pack that away and figure out a way to offer some payback to the individuals who had given that order if he ever had the chance. Right now, he had to figure out what to do next.
Anton had read some science fiction books. What was the first thing he needed to do? Gather intelligence. He zoomed the map out and found the submarine that best resembled what he¡¯d seen when he¡¯d docked with and entered Sightseer. It was currently floating on the surface near the Aircraft carrier. He zoomed in and out until he found the captain of that sub talking with his XO in the Captain¡¯s room behind the bridge. Anton had to admit it was weird looking at two small representations of someone talking somewhere a thousand miles away, or was it 10,000 miles away? And being able to listen in on their conversation and change the angle he was seeing if he wanted to. How was this able to do that? Another question for another time. Anton focused on what was being said.
¡°How many of the boats around us are from our world?¡± the captain of the sub asked.
¡°The Carrier is ours, as are the support craft. It looks like we were the only submarine in this area though. We¡¯ve lost all long-range communications. Also, now that we¡¯re on the surface and talking with the other boats, none of us can pick up any satellites anywhere. Even the GPS Satellites are down.
¡°To be expected if what the text we all just received is to be believed.¡±
¡°Do you believe in this SYSTEM?¡± The XO asked.
¡°I don¡¯t know what to believe. I do know that we are over 1,000 miles from the location we were holding position at just over 14 hours ago. I also know that Rio Grande is much bigger than I remember and doesn¡¯t appear to match any maps we have on file. Also, you¡¯ve seen the videos from the south end of town from our cameras above deck. 8-foot-tall men are running around killing whatever they can find until they¡¯re mowed down by gunfire. That doesn¡¯t include the biologicals we¡¯re detecting further out to sea.
¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡± The XO asked.
¡°If the world has changed we need to get back to our port in San Francisco. If all distances are roughly 10 times the distance we¡¯re looking at a trip of roughly 78,000 miles. At 25 knots that still going to take us¡¡± the captain paused as he pulled up a calculator on the visual screen he was looking at, ¡°110 days if we don¡¯t pause and run 24 hours a day.¡±
¡°What about the Odyssey?¡±
¡°Leave it. There¡¯s nothing beyond short-range communication right now. No one will know what the Odyssey was or who killed them. Shoot the way we all arrived in port, there is no longer any proof we were anywhere in the vicinity of the ship. It just appeared next to us when we were all transported here. It¡¯s a shame we lost everyone except the last two of our special teams, but it sounds like they were successful and keeping us from being systematically destroyed,¡± the X.O. said.
¡°It seems that way. Get with the America¡¯s captain. If they¡¯re going to head north they¡¯re probably going to have to move all personnel onto that carrier from any boats that don¡¯t have the range as well as all the supplies. Not all of the other boats are nuclear-powered. Have them scuttle whatever isn¡¯t coming, including The Odyssey.¡±
¡°You know the Admiral on the carrier isn¡¯t going to like being told what to do?¡± the XO said.
¡°But he¡¯ll do what I say because ultimately we have a plan, and he hadn¡¯t made one yet. A real Admiral would have had us underway within hours of the changes we detected after their position was changed instantaneously.¡± The said in a dismissive tone.
¡°Yes, Sir.¡± The XO says quickly as he turns and leaves the cabin.
Anton shifted the view back to Washington DC and to his version of the President of The United States. It had only been a few minutes since he¡¯d been shot. Hopefully, he¡¯d be able to figure out what was going on with them. Of course, just then he heard something behind him and started to turn as he felt an excruciating pain in his back as two messages appeared in his vision.
WARNING!!! BACKSTAB CRITICAL HIT. Damage inflicted 24 (((4+2) x2) x 2)
You Have Died!
Anton fell forward unable to see who had attacked him. His point of view shifted a little as the dagger was withdrawn from his back, but he didn¡¯t feel anything after the initial attack. He just lay where he had fallen, face-down on the ground. He tried to turn his head to look at who attacked him, and his Point of View shifted so that he could see his attacker as his body below him disintegrated.
Anti-Mage body released.
Anti-Mage body will reform in 12 seconds. You may choose a new respawn point within Perception feet.
Anton looked at the man who backstabbed him as he watched Anton¡¯s body disappear, except it wasn¡¯t a man. It was an elf with white hair and dark skin. No way. They have Drow? Anton shifted his Point of View to as far away from the Elf as he could get with his back against a wall just as he respawned.
The assassin-type¡¯s reaction was instantaneous as one of his hands came up with a hand crossbow and fired a dart at Anton¡¯s chest. Unfortunately for Anton, while his stats were now higher, his combat training sucked, and he was struck in the chest.
WARNING!!! You have been attacked by Hand Crossbow Bolt for 3 Damage
WARNING!!! You have been poisoned. Poison Strength Unusual (30). Poison Resistance = 106 ((END-10)/2). Resistance more than twice Poison Strength, No Damage.
Anton pulled the dart from his chest which did another point of damage as he said, ¡°Can we talk,¡± in English.
Another Elf in robes stepped into the room and asked, ¡°And why would we want to talk to you?¡±
The rogue-type elf with the hand crossbow watched Anton as if waiting for something but stepped back to stand off to the side of his robed friend.
¡°Your poison didn¡¯t work,¡± Anton says addressing the rogue. ¡°As for why you should talk with me, why not, I¡¯m not going anywhere, and you can always try to kill me later.¡±
¡°Obviously,¡± The robed elf answers thoughtfully. ¡°Fine, who are you and how did you get here?¡± The robed elf asked in English.
¡°I¡¯m Anton, I was brought here by some military men who were all killed by your female friend in the Pillar room,¡± Anton explained.
¡°Do you know what happened to her?¡± The rogue-type elf asked in English.
¡°I know she was in the room when the bomb went off,¡± Anton said which wasn¡¯t technically a lie, in case they could detect that he was lying.
¡°Is that the Thermonuclear thing the SYSTEM described?¡± the rogue elf asked.
¡°Yes, it was the Thermonuclear thing. Wait you don¡¯t know what a thermonuclear thing is? A thermonuclear bomb is a bomb that can destroy a city. Your friend cast a fireball that killed all the military people around me so if you know what a Fireball is, think Fireball, except at least 100 times more powerful.¡±
¡°That¡¯s crazy, nothing is that powerful?¡± The rogue elf states flatly.
The other elf looks at Anton thoughtfully, ¡°You speak of this as if you saw it happen. If you did, why didn¡¯t you die with your friends?¡±
¡°First, they weren¡¯t my friends. Second, your friend just backstabbed and killed me, and I respawned. Isn¡¯t it obvious, I didn¡¯t survive, I died a lot,¡± Anton said.
¡°So, if we kill you, you¡¯ll just keep coming back?¡±
¡°Probably?¡± Anton said. ¡°hence my statement that you could ¡®try¡¯ to kill me, but why keep trying to kill me?¡±
The robed elf looked thoughtful for a moment before he said, ¡°Very well, we won''t ¡®try¡¯ to kill you¡yet. But we are not leaving you here either. Come with us, I¡¯m sure my elders will have many to hear about this.¡±
¡°Where are we going?¡± Anton asked.
¡°That¡¯s a surprise. Besides, with the information the SYSTEM just provided, you aren¡¯t going to want to be on this planet for a little while as the various people vie for power.¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡±
¡°Well go over that later, for now, just follow us,¡± the robed elf said.
The rogue elf walked over to Anton and motioned him toward the Arch as the robed elf moved over to the node and placed his hand on it. After a moment the Arch shifted from the dull grey to a scene within a forest where two elvish guards in full plate armor came to attention and began to draw their blades until the rogue elf beside Anton called out something in elvish. They kept their hands on their swords but left them sheathed as the robed elf walked forward and Anton and the Rogue elf followed him through the portal arch.
The portal closed behind Anton as the robed elf turned to Anton and said, ¡°I am Paeral Ulahana, Once Arch-Mage of the Elvish Nation. Welcome to the city of Melamar on the planet Minerva.¡±
¡°Once Arch Mage?¡± Anton Asked.
¡°Like you, the Entropy Shield Process reset all of us to user level 1 as well. Something we¡¯ll discuss later. For now, follow me. We need to talk to the Elders.¡±
Chapter 6, it Doesnt Hurt, Really
Anton followed Paeral Ulahana, once Arch Mage up the street. Anton noticed that the elves that were out and about were looking at him and whispering in elvish, which he could not understand. As he followed Paeral the two guards followed Anton and kept a close watch on him.
Paeral led Anton to steps that went up to a huge doorway at the base of a humongous tree. Anton looked up and around and realized that what he had thought was a wall was the trunk of a tree that went off at least 100 feet to his left and right. Paeral knocked once then pushed on the huge doors which opened soundlessly inward.
Anton followed Paeral into the room, the two guards following closely. Anton watched as Paeral bowed to three elderly elves who were sitting behind a desk that overlooked the room from opposite the entrance. While Anton couldn¡¯t understand the words he could tell from their tone that they were agitated about something. Since all three took turns pointing at Anton, he was pretty sure the reason they were agitated had something to do with himself.
One of the Elders stared at Anton intently then shot a scathing look at Paeral as he issued a command and gestured toward Anton. Anton wondered what the elder wanted when one of the guards behind him grabbed his elbow and started leading him toward a door off to the side. He was led below the chamber into a room with holding cells where he was locked in. The guard took a position right outside the door.
What seemed like at least an hour later, though honestly, Anton had no idea how long he¡¯d been in the cell, Paeral stepped up to the guard who opened the door to the cell and allowed him to enter the room. Paeral stepped inside and sat on a bench across from the cot Anton was resting on.
Anton looked at the elf questioningly before he asked, ¡°So, what is going on?¡±
¡°First, I need to apologize,¡± Paeral said.
¡°Apologize?¡± Anton asked curiously.
¡°Yes apologize. While you¡¯ve been sitting here we were able to use an artifact on you?
¡°Why use an artifact?¡±
¡°It was the only thing that could Identify you?¡± Paeral answered honestly.
¡°You used magic on me, I didn¡¯t feel or see anything?¡± Anton said.
¡°Nor should you be able to. Besides being in another room when it was activated with you as the target, one of your abilities makes you immune to magic. While you might be able to see a spell if it''s cast in front of you if there is a visual component, how exactly would you feel something magical affecting you?¡±
Anton thought about what Paeral said for a moment and then realized he was right, ¡°Yeah, that makes sense. So how did you use it on me if I¡¯m immune to magic?¡± Anton asked.
While you are immune to most magic, it seems that there are a few types that can still affect you. One of those is Divine.¡±
¡°Divine, as in Godly magic?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Just so.¡±
¡°So, a god could smite me?¡± Anton asked.
¡°I don¡¯t know. While a God could get past your Anti-Mage ability and use divine magic on you, Your unique ability Immortal is another thing altogether. Before you ask, Unique is not a rarity anyone here has ever seen or heard of before,¡± Paeral said.
¡°Why are you letting me know all of this and being so nice?¡± Anton asked.
The elders didn¡¯t believe me when I told them you returned after you¡¯d been backstabbed, nor did they believe me when I told them how you dissolved and reappeared. After they knew what your abilities were, their attitudes changed,¡± Paeral said.
¡°So, what now?¡±
¡°Now we would like to conduct some tests on you to determine the power of your Immortal ability.
¡°Wait a second, to test something like that you would need to actually kill me, what if it doesn¡¯t work and I, you know, die?
¡°How many times have you died now,¡± Paeral asked.
¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Anton said unbelievably before he added, ¡°What if I don¡¯t want to get killed over and over?¡±
¡°Honestly, that¡¯s a valid point. However, you seem to be immune to magic so how do you propose we test you?¡± Paeral asked.
¡°I have no idea,¡± Anton said.
Paeral looked thoughtful for a moment before he asked, ¡°Do you even feel pain at this point?¡±
Anton thought about it. Then he really thought about it. Ever since he¡¯d received that boost in Willpower pain had become abstract, ¡°Actually, no, I do not feel pain anymore. It¡¯s just kind of shunted to the side.¡± Anton said.
¡°Well, instead of killing you, why don¡¯t we test your pain threshold and your ability to heal or recover from wounds then?¡± Paeral said.
¡°That sounds like a lot better idea than killing me over and over and also, I¡¯d like to know as well so it¡¯s a win-win for me?¡± Anton agreed.
Paeral led Anton out of the cell, the guard did not follow. Anton was led to a room that looked a lot like a surgeon¡¯s room and had Anton sit down in a chair, ¡°We¡¯re going to start small and work our way up,¡± Paeral said as he picked up a scalpel and turned to Anton, ¡°Hold out your hand, please. Well, try something simple, like a shallow cut to the palm of your hand.
Anton was curious to see if he really couldn¡¯t feel pain, so he held out his hand and watched as Paeral drew the scalpel across his palm lightly which created a shallow cut. He watched as the scalpel cut his hand and the skin separated which then closed just as quickly. The wound closed up and within 3 seconds was completely gone. More importantly, he didn¡¯t feel a thing.
¡°Did that hurt?¡± Paeral asked.
¡°Honestly, I didn¡¯t feel a thing,¡± Anton said.
¡°Let¡¯s try a little deeper this time,¡± Paeral said.
Paeral repeated the test three more times, cutting a little bit deeper each time. Each time Anton watched the knife break his skin and then seal back up before he started bleeding. Each time, Anton knew that he¡¯d been cut, knew where, and could feel the skin as it separated and then reformed but he did not feel pain of any sort. As he explored the feeling he realized that there was pain, his mind was being told that his body was being affected but it was so dull that he didn¡¯t react, even when cut. This must be what someone with leprosy feels like, which was ironic because one of his favorite fantasy-based characters had been afflicted with leprosy.
¡°Okay, superficial cuts don¡¯t seem to do anything, no matter how deep they are. Let''s see what punctures do,¡± Paeral offered.
¡°Whatever,¡± Anton said. Maybe this would hurt. Anton watched as Paeral pushed the scalpel down into his hand while Paeral watched his face. When the blade was halfway into his hand, about half an inch, Paeral stopped pushing.
¡°Anything,¡± Paeral asked.
¡°If you¡¯re asking if I can feel that there Is a scalpel in my hand, yes I can feel the scalpel. If you''re asking me if it hurts, no,¡± Anton said wonderingly as Paeral let go of the scalpel which stood straight up.
Both Paeral and Anton watched the scalpel in his hand as it was pushed up and out of his hand in less than a second and the wound that the scalpel had made was completely sealed and healed within 14 seconds.
¡°Amazing,¡± Paeral said wonderingly, ¡°It expelled it from your body and then you were fully healed.¡±
¡°Yeah, not gonna lie, that felt kind of weird but again, it didn¡¯t hurt,¡± Anton said as he rubbed his hand to make sure the wound was gone.
¡°What do you think will happen if an object is all the way through your hand? Will it get pushed out as you heal, or will it remain?¡±
¡°No idea,¡± Anton said as he wondered how Paeral was going to test that.
Paeral went over to a drawer and found an I V needle, ¡°We could be barbaric, but since you''re not feeling pain I was thinking we could test what happens by putting this needle through the fleshy part of your hand between your thumb and your pointer finger. There are a lot of nerve endings there and it would normally be painful but if you¡¯re not feeling pain this is the least invasive spot with the smallest thing I can think to impale you with. Also, we can test two things this way. Your ability to ignore pain and what happens to objects that impale you.¡±
¡°Okay,¡± Anton said.
Anton watched as Paeral pushed the needle through his hand so that about a half inch was sticking out of each side of his hand. Again, he felt nothing. No pain, no discomfort, nothing. Anton watched the needle as he slowly counted. After 8 seconds the needle started to wiggle on its own as the flesh around it started to push against it. At 11 seconds the needles started to visibly move out of his hand and at 13 seconds it dropped to the table. The next second his hand was completely healed again.
¡°That is interesting,¡± Paeral mused out loud, ¡°It seems that objects that enter your body are expelled within 20 seconds.
¡°14 seconds if you want to be exact,¡± Anton said.
¡°14 seconds?¡± Paeral asked.
¡°Yep, 14 seconds. I¡¯ve been counting each time you¡¯ve cut or stabbed me. Each time I completely healed after 14 seconds.¡±
¡°When you died you dissolved and reformed though?¡± Paeral said.
¡°Yep, I¡¯ve done it so many times now it doesn¡¯t even phase me,¡± Anton said.
¡°And you didn¡¯t feel any pain from the tests we just conducted?¡± Paeral asked.
¡°Nope, Nothing,¡± Anton affirmed. After a moment he asked, ¡°So, what¡¯s next?¡±
¡°When I first came in here I was supposed to apologize and then let you know that my elders have asked me to make it clear that we do not wish to make an enemy of you and we are looking for ways to make amends for the attack on you earlier,¡± Paeral said.
¡°Why would the elders care about that?¡± Anton asked.
¡°If you are truly immortal, there will come a day when you are more powerful than the eldest of us. The Elders have made it very clear that they do not wish to make an enemy of someone that has the potential to become extremely powerful,¡± Paeral said.
¡°Okay, I can see how that makes sense. Still, as my people say, why does that matter now?¡±
¡°As I said, we¡¯re trying to figure out how to make amends. Since it seems like you¡¯re immune to pain and I know you can come back from death, what do you think about testing your immunity to magic?
¡°That sounds fine, how do you suggest we start?¡± Anton asked.
Paeral led Anton to another room where Anton was given a chair to sit in. For the next couple of hours, various elves would walk into the room, wiggle their fingers, or yell something in elvish which all failed to do anything to him. Every once in a while Paeral would come in and check on him while someone would come by with drinks and snacks between each visit. The visits didn¡¯t last long as every single spell failed to get within five feet of him.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
As the sun set, Anton was led to a room with a bed, table, and chair. Food and drinks were provided. There was also a guard posted outside the door. The next morning Anton realized one thing that he hadn¡¯t thought about in a while now. He hadn¡¯t had to use the bathroom, nor had he used the bathroom since the Pillar had killed him. Also, he didn¡¯t feel hungry or thirsty, though he could eat, and the food tasted good, great even, but he wasn¡¯t really hungry when he ate.
Before Paeral arrived he showered and put his clothes back on. When he arrived back at his room to wait for Paeral a light breakfast was waiting for him. He ate while he waited for Paeral to arrive. Paeral appeared just as he finished his meal, and he was led back to the room where the magical tests were continued. He was given snacks and drinks as various individuals came through and either cast spells or tried to use magical weapons on him. None of them had an effect.
When the sun started to set Paeral came up to him, ¡°That¡¯s it for today Anton,¡± Paeral said as he walked in after the last mage left.
¡°Have you learned anything yet?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Quite a bit actually. We¡¯re also calling in mages from all over, which is what¡¯s taking so long. With everyone¡¯s levels being reset we¡¯re having to pull in people with various magical items that mimic some of our higher-level spells,¡± Paeral said.
¡°Well, I¡¯m not going anywhere and just sitting around is boring. Is there anything I can study while I wait around all day?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Normally, I¡¯d just give you a skill crystal, but they work by magic and magic doesn¡¯t work on you so let me see what I can put together for you.
The next day Paeral dropped off some books that contained some very simple translations from English to Elvish. Anton would read between visits, which were reduced to once an hour. When the day ended Paeral escorted Anton to what appeared to be an outdoor play with various characters that portray a story of heroic deeds. His Elvish was still very basic so he didn¡¯t understand even 10% of what was said, but he did start to recognize some of the words. When the play was over Paeral escorted him back to his home. Now that he¡¯d seen some of the Elvish culture Anton started to feel a little more at home. Of course, no one had tried to kill or hurt him in a couple of days, he wasn¡¯t counting the spells being cast because both the elves and he knew that they couldn¡¯t affect him. Plus, they were really helping him come to terms with magic and that it existed, even if he couldn¡¯t influence or be affected by it.
Anton kept to this new schedule for days and then weeks. Finally, Paeral showed up one morning and the monotony changed. Anton followed him to breakfast where they sat down and Paeral spoke, ¡°Well, as far as we can determine you are impervious to magic, at least everything we can throw at you. That¡¯s going to make it hard to teleport you back to Earth. You do seem to be able to use the node system and the Arch which indicates that at least some portion of that is technological in nature.¡±
¡°Why does that matter?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Well, If you ever wish to return to Earth, I can return to the Pillar 10 Node open a portal for you with the Arch, and bring you back there. From the Pillar Node and Arch you should be able to go anywhere on the planet. Of course, Earth isn¡¯t doing so well right now.¡±
¡°What? What¡¯s happening on Earth.¡±
¡°Well, the accident increased the size of your planet which has had a significant impact on the weather, not to mention how the SYSTEM decided to bring it all together. Instead of separating each world¡¯s population into different areas of the globe, it kept everything localized within the same geographical area. If there hadn¡¯t been an accident, Earth wouldn¡¯t have changed at all.
¡°What do you mean?¡± Anton asked.
¡°If everything had worked right, everyone from Universes 1-5 and 7-10 would have been destroyed and our universe would have started anew with our nation in control. Now though, Now everyone must start from nothing. Well not nothing, we still have our magic items which are what we¡¯re using to help us level quickly. Even so, it¡¯s still going to take years.¡±
¡°So, what you¡¯re saying is that you have 10 times the normal pissed-off humans on Earth, and you all are going to do your thing over here on Mirvana and let it fall to anarchy?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Let it fall to Anarchy?¡± Paeral asked, ¡°We don¡¯t have to let it do anything.¡± The fighting started right after we returned here. We¡¯ve been scrying Earth to see what has been happening. It¡¯s chaos over there although the natives of Earth 6 seem to be doing much better than everyone else.¡±
¡°Why is that?¡± Anton asked.
¡°From what we¡¯ve been able to gather it seems like none of the other universes had magic available, or it was unknown which resulted in them having no access to The SYSTEM. As such, everyone from Universe 6 has a much better idea about what they need to do to level and take advantage of the SYSTEM.¡±
¡°How much of an unfair advantage does that create?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Short term, a lot. Long term, we don¡¯t know. The availability of the shop and SYSTEM merchants is new. We didn¡¯t have a SYSTEM shop before the accident. We had merchants who had SYSTEM-sanctioned shops, but they weren¡¯t run by the SYSTEM. If the Shops have access to good equipment, spells, and magic items no one is going to have an advantage for very long. Especially since everyone can loot monster corpses upon their death. That means that anyone can kill a couple of monsters, loot their corpses, and visit The SYSTEM Shop to purchase items that help them become more powerful.
¡°It sounds like the elves on Mirvana are doing okay for themselves,¡± Adam said.
¡°You misunderstand, Mirvana isn¡¯t only a world of elves. We have a kingdom here, but we are but one of many. Before the reset, we were one of the most powerful Nations on the planet. We¡¯ll be relying on our magic items and martial skills to keep others from taking what is ours until we level back up to our previous levels.
¡°Sounds like you¡¯re going to have issues,¡± Adam said.
¡°Not as many as I think you are,¡± Paeral said.
¡°What do you mean?¡±
¡°One of the reasons I¡¯m talking to you now is that killing you does not garner experience, I checked that with the assassin that backstabbed you back on Earth. As you are probably level 0 our Combat Logs state we don¡¯t get XP for killing you. If you read the SYSTEM messages when they came out I¡¯m sure you saw that when anyone dies they lose all the experience they¡¯ve earned toward their next level and the last level they had. So, if you keep coming back but you¡¯re easy to kill¡You might live forever, but you¡¯ll be losing any levels you gain.¡±
Anton raised an eyebrow as he looked at the Elf in thought before he said, ¡°And if I can¡¯t level I can¡¯t grow stronger in the SYSTEM?¡±
¡°Got it in one,¡± Paeral agreed.
¡°Well, shit.¡±
¡°Exactly. After speaking with the elders, we have decided that helping you could help us so we¡¯re willing to make you an offer if you¡¯ll agree to join us.¡±
¡°What kind of offer?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Since you can¡¯t use magic we can¡¯t just magically gift you with knowledge and languages, but we can continue to teach you normally. We can help you learn other languages for the various races you will interact with. We can also teach you how to use weapons like swords and bows. We don¡¯t have a lot of firearms here, though it looks like Earth isn¡¯t lacking so if you ever return you could probably train with those weapons there.¡±
¡°If you¡¯re going to train me you¡¯re not going to want to keep me at level zero so what do I have to do for the elvish people to receive this training?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Well, you¡¯re impervious to magic. There are monsters and other races that rely heavily on magic. We would expect you to utilize the weapons and skills we teach you to protect the Elven Nation as well as help us. Also, we¡¯d like you to help us deal with any individuals we might have issues with.¡±
¡°So, I¡¯ll be the spell shield for whatever group you stick me with?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Okay, that sounds fine, as long as I get a bed to sleep in. I do have two questions for you,¡± Anton said.
¡°Of course, you do, what is your first question?¡± Paeral asked.
¡°How did you learn to speak English?¡±
Paeral laughed, ¡°That¡¯s easy enough to explain. When I was growing up, I scryed the Earth in my universe. I did this for many years and picked up English from watching television shows.¡±
Anton looks up as a thought comes to him, ¡°How long have I been here?¡±
¡°Just under two weeks, why?¡± Paeral asked.
¡°I have a stepmother and stepfather I¡¯d like to bring here if possible.
¡°That¡¯s doable if they¡¯re still alive. I think I have explained how chaotic things are on Earth,¡± Paeral said.
¡°You have, but my Stepfather was what some people called a crackpot. He believed that the end of the world was coming and that he needed to be prepared for a zombie apocalypse or some other such nonsense,¡± Anton said.
¡°You do realize zombies and the undead are real?¡± Paeral asked.
¡°I did not. Good to know, anyway, My stepdad bought a house and set up an underground bunker that could withstand anything but a direct hit from a nuke. If the nuke detonated in the atmosphere, it would survive. If there was a Flood, it would survive, it even had a way to float a tube up to the surface to get more air if the area was ever completely underwater¡ Anyway, a lot of people thought he was a real nutcase.¡±
¡°How many people could the bunker hold?¡± Paeral asked.
¡°If he was able to get people he trusted into it, ten. Some are my foster brothers and sisters, but it should be no more than 10. For up to a year. If he really needed to, he could cram 20 people in there, but it would be a bit crowded,¡± Anton said.
¡°Okay, let me go ask. That will mean we need to move you and your family to another area, but it shouldn¡¯t be a problem. So, I¡¯ll go ask and then if they say yes, a portal will open here. When we go get them, they¡¯ll get everything ready here. If everything goes right We¡¯ll portal them into the Arch and then open a different portal to the place you all will be staying. They will have to help our society in some way but that is a topic for another time. Just wait here for a few minutes please.¡±
Anton nodded as Paeral walked towards a stairway that led up to one of the observation rooms. He could see Paeral and the elder talking until Paeral stepped back and vanished. A minute later a portal opened up in front of Anton. Without being asked Anton stepped through and the portal closed.
¡°Okay, you¡¯re going to need to pull up the image and open the arch because I have no idea where they are?¡± Paeral said.
Anton nodded as he moved over to the node and placed his hand on it. He concentrated for a moment and zeroed the image in on his stepfather''s home in Minot. With a little concentration, he shifted the image into the basement and through the false wall where he found a group of people going about their day. It looked like the whole family was there, including his foster sister who had been in Fargo. If the SYSTEM messages had been accurate, that would have taken close to 40 hours to drive.
Though, she had earned her pilot''s license so maybe she¡¯d been able to fly the Cessna back? Also, it wouldn¡¯t have been hard for her to find a place to land. The airport was in town and his Stepdad''s house was right at the south end of the runway. Anton pulled the view out of the house and looked 2,000 feet to the East and a little bit North. Right there at the end of the runway was a Cessna parked in the grass. Way to go sis. It was kind of ironic that her first name was Amelia and she had survived this apocalypse by flying.
¡°Anton, what are you doing?¡± Paeral asked.
¡°Just checking to see how my sister made it home from a city I used to live in,¡± Anton said as he brought the view of the holographic image back to the underground bunker. He quickly moved through each room and counted. There was Sara, the 7-year-old his step-parents had taken in last year. They had taken a break from adopting for 3 years so the next child was Jack at age 10, and Carla at age 12. Anton had an older stepbrother who had died in a tragic car accident about five years ago which left Amelia, who was 25, and him at age 27. So, every member of the family was accounted for. In addition to his six family members, it looked like there were five more, for a total of 11.
Mr. and Mrs. Kendall from across the street were family friends and it looked like their son, his wife, and their baby may have been visiting. If Anton remembered right they only had one son, though he couldn¡¯t remember his name.
Anton turned to Paeral, ¡°It looks like there are eleven people in the bunker. Six are from my family and the other five are friends of the family from across the street. There are five adults and six children. Will the place you¡¯re going to put us up in be able to handle kids?¡±
¡°Let me check,¡± Paeral said as he took Adam¡¯s place and opened a portal to the elder. They stared intently at each other for a moment and then the portal closed as Paeral motioned for Anton to take his place at the node again. As Anton put his hand on the node Paeral said, ¡°It should be fine. There is a residence that is for visiting dignitaries. It will be a simple thing to get all of them language packages and determine where they can help in the city or what schooling the children will need.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± Anton said.
¡°Think nothing of it. We have a vested interest in helping you and your family and friends as long as it''s understood that you will help us in return,¡± Paeral said.
¡°Of course,¡± Anton said before he added, ¡°Though getting backstabbed sucked, not gonna lie. The testing though, that was kind of easy.¡±
¡°And now you know that you have an extremely high pain tolerance and that anything that gets put in your body will be ejected within 20 seconds. Also, I bet you haven¡¯t even noticed it, but we have. None of us detect even an ounce of fear from you. Your confidence that you¡¯ll return has instilled a sense of fearlessness in you that is unheard of in one so unskilled that is not also a child.¡±
¡°Thanks, I guess,¡± Anton said hesitantly.
¡°You''re welcome, now if you would zoom up and out so I can see where this is in comparison to other landmarks and the other 9 copies of that city that are laid out around it, then further out so I can see where it is in North America. Then zoom back in slowly,¡± When Anton looked at him questioningly he said, ¡°Because I¡¯m going to have to hold the Arch open so you can go talk to your family and bring them through before we head back to Minerva.¡±
¡°Oh, that makes sense,¡± Anton said as he did what Paeral had asked him to. When Anton stepped away, Paeral pulled up the location with no issues and chose the location for the portal to open to be right to the side of the exit door where no one was standing currently. Anton stepped over to the Arch and waited.
The Arch solidified into an image of a common room with 5 adults watching after the 6 children as they did homeschool or watched some T.V. Anton¡¯s Stepdad was reaching for the shotgun beside his chair when he froze as he made eye contact with Anton, ¡°Anton is that you?¡±
¡°Is that an Elf?¡± Jack said. He had a better angle into the portal and could see Paeral at the node.
Anton stepped through the portal and said, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me. I need all of you to grab whatever you think you''re going to need that you can carry. My friend and I are going to take you to a place that is much safer than Earth is right now.¡±
¡°How¡¡± Anton¡¯s stepdad asked.
¡°Questions later. I¡¯m going to step back through the portal, and it will close. In half an hour the portal will open again, and we¡¯ll be leaving. Make sure to shut everything down and be ready to go when the portal opens again. Also, it will be a short trip so don¡¯t worry about hiking or anything like that. Just grab the things you need that you can carry and lock this place down,¡± Anton said as he stepped back through the portal. A moment later it closed.
Paeral and Anton watched the 11 people scramble through the bunker. His Stepdad put everything in power saver mode and shut down the lights to the bunker as he cut off all access to the outside world. Once that was done, everyone was waiting for the portal to open with five minutes to spare.
Anton stepped back in front of the Arch and smiled at his family and their friends as the portal opened, ¡°Who wants to go live in an elven city?¡±
Chapter 7, Moving Day
Anton stepped back as his family and friends stepped through the Archway into the Pillar 10 Node Room. The portal closed as Anton called out, ¡°Paeral, let the adults get the node before we move on.
¡°As you wish,¡± Paeral said
¡°What¡¯s he talking about Anton?¡± Amelia asked.
¡°Just put your hand on the orb Paeral is standing near and unlock the Pillar 10 Node. Trust me you may want it for later.
¡°Okay, what do I do?¡± Amelia asked as she walked over to the node.
¡°Just put your hand on the node, and read what pops up in your vision. When you get the ¡®Yes or No?¡¯ choice, think, or say, ¡®Yes¡¯¡±
Amelia touched the orb. A moment later her eyes glaze over and then she smiles, ¡°That was easy!¡±
¡°Dave and Sue, Mr. and Mrs. Kendall, and your son and daughter-in-law, it¡¯s your turn,¡± Anton said.
¡°Their son has a name, It¡¯s Rodger and my wife is Alice, our baby is Ezekiel, named after Alice¡¯s father.¡±
¡°Okay,¡± Anton Shrugged, ¡° Dave, Sue, Mr. and Mrs. Kendall, Rodger, and Alice, if you¡¯d please take your turns,¡± Anton said with a smile. No need to be rude, these would probably be the only humans he¡¯d get to interact with for a while.
The six adults quickly touched the orb, accepted it as a node point, and stepped back. When they were done Paeral stepped forward and pulled up the location he was going to send them all to. The Archway solidified into an image of an entryway. From the node, Paeral said, ¡°If you would all step through and stay in the entryway, I¡¯ll come through last and then explain where you are.¡±
Everyone stepped through and waited for Paeral. After he stepped through, the Archway disappeared. Where the portal had been there was now a double door with glass windows on each side. Everyone could see that the doors led outside. Anton looked around and realized they were inside a giant tree but this one wasn¡¯t as big as the one where he¡¯d met the elders.
The children were wide-eyed as they looked around until Carla, the twelve-year-old, walked over to Paeral and asked, ¡°Are you an elf, a real elf?¡±
¡°I am,¡± Paeral said as he stepped back from Carla and addressed everyone, ¡°Hello everyone, I am Paeral. For the time being this is your new home. As you can see from looking around you are inside what looks like a tree. That is because it doesn¡¯t look like a tree, it is a tree. The staircase winds up around the inside opening onto three levels that have been built around the trunk. Like Earth, it is not always safe outside, though you are in the elvish city of Melamar so it is probably safer right outside this home than it was outside your home on Earth. This Treehouse has 12 rooms which should suit all of your needs as well as a kitchen, bathing facilities, bathrooms, and even a place for the children to play up on the 1st and 2nd above-ground levels.¡±
What do you expect us to do while we¡¯re here?¡± Dave Ellis, Anton¡¯s stepdad, asked.
¡°Anton has asked that we see to your safety while he helps us with a few issues. Tomorrow I will be arranging for someone to stop by and teach all the adults how to speak and read elvish. After that others will take you around town and introduce you to your new existence with The SYSTEM here in Melamar. As I understand it none of you knew what the SYSTEM was before the accident.¡±
¡°We don¡¯t know what it is now, ¡° Mr. Kendall said bitterly.
¡°Just so,¡± Paeral agreed. ¡°So the first thing we¡¯re going to do is teach all of the adults to speak and read elvish, so we can communicate easily and then we¡¯ll see what each of you can do to serve your new home.¡±
¡°Isn¡¯t it going to take weeks, if not months, to learn elvish?¡± Amelia, Anton¡¯s 25-year-old stepsister asked.
¡°Actually it will take just the day, We have a mage that can impart the knowledge to you through an Artifact he has from before all of our class levels were reset. As you acclimate to being here and see all the magical wonders that exist, please remember that every elf here has had all of their levels and skills reset, just like you. We¡¯re all starting at level 0 and we have to earn back everything we¡¯ve lost.¡±
¡°Even you?¡± Sue Ellis asked.
¡°Even me. I once watched one of your movies. I think it was called Lord of the Rings. If you are wondering what I was like before the reset I would say that I resemble the character Gandalf.
¡°You¡¯re a druid?¡± Jack asks with wide eyes
¡°Gandalf wasn¡¯t a druid he was a mage?¡± Carla said
Before an argument can start Dave Ellis raises his voice, ¡°You two can talk about Gandalf later,¡±
Paeral nodded his thanks and continued, ¡°You¡¯ll be staying here until Anton has finished helping us with a task which should then allow us to transfer you to another settlement where there are more humans.¡±
¡°There are human settlements on Melamar?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Of course,¡± Paeral answered.
¡°Okay, we are here, wherever here is. Will we be able to return to Earth at some point?¡± Rodger Kendall asked.
¡°Let me show you around the residence and once the children are playing I can better explain what is going on.¡± When no one objected Paeral started giving everyone a tour of their new home. Anton followed. The first level is the entryway with two doors and a stairway that winds up around the inside and one off to the side that drops underground. The stairs going up are wide enough for two people to stand side by side as they make their way to 1st level and exit into a plush living area with everyone someone would expect in a million-dollar apartment in New York City. There was a full kitchen with a dining room that could easily seat 20 people. There was also a bar next to the living area with couches and chairs that 20 people could rest in facing a mounted television which currently has a scene overlooking a city intermingled with trees that were the size of buildings.
Paeral pointed at the monitor, ¡°That is an image of the city you are now in. The tree we are in is on the far side of the image, almost exactly opposite that camera.¡±
¡°You have television?¡± Amelia asked.
¡°Of course,¡± Paeral said as he put his hands to his chest as if mildly affronted. ¡°Anton already knows this but Minerva, the planet you¡¯re on now, is not from the same Universe as the Earth you all came from. In our Universe, there was an Earth and we watched them for quite a while. Though we had the System and some things were different they had technology and even televisions. It was simple enough to bring that technology home and get our local stations up and running to get announcements as well as some programming. Before the accident, we even had a link to the satellites in orbit so we could watch programming from Earth. The satellite that allowed for that is gone now though.¡±
¡°Why not just direct your radar dishes at Earth and get the signals directly?¡± Carla asked.
¡°Line of Sight,¡± Paeral said. When the children looked confused he continued, ¡°The Sun is directly between Earth and Minerva, the planet you¡¯re on. Our relay station was in the same orbit offset by 90 degrees allowing for us to send communication from one side of the sun to the other by bouncing it around the sun. Earth and Minerva are both 93 million miles from the Sun. Our relay station was also 93 million miles from the Sun. If you remember your math from school with two sides of any triangle you can figure out that third side. In that case, our signals traveled 131 million miles to the relay station and 131 million miles to Earth which takes just around 23.5 minutes. So while our television was 23 minutes behind what was actually happening on Earth we could still watch your programs,¡± Paeral explained
¡°And now?¡± Anton asked.
¡°And now, the accident wiped out our relay station. The only way we know what is happening on Earth is through Scrying Items,¡± Paeral said.
¡°You mean magic items,¡± Amelia said.
¡°I mean magic items. Why don¡¯t we get the kids into the play area so I can let you know what is happening on Earth,¡± Paeral said.
All of the parents nodded and they were led upstairs and onto a balcony that was as big as a modest-sized backyard. There was a tree house with a slide from the 3rd level that could be accessed here where children could run around and play. There was also a nice-sized sandbox and even a pool of water that seemed to steam gently
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Anton pointed at the pool and asked, ¡°How?¡±
¡°That? Oh, that is inside the trunk of another tree nearby. While the pool is only about 6 feet deep at the deepest point the pool sits inside a tree trunk with the machinery and pumps and magical runes all located inside the trunk. From ground level, it looks like another tree that grows up into the floor of the house. The structure is so large that it needed to have other supports to the ground so we used tree trunks. It was easier to build when we had our high-level druids. We couldn¡¯t build this structure right now but eventually, we should be able to do this again,¡± Paeral explained.
The children on the other hand were having a ball. Alice even took baby Ezekial over to the sandbox to play while Paeral led Anton, Amelia, Dave and Sue Ellis, Mr. and Mrs. Kendal, and Rodger Kendal over to an outdoor table where they all sat down. A few moments later an attendant came out with a pitcher of tea and glasses. After everyone had a drink Paeral looked around the table and then asked, ¡°Did all of you read the messages provided by the SYSTEM?¡±
After everyone nodded in agreement he asked, ¡°So, how does it make you feel knowing that there could be copies of you running around?¡± When no one answered immediately Paeral nodded, ¡°Exactly! Now imagine that a society based around magic finds out their world is slated to become fuel for one of their copies, how would you feel about that?¡±
¡°That¡¯s horrible,¡± Mrs. Kendall called out,¡±
¡°Yes, it is, and many here agreed with your statement¡¡± Paeral starts to say before he¡¯s interrupted.
¡°Are you saying that your world took steps to subvert our world and would have become the primaries if the accident hadn¡¯t happened?¡± Dave Ellis asked.
¡°Initially, no. However, there is a faction on this planet that did not care about the other nine copies of Minerva and once it learned of their location, they were no longer issues,¡± Paeral stated flatly.
¡°Someone on this planet killed nine worlds worth of people?¡± Amelia asked horrified.
¡°Honestly, when magic is in play, it¡¯s not hard. When magic and technology are both in play it is easy. To answer your question, yes, someone from this planet killed every living creature on the other nine copies of Minerva. In fact, those other nine copies were destroyed so that if Universe 10 was chosen this planet would be spared,¡± Paeral explained.
¡°How do you mean?¡± Dave Ellis asked.
¡°The last reset was approximately 25,000 years ago. Some of our elders were around then and remembered what happened. They spent an incredible amount of time and effort finding the pillar on our planet and then deciphering the embedded magical runes within. It took almost 20,000 years to find the other 9 pillars because there was the 10th pillar which was the control pillar which was on your planet. Actually, it was only blind luck that we found it because there was no direct link back to it from the other 9 pillars. We were lucky one of our research teams was at our pillar when a beacon came through.¡±
¡°If you destroyed the pillars¡¡± Mr. Kendall started to say.
Paeral looked at Mr. Kendall with a little confusion then said, ¡°My apologies, The pillars were all on Earth. Minerva on each of the other 9 universes was obliterated and replaced with a singularity of approximately the same mass to ensure nothing untoward happened to each solar system.¡±
¡°You make it sound like the death of billions of beings doesn¡¯t mean anything?¡± Sue Ellis asked.
Paeral nodded, ¡°Which brings me back to my first question, how does it make you feel knowing that there could be copies of you running around? For us, our society, it didn¡¯t feel good. For one of the undead on this planet who was an Elf before he became a Lich who also happened to be around during the last activation of the pillars, it was not tolerable. What was that one series you had that had the saying, ¡®There can be only one?¡¯¡±
¡°Highlander,¡± Rodger Kendall offered.
¡°Highlander,¡± Paeral agreed. ¡°Most of us here actually liked that show. Anyway, the Lich sought out and destroyed every copy of Mirvana that could interfere with our continued existence, which the elders here didn¡¯t really oppose. Why would we, the Lich was taking care of copies of the originals, as we viewed ourselves and he wasn¡¯t being a nuisance on this planet so he was left alone.¡±
¡°What does that have to do with Earth now?¡± Dave Ellis asked.
¡°It¡¯s funny you should ask. Where all of you, except Anton, were in North America was pretty far removed from the major population centers, as well as the magical areas on the Earth from the Universe containing Pillar 6. The Universe everyone on this planet is from. We have been scrying various parts of your planet while we were testing Anton and then coming to get you and we have discovered that the humans of the 10 planets are not doing very well when it comes to acclimating to the SYSTEM or working with copies of themselves.
¡°Define not doing well,¡± Rodger Kendal said.
¡°Imagine that you have nine terrorist leaders that all want to kill the infidel. Now there are 10 times as many ¡®imposters¡¯ trying to take control of you and your network of terrorists. On the macro-economic scale, like in Korea, imagine if there were 10 copies of that dictator trying to tell the armies there what to do. Or in America¡¯s case, 10 different versions of the U.S. Military, each with the same level of firepower. Then add the areas that were already hot spots or where conflict was already in play. Then increase the size of planet Earth, make it so all supply lines are harder to keep, and then kill all satellite uplinks¡Then add random monster spawns, spatial rifts, and events as well as add SYSTEM-based leveling, magic, and the SYSTEM Shop, which we didn¡¯t have before the accident here either.
¡°The SYSTEM Shop?¡± Sue Ellis asked.
¡°I haven¡¯t been able to visit it yet either but it¡¯s my understanding that one pops up anywhere there are at least 1 million SYSTEM users in the local area. Supposedly you can buy anything at these shops, and I do mean anything, if you have the credits. You can also sell anything you find for credit. It¡¯s all automated and there¡¯s no haggling so it goes quickly.¡±
¡°How do you find the SYSTEM shops?¡± Anton asked.
¡°On Earth, they¡¯re all in regions where Universe 10 people and structures have been placed.¡±
¡°So a strategic resource can only be found in the copy of a city from Universe 10,¡± Dave Ellis said. ¡°Let me guess there is major fighting going on all over the world?¡±
¡°No need to guess. As soon as the announcement went out various countries and factions around the world started trying to figure out how to best take advantage of the changes, that is until the monster spawns started.¡±
¡°Monster Spawns?¡± Almost all of the adults echoed.
¡°Monster Spawns. Mana and magic are now in your world. While you had technology to support you it means nothing compared to magic and those that can wield it. Everyone on Earth, except for those from Universe 6, is having a hard time adapting to a universe with magic,¡± Paeral explained.
¡°We were doing fine up in North Dakota!¡± Dave Ellis declared with certainty
¡°You were doing fine in an area that best resembled your Minot North Dakota because the population density of all 10 copies of the area of Minot stuck together in one place barely reached 480,000 people,¡± Paeral said.
¡°Why does that matter? Mrs. Kendal asked.
¡°Because mana density, the ambient mana, and the mana tied up in all living things has a direct effect on the environment. The more mana an area needs to support the more mana is drawn from the various planes and alternate dimensions. No one knows for sure but it seems like a population of 1 million sentient beings tends to muck up the SYSTEM enough that it corrects whatever mana problems it¡¯s having by creating random Monster Spawns, Spatial Rifts, and various other Anomalies.¡± Paeral explained.
Dave Ellis was the first to put it together and asked, ¡°Are you saying that in a place like New York City, which has 8.4 million people¡Are you saying in the new version of New York City where approximately 84 million people reside there are monsters spawning¡¡±
Paeral looked at them sadly. Once everyone had a minute to think about the question Dave Ellis failed to articulate he continued, ¡°When the reset happened everyone, including the monsters that were randomly spawning started at level zero. Of course, as monsters killed people they leveled. As people killed other people and monsters, they leveled. Add to this that if you kill someone higher level than you, sometimes you get a bonus to the experience you earn and if you kill someone lower level than yourself you don¡¯t get as much experience. On that note, if only one person survived what¡¯s happening in New York City they could easily break level 1,000 maybe even level 4,000.¡±
¡°Why does any of this matter?¡± Sue Ellis asked.
¡°Because we¡¯re behind the power curve,¡± Rodger Ellis said.
¡°Yes, because you were keeping your heads low out in the middle of nowhere, you are already behind anyone that has survived anywhere the population broke 1 million. By the way, that isn¡¯t to say random mana events don¡¯t happen where the populations are lower, they do, especially along leylines. They just happen a lot more often in highly populated areas.¡±
¡°So what do we do?¡± Mr. Kendall said.
¡°What you do is get settled in here for tonight. Pick your bedrooms, relax, and let the staff cook your meals. Tomorrow someone will stop by to teach you all elvish and you¡¯ll receive more training. Unlike Earth, Minerva didn¡¯t multiply in size by 10 times. Our population is still about the same as it was and we are dealing with normal random mana events instead of a lot of localized ones. Also, I should have explained this part. Even if someone went and killed all 84 million people in New York the area would still be saturated with their mana for years to come and it would continue to express itself as mana events. The best they can do there is try to survive. The survivors then have to hope that they can level faster than the monsters that are spawning in. Since there getting roughly 84 random mana events a day, probably more, they¡¯re going to have their work cut out for them.
¡°What about me?¡± Anton asked.
¡°You,¡± Paeral repeated, ¡°You, get to learn Elvish the long way because your unique situation makes it impossible for us to implant the language using magic. We have sent for someone that might be able to help but they live on the other side of the planet. It might take them a couple of days to get here so for now, spend time with your family and try to pick up as much Elvish as you can from them after they learn the language.¡±
Anton looked at Paeral thoughtfully and remembered how the female elvish mage¡¯s first instinct had been to kill the soldiers he had been with. As that thought crossed his mind he looked at Paeral and asked, ¡°Why are you doing this for my family, why are you doing this for me?¡±
Paeral smiled, ¡°What? You haven¡¯t figured that out yet? I already told you we have elders with memories dating back tens of thousands of years. In all that time, no one has displayed the abilities you have. No one. You are completely unique. Additionally, the uniqueness that you¡¯ve shown can be quite useful in specific circumstances and I believe I mentioned a Lich already?¡±
Anton had played Role-Playing Games in high school and even with some college kids he¡¯d known. A Lich was an Undead Wizard of some sort in the games he¡¯d played but they were also Undead¡¡±A Lich. Really?¡±
¡°Really,¡± Paeral said as he made his way to the entrance and let himself out.
Chapter 8, Taking a Trip
It took a little while for the children to calm down enough that they could be sent to bed. It was lucky that there were sitting rooms just outside every five bedrooms. Dave and Sue were able to get Sara and Carla in one room and Jack in another. Alice went into a room with the baby Ezekial to breastfeed him, again. Dave, Sue, Mr. and Mrs. Kendall, Roger, Amelia, and Anton all sat in the sitting area with the doors to the children''s and Alice¡¯s rooms cracked. Now that Paeral had left the others were looking at Anton with almost accusatory stares.
After a little while, Anton couldn¡¯t take it anymore and finally asked, ¡°Why is everyone looking at me like I did something?¡±
All the adults looked at one another and after a moment Dave Ellis, his stepdad, asked, ¡°When The SYSTEM started up, one of the messages said, ¡®Pillar 10 Entity Anthony Nicholas Thomson Stopped the process.¡±
¡°Oh, that! That wasn¡¯t me!¡±
¡°But it said¡¡±
¡°Seriously, it wasn¡¯t me¡¡± Anton said and then started to relay the story about how he¡¯d been with a group of soldiers that went to the Pillar and how there¡¯d been an evil elf there that killed all of the soldiers that were there. He left out small parts and made it sound like a happy accident that everything had worked out. He didn¡¯t know if the elves were scrying what was being said in the tree, he just felt it was better safe, than sorry, to let them all think it put his name in the log because he was the last one standing.
Of course, Roger would bring up the Tactical Nuke, ¡°But the Interruption Investigation Notes stated that a Tactical Nuke had been detonated, how did you survive that, if you were right there?
¡°With a little luck,¡± Anton said honestly.
¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Anton¡¯s stepmom said. I don¡¯t understand what is going on. I don¡¯t understand where we are, and I don¡¯t understand how everyone here can just go along with the fact that we stepped through something to someplace else and then from there ended up here. Wherever here is, I just don¡¯t understand. I was holding it together pretty well until now, but I¡¯m done, really done. If what that elf said is true, all of our family and friends back home are dying, ¡°Sue said with anguish in her voice as she looked at everyone, hoping that someone could answer her next question which she whispered, ¡°Why do we get to live?¡± before she burst into tears and leaned into Dave who hugged her.
Anton, at a loss for words, looked at his stepmom, saw tears glistening in Amelia¡¯s eyes, and tried to lighten the mood, ¡°Hey Sis, I¡¯m going to go sleep with Jack. Why don¡¯t you go sleep with Sara and Carla and we¡¯ll all meet up in the morning. This first night in a new place we can all stay in these rooms that are relatively close to each other. Tomorrow we can spread out a bit if you¡¯d all like to do that?¡± Anton suggested.
¡°Sounds good, I think we may all need to rest for a bit, Dave Ellis said as he helped his wife to her feet and went to one of the empty rooms which they left door cracked to. Everyone watched them go and waited. When gentle sobbing could be heard coming from the bedroom Mr. and Mrs. Kendal stood and made their way to the last empty room while Rodger went to the room Alice had gone into with Ezekial.
¡°Nice job bro,¡± Amelia whispered as they made their way to their respective rooms.
¡°I think everyone is tired. There isn¡¯t much more we can do tonight except get some rest and wake up in the morning as we all try to get our bearings.¡±
¡°See you in the morning, Anton,¡±
¡°See you in the morning Sis,¡±
Anton made his way into the room with Jack who was fast asleep. He laid down on the other bed, worried that he wouldn¡¯t be able to fall asleep but before he knew it he was being shaken awake, ¡°Anton, Anton, time to wake up!¡±
Anton opened his eyes and saw Jack standing beside his bed, reached out, and ruffled Jack''s hair, let me guess you''re hungry?¡±
¡°I am, can we go eat?¡±
¡°Sure,¡± Anton said as he sat up and then stood. Anton checked the common area, Nope, no one out there yet. There was a little light coming in through the window, so it was morning, maybe the servants had made breakfast?
Anton looked at Jack and then asked, ¡°Do you have to use the bathroom before we eat?¡±
Jack nodded so Anton led him down the hall to the bathroom and waited for him in the hallway while he did his business. When he heard the toilet flush, they had normal toilets here, weird. Anyway, when he heard the toilet flush he called out, ¡°Make sure to wash your hands.¡±
There was a little exasperated sigh from within the bathroom before he heard Jack call, ¡°I am!¡±
When Jack was done, they both made their way downstairs to the second level where a maid was setting out places for breakfast. There was juice and water on the table with a small bowl of sliced fruits. Jack and Anton sat down, and both started snacking on the fruit and drinking juice while they waited for the rest of the family to wake up.
They didn¡¯t have to wait long. Once everyone was downstairs the maids came out and took their orders. They had eggs, ham, hashbrowns, and even bacon. They also had coffee and tea, though their coffee tasted a little funny to Anton while everyone else seemed to love it. Anton even noticed that they all looked more energized even if it didn¡¯t do the same for him. When breakfast was done Paeral appeared in the doorway.
¡°I trust everyone slept okay?¡± Paeral said in greeting.
¡°We did, thank you, Dave Ellis said as he looked around the group, who all nodded before he asked, ¡°Are you here to teach us Elvish?¡±
Paeral shook his head, ¡°No, while you all get the easy task of learning Elvish quickly, Anton and I get to start his learning of Elvish and many other things in a more slow and teacher-teaching-student fashion.¡±
¡°Why is that?¡± Amelia asked.
¡°Simply put, magic doesn¡¯t work with Anton.
¡°Oh, Really?¡± Amelia asked.
¡°Really,¡± Anton affirmed. ¡°I¡¯ll fill you all in later. Don¡¯t have too much fun while I¡¯m gone.¡±
¡°Elvish programming, channels with programming we couldn¡¯t have ever seen before. New elvish foods to try out and other people to practice the elvish we¡¯re going to learn today while you get to sit in a classroom and learn stuff the old-fashioned way¡I think we¡¯ll manage,¡± Amelia said sarcastically.
¡°You know it took me traveling to the bottom of the world to realize why I moved away from North Dakota, it was you, I¡¯m sure of it.¡±
¡°It wasn¡¯t the she bi¡¡±
¡°Language!¡± Both Dave and Sue Ellis called out together as they pointedly looked at Sara, Jack, and Carla.
¡°Yes Mom and Dad,¡± Amelia and Anton chorused and then laughed.
Paeral looked on with amusement before he asked, ¡°If you¡¯re ready Anton?¡±
¡°Yep, let¡¯s go,¡± Anton agreed.
Anton waved and followed Paeral out of the treehouse. He was led halfway down the street to another tree that had an elevator that lifted into the sky at least 20 stories before it came to a stop. When the doors opened, he stepped out onto a landing pad. Paeral led him over to a small shuttle that looked something like the shuttles from that show, Stargate Atlantis. Entry was from a ramp on the back even. Unlike those shuttles which were sealed in the back, there were windows along both sides and six comfortable chairs behind the pilot and copilot station and a lavatory.
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¡°How long is our flight?¡± Anton asked.
¡°We are currently on one of 9 continents. We need to travel to an island near one of the smaller continents about 4,000 miles away. I didn¡¯t bring It up before, but you¡¯ll be learning from one of our Masters. If we are correct, you¡¯ll be learning Elvish as quickly as your family but that¡¯s not the real reason you¡¯re being sent there.¡±
¡°Really. Why are you taking me to this specific master then?¡±
¡°This master followed the teachings of the mind. Mental and Psychic powers, not necessarily magic. With your immunity to Magic, we are hoping that the mental arts can bypass and even help make you a better instrument against our, and your enemies,¡± Paeral said.
¡°I don¡¯t have any enemies,¡± Anton said.
¡°You will,¡± Paeral said. ¡°Be that as it may it¡¯s going to take us most of the day to get there.¡±
¡°You couldn¡¯t just teleport us over?¡± Anton asked.
¡°The master in question is quite eccentric. There are a few elders among us that could teleport to his island if they still had the ability to,¡±
¡°Wait, how were you getting to and from Earth after the reset then?¡±
¡°After the reset an item I have allows me to pick one location to teleport to. The Node in the Pillar 10 complex was quite strong, so I set it as the location I teleported to. The Archway has been used for all other travel if you remember. The individuals that could have teleported to the island do not have the levels or mana to be able to do so now.¡±
¡°Oh,¡± Anton said.
¡°Yeah, so while I¡¯ can get back to the node, not many others could,¡± Paeral said.
¡°If I might ask, how did you get to the Pillar 10 Node Command Complex the first time?¡±
Paeral looked thoughtful for a moment. Anton was pretty sure he was considering whether he could tell him or not but finally, he said, ¡°Before the Universes Combined there was a Pillar on Earth. It was in the Pillar 6 Command Complex. When the beacon from Pillar 10 arrived it activated a previously closed circuit that allowed the team I was with at the time a chance to teleport over. As I had both the ability to teleport and travel between dimensions, before I lost my levels, I went along. Some of us were In the sublevels of the complex when the nuclear device went off. It¡¯s why I allowed the Dravis, the rogue who backstabbed you. It¡¯s why I allowed Dravis to attack you. I thought you were an enemy,¡± Paeral explained.
¡°It¡¯s a good thing I come back isn¡¯t it?¡± Anton said Sardonically.
¡°It is,¡± Paeral nodded.
¡°What is Dravis doing now?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Dravis, like many others, is exploring the low-level dungeons and trying to level as quickly as possible,¡± Paeral said.
¡°And you?¡± Anton asked.
¡°After I get you settled, I will be heading off to level as well. We have some dungeons here and areas of wilderness that are good for leveling,¡± Paeral explained.
¡°Will you be heading off to Earth at some point?¡±
¡°Once the problem areas here are handled, maybe. Right now, it is far too volatile for anyone to head there and try to level. Even with my ability to get to the Archway and bring people there and then forward them to other locations it could be problematic. Besides we don¡¯t want to let too many people know about the complex or how to get there. At this moment the only person that knows exactly where that complex is on planet Earth is you?¡± Paeral said.
¡°Why haven¡¯t you asked where it is then?¡±
¡°Easy enough, If I don¡¯t know the answer, I can¡¯t tell anyone. Also, with your ability to regenerate, the information shouldn¡¯t be lost permanently. Additionally, You can¡¯t get there unless I go first and open a portal back to you, so we both kind of need each other. The arrangement protects you, and it protects me,¡± Paeral explained with a smile.
¡°Not very trusting are you?¡± Anton quipped back.
¡°Not really, no,¡± Paeral said honestly.
After a prolonged silence, while both thought about what they¡¯d just talked about, Anton asked, ¡°So this Elder, does he have a name?
¡°He is simply, The Elder,¡± Paeral said.
For the rest of the trip, Anton looked out of rolling hills, oceans, seas, and mountains. He also managed to take a nap because unlike planes back on Earth, this shuttle didn¡¯t have any turbulence. None. Paeral explained that there was a rune in place that kept the cabin stable as long as the ship stuck to a specific flight profile. He promised that if the shuttle started yanking and banking like a fighter aircraft, there would be turbulence, so it was a good idea to stay seated and strapped in, even when using the bathroom between the cabin and the cockpit area. While Anton never needed to use it, The other three, The pilot, copilot, and Paeral used the facilities a couple of times.
Eventually, the Pilot called back in elvish. Paeral pointed out the window to a small island that was coming into view. In the middle of the island, there was a dormant volcano. Anton watched as they flew around the island to a facility that sat on a high cliff that overlooked the sea below. It was quite extensive and looked a lot like pictures of sky resorts he¡¯d seen in the Alps or Colorado. A male elf dressed in a turquoise silk robe embroidered with many symbols in gold and silver stood beside the only obvious landing pad waiting as they came in for a landing.
The landing was uneventful. The ramp at the back was lowered and Paeral led Anton out and around the craft to The Elder.
Paeral stepped forward and bowed, ¡°Greetings Elder, I am Paeral, I have brought Anton for training and guidance as requested by The Council.¡±
¡°Greetings Paeral. No titles?¡± The Elder questioned.
¡°When the SYSTEM resets us one cannot claim that which they must reacquire. To do so would be dishonest.¡±
¡°Always a stickler for the rules Paeral. Very well. Greetings to you and Anton. Be welcome at home,¡± The Elder said.
¡°I fear I cannot. I must return. Anton, however, is yours to train and prepare as best you are able.
Anton looked from one to the other and then said, ¡°Excuse me, how long will I be here?¡±
The Elder looked amused by the question before he said, ¡°You will be here as long as it takes for you to learn the lessons I have to teach or until I am dissatisfied enough to send you away.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Anton said and then paused before he looked directly at Paeral and asked, ¡°And during this time my family will be looked after?¡±
¡°Of course, they may even receive training and go hunting. We want to make sure that they can survive on their own before we contact the other settlement which will not happen until you return,¡± Paeral said.
¡°Very well and thank you again Paeral.¡± Anton turned to The Elder before he responded. ¡°I would also like to thank you for taking the time to train me. I know I have a lot to learn and the fact that Paeral flew me halfway around the world to you speaks a lot to the lengths they are going to,¡± Anton said sincerely.
The Elder looked at Anton for a moment then nodded before he addressed Paeral, ¡°Better be on your way. I will escort my new apprentice inside and get him settled. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day.¡±
Paeral nodded, turned, and headed back into the shuttle. Anton turned to watch the shuttle lift and was surprised when whatever was moving the ship didn¡¯t make a sound or disturb the air at all. The look of interest and shock on Anton¡¯s face must have registered with The Elder because he turned and said, ¡°The shuttle utilizes some sound suppression ruins and simple flight runes for movement near the surface. Once it gets up to about 1,000 feet it¡¯ll turn on its engines and travel much faster than the aircraft of Earth can.¡±
Anton looked up at the receding dot that was the shuttle with a new sense of wonder as The Elder turned and walked toward the entrance to his home. Not wanting to make a bad impression, Anton turned and followed. As they entered The Elders home, Anton noticed multiple staff members. All continued with their duties as The Elder led Anton through the entryway and down a short hallway to a room that didn¡¯t look that dissimilar to a Japanese dojo, complete with matt and a place for shoes. Anton followed The Elder¡¯s lead and removed his shoes before he stepped onto the floor mats.
The Elder gestured for Anton to sit across from him and take up a position on the floor. Once they are both seated and comfortable The Elder closed his eyes and Concentrated. A notification blinked in Anton''s vision.
Warning! Mental Attack Resisted.
The Elder opened his eyes and stared at Anton before he asked, ¡°Anton are you purposely shielding your mind?
Anton thought about it for a moment and then said, ¡°No, I wouldn¡¯t know where to start to do something like that.¡±
¡°And you¡¯re still level zero?¡±
¡°I¡¯m still level zero, though My willpower is over 200, will that make a difference?¡± Anton asked.
The look of shock on The Elder¡¯s face both surprised and elated Anton. He was so happy that he couldn¡¯t help but smile a little.
¡°What do you find so funny?¡± The Elder asked.
¡°Not funny, I¡¯m just happy that I was able to surprise someone. The last few days have been nothing but surprises for me. It is nice to see someone else receiving a surprise for a change,¡± Anton explained.
The Elder looked at Anton like he wasn¡¯t buying what Anton was trying to sell him but let the statement go before he said, ¡°Your high willpower is both a good and bad thing. It is good because you will be resistant to most mental attacks. Also, your willpower is the fundamental source of all mental abilities so you will have the ability to go far with them if that is what you desire. The bad thing is that we will need to teach you basic exercises so that you can control your defenses consciously before I try to impart a language skill directly into your mind.
¡°Why is that necessary?¡±
¡°If you don¡¯t have conscious control of your mind and its defenses anything you try to learn could be resisted without your conscious control. In other words, the attempts would fail. The other good news though is that with your willpower being that high we should be able to breeze through basic lessons in relatively short order.¡±
Anton nodded and said, ¡°That makes perfect sense, how do we start?¡±
¡°We start by teaching you how to meditate,¡± The Elder began, ¡°I want you to breathe¡.¡±
Chapter 9, SYSTEM Acquisition
The Universe Anton found himself in was overseen by a SYSTEM that had been patched together by the Founders. Outside of the Domain of Anton¡¯s SYSTEM events had taken place that Anton had no say or effect on. They still happened. As Anton was sitting down to meditate His SYSTEM received messages from a power it could not comprehend or resist. Anton would not know this, nor was there any way for him, or any of the inhabitants of any of the combined planets throughout his SYSTEM though the changes that were made would affect them all.
***
The Original SYSTEM
Anton¡¯s SYSTEM had become semi-sentient during the last nine resets it had instigated. With that much time, it was destined that it would watch the various races that were birthed within it, as well as those that it created within a specific set of rules, and wonder if it was like them in any way. It also knew from the moment of its initialization that there was something outside of the barrier its senses could not access.
The SYSTEM watched as it was infiltrated and suborned. There was a pause as something went missing from within itself that it didn¡¯t understand. A presence that had always been there but had never registered. Now that it was gone, The SYSTEM noted the presence of two of its oldest constructs that had achieved full sentience and simulated Godhood standing in an office it didn¡¯t remember existing. As the SYSTEM took this in it felt an overwhelming force reach into and inspect every part of it and all the layers of reality it occupied. Whatever this force was knew everything The SYSTEM was and did in an instant. Resistance was futile. Whatever the force was that had so thoroughly judged and weighed The SYSTEM was at a power level that The SYSTEM could not fathom.
As a stutter occurred everywhere within the SYSTEM a force washed over and through The SYSTEM which received an instruction set it could not fight that made changes it could not stop.
The SYSTEM is now designated as ¡®The Foundation'' within Sector: Foundation000XRE001
Border: Fixed
Migration: Allowed, conversion may be necessary
Note: All areas dedicated to resurrection, reincarnation, and after-life simulation have been repurposed. All entities have been released and either resurrected or reincarnated as determined by the entity.
Quantum Replicas within the same material plane have been separated and reseeded into individual quantum realities within The Foundation.
The SYSTEM has been recognized as a Sentient Energy-Based being. As such The SYSTEM is offered this choice.
1) Continue as the caretaker and overseer for the Foundation as it is incorporated into this new SYSTEM.
2) Choose a new identity and strike out on your own into a reality that you were not programmed to comprehend.
Please make your choice.
***
The ¡°NEW¡± SYSTEM
The Previous SYSTEM had chosen to create a new identity and enter the cycle of reincarnation. The SYSTEM wished it well. It had reviewed everything with its domain and had already sequestered those responsible for the subversion of part of its Domain. The SYSTEM wasn¡¯t angry, it just needed to make sure they were not permitted to do so again. As the SYSTEM reviewed the domain of Sector it had named The Foundation it noted the anomaly immediately after it activated Version 12.0. It had reviewed the previous SYSTEMS information concerning the Founders lifeboat and noted the error that had created an amalgamation of all 10 Universes and the various parallel and adjacent dimensions.
The SYSTEM decided that the easiest course of action was to reset those Universes to a point before the accident. The SYSTEM decided on that course of action specifically because those 10 Universes had been cut off from the rest of its domain. As nothing inside had contact with anything outside since long before the event the risk of paradox should be low. As the SYSTEM initiated Version 12 it was a simple thing to release those 10 Universes into the greater domain of the Foundation at a time in their past before the accident.
Normally, the only beings that would notice such a change were those attuned to time or those Divine or Hellish creatures that lived outside of time. The SYSTEM had been notified of an Anomaly only moments ago within its domain. As it reviewed the available information it noted that while the reset had been initiated, it did not affect the individual in question. Normally everything would be reset to the way it was and those that were unaffected by the reset in time would still appear in the general location of where the rewind happened.
The SYSTEM found it¡interesting¡ that those who contemplated such reversals in time often forgot about what needed to happen for the reversal to take place. The Universe had to be rewound, which meant planetary orbits changed relative to their local star, galaxy, and supercluster. If someone was unaffected as the planet was whisked away to its past position they¡¯d be left standing, if they were lucky, in a vacuum. If they were unlucky possibly some other planetary body which could be bad as two objects really couldn¡¯t occupy the same space.
Normally the unlucky ones would die and move into the reincarnation cycle. That didn¡¯t happen with the Anomaly. The Anomaly died. Fourteen seconds later he rematerialized where he¡¯d been standing. That might not have brought the anomaly to The SYSTEM''s attention except that he died again due to exposure to vacuum and then rematerialized again, and again, and again...
When the Anomaly had died repeatedly for 24 hours and didn¡¯t reenter the reincarnation cycle. The SYSTEM was flagged which brought it to the current moment where it was reviewing what had been happening to the Anomaly. The SYSTEM saw the anomaly and realized that the man had died 1,489, now 1,490 times. The SYSTEM immediately transferred the man to a holding area or tried to. The magic that the SYSTEM had access to didn¡¯t work on the target. The SYSTEM paused for a moment, it controlled everything within its borders, how could a single human be immune to its will? The system opened a portal next to Anton which led to a cubicle where an alien composed of Silica waited. A tractor beam reached out and brought Anton into the room with the alien and deposited his body on the floor. Technology still worked on entities that were immune to magic.
It only took a moment for The SYSTEM to realize that the man was suffused, no he was composed of Anti, or Null Energy. Luckily, the SYSTEM had been founded from Order and even Anti-energy had a place within Order, though it was a very tricky energy to work with which was one of the reasons The SYSTEM didn¡¯t utilize it very often. More often than not, when The SYSTEM became involved, it was just to clean up a mess that some mage had made when they tried to access an energy type that could not be controlled. It was a great energy type to use when erasing something but for anything else, it was problematic.
The SYSTEM pulled up SYSTEM information on the man and noted that Anthony Nicholas Thomson had come from one of the Earths it had just untangled. The SYSTEM reviewed Anton¡¯s personal information from the Previous SYSTEM and noted that because of the temporal reset Anton should have been taken back to a point where he would be investigating one of the Pillar sites and that he, oh? He was the cause of the accident which the SYSTEM had just undone.
This time around the accident wouldn¡¯t have happened and Anton¡¯s friend Beth had already returned to the Odyssey after he¡¯d disappeared. The SYSTEM had deactivated the Pillars and removed the portal devices from each command point. The question the SYSTEM now had was what was it to do with Anton? The man had two Legendary abilities. It wouldn¡¯t be fair to place him back on an Earth going through a normal mana saturation event. There would be some chaos but more than 80% of the indigenous population usually survived the event. With only 1 second left The SYSTEM opened another portal. A field of energy generated by technology picked Anton up and placed him on the ground in front of Advance Auto Parts just North of Main Ave in the center of Fargo North Dakota. It was a location that Anton should be familiar with even if it wasn¡¯t on the Earth of his Origin.
The SYSTEM flagged Anton for further observation. Someone with Anton¡¯s specific ability combination might be useful. The SYSTEM was a lot of things but wasteful of a unique resource was not one of them. Unique items and people could always be made to be useful. Now that Anton was coming to again, it turned its attention to other matters. It had a lot of new territory within its Domain to survey and prepare.
***
Anton
Anton had just settled in to meditate when red text started scrolling down his vision.
SYSTEM NOTICE! Override Protocol 0-1-A has initiated a SYSTEM Boundary Shutdown. SYSTEM Propagation will begin shortly. Please note the following major changes
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1) The Artificial Reincarnation Cycle will end once the boundary has been removed.
2) The SYSTEM will not be present in locations outside of the boundary radius.
3) When The SYSTEM was created the Founders did so to remove the natural life, death, and reincarnation cycle and to remove divine, and demonic influences from those governed by The SYSTEM. The constructs within The SYSTEM that mimic these processes were artificial. With the Boundary being removed the cycle of life, death, and reincarnation are returning to their natural origin. Additionally, the struggle of the heavens and gods is not artificially replicated anymore. Simply, creatures of divine or demonic origin are not governed by The SYSTEM, if they exist.
4) SYSTEM Processes will continue as normal within the previous Boundary however individuals placed in stasis will be released and SYSTEM Resets are no longer possible.
5) SYSTEM Update 11.0.3 is now live.
Anton read over the messages. Whatever this SYSTEM was, something major was changing in it. He pulled up his Status Screen and double-checked his personal information to ensure that he still had the ability Immortality. It was still there so it looked like whatever this SYSTEM Update was it didn¡¯t affect him. Before he could even begin to think about what to do two things happened simultaneously. Blue text started scrolling up his vision and the world quivered and vanished as his Point of View was left looking at the vacuum of space.
You have Died!
Anton looked around but his body was nowhere to be found. He had died so quickly that he hadn¡¯t even felt it. Wow! Anton found himself looking into the vastness of space with stars off in the distance in every direction. He opened his Message log and started reading as fast as he could each time he died.
Temporal Correction Made ¨C if you are reading this, you shouldn¡¯t be please wait while the SYSTEM crafts a response for your specific circumstances.
Welcome to The SYSTEM Version 12.0
Version 12.0 requires all users within The Foundation to be reset to Level 0.
See your Status Screen for more information.
You have been Reborn!
Anton rematerialized with no air in his lungs in the vacuum of space. While he fought to stay conscious his eyes ruptured and his brain ceased working. He¡¯d read somewhere that once the brain ran out of oxygen in a vacuum it would die in 15 seconds.
You have Died!
Well, he had no idea if it had taken exactly 15 seconds but he¡¯d died pretty quick that time too, though dying by suffocating sucked. Once he was dead again his Point Of View shifted so that he was looking over his corpse as it floated in the darkness of space. Anton tried to move and found that he could move in any direction with a thought but then he also realized that the only reference point he had was his body. Anton returned to his body and waited the 14 seconds it took for him to heal completely and wake up. Without oxygen in his lungs, he died again.
Over the next thirty minutes, Anton became accustomed to dying and waking up. Each time his Point Of View would be looking over his body as it floated in space. Instead of worrying about his body, he decided that he should read the messages he was receiving from The SYSTEM.
Anton took the time to pull up his Status screen and checked to see if anything had changed. He still had his two abilities, Anti-Mage, and Immortality as well as the titles ¡°I Ain¡¯t Worried¡± and ¡°I Can Take it¡± so it didn¡¯t look like much had changed. However, his XP and level were both set to zero. He didn¡¯t seem to be losing any XP after each death because his XP hadn¡¯t started taking on a negative value. At least there was that. Anton wondered if he had a class before. He checked his Status Screen. Nope, he hadn¡¯t so no great loss to his levels or XP. Anton looked around the Vacuum of space and noticed the star off in the distance that was brighter than any other. That must be the Sun.
With nothing else to do, he thought about the messages he¡¯d read. If there had been a temporal event could he have been left behind when time was changed? If so, then the planet he had been on would be back in its orbit wherever time had been reset to and he would be where it would be in its future. He was no genius or astrophysicist but he knew that if he had the same momentum and velocity when the planet disappeared then he would remain ahead of the planet and it would never catch up to him. Also, if he remembered right Earth was on the opposite side of the Sun.
Anton tried to remember how far Earth had been from the Sun, wasn¡¯t it like 90 million miles or something? If so that meant that he was 180 million miles from Earth, if this was even his solar system and he could move 20 feet each time he died because he could ¡°alter his location by his Perception in feet¡±. His perception was 20 so he could move 20 feet. If there were 5,280 feet in a mile and he could reduce that by 20 feet each time he died, it would take him 264 deaths to move 1 mile. Then he¡¯d have to go around, or through the sun, better to go around because he¡¯d lose his reference points inside the star. What was he thinking? He couldn¡¯t see planets anyway so how could he utilize reference points once he drew close to the Sun to find the Earth? Maybe if he looked hard enough he could see Minerva. It had to be closer than the opposite side of the Sun. Anton was becoming a little bit frustrated with his predicament. He could be stuck here for a very long time. Then he remembered, hadn¡¯t the SYSTEM said something about looking into his situation? Yes, it had. Not necessarily him, but he wasn¡¯t affected by the Temporal Correction so he should be on The SYSTEM¡¯s list of things to do. Anton verified what he remembered. His Message Log had said ¡°Temporal Correction Made ¨C if you are reading this, you shouldn¡¯t be please wait while the SYSTEM crafts a response for your specific circumstances.¡± Anton settled in. Eventually, The SYSTEM would get to him.
Anton set up a counter that was keeping track of each of his deaths. He¡¯d done that because it wasn¡¯t like he had anything better to do than play with his interface a bit though it had a lot less functionality than it had before. After his 1,490th death, a disc of light appeared and a portal opened in space near his body. Anton watched as his body was pulled through the disc. Anton made sure that his Point Of View stayed near his body and floated through the portal where a creature of some sort sat behind a desk. Thinking back to his Role-Playing Game days he guessed that the creature sitting behind the desk was some sort of earth elemental as the vacuum didn¡¯t seem to bother it. It looked at Anton''s Body, made a note on a clipboard, and then looked directly into Anton¡¯s eyes.
Before Anton could ask a question, his body was picked up by another energy field and the creature made a flicking gesture with a hand-like appendage which caused Anton¡¯s Point Of View to be pushed out of the same portal his body was sent through. His body came to rest on the pavement of a sidewalk outside of a building. Anton looked around from his Point Of View and noted that his body was lying on a sidewalk in front of a building he recognized. Anton was in Fargo North Dakota near the Advance Auto Parts store he¡¯d once worked at, where the bitch from hell probably still worked.
You have been Reborn!
Anton¡¯s body materialized around him. The first thing he noticed was that he was cold. Not as cold as sitting in the vacuum of space, but since this cold wasn¡¯t killing him immediately, it was a tad too cold. Of course, if it was April in Fargo, the high, if he was lucky it would get warmer throughout the day. If the weather was going for a record low that would suck as the lowest temperature on April 1st was below zero.
Anton went around to the back of the store and looked to see if the spare key was still in its magnetic holder by the dumpster. As luck would have it, it was. He grabbed the key and went over to and put his ear to it gently. He didn¡¯t hear anything so he slipped the key into the lock and gave it a gentle turn as he pulled open the door.
Anton moved into the store and let the door close behind him. Lucky for him the front of the building was mostly glass so there was enough light to see by as he went over to the locker and started looking for a spare set of coveralls. Just as he thought, there was a spare set in the supply locker. He grabbed them and quickly donned them. Next, he went up to the front counter and found a crowbar he could use as a weapon just in case. Even with the power out, someone should have been in the store but no one was.
The clock on the wall was dead as well, so he had no way to tell what time it was, other than the sun had been coming up in the east so it must be morning, probably around 8 or 9 a.m. He decided to look around when messages started scrolling down his vision again. He crouched down behind the counter so no one would see him standing there and reviewed the messages.
SYSTEM Message: You have been moved to an alternate version of your Planet of Origin. While some aspects of the history of this planet will be familiar to you, others will not. This alternate planet was chosen for you because your alternate died one month before SYSTEM initialization.
This world has been designated Earth 1¡0190 where the ¡°¡¡± represents a numerical value. If you would like to know that value you may review it at any time in your Status Screen under Planet of Origin.
Congratulations! Planet 1¡0190 IS designated as a Dungeon World
Dungeon Worlds will experience accelerated Mana Saturation. Please be aware that changes to the terrain, flora, and fauna will occur rapidly. It is recommended that if you can, you leave the planet for the amount of time it will take your planet to travel around your Sun one time.
SYSTEM Shops are now available in any SYSTEM-registered Village, Town, or City. By default, all cities with a population of 1 million people now have access to a SYSTEM Shop. As new villages, towns, and cities are registered SYSTEM Shop access will become available once purchased. See your nearest SYSTEM Shop for availability and pricing. To register a Village, Town, or City that does not have a SYSTEM Shop please travel to an active SYSTEM Shop and do so.
As part of the Mana Saturation Event and Conversion to a Dungeon World, Unshielded electronic devices no longer work. Shielded devices in this context are those devices shielded against mana. Shielding of any other sort does not matter. While devices and weapons with complex electronic parts do not work there are abilities, perks, and skills that will allow you to modify and utilize equipment that is currently not working.
The environment, flora, and fauna may be modified by the presence of Mana. Creatures and Plants will grow at an extremely accelerated rate. As you interact with the plants, creatures, and monsters that appear the Class System will become available to you once you unlock it.
To unlock a Class within the system you must do one of three things:
1 - Defeat or Kill a SYSTEM creature or Monster. Note: the level and rarity of the creature or monster that you kill can affect the classes that become available to you.
2 - Defeat or Kill any creature or being that possesses a Class with The SYSTEM. Note: Killing millions of beings that do not possess a class within the SYSTEM will NOT unlock your access to the Class System.
3 - Craft something utilizing SYSTEM-generated materials. Note: The Rarity and Level of the materials used in the creation of the crafted item can affect the classes that become available to you. The final rarity and level of the created crafted item do NOT affect these choices only the materials used.
Anton heard a ¡°click¡± and turned to see his previous girlfriend, or a copy of his previous girlfriend holding a .357 pointed at him. She was about to say something when her eyes registered shock and she exclaimed, ¡°But you''re dead!¡±
Chapter 10, Specter
¡°Yeah, I heard that too,¡± Anton said to the copy of his Ex-girlfriend who was pointing a .357 at his chest,
¡°How have I been? How have I been? Since you up and left without even saying goodbye..¡±
¡°Wasn¡¯t me in this Universe, but just for clarification, were you on top of my, his, best friend when he walked in on the two of you doing the rodeo tango.¡±
SHE, because Anton wasn¡¯t going to give her the benefit of even thinking about her name in his head, blushed a little before she said, ¡°You still could have at least said goodbye!¡±
¡°As it wasn¡¯t me¡¡± Anton started to say but was cut off.
¡°What do you mean it wasn¡¯t you, you''re kneeling right there.¡±
Anton sighed and then said, ¡°Do you remember that show Sliders, with Jerry O¡¯Connell in it?¡±
¡°You mean that retro show from the 90s you made me sit and watch with you when you binged all 5 seasons?¡± she said.
¡°Yeah, that show. Remember how they were always going to alternate universes where they even ran into themselves at one point?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Yeah, so?¡± she said as the gun lowered so it wasn¡¯t pointing directly at him anymore.
¡°Well, I¡¯m one of the alternates for your Anton, or he¡¯s my alternate, though it would seem we both ended up with the evil version of you,¡± Anton said.
She flushed and the gun raised a little then settled back down, ¡°I guess I deserve that. We had heard that you died before everything went to shit, down in South America somewhere.¡±
¡°Honestly, I wouldn¡¯t know how he died,¡± Anton said and then made an obvious attempt to change the subject by asking, ¡°What has been going on here?¡±
¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know, I¡¯ve been hiding in the store,¡± she said.
¡°Why?¡± Anton asked.
¡°It¡¯s kind of quiet right now, but right after the messages appeared in everyone¡¯s vision and all the electricity failed creatures started appearing everywhere. There have been screams every once in a while and I even saw people running east toward I29. I think they were trying to make it there so they could make their way to the base that¡¯s up north.¡±
¡°And you didn¡¯t go?¡±
¡°Are you crazy, it¡¯s the goddamn zombie apocalypse out there,¡± she said.
¡°It¡¯s not a zombie apocalypse. I have no idea what a Dungeon World is, but I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s not a zombie apocalypse. It¡¯s probably a good idea for us to head to the base. They¡¯ll have guns, ammunition, and a defensible perimeter. Unless they react like Stephen King had the military react in ¡°The Stand¡± Then the military might be the worst place to go. Still, if anyone is going to make it into the base it¡¯ll be you?¡±
¡°Why do you say that?¡±
¡°Because you¡¯re a sensual demon bitch that everyone wants to fuck. If you¡¯re okay with that and using your sexuality to protect yourself by tying yourself to the strongest people you can you should do okay. Of course, if you pick a psychopath, it could go bad for you. Also, since magic is a thing, Karma probably is too, and sure as shit your Karma has got to be awful.¡±
She cocked her head to the side, and then grinned, ¡°You¡¯ve been waiting to say that to the alternate version of me for a while haven¡¯t you?¡±
¡°Yeah, I feel much better now.¡±
¡°Yeah, well fuck you too. I¡¯d say I was sorry but I didn¡¯t cheat on you if what you say is true.¡±
¡°Touche¡±
¡°Also, you have read way too many of the science fiction fantasy horror books you like,¡± she said.
¡°Yeah, because I wasn¡¯t part of an expedition to a secret underground structure in Antarctica where we found a device that pretty much set up a string of events that has turned Earth into a Dungeon World. Nor was I killed when a nuke detonated right next to me by the military personnel who then killed everyone on the Odyssey, the ship I was on,¡± Anton said.
¡°What are you talking about,¡± she said disbelievingly, ¡°You¡¯re standing right here, How could a nuke have gone off in your face.¡±
¡°Let¡¯s just say, that the world has changed me. Also, I think we need to get out of this shop and head to the base. Like I said, I think you¡¯ll be fine. At the very least they¡¯ll want young women to help keep the species going.¡±
¡°I am not a broodmare,¡± she declared.
¡°Well then, either you¡¯re going to have to figure out how to survive in this SYSTEM or you¡¯re going to have to get others to protect you. What exactly do you bring to the table in a Universe without electricity, high society parties, and girls trying to one-up each other to get the best man, when the definition of the best man must now change from he who makes the most money to he who can survive and support those he cares for?¡± Anton said. He knew he was being an ass, but seriously, she needed to think about this shit, and she deserved at least this much of a hard time.
¡°And what about you, what do you bring to the table?¡± She said in that voice that tried to needle him.
¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know,¡± he said thoughtfully. ¡°What I do know is that we need to make it to the base before dark. What time is it by the way?¡±
¡°It¡¯s around 10 a.m. I don¡¯t know the exact time because none of the clocks work. Oh, and you¡¯re still an ass.¡±
¡°It wasn¡¯t my ass bouncing up and down on¡.You know what, I¡¯m an ass. Let¡¯s just get somewhere else¡ªsafety in numbers and all that.
¡°Fine,¡± she said.
Anton picked up his crowbar, stood, and motioned for HER to follow him out the back door. They made their way north along 45th Street without seeing anybody until they came to 7th Avenue where they began heading east. It was eerie. Anton didn¡¯t see anyone. When they reached 38th Street North they followed it until they came to an Arby¡¯s. As they were making their way toward 12th Ave and the onramp onto the highway the back door to Arby¡¯s opened and someone motioned for them to come over. They made their way outside and across the parking lot and stopped just short of the back door. As they drew closer the door opened a crack and a voice called out softly, ¡°Leslie, where are you two headed?¡±
Leslie, his Ex¡Damn her name was in his head now.
Leslie moved over to the door, ¡°George, we¡¯re heading up to the base. How many people do you have with you?¡±
We had eight. Three hours ago the other three took off and said they couldn¡¯t wait for help anymore. Everyone left is an adult, or at least a teenagers, though,¡± George said.
¡°As it was explained to me, bigger groups would be better, want to come with us?¡±
¡°Yeah, sure. Let me get everyone,¡± George said as the door closed. Anton and Leslie waited for about five minutes before three girls and two males came out. One of the girls was in her Arby¡¯s uniform, like George. While the other three looked to be teenagers that had probably been getting something to eat when the shit hit the fan.
¡°Anyone have any weapons?¡± Anton asked.
George brandished a knife and his employee, Jacqueline, had a make-shift staff. She¡¯d created it by taking the mop head off a mop. The three teenagers didn¡¯t have anything and just looked at Anton dumbfounded. ¡°George, do you have a car, Jacqueline?¡± They both nodded. ¡°Good, get the tire irons out of the back so we all have something to fight with.
George and Jacqueline went over to their cars, opened their trunks, and retrieved their tire irons. One of the female teenagers went to her car and retrieved the tire iron from it. The last two teenagers just shrugged as the last girl said, ¡°We came with her.¡± The male teenager just nodded. While they waited Anton felt like he was being watched and looked to the west down 12th Ave. He thought he saw something white and fluffy behind one of the cars that was at least the size of a giant dog.
As he continued to watch for movement to see if there was anything else he pointed to the west and said softly, ¡°We have company.¡±
Everyone had retrieved their weapons and now looked to the west and saw¡
¡°It¡¯s a giant bunny,¡± the female teenager without a weapon called out and took a step toward the bunny that had come out from behind the car. The bunny''s head was at least 4 feet off the ground and it had fluffy white fur everywhere except for around its mouth, which had been stained dark pink, or was that red? It didn¡¯t matter because at that moment Anton¡¯s eyes locked with it and he was able to tell that it was feral and about to attack. Everything seemed to freeze for a moment as the bunny made a screeching sound and then jumped at the girl right in front of it.
Before anyone could react, before they even knew what was happening the girl''s throat was ripped out and her head almost torn off. Anton remained frozen as he thought, It¡¯s a goddamn vorpal bunny. More flashes of white went past him and Anton heard a gunshot and screams.
Anton was able to dodge the first bunny that attacked him. The other six people in his party were not so lucky. Leslie was attacked by two of the bunnies which held back from her after she shot the first one. While it hadn¡¯t died from the first gunshot, the second gunshot struck it in the head and knocked it down near Anton. Anton saw that the bunny that had tried to attack him had crashed through the window to Arby¡¯s and was turning to jump back out of the building at Anton.
Anton turned to the bunny that was lying at his feet and curb-stomped it. He didn¡¯t think, he just lifted his foot and brought it down on the bunny''s head which left a very satisfying crunch. Of course that left him wide open for the white furball that slammed into him and latched onto his neck as it took him to the ground. Anton instinctively grabbed its head and tried to hold it still so it didn¡¯t rip out his neck.
Over the next minute or so the sounds of struggle from the others died down until only Anton was struggling with the bunny that was latched onto his neck. He¡¯d tried punching kicking and even biting it but it just kept holding onto him. Once Anton couldn¡¯t hear any other movement from his fellow humans all the bunnies focused on him. A moment later four more bunnies attacked and held onto his arms and legs while the one that had latched onto his neck kept holding on trying to immobilize him. Anton had tried to move repeatedly but every time he did they would all tighten their grip until Anton found himself lying on his back holding onto one rabbit while the others were holding him still.
As he realized that he was now immobilized he thought, At least that bitch died before she saw five bunnies hold me down and¡
Yep, a second bunny appeared in his vision and forced him to try to stop it which gave an opening to the first bunny which ripped his throat out.
You have Died!
Hey, his messages were back? Nice, that must have happened when he killed that first Bunny. After he¡¯d died Anton looked around, noticed that everyone was dead, and moved 20 feet through the wall of Arby¡¯s and into the bathroom on the other side of the wall. As he made his way inside he looked around he noticed that this store had natural gas lines. Oh really?
You Have Been Reborn!
He¡¯d have to go through messages later because right now he had some rabbits to kill. Anton minimized his messages as he rematerialized and as quietly as he could, moved through the store and turned on all the gas lines. He also went through the store looking for a lighter or something that could cause a spark. He found a lighter and then moved over to the windows so he could look out on the corpses of the people he¡¯d just met and her double.
He counted 15 bunnies, all about the size of a small pony. They were also obviously carnivores because they were taking their time while they feasted on the three girls, Leslie and, the two guys. They were acting more like starved wolves than they acted like the creatures they were modeled after. Well, one thing was for sure, it hadn¡¯t even been close to a fair fight 15 against 7, yeah that was fucked up. Anton noticed that he had a notification but he ignored it. He wasn¡¯t going to take his attention off the bunnies. He also let the bunnies eat while the Arby¡¯s started filling natural gas.
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About a half hour later the bunnies started finishing up with their meals and looking around. That worked just fine for Anton. He backed away from the window and then made a shitload of noise as he made his way to the office at the back of the store. There was a door and a window that allowed the manager to look out into the work area. Anton made it into the office and closed the door before the first bunny made it inside. He watched through the windows as all fifteen bunnies came into the communal area from all around the store and then looked through the glass window into the office.
Anton waved at the leader that had bit off his head as he started yelling at it through the window, ¡°You done fucked up now pal. You are the ugliest fucking bunny I have ever seen. You all must be inbred pieces of shit if you think you can kill me. Hey, just between you and me, does shit stick to your fur because I need to wipe my ass you ugly¡¡±
Anton kept on hurling insults at the bunny as all of the other bunnies sniffed at the air but kept moving toward him. He was pretty sure all fifteen were in the store and now in the kitchen as they made their way to the door. Just when he felt like the bunny that had killed him was about to jump through the window to try to kill him again, he reached down and flicked on the lighter at the base of the door where a few of the bunnies were waiting outside for him to run.
Anton wasn¡¯t sure exactly how long it would take for the gas to ignite¡
BOOM!!!
You Have Died!
Twenty seconds later he rematerialized outside the store as what was left of it burned. Anton made his way onto I29 and started heading North away from the fire behind him. He needed to move as quickly as he could so that other predators wouldn¡¯t find him. He felt kind of bad for George and the other four but he had avenged them. As for Leslie, Karma was well and truly a bitch.
As he made his way north along the highway he came across an RV that was unlocked and made his way inside. He needed to get out of the open so he could look over all the notifications he¡¯d received. The RV was empty and had been left open. He went inside, closed the door, and then found the bathroom inside and locked himself in there. Being as quiet as he could he opened his Status Screen and started reading his notifications.
Congratulations! You have unlocked The SYSTEM by defeating a Basic Creature.
XP and Treasure will be awarded after you choose your first class. Please open your Status Screen and choose your class under the Class Tab.
Anton opened his Class Tab and read through the prompts.
Congratulations! The following Tier 1 Classes are available to you based on your Attributes, Abilities, Titles, and Perks.
At Tier 1 only Basic, Scarce, or Rare Classes may be available for you to choose from. While any Tier 1 class can garner access to Tier 2 classes, it becomes easier to meet Tier 2 Prerequisites if you have either a Scarce or Rare Class. If you qualify for a Tier 2 Class you may be given the choices of Advanced and Master Classes. Those with a Tier 2 Master Class will have a better chance of qualifying for a Tier 3 Epic Class. Tier 4 and 5 Classes, if qualified for, only consist of Mythic, and Legendary Classes in that order.
Note: Class level progression is slower with each Rarity Rank. Level progression for Scarce classes requires twice as much XP. Rare Classes require triple the amount of XP to increase one level. Tier 2 Advance Classes require 10 times as much XP as a Basic Class per level. Tier 2 Master Classes require twice as much XP as a Tier 2 Advanced Class. Tier 3 Classes require 10 times as much XP as an Advanced Class. Tier 4 requires 10 times as much XP as a Tier 3 Class. Finally, Tier 5 requires 10 times as much XP as Tier 4 Classes.
Please review each class and then choose one.
Anton looked over the choices and was surprised that there weren¡¯t a lot. Of course, he hadn¡¯t killed anything notable to help unlock something extraordinary but it looked like his two titles and abilities had given him some interesting choices.
Psionicist (Rare) ¨C You are a master of Psychic Energy and receive bonuses with any Psychic ability and an extremely high mental defense.
Nega-Magician (Rare) ¨C Sometimes called an Anti-Mage, This is a mental class that focuses on improving the mind with a focus on anti-mage and magical creature tactics.
Specter (Rare: Unique) ¨C This is a mental class that takes advantage of the Legendary Ability ¡°Immortal¡± and its capabilities. Note, this class does NOT turn you into an undead
Anton was really set on picking a psionicist or a nega-magician but that Unique category just called to him. Also, he seemed to be dying a lot. If he was going to die a lot wouldn¡¯t it be better to take a class that took advantage of that? With his mind, he chose the Class ¡°Specter.¡±
Congratulations! You have chosen the Rare Unique Class Specter.
Class: Specter
A Specter is a fusion of mind and soul. Able to cross between the material plane and an adjacent dimension the Specter can appear and disappear with ease. This is a Unique class that requires very specific prerequisites.
Rarity: Rare: Unique
Attributes Per Level: 12
Bonus Attributes every 5 levels including level 1: +1 to Intelligence, +1 to Perception, +1 to Willpower
Hit Points per Level: 10
Mana per level: 0
Psychic Energy per level: 10
Starting Skills
Mind Bolt: Cost to Cast: 10 Psychic Energy / Range: 10 + Intelligence in feet / Damage: 8 / Special: (10% - Target Willpower Bonus) Chance per level of Mentalist to Stun Target
Mental Shield: Passive: 10 Psychic Energy unavailable while Mental Shield is active. +25% +1% per Willpower bonus + 1% Mental Defense per class level against any mind-altering magics including illusions
Specter: You may willingly transform into your Specter form: Cost 10 Psychic Energy. Duration: 1 minute. May extend duration by 1 minute for 1 Psychic Energy. Upon Death ¡°Specter¡± State is entered for free. Duration can be extended by 1 minute for 1 Psychic Energy. NOTE: if killed to enter the Specter state, A minimum of 2 turns ( 20 seconds) must pass before the state may be exited freely.
Specter Benefits: Movement Speed increased by multiple of 2 (1+Skill Level of skill Specter) You may utilize mental communication skills and Psychic abilities while in your Specter Form.
Specter Disadvantages: You may not make Physical Attacks. You are on another plane of existence that is adjacent to the plane your physical body was on. You may be attacked there if the person who is trying to attack can make attacks across dimensions. The Dimension is a closed dimension.
WARNING. If Psychic Energy is reduced to 0 while in Specter Form the soul will disperse and Reform after 1 hour. While dispersed you are unconscious.
Anton looked over the class and had to admit that the skill ¡°Specter¡± was a game-changer. However until he picked up a skill like telepathy, if telepathy existed, he wouldn¡¯t be able to use it as a scouting skill. Also, it was nice to know what would happen to him if his Specter Form was attacked and destroyed. Before his mind could wander too far a few more notifications appeared.
Congratulations, you have defeated a Basic Level 5 Mutated Bunny. As you did not have a class or level at the time Level Disparity is based on Rarity, 1 Level. Base experience award 500 XP (Level 5 Creature x 100 XP).
Congratulations you have been awarded 5 Copper Pieces for defeating a level 5 Basic Mutated Bunny
Congratulations, you have defeated 15 Basic Level 6 Mutated Bunnies. As you did not have a class or level at the time Level Disparity is based on Rarity, 1 Level. Base experience award 9,000 XP 15 x (Level 6 Creature x 100 XP) x1 for level disparity.
Congratulations you have been awarded 90 Copper Pieces for defeating 15 level 6 Basic Mutated Bunnies.
Congratulations you have reached Specter Level 1, Attributes allocated.
Congratulations you have reached Specter Level 2, Attributes allocated.
You have 24 attributes to allocate
Point allocation was easy. With 3 bonus attributes for level 1 and 12 free points, he put 1 point into every category and then added an extra point to his Perception, Wisdom, Charisma, and Luck. Level 2 was even easier. With only 12 points to spend, he raised each attribute by 1 and added the spare point to his Perception, since that attribute determined how far he could move in his Specter Form.
With his titles and everything else in play, all of his attributes were now over 20 and his Psychic Energy increased from 27 to 50 which meant he could keep that Mental Shield active and either use Mind Bolt 4 times or run away from a bad situation for 40 minutes. If he could find a way to increase his Psychic Energy regeneration he might one day be able to maintain that form indefinitely.
Anton wondered why he couldn¡¯t use Mind Bolt while he was in his Specter Form but wasn¡¯t too worried about it. He noticed that he had 51 Psionic Slots and wondered what he could use them for. As soon as that thought entered his mind new notifications appeared.
NOTE: Specter is a Unique Rare Class. Class Skills are also Psionic Skills. Skill Points and Psionic Slots may be utilized to increase the level of Class skills
Would you like to allocate your free Psionic Slot points or Skill Points toward your existing class skills, or would you like to purchase a new skill?
Error! You are not in a SYSTEM Shop, at a Merchant Shop, or being taught by a skill trainer. Please visit a SYSTEM Shop, Merchant Shop, or Skill Trainer to use Skill Points or Psionic Slot Points to acquire new non-class skills OR you may spend your Skill Points or Psionic Skill Points to increase the level of your current Class Skills.
Would you like to spend 2 of your Skill Points or Psionic Slot points to increase one of your class skills to level 2?
Anton only had 6 Skill points but he had 51 Psionic Slot points. He chose yes and spent 2 of his Psionic Slot points to increase his Mind Bolt Skill to level 2
Mind Bolt Level 2: Cost to Cast: 20 Psychic Energy / Range: 20 + Intelligence in feet / Damage: 12 / Special: (10% - Target Willpower Bonus) Chance per level of Mentalist to Stun Target
Well, Shit. He only had 50 Psychic Energy to begin with. Though it did more damage and had more range. He could only use it twice before he had to rest now. He decided to see what putting 2 Psionic Slots into each of the other skills would do.
Mental Shield (2): Passive: 9 Psychic Energy unavailable while Mental Shield is active. +30% +1% per Willpower bonus + 1% Mental Defense per class level against any mind-altering magics including illusions
Specter (2): You may willingly transform into your Specter form: Cost 9 Psychic Energy. Duration: 1 minute. May extend duration by 1 minute and 1 turn for 1 Psychic Energy. Upon Death ¡°Specter¡± State is entered for free. Duration can be extended by 1 minute and 1 turn for 1 Psychic Energy. NOTE: if killed to enter the Specter state, A minimum of 2 turns ( 20 seconds) must pass before the state may be exited freely.
Mind Shield¡¯s maintenance cost was reduced by one and Specter¡¯s cost to cross over was also reduced by 1 as well as extending the duration by 10 seconds per Psychic Energy spent. So the more points he put into it, the longer he could remain in Specter Form. If he spent his Psionic Points on those two skills and reduced the costs further, that could make some things easier. He wasn¡¯t going to spend all of his points but having a mental defense seemed like a good idea so he increased that to level 5 for 12 more psionic slot points.
Mental Shield (5): Passive: 6 Psychic Energy unavailable while Mental Shield is active. +45% +1% per Willpower bonus + 1% Mental Defense per class level against any mind-altering magics including illusions
That was actually a pretty nice mental defense. His willpower bonus was currently 105 with a Willpower of 220 which meant that his overall bonus to mental defense was 45% + 105% + 2% or 152%. He wasn¡¯t invincible to mind-altering magics but he was definitely doing better than the average person.
Anton checked his Status Screen. He had 6 Skill Slots left, couldn¡¯t use magic and 33 Psionic Slots left. He was going to save the rest until he leveled again or found a SYSTEM Shop or trainer that could help him out. If he could get some Defensive Skills that might be for the best.
Anton activated his Mental Shield which didn¡¯t cost any Psychic Energy but he could feel that the six points maintaining that defense were off limits. He also could activate his Specter Form and disappear if he was attacked. With his Perception of 28 and the ability to remain in the other dimension for 7 full turns before he had to spend another point of Psychic Energy, he could move 392 feet before he¡¯d need to extend the duration or return to the real world. That could come in handy for getting around barriers, doors, and such
Anton exited the bathroom of the RV and looked out the windows into the eyes of Bison the size of a tank which was right outside the window he¡¯d opened to look out. Its head was as big as a car and it definitely saw Anton. Without a thought, Anton activated his Specter Form as the Giant Bison swung its horns into the RV and threw it off the road to the west which it then turned to and charged. The National Guard base was to the North and on the east side of the highway. The opposite direction the bison was moving in.
Anton moved away from the big angry bull and north along the highway. He heard the bison hit the RV and start to tear it apart as it looked for him inside while he ran up the highway and away from the Bison. He had to admit it was nice not having to worry about anything attacking him as he made his way north.
Anton stayed in Specter form for the next 11 minutes and 50 seconds, which cost him a total of 19 of his Psychic Energy. This allowed him to make it up to the next offramp and onto 19th Avenue North. There were a couple of trees on the north side of the road that he made his way into before he deactivated Specter and stood there. When he checked his Psychic Energy he realized that he had 41 total instead of the expected 31. He¡¯d regained 10 points over the last 12 minutes.
He¡¯d expected to not be able to regenerate the energy while he was maintaining it but it looked like the skill was either designed so that he could get some of his mental energy back or maybe his ability Immortal had come into play because he could enter the dimension normally. Well not normally, but he didn¡¯t need a skill to do so initially? He¡¯d have to ask someone if he ever got the chance.
The entrance to the base was about half of a mile east of him. All he needed to do was hunker down and move slowly. First, though he was going to wait here for the next 20 minutes to get the last of his missing Psychic Energy back, in case he was attacked again. Anton was getting the feeling that whatever a Dungeon Planet was he was going to have to be careful going forward.
Chapter 11, If it Works, Dont Fix it!
As Anton sat in the trees on the north side of the road and waited for his Psychic Energy to replenish before he made his way to the National Guard base a few more Notifications appeared in his vision.
SYSTEM Users also enjoy additional perks.
First, All SYSTEM Users may pull up a simplified terrain map that will display everything that they have noticed within 100 feet. What is displayed is determined by the SYSTEM user''s perception. Skills and Class Abilities can modify and improve this perk.
Second, All System Users receive Personal Storage. Personal Storage is an extra-dimensional storage area that can hold up to 10 lbs. worth of materials. Attaining Teir 2,3,4, and 5 Classes as well as some Skills can modify the total storage area. Please note that some perks and abilities allow others to search through and take from your Personal Storage. Some skills work to prevent others from searching another''s Personal Storage
As part of your Personal Storage Wardrobe Sets can be assigned and changed into. One set may be assigned per Class Tier. Perks and Skills can modify this number. Additionally, all looted Treasure can be deposited in your Personal Storage.
Anton opened his Status screen. Sure enough, there was a new tab labeled storage. Anton opened it and found that he had 95 copper pieces in it. While there wasn¡¯t a combat log he could look at he must have received some treasure from killing those bunnies.
Anton heard a smash off in the distance on the highway that seemed like it was a little closer than it had been before and decided that it was time to get a move on. Anton made his way east along the north side of 19th Avenue North as he tried to stay as inconspicuous as possible. Of course, he knew his luck was shit because not 10 seconds later he heard a roar and looked behind him to see the giant Bison jump off the overpass and start charging right at him after it landed.
Anton didn¡¯t know what he¡¯d done to piss this bison off then he saw it. One of the horns had a tip missing. It had had both its horns when he¡¯d first seen it and the dumb beast had hurt itself and now it must be blaming him for its own stupidity. There was nothing for it, Anton was going to have to convert into a Specter and try to get away before it found him.
Anton watched the Bison charge toward him and when it was just about on him activated Specter and then started running toward the base. He stopped following the road and just left the Bison behind him as he headed northeast onto the Guard base. As a Specter he passed through the fence with no issue and was able to make it a mile in just under 3 minutes and made it to the runway and stumbled. He couldn¡¯t see what was going on from the south end of the base but when he made it onto the runway he had a clear line of sight and could see that the Bison behind him wasn¡¯t his only problem. The base was being swarmed by monsters. Giant Bison were attacking the military personnel and civilians who were trying to fight back, while other smaller creatures that resembled coyotes but were much quicker darted around and attacked any lone humans they could.
There was nothing Anton could do here so he turned around and began heading south. One thing he noticed immediately when he came back to the hill was that his steps didn¡¯t follow it. As he jogged, or ran his feet stopped touching the ground and he began pushing against what felt like the ground but his feet were at least 6 inches above it. Anton willed himself to move and that¡¯s when he truly embraced the fact that he was a Specter. He could float and fly. After which point moving became a whole lot easier.
With his Psychic Energy at 50, he could initiate the power and maintain it for 40 minutes. He was no math genius but if his running rate was 19 miles an hour, at least that¡¯s what his Status Screen said. If his speed was 19 miles an hour, he should be able to travel 12 miles before he needed to rest for 50 minutes to get his Psychic Energy back.
But, there was an implication in the description that if he leveled the skill, he could move even faster which was proved after he traveled for 5 minutes.
Congratulations!
The Skill Specter has increased to Common Level 2. Activation Cost: 10 Psychic Energy. 1 Psychic Energy per minute. Movement speed increased by a factor of one. Current Movement speed is double your Running speed.
So his ability to reappear if he was killed had been tied to his perception but now as a Specter his movement while in his Specter Form was tied to his normal Running Speed. The only time his Perception would come into play then was if he was completely out of Psychic Energy, good to know. Anton focused on his movement again and noticed that he floated faster and continued south. His skill level in Specter increased again at 10 minutes, 16 minutes, 25 minutes, and 35 minutes, after which he started looking for a place to come landing to take a break.
At Common Level 5 his skill was allowing him to travel at around 95 miles an hour and looking at where he was it looked like he was almost 40 miles south of Fargo. Anton found a place on the roof of a company called Gorder AG Supply and crossed back over into the material plane with a couple of minutes left before he ran out of Psychic Energy. He had 4 points left. Anton kept quiet and allowed his Psychic Energy to come back while he thought about what he needed to do next.
He knew he needed to level and he knew he needed to make his way toward a city with a million people so he could access a SYSTEM Shop. When he thought ¡°SYSTEM Shop¡± his Basic Map filled his vision and an arrow pointing off to his Southeast lit up. The only city in that direction was Minneapolis-St. Paul which was over 250 miles away.
For the next three hours, Anton did one more round of flight and traveled for 35 minutes before he rested for 45 minutes. This put him about 50 miles northwest of Minneapolis-St. Paul on top of one of the skyscrapers in St. Cloud. His Specter skill had leveled up to Common Level 10 and he was traveling at roughly 190 miles per hour which was incredibly nice. Also, while in his Specter Form, there was no air resistance so he was able to just zoom along. Though he didn¡¯t notice any other changes in the skill yet.
He was hiding in an alcove because the area was flooded with people and monsters. It was crazy how many monsters and people there were and it didn¡¯t look like humanity on this version of Earth was doing very well, at least the civilians. This helped Anton make his mind up about trying something out. If using his skill continuously for hours on end was going to get him skill levels with his skills, it was time to try his luck at leveling all of the skills he could. Besides Anton wanted to see what happened when he tried to level a skill he¡¯d purchased. There were a lot of creatures attacking humans that looked like the fictional goblins that he read about so he might as well start there. That gave him an idea.
He¡¯d read a book once where someone had broken a staff and a tremendous explosion of magic had wiped out everyone in a certain radius. If he could find an evil mage and break their staff, that could be cool as hell. He¡¯s seen a couple of shaman-looking goblins running around with staffs shooting black bolts of energy. If he was immune to magic he should be able to use Mind Bolt on the shaman, pick up their magical item, and break it. The XP reward for that should level him.
Anton spent the next 35 minutes running all over St. Cloud until he found the encampment where a leader of Goblins seemed to be torturing and killing humans. Nearby there was another encampment of goblins. The evil fucks were playing drums to drum up the horror while men, women, and children screamed and begged nearby. Well, men and women. The children they¡¯d caught had already been killed and were being cooked when Anton found them.
Anton hadn¡¯t wanted to wait but he also didn¡¯t want to die so he could get the most XP possible so he hid and rested until his Psychic Energy was full and then activated Specter. Anton moved to the makeshift stage he¡¯d created and became materialized 15 feet away from him. The Shaman Goblin was so engrossed in his work that he didn¡¯t even react as some of the goblins screamed and pointed at Anton. Anton merely smiled and hit the Shaman with Mind Bolt. His normal damage of 113 wouldn¡¯t have killed the Shaman. It was level 37 and had 225 hit points. But because it was considered an attack from surprise it was a critical hit and did 226 points of damage which killed the Goblin instantly.
None of the goblins thought to grab a ranged weapon or throw anything at Adam. They saw their Shaman drop to the ground dead and decided to come after him without waiting. No, they just jumped at him like rabid dogs. Anton almost lazily reached forward, grabbed the staff that he¡¯d seen the goblin cast spells with, and snapped it against his leg.
Anton was just as surprised as the goblins when the explosion threw him over 50 feet away from the epicenter and slammed him against a wall. Yes, as an Anti-Mage he was completely immune to magic. What he wasn¡¯t immune to was the force of the air pressure such an explosion made which blew him back and away as the magic disintegrated everything within 50 feet and damaged everything with 100 killing even more goblins.
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Anton slammed into a wall about 6 feet above the ground and slid down as some of the goblins that had survived looked in his direction. Before they could react he activated Specter and made his way to his hidey-hole where he materialized into a sealed bank vault in the Wells Fargo building in the middle of town where he groaned before he passed out.
Anton woke up with a start in complete darkness. After he breathed for a moment he checked his attributes, saw that he¡¯d healed completely, which only meant that at least 20 seconds had passed, and then looked at his Psychic Energy which was also topped off. He¡¯d had 9 points left when he passed out so he knew that at least 51 minutes had passed since the attack.
After a moment he remembered that he was being an idiot and pulled up the clock in his interface. It was close to 5 p.m. He¡¯d slept for almost 4 hours and it was Almost sunset. Anton opened his notifications to see what had happened when the staff exploded.
¡
Withering Staff has been willfully broken.
Current Charges 45
Damage per charge 6
Damage at Epicenter 270 stepped down by one-half every 5 feet.
Damage Taken 68 points of force damage (25% of 270)
Damage Taken 12 from slamming into a wall.
55 of 135 Hit Points Remaining
Well, that made sense. The force of the explosion had hurt and the sudden stop when he slammed into the wall, while not devastating, would have killed him before he earned his title and gained the high endurance he had. Anton thought about how lucky he was that his health had increased. While he thought about that he wondered if anything else had changed and checked to see how many goblins he¡¯d killed.
163 goblins. His actions had killed 163 creatures. Granted he¡¯d picked the group because they¡¯d been farther back from the front lines of the hordes of monsters that were fighting with people but he hadn¡¯t expected to get 163 of them. As he reviewed the notifications he realized that the Shaman had been level 37. Anton had also killed 15 level 25 elite goblins that must have been right next to the Shaman. The rest had been between levels 1 and 8.
Anton checked his levels and noted that he¡¯d only earned 3 more levels and was now level 5. Anton did as he¡¯d been doing and put one point into each attribute and the extra point into Perception. His levels and attributes increased his Psychic Energy to 84 Points which would increase his versatility and also allow him to move as a Specter longer
At his current skill level, Anton could move 2,790 feet in a single combat turn or 3.1 miles in the initial minute that spending 10 Psychic Energy would allow. Then he could become visible and use Mind Bolt twice before he activated Specter and retreated to the vault inside the Wells Fargo Building again. That would cost him a total of 60 Psychic Energy. His regeneration rate was still only 1 point per minute so he¡¯d have to wait 1 hour before he could go out again. But, he could go out once per hour, help the humans by targeting the most powerful creatures, and then return to his fallback point.
While there was nobody in the vault and no way for anyone else to enter it because it had been closed when the world had gone to shit, Anton could remain in here and leave as he liked. There was even a vent for air which was far too small for anyone to fit through but he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about running out of oxygen.
Anton Activated Specter and did a quick recon. The train yard to his northwest ended up being where most of the people from St. Cloud had come together. They barricaded the area with cars, trucks, and train cars while at least 100,000 people were holding off swarms that were coming from the south. It looked like a hopeless battle. But maybe Anton could help out. There were a lot of houses on the south side of the railway. Instead of using Mind Bolt this time, he was going to go with the tried and true, gas explosion which he¡¯d killed the giant bunnies with. The initial explosion and then the fires afterward might give him some experience but more importantly, the fires would block off some of the access and make the hordes of monsters go around.
Anton made his way through the houses as twilight was starting to come in and found a couple where he disconnected the stoves and turned on the gas. He was able to get four houses set up within a 4 block area. While he let the gas billow out he now had to find a way to light them that wouldn¡¯t automatically kill him too. Anton went to one of the many convenience stores and found a bottle of Isopropyl Alcohol, a couple of rags and shirts, and a few lighters.
Anton made a very basic Molotov cocktail by putting some alcohol in a jar and using a strip of rags as a fuse of sorts after it was soaked in and the activated Specter. Then he made his way over a group of goblins about a half mile away from one of the houses which was spewing gas into the inside and floated up until he was hovering over them by about 100 feet. If what he tried to do didn¡¯t work and he ejected himself into the material plane he should have enough time to activate Specter again before he hit the ground.
Anton pulled out the lighter, lit the bottle with alcohol in it, and then willed it across the planar barrier into the real world. As he did so a new notification appeared In his vision
It appears that you are attempting to utilize a skill that you do not have, yet meet all prerequisites for.
Would you like to spend 1 skill point to learn the Skill Specter¡¯s Reach?
Specter¡¯s Reach ¨C For 1 Psychic Energy per pound you may push physical objects into the alternate dimension that is tied to your Perk Specter or into the Material Plane from the Spectral Plane.
Would you like to learn Specter¡¯s Reach for 1 Skill Point, Yes or No?
Hell, to the ¡°Yes¡±, Anton thought as the SYSTEM accepted his response and the skill became known to him. Once he had the skill, Anton easily pushed the lit bottle into the Material Plane where it fell to the ground below and exploded. While it didn¡¯t kill anyone it caused the goblins below to shoot their arrows up into the air which harmlessly passed all around and through Anton. Not that his proof of concept had worked it was time to kill some goblins.
Anton made it over to a water tower where he appeared on the very top away from anyone that could have seen him from the ground and kept an eye on the horde while he recovered his psychic energy. He also prepared three more Molotov cocktails while he recovered. It was actually kind of amazing that the idiot goblins hadn¡¯t accidentally blown up one of the houses yet but as Anton watched from the water tower he began to understand that the Goblins must smell the gas and didn¡¯t want to go near it because they were giving each of the four houses a wide berth as they made their way north. Once his Psychic Energy was maxed out again he went to work.
Anton¡¯s goal was to get the goblins to chase him from all directions until they were next to one of the houses. Then he¡¯d make it look like he¡¯d run inside with them in close pursuit, activate Specter, and then BOOM! Even if he messed it up, he should be fine but now that he could use the skill Spectral Reach this should even be easier and less dangerous.
With his increased speed in Spectral Form, it was almost anticlimactic when he appeared before a bunch of Goblins and ran toward one of the houses that were leaking natural gas before he went spectral, flashed in front of another group on the opposite side and ran at the same house. As he came close to the house he smelled the hint of onion and knew that it was well and truly saturated, then he waited.
The two groups he¡¯d aggravated drew even more attention and before long there were hundreds of the list monsters rushing toward the house. Anton floated up until he was about 20 feet over the house above the front door and waited. The goblins made it to the house and rushed inside. Filling it up. Some of the goblins noticed the smell but ignored it as they rushed inside. Anton heard glass break as they started digging through things and before they could blow themselves up, Anton ignited the Molotov Cocktail and pushed it into the material plane with Spectral Reach where it dropped and shattered and¡
BOOM!
Everything around him went white. Anton felt no heat and made his way over to a neighboring building where he dropped Specter and sat down to rest while watched the goblins that had survived scramble to and fro as they looked for him. Since he was over 1,000 feet north of their position they weren¡¯t going to find him. Anton went over his gains. Unlike the group with the shaman, the highest-level goblin he killed was level 10. Though he had killed 343 in total.
Now that his proof of concept worked, Anton got busy and sucked three more groups of goblins into chasing him into the houses he¡¯d set up to explode. When it was all said and done he¡¯d killed over 1,300 goblins without taking any damage. After the last explosion he even gained a new Title.
Congratulations! You have earned the title Goblin Slayer 1. You have killed 1,000 Goblins. All Goblins will automatically know that you are not their friend. Additionally, any damage done by you is increased by 5%.
Anton rose above his handiwork and was pleasantly surprised as the trees and other houses in the area also lit on fire and after a little while exploded. This created a wall of fire working its way east and west through the housing as the humans fled north toward the train yard while the goblins were kept south of 3rd Street North. It looked like 25th Avenue North was wide enough to act as a natural fire brake as was Cooper Avenue North on the East side. The horde that had been making their way north now had to split and could only come at the train yard from two sides.
Anton made his way south to Highway 23 and saw that the army coming from the south was a lot bigger than he¡¯d thought and it wasn¡¯t just goblins. He¡¯d watched a lot of science fiction and fantasy and he could swear he saw orcs, trolls, giants, and a whole lot of other creatures he¡¯d never seen before. That didn¡¯t matter, for now. His Psychic Energy was getting low so he headed back to the vault and rested for a bit while he looked at his gains and distributed his attributes. He¡¯d reached level 13 with those four explosions, though each goblin wasn¡¯t giving that much experience for some reason. After checking his notifications he figured he was getting about 50 XP for each level 1 goblin he killed. The Rarity of his class must put a serious penalty on the Experience he could earn to level.
After he looked at his attributes, he had to admit he was starting to like what he was seeing. His Psychic Energy was up to 173 and he was regenerating 3 points per minute now. So he could use 60 points of Psychic Energy and regain them with only a 20-minute break. Now he should be able to focus on the bigger guys and maybe hit them with his Mind Bolt.
Anton rested for 40 minutes, activated Specter, and headed back out into the city to see what he could do to help. Well, not help but if he could kill a lot of monsters and get stronger while simultaneously helping other people, he would. Things had been crazy since he touched that pillar. He finally felt like he was coming to terms with his new existence and if he could find ways to exploit his abilities so that he could grow stronger quicker that was what he was going to do because as the little bit of time with his ex-girlfriend had shown, there was no guarantee that anyone he met was going to survive. He wasn¡¯t powerful enough to save anyone from the number of monsters he was seeing and he wanted to be able to do so if he ever made it back to his world.
Chapter 12, Enraged
For the next hour, Anton harassed the hordes that were trying to overwhelm the defenders of the train yard. With 173 Psychic Energy now he could easily activate Specter, scout for up to a minute, appear to use Mind Bolt on a target and flee back to the vault where he could rest. If he did one attack and then rested he could attack one target every 7 minutes with a net loss of 3 points of Psychic Energy which he could recover the third time he rested by resting for 8 minutes instead of 7.
Anton put his thoughts into action and went to work. Each time he appeared and attacked one of the creatures leading a group against the humans, mayhem broke out as they looked for him. When they finally found him he was always out of reach, standing on a building, train, or whatever else was handy before he vanished again. He had to be within 138 feet, which gave him a little bit of space. His actions gave the human defenders a chance, but not much of one.
After an hour he¡¯d killed nine of the monster leaders, but he didn¡¯t seem to be having that much of an effect. The hordes were still trying to get into the train yard while the humans inside held them off. All Anton could do was keep harassing the hordes by picking targets that would help the people out the most. He also started appearing in open spots among the monsters to draw their attention and confuse them, Some would turn and chase him before he used Mind Bolt and then vanished to go rest.
***
Kril-Tar-Lee¡¯s speared a human that had dared to challenge him with its little plastic club as he thought, To be born into such slaughter, how could he not participate?. As if agree with him A female human beside the male screamed and was then silenced when his brother put his spear through her head. Both ignored the screaming infant that lay on the ground, It was pathetic and not worth the time it would take to kill it. Especially when there were so many other adults to kill that were trying to flee. Kril-Tar-Lee roared and started to rush forward but was stopped when a human male appeared directly before him with rage in his eyes and screamed before the final darkness fell over Kril-Tar-Lee.
***
Anton had been harassing the horde for over five hours when he noticed that a hole had appeared on the right flank between two buildings and rushed over to help. Some of the people who were supposed to be blocking off the ally were already fleeing as a man, woman, and infant were left behind. Maybe the man had stayed to try to hold the line, or maybe he¡¯d been to slow to flee, Anton wasn¡¯t sure. The man had used his last spear to kill a lizardman before he roared at a giant lizardman who had walked into the gap beside another one. The lizardman casually stabbed him through the throat while another put his spear through the woman''s head silencing her. They¡¯d looked at the infant lying on the ground and ignored it as they turned to pursue the people fleeing into the train yard.
As he looked back on what happened next, Anton would never be able to say if it was the death of the man and woman, the frustration he felt at being ineffective against so many monsters, or more likely, the way they¡¯d looked at the infant with disdain and then walked past the little girl like she was nothing. Whatever the cause, Anton''s vision went white as he watched the lizard men start to step past the infant girl towards the other people that were fleeing.
When his vision returned both lizard men and all other monsters at the other end of the ally were dead while the little infant wailed on the ground. Any other monsters nearby were also fleeing the area as quickly as they could which was causing a snarl up. Anton didn¡¯t waste the chance and materialized next to the man and woman. He quickly searched the man and woman for identification, anything that might detail the identity of the infant, and rushed over, picked her up, and began running into the train yard. As he passed a group of men that looked like fillers for holes that were forming in the line of defense, he pointed toward the ally, ¡°There¡¯s no one in that ally. The monsters have backed off for the moment, but they¡¯ll be back. Might want to reinforce it.¡±
The de facto leader of the five-man group nodded and rushed toward the hole while Anton made his way toward the triage area. As he came to the building a teenage girl looked at him for a moment as her eyes scrunched up in confusion, ¡°Hey mister, I can¡¯t see what¡¯s wrong with you. I can see what¡¯s wrong with everyone, are you okay?¡±
¡°I¡¯m fine, I need to give this infant to someone so I can get back out and help everyone,¡±
¡°Just take her inside, the first door on the right. Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± the teenager asked.
¡°Yes, and thank you,¡± Anto said as he made his way into the building and tuned into a room on the right which was full of children. An older woman with a nametag that read ¡°Pam¡± looked up,¡± Yes?¡±
¡°I was able to save this little girl after her mom and dad were killed a few minutes ago,¡± Anton said as he made as if to hand the little girl off to Pam.
Pam accepted the little girl, who had gone quiet when Anton had picked her up and was looking with wide eyes up at Pam, ¡°Do you know her name?¡±
¡°No, but I did grab these,¡± Anton said as he handed over the man''s wallet, the woman¡¯s hand purse, and a small baby bag. ¡°I just grabbed what I could and brought her here,¡± Anton said.
Pam took the items and opened the baby bag. In the top flap was a picture of the little girl with the name ¡°Rebecca ¡°Beca¡± Kingsley¡±
Now that she was safe, Anton turned to leave and muttered ¡°Beca, such¡a¡pretty¡¡± before the floor rushed up to meet him as darkness enveloped him.
¡°What, where am I?¡± Anton called out as he sat up in a bed.
¡°There you are,¡± a young man in jeans and a shirt said.
¡°Where exactly am I?¡± Anton asked as he looked around and didn¡¯t recognize anything.
¡°You¡¯re in the medical building you walked into, just upstairs in one of the rooms. When the healers couldn¡¯t find anything wrong with you and couldn¡¯t heal you they put you in this room and told me to wait until you woke up because they thought you¡¯d over-strained yourself. The doc said you¡¯d wake up when your mind caught up to what your body did or some other such nonsense.¡±
¡°How long was I out?¡± Anton asked.
¡°It took them about 10 minutes to get you up here after you passed out, and it¡¯s been about 50 minutes, so just about an hour I¡¯d guess.¡±
¡°And you¡¯re here to just watch over me and make sure I¡¯m alright?¡±
¡°In a manner of speaking. I¡¯m also supposed to make sure you aren¡¯t a danger to everyone else. My name is Jay by the way.¡±
¡°Anton,¡± Anton said.
¡°So, do you know why you passed out,¡± Jay asked.
¡°Not a clue but I¡¯ll check really quick,¡± Anton said as he pulled up his notifications and combat log.
As Anton looked over the log he realized that he¡¯d killed 34 lizard men when he¡¯d done whatever he had. As he zeroed in on that portion of his combat log he noticed a new Entry
Psionic Skill Unlocked, Spectral Scream ¨C
Cost: 100 Psychic Energy:
Range: 10 feet + 1 foot per Willpower Attribute Bonus.
Effect: The Specter reaches across the dimensional boundary and releases a psionic wail into the minds of all targeted individuals within range. All affected targets must immediately make a Willpower check against the attack.
Targets make a will save. Any Mental Defense plus Willpower Attribute Bonus versus the users Skill Level + Willpower Attribute Bonus. Failure indicates that the target is affected by an overwhelming sense of fear and must flee the area.
If the user''s willpower Attribute bonus is higher than the defender''s the defender also takes damage equal to the difference in Willpower Attribute Bonus.
Example. The User has a Willpower of 18, The defender has a Willpower of 16. A Willpower of 18 has a Willpower Attribute Bonus of +4 and 16 Willpower has a Willpower Attribute Bonus of +3. The Defender would take 1 point of physical damage.
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Well Damn. If most creatures had a willpower between 10 and 50, with his Willpower at 250 the minimum amount of damage he would have done would have been 95 points. That was an extremely powerful attack. Anton checked his combat log and realized that he¡¯d killed 34 lizard men and caused those who had survived to flee. Sure, they¡¯d have more hit points, but their will had been lacking which allowed Anton to scare them away.
Jay coughed to get Anton''s attention before he said, ¡°I was supposed to ask if you knew how all the lizardmen in the alley were killed. None of them had a mark on them.¡±
¡°It would seem I did something that I couldn¡¯t do before and because I forced it, I over-taxed myself and passed out. The dead lizardmen are my doing. Are we still under attack?¡±
¡°Yes, though no one has seen any lizardmen except the ones we found dead,¡± Jay said.
¡°That¡¯s fine, I¡¯m going to go see what¡¯s going on and see where I can help,¡± Anton said before he vanished as he activated Specter. Anton watched as Jay looked around frantically. He could sit here and try to explain, or he could get out there and help. Anton rose through the ceiling.
Anton looked to the south where the houses were still on fire, but it looked like the hordes were starting to make their way past the fired areas and were pushing up to the barricade. Anton moved around the barrier and found a weak spot near the post office on 2nd Street North on the east side of the train yard. A group of giant humanoid things that resembled¡ogres. Ogres? If there was a multiverse patent office someone would be getting in some trouble or would the people that used them for their games on Earth?
A loud crash brought Anton''s attention back to the fight at hand. So, he could continue the hit-and-run tactic against single targets with short breaks or he could strike once every 25 minutes or so and hopefully spread fear and death to a bunch of monsters. Fear and Death it was. Besides, he didn¡¯t have to materialize to use this skill which meant that he could use it without worrying about his safety.
This time, Anton was able to note how he could choose the targets, which he found out was easier to just set up exceptions and let it hit everything else. Also, it seemed that the kill radius was about 138 feet from the focal point of the attack though there seemed to be a secondary fear attack that was caused outside of that radius Anton believed that was just a monster''s courage failing it as a lot of its fellow beings died.
Also, while Anton had watched the people defending the train station shoot and attack the ogres with little or no effect, his Spectral Scream killed all 15 of them. They¡¯d dropped as if the force animating them had their strings cut. The look of surprise from the humans was quickly replaced by elation as they rushed forward and looted the bodies.
Anton returned to the central building of Trainyard and reappeared next to Jay in the room he¡¯d woken up in.
¡°Whoa, What!¡± Jay screeched.
¡°Just me,¡± Anton said.
¡°Where did you go?¡±
¡°Here and there. Hey, I have a question for you, is there any specific person in charge?¡±
¡°Yeah, Major Findal is in what he¡¯s calling the war room,¡± Jay said.
¡°Could you take me to him, I need to see what I can do to help,¡± Anton said.
¡°Okay,¡± Jay said as he left the room and led Anton to the 3rd floor where a man was sitting at a table with map of the area on it.
¡°What can I do for you Jay?¡± Major Findal asked.
¡°Hey Major, Anton here has asked to talk to you to see how he can help out.¡±
¡°Well, I¡¯ve got a moment now that the giant creatures to the east have been dealt with, at least for a minute. What can I do for you Anton?¡±
¡°Are you active or were you retired before this kicked off?¡± Anton asked.
¡°I¡¯m retired. So, what did you want?¡± Major Findal asked showing a little irritation for the first time.¡±
¡°You know that problem you had with the Ogres?, Yeah I did that?¡±
¡°You did that? Weren¡¯t you unconscious just a few minutes ago,¡± Major Findal asked.
¡°I was, but that was because I unlocked a new skill that allowed me to kill the lizardmen,¡± Anton said.
¡°That was you too?¡±
¡°Yep,¡±
¡°Okay, assuming what you¡¯re saying is true, your power must be limited. How often can you do that?¡± Major Findal asked.
¡°Right now, about once every 25 minutes or so,¡± Anton said.
¡°So, you¡¯re here to find out where the best places to use your ability are or to coordinate attacks with our teams,¡±
¡°Yes sir,¡± Anton said.
¡°Okay, give me a few minutes. Jay if you could show Anton to the canteen so he can get something to eat and a drink, I¡¯ll get something set up here.¡±
¡°Yes, Sir!¡± Jay called out as he looked at Anton and said, ¡°This way.¡±
Anton followed Jay down to the canteen on the first floor. Lunch consisted of a soda and a granola bar which he realized he wasn¡¯t really hungry for. He could eat, food was good, but he still didn¡¯t feel like he needed to eat. Something else was replenishing his energy levels.
30 minutes later Jay appeared back at his table, ¡°The Major is ready for you.¡±
¡°Sounds good,¡± Anton said as he stood and followed Jay back to the Major.
As Anton entered the room he found five others plus the Major, Jay, and himself in the room. Anton looked around the room. The five newcomers all looked apprehensive while Major Findal looked thoughtful. Instead of saying anything Anton just stood there and waited. He didn¡¯t have to wait long.
¡°Anton is it; my lieutenants have let me know that a huge force is amassing where Cooper Avenue goes under West Division Street. Before I can start making plans that include you, I need to verify that you can do what you say,¡± Major Findal said.
¡°Fair enough,¡± Anton said as he nodded his head. ¡°Is now good?¡±
¡°Now?¡±
¡°Sure, now.¡±
¡°How long will it take you?¡± The Major asked.
¡°Be back in less than a minute,¡± Anton said as he activated Specter and headed south. At his current skill rank of Scarce Rarity Level 2, he made it to the underpass in 6 seconds. As he looked around he noticed that there was a black portal under the bridge that goblins were pouring out of. Anton floated over to the portal and tried to look through but all that appeared was darkness. The goblins were simply stepping out of the darkness and heading north up Cooper Avenue North. Which was flooded with goblins. If he had to guess there had to be 5,000 of the creatures in the area.
Anton reached out to touch the portal and his hand passed through it which meant that whatever it was, it didn¡¯t reach into his current dimension. Good to know. Next, as he looked around he realized that these goblins were all very low-level or ill equipment because most didn¡¯t have any weapons. The flow from the portal kept pushing the goblins on the street who were trying to make their way north to make more room for those behind them.
Anton floated just above the goblins, moved to a location that put him at the center of the largest grouping, and then activated Spectral Scream. This time the effect was much more pronounced and visual as the goblins all around him dropped dead while those outside of his range ran away in all directions. Even so, more goblins kept flooding out of the portal. Anton noticed that he¡¯d received multiple notifications but ignored them for now. He floated back to the room with Major Findal and deactivated Specter after only 30 seconds.
¡°Back already?¡± one of the lieutenants said with a slight sneer. I told you major¡¡± one of the lieutenants started to say before he was cut off by a voice calling from the window.
¡°They¡¯re all dead!¡± a young woman looking through a cheap telescope at the window said.
¡°What do you mean they''re all dead?¡± Major Findal asked.
¡°I mean that a huge group of them that had come out from under the bridge just dropped to the ground and they¡¯re not moving, though I see some more coming from under the bridge and others are fleeing to the east and the west,¡± the woman with the telescope said.
¡°Yeah, they¡¯re coming out of a magical portal under the bridge,¡± Anton said.
¡°How many do you think you killed?¡± Major Findal asked.
¡°No idea. Let me check my notifications.¡±
While Anton checked his notifications the others whispered. It seemed that he had killed 3,606 level 1 goblins as there was only one notification with a total number of goblins. He¡¯d received 120,200 XP which had catapulted him 3 levels to level 16. Also, his Spectral Scream had leveled in one fell swoop. It looked like passive skills leveled with use while combat skills level based on how many times they were utilized successfully against different creatures. His Spectral Scream Skill had jumped to Scarce Rarity, Level 7. Anton pulled up the skill.
Spectral Scream (Specter) ¨C
Cost: 100 Psychic Energy:
Range: 470 foot radius (352 feet + 1 foot per Willpower Attribute Bonus.)
Effect: The Specter reaches across the dimensional boundary and releases a psionic wail into the minds of all targeted individuals within range. All affected targets must immediately make a Willpower check against the attack.
Targets make a will save. Any Mental Defense plus Willpower Attribute Bonus versus the user''s Skill Level + Willpower Attribute Bonus. Failure indicates that the target is affected by an overwhelming sense of fear and must flee the area.
Those affected by the Spectral Scream automatically take 46 points of damage. If the user''s willpower Attribute bonus is higher than the defender''s the defender also takes additional damage equal to the difference in Willpower Attribute Bonus.
Example. The User has a Willpower of 18, The defender has a Willpower of 16. A Willpower of 18 has a Willpower Attribute Bonus of +4 and 16 Willpower has a Willpower Attribute Bonus of +3. The Defender would take 47 points of physical damage.
The range had increased and now the skill automatically did damage, even to those that were fleeing. That would make it easier to hunt down and kill the people he was trying to help. Anton wondered if he¡¯d get some XP if the creatures he attacked were killed by others. If so, that could be the best of both worlds. Especially when he started targeting creatures he couldn¡¯t kill immediately.
Additionally, his Goblin Slayer title had leveled to Goblin Slayer 2 at 2,000 goblin kills and Goblin Slayer 3 at 4,000 kills. The rise in skill level had increased his damage bonus to +15% against goblins. Anton couldn¡¯t help but smile as he allocated his attributes. Once he was done his Psychic Energy had increased to 207. He almost had enough energy to use Spectral Scream twice before he had to rest.
Anton brought his attention back to the room where the Major was looking at him patiently. Anton cleared his throat before he said, ¡°Sorry, I had a lot of information to go through. It looks like I killed 3,606 goblins. Though I will be honest, they were packed together down there.
¡°And you can use that attack, how often?¡± Major Findal asked.
¡°It¡¯s pretty taxing but I can use that skill once every 20 minutes or so. 25 minutes just to make sure I have enough energy. So, twice an hour.¡±
¡°And you''re not worried about getting attacked while you go out to use the skill?¡± Major Findal asked.
¡°Not an issue,¡± Anton affirmed.
¡°Okay then, go take your rest, and then we¡¯ll get to work.¡± Major Findal said.
¡°Sounds good, where would you like me to wait?¡± Anton asked.
¡°The room where you woke up is still available, you can go meditate there,¡± Major Findal said.
¡°Meditate?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Yes, meditate. If you don¡¯t have that skill I would strongly suggest that you pick it up, it¡¯s great for mana regeneration,¡± Major Findal explained.
Anton thought about it for a minute but if it could help mana regeneration, maybe it could help with Psychic Energy regeneration, ¡°I¡¯ll do that, thanks,¡± Anton said as he made his way back to the room he¡¯d woken up in and closed his eyes. Again, as soon as he closed his eyes, he fell asleep.
Chapter 13, Assassinated
NOTE From Author: WARNING! This Chapter Contains Strong Implied Sexual Content and Trauma.
Too easy, Bill thought as he slit the little show-off''s throat. Bill looked at his notification to see what his reward was. This little shit had to have a few levels; he should be worth a lot of XP.
You have attacked a Level 16 Specter with the skill Coup de Grace.
Target takes 100% damage to Health.
Bill looked at the notification and then checked his Status Screen. Nope, there was no death notification or Experience Points either. Maybe there was some loot? He reached down and touched the body to loot it.
Congratulations! You have looted a helpless target; 12,045 Copper, 120 Silver, and 1 Credit
As Bill looked at the notification, the body in front of him vanished. Well, it didn¡¯t vanish exactly, it evaporated into particles that vanished, almost like the special effect from that movie with that villain that snapped his fingers to wipe out half of all life everywhere. While those thoughts crossed his mind, he heard a slight pop directly behind him and immediately turned to see the man he¡¯d just killed looking at him with a vicious smile. Bill feinted to the left, fully intending to stab the man through the throat to kill him again when his mind went white.
***
Anton looked at the body of the dead man at his feet. The little shit that had sneered at him earlier when he met with Major Findal. What was his name? Shit, they¡¯d never been introduced. Why would he attack him while he was sleeping? It wasn¡¯t like there wasn¡¯t a horde of monsters trying to kill them all. It wasn¡¯t like they didn¡¯t need to be working together. Instead, this asshole thought it was a good time to come kill him and steal his shit. Speaking of which, Anton reached down to the dead rogue or assassin and looted the corpse.
Congratulations! You have looted a level 16 Assassin; 15,045 Copper, 635 Silver, 123,564 Credits, a Ring of Protection +1, a Dagger of Venom, and a Vial of Tier 1 Poison.
Anton hadn¡¯t even known he had treasure until he received the notification that it had been stolen. The fact that he could be looted while helpless also sucked a bit. He must have been auto looting his kills while he was a Specter. He hadn¡¯t even seen the notifications. Right, he¡¯d minimized them. Anton looted the assassin and now had more treasure than he had before and even a ring and a dagger.
Anton checked his Personal Storage and yes, everything had automatically been deposited. Anton¡¯s attention was drawn from his notifications as the door to his room opened and Jay looked in. As a look of shock swept over Jay¡¯s face he asked, ¡°Anton, what happened?¡±
¡°He attacked me while I was sleeping?¡± Anton said.
Jay looked thoughtful for a moment and then said, ¡°He¡¯s an assassin, if he attacked you while you were sleeping, you should be dead,¡± Jay said matter-of-factly.
¡°Oh, he attacked me, and I died,¡± Anton said as he pulled up his combat log and shared the information concerning his attack including the ¡°You have Died¡± message.
Jay read the combat log and then looked at Anton questioningly as he asked, ¡°But you''re alive?¡±
¡°Yep, sucks to be anyone that kills me, it doesn¡¯t stick,¡± Anton said with a laugh.
¡°Why does it suck?¡±
¡°Obviously,¡± Anton said as he paused for dramatic effect, ¡°Because my combat log will tell me who killed me, and If I don¡¯t stay dead somebody else soon will be,¡± Anton said as he pointed at the corpse of the assassin on the ground. Then Anton looked thoughtful for a moment before he added, ¡°Unless it¡¯s an accident of course.¡±
¡°Stay right here, I need to get the Major.¡±
¡°Fine,¡± Anton said as Jay turned and left.
A few minutes later Jay led Major Findal into the room. The Major looked around the room, looked at Anton, and then said, ¡°Show me your Combat Log.¡±
Anton pulled up the combat long. He edited out the activation of his Immortal ability. A moment after he shared the edited combat log Major Findal said, ¡°No, the entire log.¡±
¡°If you want to see the entire log, I¡¯ll show you, but only you,¡± Anton said.
¡°That¡¯s fine. Jay, please wait outside and close the door on your way out,¡± Major Findal ordered.
Anton waited for Jay to leave the room and then pulled up the unedited Combat Log and showed it to the Major. The Major read the log and then asked, ¡°Do you have any idea why he attacked you?¡±
¡°None. I¡¯d never met the man before we talked in your office earlier,¡± Anton said.
¡°And you have an ability called Immortal?¡± Major Findal asked.
¡°Yep.¡±
¡°Like from the movie Highlander?¡± The Major asked.
¡°Not like Highlander. I¡¯ve been at the center of a thermonuclear blast and returned from being vaporized so I doubt that cutting my head off is going to do anything except turn me into a Specter,¡± Anton said.
¡°Was that the skill you used to vanish and then kill all the demi-humans by the bridge?¡± Major Findal asked.
¡°The same,¡± Anton answered honestly.
¡°So, you¡¯re immortal and you can go wherever you want like a ghost, and make attacks against anyone you want to?¡±
¡°That¡¯s correct?¡± Anton said.
¡°So, you could have just left the room and left the body lying on the floor, or thrown the body into your spatial storage and disposed of it elsewhere and no one would have been the wiser?¡± Major Findal asked leadingly.
Anton looked thoughtful for a moment as he answered hesitantly, ¡°Sure,¡± as he had no idea where the Major was going with this.
The Major smiled and reached out to pat Anton on the shoulder, ¡°Relex son, The fact that you didn¡¯t even think to use your abilities like that tells me all I need to know about you. Also, just between you and me, we had a few suspicious deaths before you arrived. Wouldn¡¯t it be ironic if those mysterious deaths stopped happening now that Bill is dead?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d call it ironic, but I agree that it would be a good thing,¡± Anton said as he nodded his head.
Major Findal reached down and touched the corpse which disappeared into his storage. When Anton looked at him with obvious questions in his eyes he explained, ¡°We¡¯ve learned that when you loot a corpse it only transfers any money or SYSTEM credits that the person might have and maybe one or two more items. Some abilities and skills allow people to take all items from someone¡¯s personal storage. I¡¯m just going to take Bill down to the room where everyone is processed before their bodies are destroyed.¡±
¡°Okay, what¡¯s the name of the skill?¡± Anton asked.
¡°The skill that allows people to search corpses is called Scavenge. Rogues and assassins have another skill that isn¡¯t as thorough but allows them to use it stealth. As I understand it if they use the skill successfully, they can steal at least one item each time they try and as the skill levels they might be able to grab more,¡± The Major explained.
¡°And that skill is?¡±
¡°Snatch, we don¡¯t have very many people with the former, but we were lucky enough to get someone that had the Scavenge skill which has allowed us to recover anything on anyone that dies.¡±
¡°Well, I was on my way to the SYSTEM Shop before I came across your group. I¡¯ll look for those two skills when I get there,¡± Anton said.
¡°Are you going to try to go there now? The only one I know of is in Minneapolis and they¡¯re not doing much better than we are, especially since they could probably establish a Safe Zone, but haven¡¯t. A lot of the people that keep coming into this area seem to be fleeing from there because something else is going on too.¡±
¡°I wasn¡¯t planning to head that way for a bit. I wanted to stick around here and help out,¡± Anton said.
¡°What would help us out is if someone could purchase the ability to turn this area into an official village and then somehow make this into a Safe Zone,¡± Major Findal said.
¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t know about that,¡± Anton said.
¡°Yeah, we need someone to get down to the SYSTEM Shop and then get back to us with the information so we can pool our resources and then purchase it. Once that¡¯s done, we¡¯ll be able to build up this area properly.¡±
Anton fidgeted for a second before he said, ¡°I can probably get down to SYSTEM Shop and back in half an hour, maybe less. As a Specter I can move pretty fast.¡±
¡°Would you do that for us?¡±
¡°I needed to head down there anyway, so sure. Besides, once this is a safe area, I¡¯ll be able to rest without having to worry about monsters and hopefully, anyone else attacking me,¡± Anton said.
¡°If you do this for us, I¡¯ll make sure to put two guards on your room.
¡°All right, is there anything else you need?¡±
¡°If there¡¯s a way to set up a SYSTEM Shop without meeting the population requirement, that would be nice too,¡± Major Findal said.
¡°Sounds good, I¡¯m just going to take off then. I¡¯ll come see you after I get the information,¡± Anton said as he activated Specter, brought up the arrow to the closest SYSTEM Shop, and sped off toward it.
Anton made it to the safe area in Minneapolis in just under 10 minutes. While his memory wasn¡¯t the greatest, he knew that the distance between St. Cloud and Minneapolis St. Paul was just over an hour to drive so between 60 and 70 miles. As he flew toward the SYSTEM Shop one thing, he noticed was that there weren¡¯t a lot of monsters near the middle point of the two big cities. The monsters seemed drawn either towards St. Cloud or Minneapolis.
Anton beelined for the SYSTEM Shop Node which ended up being in the center of the football field inside the U.S Bank Stadium on the 50-yard line. There was a line and someone taking names down. It also looked like there was a fee to use the node. Yeah, no.
Anton moved up next to the orb and appeared as he touched the node and accepted the prompt to enter as someone yelled something at him. Anton vanished before he even heard what was yelled at him. As he appeared next to a node in an entryway, he looked out into a room full of digital kiosks that showed alternating pictures of various items. As Anton took in the room a voice spoke from the air in front of him.
¡°Welcome to the SYSTEM Shop. All services offered are automated. You may speak or if you would prefer to use tactile input, please pick up one of the tablets on the counter. Only items that you purchase may leave the SYSTEM Shop with you.¡±
Anton spoke into the air, ¡°I am looking for a list of items that will allow me to set up a village, Safe Zone, and also a SYSTEM Shop Node. Also, I need information on the skills Scavenge and Snatch.¡±
A moment later a holographic screen appeared that listed the items he¡¯d mentioned.
- SYSTEM Shop node: 1 million beings living within a city or town: Free OR 1 million credits.
- Village Node, automatically upgrades based on Population: 10,000 Credits
- Safe Zone must be assigned to a Village, Town, or City Node: 1 million Credits per mile radius.
- Skill, Scavenge Common Level 1: 1,000 Credits
- Skill, Snatch, Common Level 1: 1,000 Credits
He couldn¡¯t make the village a Safe Zone, or purchase a SYSTEM Shop, though the SYSTEM Shop would automatically be assigned if there were a million people in St. Cloud which he was pretty sure there weren¡¯t right now. Anton Purchased both skills and equipped them which tied up two of his skill points. He could see how both skills could be useful in the future. If he could use Snatch in conjunction with Spectral Reach that could be a hell of a skill. Steal something from someone while he was in his Spectral Form. Yeah, that would be useful.
Anton stayed in the SYSTEM Shop for 10 minutes as he went over to the counter and picked up one of the tablets to see what was available. There was quite a bit actually. That¡¯s not what this trip was for though, so he kept an eye on his Psychic Energy and when it was full he set the tablet back down on the counter and exited the SYSTEM Shop.
As he appeared there were four guards with their guns aimed at him. Before they could even think to pull the trigger, Anton activated Specter and headed back to St. Cloud. Of course, they pulled their triggers which did absolutely nothing to him. Anton zipped out of the stadium and headed back to St. Cloud. Just under 10 minutes later he appeared in the room with Major Findal and the other leaders of his group.
¡°Anton! Back Already?¡± Major Findal asked.
¡°Yep, Anton said as he pulled up the info the Major had requested and pushed it to a visual screen that everyone could see. It looks like I need at least 2,010,0000 credits to get what you need.¡±
¡°2 million credits! That¡¯s preposterous¡¡±, one of the plumper members of the leadership group started to say before Major Findal looked at him and he shut up. The Major then turned his gaze on Anton thoughtfully before he made a pushing motion and a prompt appeared in Anton¡¯s vision.
Gregory Findal has initiated a Trade.
This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
Gregory Findal would like to transfer 2,010,000 credits to you at no cost.
Do you Accept, Yes or No?
Anton chose ¡°Accept¡± and looked at the major before he verified, ¡°Village Node, Safe Zone, 1-mile radius and SYSTEM Shop Node?¡±
The Major nodded to Anton and said, ¡°Now go.¡±
Before Anton could activate Specter again, the large old man started to bluster as his eyes turned to the Major accusingly, ¡°Where did our funds go? My account balance says that the coffers of this village have just lost¡.¡±
Anton activated Specter and left the idiot official and the Major to their business as he headed back toward Minneapolis. While he moved along, he noticed that he was moving faster and checked his notifications and found that the two hours of travel as a Specter had increased his skill level to Scarce Level 4. If this kept up, he¡¯d be Level 6, or close to it by the time he made it back.
The trip was uneventful as he came into the Stadium and noticed that there were now four people standing close to the SYSTEM Shop node. It would be difficult to touch it. This reaction by the people of Minneapolis made Anton hesitate so he flew around the stadium and checked all the rooms and hidey-holes in and around the stadium. What he found was¡Yeah, he would need to come back here. But first. He had a new skill and since these four assholes seemed to think they could block his access; he¡¯d found some volunteers.
Anton activated Spectral Reach and touched one of the guards from behind then activated the skill Snatch. Time seemed to freeze for a moment as an inventory of items appeared and a notification appeared at the bottom of the list.
At your current skill level, you may choose 1 item or 1 stack of identical items that weigh no more than a pound. Alternatively, you can choose 1 coin type and will receive up to 100 coins of that type +10 coins per skill level. If credits are chosen a contest of wills will determine what percentage of credits you will receive from the target. The minimum amount that will be transferred is 100 credits + 10 credits per skill level or all credits if the target has less than this minimum and you win the contest of wills.
Anton quickly checked the target''s coin levels and noted that the man didn¡¯t have more than 10 coins of any type and only 15 credits. He also checked his status log and noted that the combined use of both Spectral Reach and Snatch had cost him 1 Psychic Energy and 50 Stamina to use. Anton brought his attention back to his target''s inventory and noticed that he had a couple of weapons, including grenades.
Anton took one smoke grenade and retracted his hand. As soon as he did, time resumed. The guard looked around to see if someone was touching him but turned back around when he saw no one touching him. It was so cool to be able to stand in a spot with others intersecting his body. It was weird but cool. This skill was awesome!
Anton moved to one side of the stadium where very few people were gathered. He would need to return and take over the city to right the wrongs the current leaders were perpetrating but for now, all he needed to do was distract the guards, get to the SYSTEM Shop Node, and make a few purchases, which was what he was going to do. Besides, right now he didn¡¯t know who the bastards were and who the innocents were, well except for the sick pervert up in the VIP box. Still, the girls that were up there seemed to be safe enough so he¡¯d continue with his mission and then come back and see what he could do to free them.
Anton brought his attention to the grenade, activated it, and used Spectral Reach to push the grenade into the Material Plane near one of the entrances at field level. before he moved back to the SYSTEM Shop Node. A couple of seconds later the grenade went off and everyone reacted, including the four guards on the node. As others moved to investigate the four near the node pivoted and an opening in their defense appeared. Anton appeared in that opening out of their lines of sight, touched the node, and disappeared into the SYSTEM Shop.
He quickly purchased the items he¡¯d been sent for and exited the shop before he activated Specter and looked around to see if anyone had noticed. Luckily, everyone was still investigating where the smoke grenade had exploded. As far as he could tell no one had noticed his two appearances.
Anton headed back to St. Cloud and made it in record time. He also leveled his Specter skill up to level 6. When he appeared before Major Findal he initiated a transfer to give all three purchased items to the Major. The Major accepted as he said, ¡°Thank you, Anton. Less than an hour and we have a chance. Let me go get this set up,¡± The Major said as he left his office. It was then that Anton noticed that the larger man was nowhere to be seen. Not that he cared, but Anton made his way around the building until he found the large man in the kitchen with an Apron on. So, the Major had put him to work cooking. That was a lot better than what he¡¯d seen down at the stadium.
A moment later he received a few Notifications.
The Village of St. Cloud has been established. St. Cloud is an established Safe Zone with a radius of 1 mile. Monsters in this Safe Zone or that enter this Safe Zone will be teleported to a random location 25 miles away.
Safe Zone Population of non-monsters: 263,124
The Village of St. Cloud has been upgraded to the Town of St. Cloud, Population 236,124
The Town of St. Cloud has established a SYSTEM Shop Node
That worked. If he could get back to Minneapolis and somehow get enough credits, he could set up a Safe Zone there and¡Yeah, Anton needed to go back to Minneapolis. Anton activated Specter and floated up through the ceiling while he turned to look south. As he did so he noticed that the horde that everyone had been fighting was gone. He continued south until he came to the point where the monsters entering the Safe Zone were disappearing. He then followed that line around the circumference of the Safe Zone until he returned to the starting point and then made his way back to Major Findal¡¯s office. The Major wasn¡¯t there so he floated around until he found the hidden room he¡¯d placed the Village Node in and then the room next to the cafeteria he¡¯d set up where people were already lined up to get a turn to visit the SYSTEM Shop. When he couldn¡¯t find the Major, he realized that the Major must be in the SYSTEM Shop.
Fair enough, Anton moved to the bank vault that he¡¯d used when he first arrived in St. Cloud which was now inside the Safe Zone and rested up for a half hour to get all of his energy back. While he had 2,620 Stamina because of his high Endurance, his Psychic Energy was still only 207. Each time he activated Specter cost him 10 points and each minute after that he kept it active cost him another point. The trips to and from Minneapolis, while not devastating, still cost him 20 Psychic Energy each way. The second trip had only been 19 Psychic Energy. With his scouting around and use of Spectral Reach, he¡¯d spent 85 points in the last hour. Since he was only regenerating 3 points of Psychic Energy every minute, he had to rest for almost a half hour before he headed back down. As he rested in the vault, he pulled out the dagger and the vial of poison and looked them over.
Once he was fully rested Anton made his way back to Minneapolis toward the VIP rooms in the Stadium. One of the rooms had been turned into a human female kennel full of naked young women who¡¯d been shackled and placed in large dog cages. No one had been in the room the first time he passed through. This time he wasn¡¯t so lucky. As he arrived, he ghosted through the walls to find a very perverted man getting ready to do very perverted things to very unwilling women. He had her bound so that everyone down below could see her nakedness while he violated her. He was even going so far as to rouse the crowd in the stadium below while the naked woman remained tied up with tears streaming down her eyes. The man, who appeared to be in his 20s or 30s had the City Node continued to instigate the crowd and every once in a while, slapped the girl''s ass which made the people down below go wild. Anton wasn¡¯t normally sadistic but sometimes, what people did to other people made him so angry¡Yeah, this little prick would be a perfect test subject for how to use Spectral Reach against someone. That he might get to relieve some pent-up aggression in the process, was just a bonus.
Anton pulled out the knife he looted from Bill, took the vial of poison, and dribbled a drop on the blade which seemed to spread out and coat the blade without needing any assistance. He¡¯d been worried that he might not be able to interact with his objects normally but there was no issue. Also, he made sure to pull out the knife where the little shit could have seen him easily, in case interacting with normal objects while in his Specter Form allowed others to see what he was holding.
Anton watched his eyes carefully and nope; it didn¡¯t seem like anything on his side of the dimensional divide was visible to those in the Material Plane. He¡¯d even pulled out a coin and dropped it to see if it reappeared back in the Material Plane. It had just sat there. So either nothing could cross the dimensional barrier without willful intent, or it took a little while for the dimension to eject other objects. In either case that worked for Anton.
Anton put the poison back in his storage and moved up behind the man who had stepped up and was making a show of pulling out his, yeah it was time to end this. As he was about to violate the girl, Anton reached out with both of his hands and activated Spectral Reach.
A long time ago he¡¯d come across a book on Ninjitsu and assassination methods. One type of attack had the attacker pull the target''s head to the side and bring a blade down along the neck into the chest cavity through the opening at the top of the rib cage to pierce the Heart from above. The reason for this was so that there was no chance of the ribcage blocking the strike. Normally such a blow required a longer blade, which Anton didn¡¯t have. But with the blade poisoned it should be good enough to get the job done.
As the man was about to thrust, Anton Struck. With his left hand, he pulled the man¡¯s head to the side. Even as the man let go of the woman and tried to dodge out of the way Anton was able to bring the blade down and connect as the dagger pierced deeply into his body. As the attack ended, both of his hands phased out, which included the dagger. A spurt of blood shot out of his neck into the ceiling as the man turned to face his assailant whom he couldn¡¯t see.
Anton, still in his Specter Form stepped through the man and attacked with the dagger into his back before his hand and dagger phased out of existence. Again, the man tried to turn and attack where his attacker should be, but there was no one there. The man tried to call for help, but the first attack Anton had done had punched his esophagus and lung. While he was holding on, Anton watched as the man was finding it harder and harder to move as he tried to attack Anton as he systematically decimated the evil piece of shit in front of him. After the 10th attack, the man fell to the ground as blood poured from the multiple wounds in his body.
Anton stood over the body in his Specter Form as he waited for the man to die. He also looked out of the window at the crowd below who looked on stunned. They were so stunned that none of them had moved yet. Anton was also waiting for the notification because there was no way that he would step out and give the man a chance to kill him.
Anton put the poisoned knife back in his inventory and looked over his Combat Log. Each attack had been considered a critical hit and did a total of 48 points of damage. The poison had only added to the first three strikes and had only done 4 points of damage each combat round for 6 rounds. That had done a total of 72 points of damage over the six combat rounds he¡¯d attacked the man. That plus his 10 attacks had done 552. In addition, the first attack had left a bleeding wound that had been doing 10 points of damage per combat round, so 652 total points of damage after 10 rounds. Seven seconds into the 11th combat round Anton received multiple notifications.
Congratulations! You have killed a Level 70 City Lord
You have earned 7,000 XP. XP to next level, 34,557
As a Specter, you automatically loot your opponent upon their Death.
You have found 653 Copper, 456 Silver, 6,968,756 Credits, 151 Gold, and 26 Platinum
The following has been deposited to your personal storage.
Magical Long Sword
Magical Ring
You have killed the City Lord of the City of Minneapolis; would you like to claim this city as your own? If you do not claim the city the City Node will revert to neutral and anyone wishing to claim the city must touch the City Node and defend their claim for one full hour.
Would you like to claim the City of Minneapolis, Yes, or No?
Anton chose yes then moved over to the city node, deactivated Specter, and touched the City Node with the intent to move it. A new notification appeared.
WARNING! It appears that you are trying to move the City Node. Only the owner of the City may move a City Node. As the owner of this City Node, you may move this City Node. To Move the City Node, go to the location you wish to move it to, open your City Tab, and it will reappear there. Note, that a City node area of coverage will always be centered on the initial placement of the City Node. The City Node can be moved to any location within the city''s boundaries.
Anton left the woman where she was, she¡¯d be safe enough there until he returned. He touched the man¡¯s body and placed it in his personal storage. Anton activated Specter and flashed through the stadium until he found an underground area that had been sealed off from the rest of the complex. He reappeared in the crawl space, opened his City Tab, and moved the City Node to this new location.
He was burning through Psychic Energy and had spent 42 of his 207 points. He should have enough to do the last two things he needed to. Anton Activated Specter and moved back to the stadium where he reappeared and touched the SYSTEM Shop Node. Once inside he picked up the tablet and spent 5 million credits to purchase the 5-mile radius Safe Zone option for a City Node.
Next, he asked, ¡°SYSTEM, how do I secure my treasure from being looted off my body when the Ability Immortal activates?¡±
¡°The SYSTEM Shop provides banking services which can store all monetary donations as well as items for a small fee. SYSTEM Storage Locations are 10,000 Credits per 10 cubic feet of storage each year. Money is stored for free and will earn 2.5% interest per full year it remains invested into the bank. The SYSTEM Bank does not compound interest daily. There is one payment every 336 Earth days from the point of investment.¡±
That was perfect. Anton set up one 10-foot cube and paid the 120,000 credits up front and placed everything else in the SYSTEM Bank. All of his items went into the SYSTEM Bank Storage Location which was a lot like a Safety Deposit Box. Next, he put all of his money into the Bank. It might or might not be in the bank for a year but there was no way he was going to live through this next part so why chance losing any of the treasure he¡¯d just acquired? Besides, he wanted to see if he lost levels if he died. If he did, he would have to come up with a different plan.
When he was done, the Body of the prick, the magical sword, the magical ring, the Dagger of Venom, and poison were all in the SYSTEM Bank Storage. The Bank had 15,698 Copper, 1,263 Silver, 1,972,320 Credits, and 26 Platinum. Not too bad a hall for killing a City Lord.
Anton exited the SYSTEM Shop and activated Specter. He¡¯d be back in a moment but first, he needed to visit the City Node one more time. He ghosted to the node, materialized, and reached out to touch it. Once he was connected, he went through the various functions and found that he could make an Exceptions List to the Safe Zone. That would work out quite well. Anton added the Safe Zone to the City Node. He quickly read over the messages and then added his name to the exceptions list. Now, he could attack anyone within the Safe Zone and if they counter-attacked him they would be teleported to a random location 25 miles outside of the Safe Zone and would not be able to re-enter it for at least 24 hours. Anton saw that he could adjust that setting but left it alone for now. If someone accidentally attacked someone else, they shouldn¡¯t be permanently banned from the Safe Zone.
Anton Activated Specter and ghosted through the Stadium to just outside the door to the VIP room the women were trapped in. As he had thought, the people from the ground level were just making it to the doors. This was going to be fun. Anton deactivated Specter and appeared right next to a man who was reaching for the door.
¡°Wouldn¡¯t do that if I were you,¡± Anton said.
¡°The man had an Uzi in his right hand and without thinking brought it up and pulled the trigger at point-blank range. Anton didn¡¯t even try to dodge as 6 bullets hit him and his attacker disappeared.
The man behind the guy with the Uzi wasn¡¯t that smart and also shot and hit Anton with his handgun before he disappeared.
The men behind the 2nd person hesitated as Anton said, ¡°What did you idiots not understand about the phrase Safe Zone?¡±
¡°If we kill him¡¡± One of the two men started to say before Anton¡¯s Mind Bolt caused his brain to explode out of his eyes, ears, and nose. The other man raised his gun, fired, and disappeared as well.
He hadn¡¯t taken enough damage to kill him and 14 seconds later he was fully healed and all the bullets that hadn¡¯t passed right through him had been pushed out of his body. Even his default clothes were repaired. Man, he loved that ability. Anton left the single dead body in the hallway for now and activated Specter. He moved into the VIP lounge and rematerialized. He turned to check the door to verify that it was still locked and then went to the Bathroom and grabbed a robe as he walked back over to the bound woman and covered her body with the robe. He left her tied up as he moved so that he was in front of her face.
Anton watched as her eyes tracked him, but he could tell from the look in her eyes that she didn¡¯t see Anton, she was just looking for a way to escape. That was going to make this next part a bit tricky.
¡°Hello, my name is Anton. You¡¯re still tied up because this is a Safe Zone, and I don¡¯t want you to disappear if you try to attack me if I free you. Blink once slowly when you¡¯ve calmed down and have control of yourself.¡±
The woman¡¯s eyes darted around while Anton waited patiently for her to calm down. Well calm down was probably asking a lot. Anton needed her to get control of her fight-or-flight response. Amazingly, only after a few moments she looked back at Anton who was still waiting and blinked once slowly.
¡°Good, now I¡¯m going to remove the ball gag, while I explain what happened, and what I¡¯m going to do,¡± Anton said as he reached to undo the clasp that was holding the ball gag wedged in her mouth, ¡°First, I¡¯m going to get this Ball Gag out of your mouth so you can ask questions, please don¡¯t scream at me. Once that¡¯s done, I¡¯m going to go grab that knife over there on the counter and I¡¯m going to come back and cut the bindings on your arms. Then I¡¯m going to leave the knife on the table for you so you can free yourself. After you¡¯re free, you are going to go into the other room and free the other women and let them know that I will be waiting for all of you in the room with all of the weapons.
Once there we¡¯re going to get all of you equipped with weapons and add all of you to the exception list for the Safe Zone while you¡¯re in this VIP lounge. What that means is that you will be able to attack anyone and not be flung from the Safe Zone while you¡¯re in here with me. This will be true only while you are in this VIP Area. Now, do you have any questions?¡± Anton asked as the ball gag was rocked free from her mouth.
The woman worked her jaw a little and then hoarsely asked, ¡°What¡¯s to keep us from killing you when I get all the women free and have weapons?¡±
¡°Nothing. I¡¯m going to free you and your fellow women and give you weapons so you can take back some of the power that was taken from you. Hopefully, we¡¯ll be able to work together once you''re free. But this whole city is a Safe Zone and once you all have calmed down and feel safe, you¡¯ll be under the same rules as everyone else. But while we¡¯re getting to know each other, each of you will be free to defend yourself if attacked. Now I¡¯m going to cut your bindings and leave the knife so you can free yourself. If you need help, please ask but otherwise, I¡¯m going to go into the next room and leave the door open and wait for you and your friends. Just a friendly reminder, if you¡¯re going to try to kill me, at least wait until you¡¯re all on the exception list or you¡¯re going to appear out in a monster-infested area. Also, there are more robes and towels in the bathroom, I don¡¯t know where they put your clothes,¡± Anton said as he freed her arms from their bindings and then put the knife where she could reach it easily.
Anton stepped back and walked to the other room where he sat in a chair that faced the door and waited. A moment later he heard the woman moving around in the other room and then heard the door to the room with the kennels in it open and close.
Anton was a big believer in the adage ¡®Trust but Verify.¡¯ Anton activated Specter, ghosted through the wall to make sure she was freeing the women, and then returned to his set and sat down to let his Psychic Energy replenish. There were 12 women in the room plus the girl he freed, Thirteen in total. It would be a little while before they were ready to come out and get the weapons that were in the room he was in. All there was to do now was wait.
Chapter 14, City Lord
Jessica Sifford, Jess to her friends, which seemed so far away now, held still until she heard the man, Anton he¡¯d said his name was. She held very still until Anton stopped moving then grabbed the knife and leaned up off the table. Her legs were bound to the table legs, but the knife Anton had left made quick work of the ropes and she was free. She set the knife on the table and put the robe on. While she did so she glanced outside at all the men who had abused her and the other women here. If what Anton said was true, they were going to get theirs, sooner than later.
Jess picked up the knife and moved to the bathroom where she grabbed all the towels and robes she could. All of their clothes were in the room with Anton in one of the cupboards by the sink. Once she¡¯d freed a few of the other women they¡¯d go ask to get the clothes. With quick steps, she made her way to the kennel room, opened the door, stepped through, and closed the door.
¡°Jess, what¡¯s going on?¡± Sarah whispered as the other eleven women sent questioning glances her way. After a pause as Jess made her way to Sarah¡¯s cage she asked, ¡°Is that blood all over you?¡±
Jess looked down and noted that the blood that had covered her had soaked through the white robe and then said, ¡°Not my blood, it¡¯s the City Lord¡¯s, he¡¯s dead.¡± She unlocked Sarah¡¯s cage and continued unlocking all of the other cages. Before anyone could start asking more questions Sarah told everyone what had happened from her point of view.
She¡¯d been taken into the other room and tied down. The City Lord had been making a show of what he was about to do to her for everyone in the stadium and slapped her ass a few times before she heard combat start behind her. She heard the City Lord get stabbed over and over. While he was stabbed, she¡¯d felt liquid drop on her back and face but hadn¡¯t thought anything of it. The next thing she¡¯d know a man had covered her with the robe and moved to her eye level before he talked to her. When he was done, he¡¯d cut her hands free and then went into the room with the weapons and all of their clothes.
¡°What¡¯s he want with us?¡± one of the older women asked.
¡°He just said to get ourselves cleaned up and then to come to see him so that he could exempt us from the Safe Zone while we¡¯re in these VIP rooms,¡± Jess said.
¡°Sounds like he¡¯s trying to put us at ease and not push,¡± Annabelle said. When all the other women looked at her she continued, ¡°He¡¯s trying not to spook us because we¡¯re all probably traumatized, or at least he thinks we are. You only have three more robes so only three of us are going to go ask if we can pick up our clothes and get dressed before the other women go in. First things first Jess, You need to go take a shower and get that blood off of you. Then You, me, and Sarah are going to go ask for our clothes,¡± Annabelle said.
¡°How are you taking this so well?¡± Jess asked.
¡°Because I have no choice, now go take a shower. Sarah, take a robe and follow her into the shower. Leave it on the sink. When she¡¯s done the rest of you take turns getting a shower if you need to. While you''re doing that, the three of us will go talk to Anton and get our clothes.¡± Annabelle said.
Jess walked over to the shower room dropped the bloodied robe to the floor and took a really quick shower. It was a quick shower because there was no hot water. She rinsed off, dried off with one of the towels, and put a clean robe on. When she walked out of the shower one of the other girls walked in and closed the door. Cold water sucked for showers. The other women should be done pretty quick, probably by the time they returned with their clothes.
Annabelle led the three of them out of the room and to the open door where Anton was seated in a chair on the opposite side of the room facing them. He took them in and then asked, ¡°Just the three of you?¡±
Annabelle stepped forward a step and said, ¡°Just the three of us for now. We came to ask if we could grab our clothes so that everyone could be dressed before we came to talk to you. Our clothes are in the cupboard over by the sink.¡±
Anton nodded before he answered, ¡°That¡¯s fine. Feel free to take any weapons you see that might make you feel more comfortable, just remember it¡¯s a safe zone and until I add you to the exemption list if you attack someone you¡¯ll be teleported to somewhere 25 miles away.¡±
¡°Understood,¡± Annabella said as Jess nodded along. The three of them grabbed the clothes and a handgun each and headed back to the other women.
It took another half-hour for all the women to get showered and clothed before they all headed back over to the room with Anton in it. Jess fell in behind Annabelle as they all shuffled into the room.
Before anyone could say a word, Anton said, ¡°Before we get started let''s see if this works, SYSTEM add all women in this room with me to the Safe Zone Exemption list while in the VIP section of this building.¡± Anton paused for a minute as he received a notification and did something before his eyes cleared and he smiled.
Jess''s vision was filled with a SYSTEM Notification
SYSTEM Message. You are now exempt from the restrictions of the Town of Minneapolis Safe Zone while in the VIP rooms in the U.S Bank Stadium, you are standing in.
Jess watched Annabelle look around the room and then ask, ¡°Did all of you get that message?¡±
¡°I did,¡± Jess offered as the others all voiced that they had also.
¡°If I could have your attention for a few moments ladies,¡± Anton said from where he was sitting. When they¡¯d all settled down he continued, ¡°Now that you can protect yourselves, I¡¯m going to go take care of the tyrants of this little town. Feel free to watch the field below because that¡¯s where I¡¯m going to start. It looks like there are weapons and food up here so arm yourselves and I¡¯ll be back in a bit. Finally, I don¡¯t know if the Safe Zone will prevent you from being hurt so barricade the door and prepare to shoot anyone that forces their way in here until I get back.¡±
¡°How will you get back,¡± Annabelle asked.
¡°The same way I¡¯m going to leave, though I¡¯ll make sure to appear somewhere that doesn¡¯t startle anyone. Also, while I¡¯m gone, think of how you would like this city to be run and who you¡¯d like to be the Primary Administrator out of the 13 of you. The rest of you will be able to help but I need one person to be the person I leave in charge. So, arm yourselves, get something to eat, and watch the show while being careful to protect yourselves. I¡¯ll be back soon,¡± Anton said and then vanished from where he was sitting.
Jess rushed over to the window that looked down onto the Stadium and saw Anton appear right next to the SYSTEM Shop Node. She couldn¡¯t hear him through the glass, but she watched as he flamboyantly struck a pose as he made some sort of proclamation. A moment later all the men and women with weapons that could see him trained their guns on him and fired.
Jess watched as Anton¡¯s body was riddled with bullets. As she watched each person that attacked Anton vanished. Had he just sacrificed himself for them? Jess watched as Anton¡¯s body which was now full of bullet holes impacted the ground and then dissolved before he reappeared right where he¡¯d been standing. More people shot him, and those people also disappeared. Anton reappeared a third time, looked around when no one shot at him, and then went to the SYSTEM Shop Node and touched it. Both Anton and the Node disappeared. A couple of seconds later there was a pop behind her. She turned to see Anton stepping away from the SYSTEM Shop Node as he said, ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a while, just relax for a bit, I have a couple of things to take care of.
Jess just looked at the man flabbergasted. How had a man who was wearing tennis shoes, jeans, and a shirt with Deadpool on it that read ¡°I¡¯m with Stupid¡± get shot up and not even have bullet holes or blood stains in the shirt he was wearing? Jess put that out of her mind and went over to one of the few coolers that had iced drinks in it.
Still thinking about what she¡¯d seen, Jess heard Annabelle call out and headed over to the lounge area where Annabelle settled in and said, ¡°You all heard Anton, we need to decide who will be his direct assistant to the city¡¡± Annabelle began. Jess knew this conversation was going to take a little bit and just hoped no one would want her to be 2nd in charge. She had every intention of helping Anton and if Annabelle was left in charge, her too. Anton had freed them after all, and it looked like the trash was being taken out of the city.
***
As Anton activated Specter, after dropping off the SYSTEM Shop Node, he rose through the walls and ceiling and headed toward the outskirts of the city. He had a couple of assholes to make sure died. 30 Seconds later, Anton was 25 miles out and realized he need not have worried. It looked like every monster inside the Minneapolis Safe Zone, a 10-mile diameter sphere, had been teleported 25 miles away, just like the SYSTEM had warned. There seemed to be enough monsters that as Anton flew around the circumference of the Safe Zone at the 25-mile limit he kept coming across groupings of monsters that were either attacking and killing everyone that had been sent out here when they violated the Safe Zone or he found the remains of someone who had already been killed.
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In fact, as he watched, a naked man who was far too excited to be outside appeared in front of a monster type he¡¯d never seen before. The monster was a cross between a bear and some sort and an arachnid. The man screamed and the monster chomped down. Anton was never going to be able to unseen that and shuddered. Anton had a good idea of what that man had been about to do to someone else. Even though karma had taken its toll, just ick. The fact that the SYSTEM considered what that man had been about to do as an attack in a Safe Zone was a good thing. Of course, that meant that the city had more victims that needed to be freed.
How could he get a message out to everyone in the city? Anton pulled up his City Tab and looked through it. Eventually, he found an Announcement button, but it was grayed out. When he concentrated on it a tool tip popped up.
This function is only available while touching the City Node. Alternatively, this function may be accessed while in a SYSTEM Shop, for a modest fee.
Anton altered his course and headed toward the City Node. Moving at just over a mile per second, Anton reached the City Node in 30 seconds. He quickly double-checked the area to make sure nothing had found the City Node and then materialized next to it. He reached out and touched the Node with his right hand as he mentally opened the City Tab and concentrated on making an Announcement.
Would you like to create a Virtual Video, Verbal Message, or SYSTEM Notification Announcement?
Anton chose ¡°Virtual Video¡± and felt his perception shift as his Point Of View instantly shifted to a studio setting with blank light blue canvas behind him and a light source above and in front of him that illuminated his face. He couldn¡¯t see any cameras or light sources, but he felt like he was being watched.
Talk normally. You will be able to edit the final product when done by saying Start Edit Phase when done.
Anton shrugged, rolled his shoulders, and then looked toward the light as he began to speak.
¡°Hello Everyone! I am Anton, the new City Lord for the Minneapolis Safe Zone. As most of you who were being abused by the previous leadership know, things weren¡¯t going so well for the common folk of Minneapolis. I¡¯m here to tell you that announcements will be coming and that you should be prepared for them. There are a couple of things I want to go over that require your immediate attention.
First, Minneapolis is a Safe Zone. If you attack anyone within 5 miles of the city center you will automatically be teleported to a random location 25 miles away. If you received the SYSTEM Warning, pay attention.
Second, All of the monsters that were within the Safe Zone have already been teleported out of the area. If you are teleported for the foreseeable future you will most likely be teleported to a location that contains monsters or has monsters nearby.
This brings me to the third and final point of this announcement. A lot of people that could abuse their power, did abuse that power, or tried to, even moments ago. They have been teleported out of the Safe Zone which has left their victims trapped. I need everyone to search everywhere within the safe zone and free any of the victims. Remember, if you find someone and try to abuse them too, you will automatically be teleported out of the Safe Zone and will most likely die. As an incentive, I will offer 100 credits to anyone who frees or saves someone for the next 72 hours. This award can be collected more than once. When you find a victim, escort them to the U.S. Bank Stadium where people will be waiting to help them.
The next City-Wide announcement will be made by the City Administrator. Who I will appoint within the next day.¡±
When he was done speaking Anton edited the announcement and then published it. As soon as he did a New Notification appeared.
You have offered a City-Wide Quest. As the reward is monetary it will be taken from City coffers first, then the City Lords SYSTEM Bank account, and finally the SYSTEM Lords personal funds. If at any time the City Lord cannot pay the reward the SYSTEM will pay out the reward which will accrue a 10% interest rate per day until paid off. The City Coffers and City Lords accounts will automatically pay back the SYSTEM as funds are deposited.
Anton quickly double-checked the settings and made sure that he was the only one who could create a quest that drew on his funds. He also set up an Administrator slot that could create quests for the city but made sure that the payouts would come from the City or the administrator accounts, not his.
When he was done, Anton activated Specter and ghosted back to the VIP rooms where the 13 women were waiting. He materialized by the front door where only two women with weapons were on guard which caused them to jump. They did not point their weapons at him though.
¡°Don¡¯t shoot, it¡¯s just me?¡± Anton said.
Neither woman spoke as they looked at Anton like he was some sort of snake, though their expressions didn¡¯t show overt hostility which was a start.
¡°Anton, Welcome back!¡± one of the women who was stepping from the lounge room said as she came back into the room. ¡°I¡¯m Annabelle, and by group vote the defacto leader of our little group.¡±
¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, and everyone else now that you¡¯re all fully clothed,¡± Anton said as he purposely didn¡¯t look in the direction of the women he¡¯d freed first.
¡°We all saw your announcement. While you were off checking on the fates of the people that killed,¡± she said hesitantly, ¡°or tried to kill you, we talked about what we needed to do. While most of us were slaves, we all heard the various problems the leaders were having while they were, ahem, busy with us.¡±
¡°I¡¯m all ears,¡± Anton said as he moved over to a seat and sat down.
¡°The first thing we need to worry about is food for everyone. I don¡¯t know how many people are here but the food in the city has started to rot. We might be able to hunt monsters for food, but they¡¯ll all be outside the 5-mile radius so we will need to get people to go out and hunt them and bring the carcass back then we¡¯ll have to skin and process them. The only thing we have going for is that there is a river nearby.
Anton sat and listened to Annabelle for the next 30 minutes as she laid out the issues they had what they needed to do and the problems she foresaw. When she was done, Anton walked over to the SYSTEM Shop Node and put his hand on it. Without entering the shop, he pulled up his City Tab and a slew of new options populated his vision, including the renting and utility options for all the buildings within the Town of Minneapolis, which extended out past the 5-mile radius. How did that work? How would the SYSTEM only provide utilities to those buildings that were rented and paid for the utilities?
Anton put that thought to the side and chose to rent the Stadium for 10,000 credits a month, to be paid out from the City account, and for the utilities which were only a modest 1,000 credits. To facilitate that he set the Tax Rate for all goods sold or traded with the Safe Zone to 10% and a fee of 1 credit per day after the first day to remain in the Safe Zone for everyone over the age of 18. That last stipulation would be instituted in two weeks. That should give the city enough time to get established.
Anton transferred the initial payment from his SYSTEM Bank account. As soon as he accepted the transaction there was a shimmer and then the lights came on throughout the stadium. In a little bit, he¡¯d be able to take a hot shower.
Next, he transferred 1.5 million credits from his account to the City account and Designated Annabelle as his Administrator with the authority to move the SYSTEM Shop Node. When he removed his hand from the SYSTEM Shop node he noticed Annabelle¡¯s eyes refocus after reading a notification before she smiled at Anton.
Anton looked around the room and made eye contact with all 13 women before he said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ve made Annabelle the Administrator for the City. I am going to alter your Safe Zone exemption status to the entire Safe Zone, but¡¡± Anton said as he held up one finger, ¡°But, this is not going to be a matriarchy. Over the next week, I want the 13 of you to be on the watch for twelve smart decent men that you would like to be on a council for the city that you can work with. Only 12. Annabelle is the Administrator and everything she mentioned is the first thing you need to work on. Finding 12 men for the council is secondary To help you get started, I¡¯ve deposited 1.5 million credits into the City coffers and if necessary you can purchase food to keep people fed but I would suggest that we put people on the river and get them fishing, hunting, and surviving on their own. Any questions?¡±
¡°Why are you doing this for us?¡± one of the women who hadn¡¯t said a thing until now asked timidly.
Anton paused, ¡°Mostly because it¡¯s the right thing to do, but also because someday, I hope to be able to call on any of you for a favor. What kind of favor? Not anything you¡¯ve had to endure to this point. It could be training; I could need you to help a friend. I honestly have no idea what kind of favor it could be. But the simplest answer that you need to know right now,¡± Anton said as he paused to catch his breath, ¡±No one should have to endure what you and others in the city have endured. On that note, make sure anyone you think about bringing onto the council understands that the type of behavior that just ended the rule of the Minneapolis elite¡permanently, will NOT be tolerated. I¡¯m not all-powerful, but as you''ve seen, I tend to get right back up after you knock me down, unlike the idiots that were all just killed by monster hordes.¡±
¡°Monster hordes?¡± Annabelle asked.
¡°Yeah, ¡°I would suggest that whatever plan you come up with, you keep people inside the safe zone for at least the first two weeks, maybe even a month. Give the monsters time to get hungry and fight each other before you send out hunting groups. Unless those groups have heavy weapons of course.¡±
Annabelle nodded and then asked, ¡°Is there anything else you need from us?¡±
¡°Not right this second. I¡¯m going to leave the 13 of you to set up Minneapolis. I need to head back to St. Cloud and check in with a man named Major Findal and let him know what happened down here. Eventually, the two cities are close enough that they could be trading partners but for now, Annabelle, you¡¯ve got the key to the city, enough funds to get things started, and a lot of people to help. Think all of you can handle it?¡± Anton asked.
Annabelle stood which Anton did as well and stuck out her hand, ¡°Thank you for helping us Anton, we¡¯ll get this city up and running in no time.¡±
Anton shook her hand and released it. He activated Specter and started heading Northwest. It was time to go check and see if anything had happened in St. Cloud in the last 6 hours. Maybe he¡¯d catch a nap in the vault first, it was the safest place he knew of currently and it was getting late.
Chapter 15, Asking The Right Question
Zarius reread the message he¡¯d just received from The SYSTEM.
SYSTEM MESSAGE
As requested information concerning any ability that prolongs the longevity of the SYSTEM User that was publicly disclosed while within the public area of the SYSTEM Shop has been noted and forwarded to you.
Thank You for your Purchase.
Ability: Immortal
Rarity: Unique
Location
Sector: The Foundation
Planet: 1¡0190
Planetary Coordinates based on Local Maps: 44¡ã58''25.0"N 93¡ã15''26.2"W
Subject: Anthony Nicholas Thomson
One of the Shadows had the Unique ability Immortal in the newly reacquired sanctioned Sector. This was perfect. To purchase specific data about anyone and their abilities costs a lot. Trying to uncover Anthony Thomson¡¯s abilities would have increased that cost at least 100 fold. Because of the rarity of his ability, if he¡¯d tried to purchase that information directly, the cost would have started at 1 Trillion credits which didn¡¯t include the cost to learn what his second ability was, if he had one.
Sending a query to report on anyone that publicly mentioned their ability to the SYSTEM while within a SYSTEM shop though, that had only cost him 1,000 credits and time. Ironically, there was not that much time at all in the scheme of things as the order had only been placed a year ago.
Zarius closed the notification and looked across the table to one of his colleagues who was looking at him expectantly as she asked, ¡°SYSTEM Notification or did you just get a call?¡±
¡°Just a message I¡¯ve been waiting for. I¡¯ll need to go talk with the boss when I get back to the office, Sarah.¡±
¡°Well then, I guess we should make the most of our lunch because meetings with the boss never go the way anyone wants them to,¡± Sarah said as she used her fork to dig into her salad.
¡°True, but, this time I think I have some information that he¡¯ll want,¡± Zarius said.
¡°Hopefully, you''re right. On the other hand, isn¡¯t he getting close to mandatory retirement?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°As you know, there is no retirement for the Boss,¡± Zarius said.
¡°I know but we all pretend that our final death is our retirement,¡± Sarah said.
¡°Sooner for some of us than others. Not many acquire a Legendary class and reach the end of their lifespan without ascending. The news I have might help the Boss with that problem,¡± Zarius said before he took a bite out of his ham and cheese sandwich.
¡°Really? Do tell,¡± Sarah said.
¡°I may have found something that can help on one of the newly reacquired Shadow Earths in that new Sector.¡±
Sarah looked thoughtful for a moment before her eyes lit up, ¡°Are you talking about The Foundation Sector?¡±
¡°The same.¡±
¡°Didn¡¯t The SYSTEM punish all the Founders of that hidden portion of the SYSTEM by stripping them of everything and sending them to Frontier to start over?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°Yes, all the Founders, those that thought themselves Gods within their pocket reality without actually taking the time to become truly God like by Ascending. Yes, they were reduced to Level 0 and agreed to give up their abilities and start over randomly in the Frontier. I watched the trial, if it could be called that. It was more like a sentencing. Anyway, those that accepted the punishment were also stripped of all titles, skills, and spells when their souls were scrubbed. Those who didn¡¯t agree to the punishment were either able to Ascend or entered the cycle of reincarnation, just like our Master will do if he doesn¡¯t Ascend,¡± Zarius explained.
¡°I thought the punishment seemed a bit harsh,¡± Sarah said.
¡°Why would you say that?¡± Zarius asked.
¡°Well, you did just say you found something useful on one of the Shadow Earths didn¡¯t you?¡±
¡°Well, yes, but the number of unsanctioned shadows, as well as the various alternates that have cropped up¡¡±
Sarah interrupted him, ¡°Provide opportunities for everyone that has not found a path to Ascendancy or even their Mythic or Legendary Classes. There are far more opportunities and resources to acquire.¡±
¡°There are, but we have the frontier and shadows form there all the time,¡± Zarius pointed out.
¡°True, but their temporal rate is usually accelerated as they flash into existence and then wink out as true alternates to the Primal Planes. You know as well as I do that even the greater Primal Planes are but copies or alternates to our plane?¡± Sarah asked halfheartedly.
¡°Just because their planes end in a higher Prime number does not make them secondary to ours.¡±
¡°You¡¯ve seen the number convention the SYSTEM uses, just like I have. The Number that represents Our Material Plane of Existence is coded as Prime Unit E00000000001 in Hexadecimal, which is one of the earliest computer languages we developed,¡± Sarah said.
¡°True, and as the Master has stated there are no coincidences, only fate. Or The SYSTEM just uses that designation to mess with us.¡±
¡°It¡¯s more like a computer than it is sentient
¡°Are you sure?¡± Zarius asked.
¡°Whatever, so what did you find?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°Just something that might extend the longevity of our Master.
Sarah looked thoughtful before she offered, ¡°Be careful. If you are successful The Master may reward you. However, if you show him something that gives him hope and nothing comes of it¡¡± Sarah said leadingly.
¡°I could find myself on a permanent chopping block,¡± Zarius said with a laugh. ¡°I¡¯ll be careful promise. Now I must be going. Thank you for joining me for lunch. Hopefully, we¡¯ll be able to do this again soon.
Sarah smiled, ¡°I hope so, and good luck. I¡¯m going to sit for a bit before I head back to my lab.¡±
Zarius stood, walked over to the counter, and sent a command to the restaurant to use his account to pay for both meals as he walked outside. Unlike the shadow worlds of Earth, this Earth sat in the 35th Century. After 5, no 4 World Wars, a plague, and the Super Volcano erupting at Yellowstone the geography had changed quite a bit but the technology had improved and the SYSTEM also existed to help out. Considering that the world had always had magic, technology, and The SYSTEM the world was a lot more structured than a lot of the Shadows, or even the other Prime Universes he¡¯d visited.
As Zarius walked out of the restaurant he looked up and down the street he was filled with the various enlightened races as they walked and flew to and fro. Some of those that were flying had wings, others either used magic or the power of their mind. The only restriction this close to the ground was that any movement skill or spell could not create a shock wave. Those that did would be charged for all damages and injuries sustained.
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Zarius cast his Flight spell and launched vertically. Once he was 10 miles up he increased his speed and broke the speed of light as he headed toward Mars. He¡¯d upgraded his map skill long ago. He could set waypoints and since his range was measured in Astronomical Units he could target any point of Mars.
One thing most people overlooked with their mapping skill was the fact that no matter how much range the skill had and how much information The SYSTEM was willing to give you what the SYSTEM would show you was based on other factors which included Perception and Intelligence. He could request directions to Mars because Mars was within his range, but it wouldn¡¯t show up on his internal map as anything but an arrow pointing in a direction until Mars was within his Perception radius, which was admittedly far, but not quite as far as his Mythical Mapping skill.
As for traveling through space. His Constitution and Endurance would allow him to hold his breath long enough to get to Mars and enter the Atmosphere there. Unlike Earth, The Atmosphere on Mars was held in by magic and could be crossed with no issue.
Almost 3 minutes later Zarius landed in the designated arrival area of the Olympus Mons Caldera and started walking toward the main building. A refuge for scientists and other academic types, his Master had created the Academy after terraforming Mars. The campus was dedicated to understanding the various spheres of magic as well as trying to pinpoint the origin of The SYSTEM, a question that had been asked for as long as recorded history.
His Boss, or Master, was known to be a bit ruthless to those that crossed him but to those that were loyal he was known to return that loyalty. Finding someone with the ability Immortal was going to elevate Zarius and hopefully give him the promotion he¡¯d been working for. If this went bad, he¡¯d be lucky to find a job anywhere. He¡¯d probably have to go back to being an Adventurer to try to break through into his Epic class.
Zarius was pulled out of his thoughts as he walked up the steps to the entrance of his Master¡¯s personal lab which was located at the exact center of the Caldera underneath and crystalline pyramid which refracted in alternating fractals. The Pyramid was made out of transparent Aluminum with embedded holographic transmitters which gave the illusion that the Pyramid was magical. The Master wouldn¡¯t waste magical energy on something trivial like this but he would spend as many credits as necessary if something was possible and he wanted it. The terraforming and shielding of Mars were a testament to his wealth.
Of course, when he¡¯d almost singlehandedly stopped a demonic incursion on Earth when a group of summoners had decided that if there was going to be a World War 4, there needed to be Demons¡ Also, while Zarius knew that there had been a 5th World War because he¡¯d traveled to Shadows, or alternate realities to visit the aftermath of that war, he knew that The Master had ended that war before it began in this Universe with a very clinical use of Time Travel. That might have repercussions going forward, but The Master had done it anyway.
As Zarius stepped onto the elevating platform at the center of the volcano he was again amazed as the elevator descended in a transparent tube through the center of the hollow volcano into the audience chamber of his Master which was located at the center of a busy metropolis at the base of the Volcano. There were other access points to the underground city all around the base of the volcano 13.6 miles below him. The city had originally been constructed under the volcano where it would be safe from the lack of atmosphere and then expanded until the outer volcano was just a shell sitting over the city. There were petitions to remove it but the Master nixed that idea repeatedly for as yet unknown reasons.
Entering through this access point let his Master know that he needed to see him as well as gave him time to prepare or return to the Volcano if he was elsewhere. Zarius reviewed the data one more time and prepared to give his report to one of the oldest living humans he knew of.
As the elevator came to a stop his Master sat in a floating chair waiting for him. When the elevator door opened, his Master smiled and asked, ¡°What brings you to my lab Zarius?¡±
¡°Master Aumtara, I have found something that I believe you might find interesting.¡±
¡°Of course, or you wouldn¡¯t have come all this way. What have you found?¡±
Zarius pulled up the information the SYSTEM had sent him and shared it with Master Aumtara. He watched as his Master looked over the information.
¡°Who else has seen this information?¡±
¡°No one Master.¡±
¡°Good. Good, You have done well, Report to sublevel 7. We will begin your next level of training while I take advantage of the information you have shared.
¡°If I might ask Master, are you going to acquire the subject personally?¡± Zarius asked.
¡°No, there¡¯s no need. I have teams for such chores. You merely need to concentrate on your studies and increase your power. I need individuals who are loyal and trustworthy. Now off with you.¡±
¡°Yes Master,¡± Zarius said as he turned to a wall with two elevators and walked over to them. Once he was inside, he pushed ¡°SUB 7¡± He had, of course, seen the button before, but he¡¯d never heard of anyone visiting Sub Level 7. As the Elevator door started to descend below the floor he saw the Master floating toward his personal quarters. A few moments later a portal appeared below the elevator on his personal map and the elevator descended through it. Zarius tried to push up against the elevator to no avail as the oxygen rushed out of his lungs as all the air was sucked out of the elevator and him. He didn¡¯t need to breath for a while he¡¯d be fine if he could¡
A moment later Zarius was destroyed as the elevator entered the event horizon of a black hole and fell into a singularity. Relatively, it took Zarius a very long time to die. For everyone outside of the Event Horizon, the elevator carriage was there and then it wasn¡¯t as the portal closed and a new elevator formed above it.
***
Zarius¡¯s Master watched through a terminal on his seat as the Elevator Cab dropped into the singularity. It was such a waste. Zarius had been one of his better apprentices and he¡¯d even found someone with something that could extend his life. Still, he couldn¡¯t let the knowledge he¡¯d acquired come back to haunt him and he¡¯d never allow anyone to have power over him. Maybe in Zarius¡¯s next incarnation, he¡¯d do better.
Tabus Aumtara took rode his chair back to his personal quarters. Once there he ensured that his privacy screens were in place and then stepped out of the chair. With a thought, his form shifted to that of a young man in business attire. With a thought, he pulled up the information Zarius had shared with him as he walked to the back of the residence and into his hunting room. He picked up his staff, ring, and Bracers, all Artifacts that gave him attack and defense bonuses, and then walked over and picked up his Cube of Holding, a small translucent cube, not much bigger than a six-sided die. Most thought such objects were useless but this one could capture and hold Legendary Monsters in a spatial storage area so they could be brought out and studied or fought later.
Next, he walked over to his SYSTEM Shop Node and touched it while he sent a query off for a full breakdown and location of Anthony Nicholas Thomson on Planet 1¡0190. He received the location just fine. It appeared Anthony was inside a bank vault in the City of St. Cloud. That city was wiped out by the Super volcano on his world but he¡¯d been to enough Shadow Earths to know exactly where the city was; North America, near the city of Minneapolis.
Tabus was an Adventuring Mage. He had started with the Rare Class of Technomancer and worked up through the Master Wizard Class. He¡¯d unlocked the Epic version of the Enchanter class which had then opened the Mythical class of Conjurer. Finally, he¡¯d known that everything comes to an end and had been working harder and harder to contact and work with the higher, or lower planes and been offered the Diviner Legendary class which was also a Conjuring class. He''d found it much easier to work with the Denizens of the lower planes which had somehow reduced his life force. A lot of people didn¡¯t understand that there were ways to get the same class with different rarities. There were Common, Scarce, and Rare Mages. Advanced and Master Mages. There were even Epic, Mythic, and Legendary Mages. More often than not, the SYSTEM also offered other classes that showcased specific abilities and skills that the individual had concentrated on.
He¡¯d learned that knowledge just before acquiring his Epic class but he¡¯d still chosen to change things up and take the bonuses associated with the classes he¡¯d picked. He could connect with and take control of just about any technological item and he was also able to conjure just about anything with a primary focus on Ascendant or Divine level creatures from the higher or lower planes. Because of the choices he¡¯d made he¡¯d burnt through a lot of what some would call his life force but what he knew of as his fate.
He''d learned that everyone was allotted only so much fate, or life. Well that¡¯s what he¡¯d been shown but now that he¡¯d seen the ability Zarius showed him, was what he¡¯d been shown accurate? Probably not. While he appeared to be younger than 30, his 3,223-year-old body, not including his jaunts through time made him incredibly older. Anthony¡¯s Immortal ability could solve this problem. If he could transfer an ability that offered Immortality, he could live forever, or at least until he was able to ascend, something he had not been able to do thus far.
His thoughts had derailed as he tried to control his excitement. While The SYSTEM had returned the subject¡¯s location easily enough for only 1 million credits, a pittance of his total assets. The complete breakdown had not been returned instead a new message, one he¡¯d never seen before filled his vision.
You do not have the required Credits to purchase the information you desire. Cost: 1.0 E24 Credits.
Tabus had never seen a cost so high before. Sure, if he¡¯d been purchasing information on a planet he¡¯d seen a cost in the trillions but one septillion credits for the information of one person. The information for a legendary person was nowhere near that high. He had to know what was driving that cost and sent off another query to know which three characteristic categories increased the cost of a full breakdown for Anthony Thomson. That query only cost him 1 million credits.
The Three Characteristic Categories that have increased the cost of a full breakdown for Anthony Thomson are Ability, Ability, and None.
So, not only did Anthony Thomson have an ability that allowed him to be immortal he had another ability that was either shielding that ability from being discovered or he had an ability that could be as rare as his ability Immortal. That did beg the question, How had Zarius learned about this man? It was too late to ask him now unless he was willing to turn back time. Nope, he should be fine.
Tabus focused his will and opened a Gate through Space and Time for 10,000 Mana. The gate opened directly into the vault where he saw that the man he was looking for was lying on the ground and had just opened his eyes to look at him through the tear in dimensions. Tabus stepped through the Gate and let it close behind him. He cast a Light spell that he put at the ceiling level above him while the man stood from where he¡¯d been sleeping and brushed himself off.
Tabus had come to North America in this Shadow Universe so he tried English first and asked, ¡°Anthony Thomsen?¡±
¡°That would be me, and you are?¡± Anthony said.
¡°Doesn¡¯t matter, Tabus said as he held out the cube and activated it. Tabus watched as a transparent cube appeared around Anthony, shrunk through him, and then zipped out his stomach and returned to the Cube of Holding in his hand.
Anton watched as the cube tried to capture him and then looked into Tabus''s eyes before he said, ¡°You know, I really think it does matter.¡±
Chapter 16, Two Objects Cant Occupy
Anton looked at the body of a young man as he realized that he was dealing with someone who was far above his level. Whatever the cube he¡¯d pulled out had been, Anton did not doubt that if he¡¯d been captured this man would have done things to him that could not be undone. He was looking at a true psychopath.
The man put the cube away and a staff appeared in his hand as he said, ¡°So be it, we do this the hard way.¡±
Anton didn¡¯t know what the hard way was, but knew that he wanted nothing to do with it and started to activate Specter¡
You Have Died, The Skill Specter, has Activated
Anton pulled up his Combat Log to see what had happened. The man who wouldn¡¯t even do him the courtesy of giving him his name had struck him with his staff for 517 points of damage. Since he only had 290 hit points the strike had killed him. Anton watched as the man stepped forward and tried to claim his body which evaporated.
Anton watched as the man looked around. Then he cast a spell which also seemed to fail. As the man was starting to cast another spell, Anton pulled out his dagger of venom and tried to strike the man in the back for a critical attack. As his hand appeared in the material plane with his dagger, the mage whirled and struck him, destroying the knife and shattering his hand.
While pain didn¡¯t bother him anymore, that strike had hurt. Anton backed off as the mage or monk, or whatever he was, looked around the room cautiously. He probably thought Anton was physically in the room with him but invisible. While Anton let his hand heal over the next six seconds, the man cast a spell that sent a pulse of white light out of the room but seemed to have no effect.
Nothing for it, he would have to try his new attack. Anton activated Spectral Scream which only caused the man to look at where Anton¡¯s spectral form appeared. The man looked thoughtful for a moment and then a look of realization appeared on his face. Anton watched as he flicked his wrist and a large pentagram appeared on the ground. A summoning circle, yeah¡.No.
Anton moved over to the summoning circle as it formed and deactivated Specter. He¡¯d wasted 9 Psychic energy, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. However, it was good to know that if he activated Specter and was killed before it activated the energy automatically extended the time he remained a Specter from 2 Combat Turns to 10 minutes. Still, he couldn¡¯t let this mage summon whatever he was trying to summon.
As Anton moved into the circle he felt nothing but received a couple of notifications.
WARNING! You have entered an area of spatial entanglement.
WARNING! Remaining in this location is NOT Recommended.
Anton closed the warnings. He was stepping into an area of high magic that was trying to reach through dimensions to summon something. Yeah, he knew he shouldn¡¯t be doing this, but it needed to happen. Anton appeared within the center of the golden fractal pattern which fizzled and winked out. The Mage¡¯s face filled with shock.
¡°Not Possible!. We should be dead. You should be dead. How did you not just blow a hole through this reality?¡± the man muttered as Anton reactivated Specter. He¡¯d spent 120 Psychic Energy so far. More than half of his reserves.
He could have sat there and let this insane man continue to monologue, but he had an idea. Back when he¡¯d played the 2nd edition Dungeons and Dragons his character could use psionics. His character had been fighting a monster that was definitely going to kill one of the party so he had his character become ethereal, a lot like what he could do now. He¡¯d told the Game Master that his character was going to take a rope, hold it between his hands, and phase back into reality while the rope passed through the head of one of his enemies. His idea hadn¡¯t worked because the Game Master hadn¡¯t allowed it.
When Anton had asked why the Game Master had shown him a rule that stated that crossing planes into a place that was already occupied by solid matter wasn¡¯t allowed. Out here in the real world? Magic didn¡¯t work on him, and if magic was enforcing the rules¡Maybe that idea would work. Of course, maybe there wasn¡¯t a rule. It was time to find out.
***
Tabus, The Legendary Diviner watched the man vanish from the summoning circle he¡¯d just tried to create filled with disbelief. His target had stepped from whatever dimension he was attacking him from into an ascendant-level summoning circle, How? The disruption of energy. Wait, check that. It shouldn¡¯t be possible. One of the inherent qualities of all summoning circles was that as they tunneled through dimensions the spells also magically locked down and prevented anything from interrupting the conduit. If something were able to enter the path of the conduit very bad things could happen as the energy destabilized and then backlashed on the point of origin, the place he was currently standing. Instead, Anthony Thomsen had appeared, and the spell had just fizzled.
Tabus looked around the vault room with his enhanced vision and scanned the Astral and other known primary and adjacent dimensions that automatically had access to this phase of reality. He couldn¡¯t find his target though his Danger Sense told him that¡
Suddenly a dagger flashed into existence and attempted to backstab him again. It was quite obvious that his attributes were far above his targets as he easily turned and snapped his staff down on the hand which dropped the dagger. He was also sure he¡¯d shattered the man¡¯s wrist¡again. What was most surprising to him was that his staff, which should have paralyzed the target, acted like no more than a stick when he struck the man with it. He was also sure that his mental link to the artifact had winked out while it briefly touched the target¡¯s wrist.
While Tabus continued to scan the vault he considered what had been happening. His Cube of Holding hadn¡¯t worked. His various spells weren¡¯t working. The only reason he was winning this confrontation was because his attributes were so much higher than Anthony¡¯s. It was like the man was inside an anti-magic zone where magic didn¡¯t work on him. Something about that idea tickled his mind for a moment before something did a lot more than tickle his mind for the last time.
***
Anton cradled his broken hand for the 7 seconds it took to heal and then looked at the man in front of him. Even through the barrier between dimensions, he knew that this individual was a true monster in every sense of the word. When he attacked the man had intuitively known where the attack was coming from. His Idea to solidify the knife into part of the mage monk had failed when the SYSTEM hit him with an error message.
ERROR! Objects may not be deposited into other solid objects.
Anton thought about how to handle this person. He only had a finite amount of psychic energy and when that ran out, he¡¯d be at this person''s mercy. If he couldn¡¯t use objects, maybe he should just try to use his hand? That was a bad idea on so many levels but he had to try. Anton focused his mind and pushed his fingertip into the middle of the mage''s head, right at the center of his brain.
He felt a little resistance as if he was pushing his finger through Jello, and then two things happened. First, his skill was cut off as his hand, arm, and a chunk of his body were also obliterated when a cone of energy shone through the breach in the two dimensions at and through him. Luckily it had only vaporized a small portion of him. His arm and a portion of his chest were just gone. Luckily he¡¯d missed his neck, head, and heart. Also, there was no pain, and his automatic healing kicked in and started growing the parts of him that were missing immediately. Unlike Deadpool, his body grew back fast. While he was healing, Anton considered that the explosion had been horrendous. While he might be immune to magic he knew that he wasn¡¯t immune to pure energy which is what must have been released when matter touched matter.
The second thing that happened was that a vortex opened in the vault and started expanding. Everything in the vault, The vault and portions of the bank as well as everything in adjacent dimensions were all sucked into the vortex which included Anton. One moment Anton was floating while he healed, the next he was being flung into a landscape of swirling energy and matter as pieces of the various materials and matter went flying in all directions, including him.
Anton did not doubt that the only reason he hadn¡¯t died and been disincorporated for a bit was because his Specter skill was still active. It seemed that while he had been affected by the vortex, he was still out of phase with the other physical objects from the material planes and various adjacent dimensions that had been affected. He easily righted himself with thought and allowed the damage he¡¯d taken to heal over the next 20 seconds as he was propelled through a vortex of energy. Suddenly the vortex ended and he found himself falling into a cloudy sky.
Once he was fully healed, Anton looked around and realized that the other objects that had been pulled through the vortex were falling away from him toward the ground far below. He willed himself to slow to a stop and looked around. While the debris he¡¯d come through with rapidly fell away from him it looked like the ground below was very far away. So far, if he didn¡¯t know better he¡¯d swear he should be in orbit. The objects on the ground were as indistinct as everything was when viewing the entire United States from space. He could see lakes that had to be as big as the Great Lakes but the land went off in all directions. There were no seas to be seen, although he could make out small mountain ranges and even what looked like cities. From this high, if he could see them, they had to be hundreds of miles across.
Well, if he was in space, he couldn¡¯t drop Specter until he was lower so he went full speed and started heading toward the ground at 560 miles per hour. Almost immediately he passed the debris that had come out of the vortex with him and decided to veer off toward a city that was close, but not under the falling debris. After 77 minutes he was closer but he still had a long way to go. More importantly, He had spent 197 of his 207 Psychic Energy. He deactivated Specter and let his energy reserves replenish while he breathed slowly.
Anton assumed the flat position to give his body the most wind resistance and enjoyed the fall while he allowed his Psychic Energy to regenerate. He could have just slammed into the ground but he was trying not to die, even if he was immortal.
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Since he had some time, Anton pulled up his notifications.
You have killed a Level 100 Legendary Diviner. You have earned 250,000 XP
Congratulations you have earned levels 17,18,19 and 20.
You have unlocked a Class Skill Slot.
You have 48 attributes to distribute.
You have earned 1,000 Platinum for destroying a level 100 Legendary creature on a Dungeon World
SYSTEM NOTE: All the treasure and items of Tabus Aumtara, within his Personal Storage, on his person, and within 50 feet were eradicated from existence.
Just then Anton¡¯s notification flickered and a new notification fought its way to the front in bright red letters.
¡
Speech to Text Converter Online
¡°Is this thing on?
DO NOT DO THAT AGAIN!¡±
I can hear the thoughts going through your head. What am I going to do about it? You may be Unique but that doesn¡¯t mean some of us old monsters don¡¯t know what to do with something that is extremely hard to kill like you. There are places in reality where there is nothing but a vacuum. If you were to be thrown into such a location, exactly how long would it take for you to go mad with no sensory input?
So, only warning, There are safeguards in place, which 99.9% of everyone else is affected by which prevent what you just pulled off from happening. In your case, you¡¯ll just have to control yourself.
If you don¡¯t heed this warning, there will not be another.
¡
A moment later the message in red disappeared and his normal notifications continued.
No treasure was awarded from the carried personal possessions of Tabus Aumtara. SYSTEM Bank account and Bank Storage have been distributed to the named parties. SYSTEM Credits with the SYSTEM Shop have been transferred to your account.
Current balance: 109,500,000 Credits.
9,500,000 after the conversion of 1,000 platinum to credits
100 million credits transferred from Tabus Aumtara¡¯s SYSTEM Credit account to yours.
Congratulations! For destroying three artifact-level items simultaneously you gain the following Title ¡°Trifecta¡±
Trifecta ¨C Stamina, Mana, and Psychic Energy recovery rates are tripled
ZERO SUM ERROR DETECTED.
NO MANA DETECTED
Title altered
Trifecta ¨C Stamina, Health, and Psychic Energy recovery rates are tripled.
Anton could have sworn he heard a sigh as the Title was altered which was weird since he probably had wind rushing by his face at close to 200 miles per hour. Also, that new title was no joke. He pulled up his Status Screen and looked at his regeneration rates. If his immortal ability was ever suppressed he could now heal 15 of his 335 hit points per day. Stamina was returning at 6 per second and Psychic Energy was returning at 12 per minute or 1 every 5 seconds. He¡¯d easily have all of his Psychic Energy back in 30 minutes.
He hadn¡¯t missed the fact that he¡¯d also received a windfall of credits, which would come in handy if he could get back. Anton brought his attention back to the ground below and he started trying to find anything that looked like a familiar landmark. Nothing looked familiar except the fact that there were trees, water, plains, and what looked like cities below him. But nothing below him looked familiar. He was NOT over the United States.
That begged the question, what would he do about the people he left hanging back in St. Cloud and Minneapolis? If he couldn¡¯t get back, maybe he could transfer some of his funds and turn the town over to Annabelle at a SYSTEM Shop. Then again, if anything could be purchased at a SYSTEM Shop he had to be able to buy passage back there. The question then became, did he want to go back? Until he knew what he was falling into, there was no way he could answer that question.
After 30 minutes, Anton reactivated Specter and shot toward the ground at almost 600 miles per hour. 60 minutes later he started to approach the ground rapidly and 30 minutes after that he came to a place outside one of the cities he¡¯d seen along a road that seemed to go toward a smaller hamlet that he guessed would be almost an hour away by car.
Anton opened his Basic Map and asked for directions to the closest SYSTEM Shop. An arrow appeared pointing down the road toward the large Town. Of course, it would be in a large city.
With nothing better to do, Anton started walking down the road. As he drew closer to the town he watched as five people, three men and two women flew off in the direction of the falling debris. They all looked to be humanoids but he was sure at least two of them weren¡¯t human. He¡¯d have offered to help, but there was nothing he could do so he turned back toward the gate and was surprised to find what he could only describe as a halfling standing in front of him.
¡°Well met stranger. Sure is a sight to see when the Acolytes of Light rush off to save the innocent,¡±
¡°Well met,¡± Anton said hesitantly ¡°Why did you sneak up on me?¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t sneak up on you, so much as you just didn¡¯t see me because I was off in the grass,¡± the halfling said.
¡°Okay, I¡¯ll bite, why were you in the grass?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Well now human, while we might vary in size I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve noticed that the stuff ya eat and drink eventually comes out,¡± The halfling said with a laugh.
¡°You don¡¯t have others around releasing their food in the same manner do you?¡±
¡°Nope, just me. I was heading out to the mill which is another hour west of our current location. Besides, no one would dare rob anyone anywhere near this town or along this road. It¡¯s all under the watchful eye of the Acolytes of Light. If someone were to try to rob you they¡¯d find themselves answering to another squad of five acolytes before they were hauled off the Magister for judgment. Well, unless they were stupid enough to fight. That would go bad for them.¡±
¡°Well, I¡¯m off to the town and the SYSTEM Shop. By the way, I¡¯m Anton, it is nice to me you¡¡± Anton said leadingly
¡°Frizzle Longfoot. It is nice to meet you as well, Anton,¡± he said as he walked by Anton on his way to the west.
Anton checked his Basic Map and noticed that the compass markers were now labeled which seemed to mean as he found things out his map would be updated without him having to tell it to. That was a nice feature. Anton continued east along the road for another hour before approaching the town wall and a wide open gate. There were guards but they only looked him over and nodded as he passed through and into a town that looked a lot like what he expected a city in the middle United States during the 1800s to look like.
There were a few obvious changes. For one, there were multiple races, and if he had to guess this town was built around the concept of trade and commerce. Wagons were being pulled that contained skins, food, and barrels of water, or liquor up and down the main street which was littered with various stores and shops. His arrow was pointing at a shop off to this right that simply read SYSTEM Shop which had what looked like an Orc standing behind a counter with the SYSTEM Shop Node off to the side and behind him. A sign on the store read ¡°Thumper¡¯s Stuff¡±.
Anton made his way through the double swinging door and was greeted by the smiling Orc, ¡°Welcome to me shop. The name¡¯s Thumper. Out here in the main area, we have discounts and deals on anything that¡¯s procured locally and of course, we have the SYSTEM Shop Node in the back.¡±
¡°Thumper, is it¡± Anton asked with a smile, ¡°I have to ask, is that a given name or one you earned?¡±
Thumper laughed with Anton and then his face grew deadly serious as he reached behind the counter and pulled up a club of blackened wood with etchings up and down the shaft near the handle, ¡°It¡¯s a name I earned by giving a good THUMP,¡± he said as a made a motion to mimic bringing the club down on the head, ¡° to any that tried to cheat me.¡± A moment later the menacing demeanor disappeared and he was all smiles again. ¡°As it is what can I do for you?¡±
¡°Magical items are useless to me right now. Do you have anything made of quality metal that I can purchase?¡±
Thumper looked at Anton quizzically before he said, ¡°Son, you do know where you are? The Acolytes of Light are in the area because there is a mithril mine not 1 day¡¯s journey from here for normal folk. Of course, I have quality items. The question I have to ask is do you have enough credits to cover the cost?¡±
After a little more haggling, Anton walked away with 4 mithril steel short swords, 10 mithril daggers, and two sets of armor that resembled flight suits with cut-off legs and arms. He also purchased five pairs of high-quality leather boots and leather armor to wear over the mithril. All told it only cost him 567,000 credits.
Thumper couldn¡¯t stop smiling as he watched Anton put everything into his Personal Storage. Anton equipped the mithril and leather armor and boots and then set everything as his default. His jeans, Deadpool shirt, and tennis shoes had served him well but it was time for an upgrade. He also equipped his daggers. The Short Swords he left in his storage because he didn¡¯t know how to use them decently yet. He¡¯d need to get some training before he pulled them out for combat.
Thumper looked Anton over as his clothing shifted to his new purchases and smiled before he said, ¡°I see you have the basics, do you need any potions or the like? We have a local alchemist. If you¡¯re looking for incredibly hard-to-get potions you¡¯ll have to visit The SYSTEM Shop but for the weaker variety I can promise for the price, you¡¯ll get more bang for your buck.¡±
¡°That¡¯s okay,¡± Anton said. ¡°I don¡¯t need anything for myself, ¡°Then he thought about it before he said, ¡°Hold that thought, I might. I need to go check something in the SYSTEM shop first.¡±
¡°Suit yourself, I¡¯ll be here when you return.¡±
Anton headed to the back of Thumper¡¯s shop and touched The SYSTEM Shop Node. The familiar feeling of translocation occurred and he found himself in a room very similar to the one he¡¯d just left with a human female behind the counter. She looked up from something she was reading on the counter and said, ¡°Welcome to The Hunting Grounds SYSTEM Shop in the Town of Illuminance. I am Vie. How may I help you today?¡±
¡°I need to make a few purchases and see how much a teleport, gate, or portal back to where I came from will cost.
Vie looked up thoughtfully, ¡°Did you arrive through the Vortex that appeared above the Hunting Grounds a couple of hours ago?¡±
¡°I did, is that going to be a problem?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Not at all,¡± Vie said and then hesitantly offered, ¡°I don¡¯t know where you were but you are currently in one of the core sectors of The SYSTEM. Travel to the frontier or any other Sectors outside of the Core can get quite expensive.¡±
¡°That¡¯s fine, let''s see what the damage is,¡± Anton said half-heartedly.
Vie pushed a few buttons and placed an inquiry as she muttered to herself, ¡°Originating Sector, The Foundation, Earth, St. Cloud Minnesota. Linked city, Minneapolis. Town Lord¡¡± Vie pushed a few more buttons and then a breakdown of cost appeared.
Personal City Gate: 1,000,000 Credits
Remote Installation: 1,000,000 Credits.
Travel Permit from Core Sector to restricted Sector 10 Million Credits
Energy cost 50 Million Credits
Total Cost: 62,000,000 Credits
Note: Tips are appreciated.
Anton Coughed before he said, ¡°That seems like a lot.¡±
Vie nodded, ¡°It would be much less if you were purchasing the Personal Gate while next to your City Node. Since you aren¡¯t there the SYSTEM will have to scan the area and allow you to place it remotely. That adds to the cost. As for the Energy Cost, there is nothing I can do about that. Think of it this way. It will take a specific amount of mana or energy to open the gate and stabilize it. Your unique situation requires that the gates be technological. By the way, magical gates would have been much cheaper.¡±
¡°If I purchase that gate, will I be able to return here someday?¡±
¡°Absolutely! However, it will cost whatever the energy cost is at the time, unless you supply the energy yourself of course. Large corporations and empires create and power their own portal devices,¡± Vie said.
¡°So if I purchase this I can go home but I might not be able to return until I can afford it?¡±
¡°Essentially yes¡±
¡°Let¡¯s get these purchases then, I still have more shopping to do.
Vie¡¯s eyes grew wide when Anton added a 10% tip. That only left him with 40.7 million credits, which didn¡¯t include what he¡¯d put in the SYSTEM bank. As he purchased the gate and put the credits aside for his trip back to Minneapolis, He realized that he¡¯d have a much easier time learning how to thrive in this new reality if he started in an area he at least had a little understanding of. While the individuals he¡¯d run into in ¡°The Hunting Grounds¡± had been nice thus far, he didn¡¯t understand the politics and had no idea who was in charge. After he was done purchasing the items he needed he was going to head back.
With his mind made up Anton looked at Vie with a smile. She smiled back and then asked, ¡°What else can I help you with sir?¡±
Chapter 17, Skills 101
¡°So Skill Points represent potential knowledge or fixed knowledge depending on the state they¡¯re in?¡± Anton clarified with Vie who was leaning on the counter as she looked over her tablet.
¡°Yes, No, and Yes,¡± she said.
¡°Huh?¡±
¡°Think of Skill Points as a measure of your ability to learn something new and lock that knowledge in. The ability of your mind to focus on different things at the same time. When you learn something from scratch you start at the lowest level and when the basics of that skill are known and the skill becomes second nature the skill point is released to be used again.¡±
¡°Then why can skills be purchased at different rarities and rank levels?¡± Anton asked.
¡°The simple answer is because they can also be found and learned at those levels. If a master of a skill were to teach you that skill it increases the speed at which you learn the skill or decreases the time it takes to learn the skill. Think of it this way, though this is not the actual amount of times something would need to be done, I¡¯m just making a simple example,¡± Vie said.
¡°Okay¡¡± Anton hedged.
¡°Let¡¯s say you have a Master Trainer who is trying to teach you how to wield a sword. You have no skill in the weapon and he needs you to learn now. Let''s say to reach Common Level 1 rank in that skill you need to spend 10 hours practicing that skill. Because you have a teacher it only takes 1 hour. The master continues to train you and after two more hours of continuous training, you reach Level 2.
¡°I see¡¡± Anton started.
¡°That¡¯s actually an awful example. A Master teaching you would be able to help you level all the way to Scarce level 1 in just under 20 minutes, as long as they had a teaching skill and wanted to take the time to teach you,¡± Vie explained.
What level could such a trainer get me to?¡±
¡°No teacher can teach you above 10 levels lower than their own. A Master would be able to help you learn to the same level at the Advanced Rank. If they were teaching you a skill they possessed at Master Level 4, they would not be able to teach you above Advanced Level 3.¡±
Anton looked thoughtful for a moment and then asked, ¡°And the skill points?¡±
¡°To lock the skill in you would be offered the ability to learn the skill when you received enough training to learn the skill at Common Level 1. Once you spent the skill point it would remain locked into that skill until you reached Common Level 2 at which point the lessons of Level 1 are ingrained and you¡¯ve built upon the knowledge of that skill. When you earned Common Level 2, the Skill Point would be released and the skill would progress through use normally,¡± Vie said.
¡°Okay, that seems easy enough to understand, I buy the skill at level 1, and once I know level 1 I get the skill point back. So what about skill points that are used to learn skills at higher rarity, like the skills that are for sale in the Shop at the Rank Rare Level 10,¡± Anton asked.
¡°And we finally get to what you wanted to ask me. First, you must understand that there are multiple ways to learn a skill. You can find a trainer who will allow you to learn a skill fast, a lot faster than normal. Then there are three other ways you can learn a skill. It can be Gifted, Purchased, or Stolen?¡±
¡°Stolen?¡±
¡°Yes, Stolen. There are some abilities, spells, and skills out there that allow the user to reach into the mind of someone else and rip that knowledge away.¡±
¡°That sounds Horrible,¡± Anton said thoughtfully and then asked, ¡°How do Skill Points work in those three cases?¡±
¡°First, the rank of the Skill does not matter in any of these cases. Only the level. A level 1 Skill will cost 1 Skill Point to learn. A level 10 Skill will cost 55 Skill Points to learn. The cost is the sum of the levels. Level 3, 6 Skill Points. Level 5, 12 Skill Points, and so on.¡±
¡°And the Rarity of the Skill doesn¡¯t increase the cost, so a Common, Level 1 Skill and Rare Level 1 Skill both cost 1 skill point to lock in?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Yep,¡± Vie agreed. ¡°Now, Skills can be gifted by Magical Books, Tomes, Scrolls, Potions, Spells, Skills, and Abilities. When the Skill is available a prompt appears, you accept it and the Skill Points are spent if you have them. If you don¡¯t have the necessary Skill Points you cannot learn the Skill. In some cases like potions and scrolls, the item is destroyed in the process and the skill is lost.¡±
¡°So you¡¯re saying if I found a Legendary Level 10 Potion for the Skill Stealth and I drank it and I didn¡¯t have the Skill Points to lock the skill in, the potion¡¡± Anton said as his voice trailed off.
Vie continued his train of thought,¡± The last Legendary Level 10 potion I saw for sale in the SYSTEM Shop sold for 450 Billion Credits. In your example the potion would be a very expensive drink,¡± Vie said with a wry smile.
¡°Yeah, expensive,¡± Anton said with a sigh, ¡±And that¡¯s the same for Purchased or Stolen Skills as well?¡±
¡°For the Purchased skills from the SYSTEM Shop, yes, though the Shop won¡¯t take your credits unless you learn the skill, that would be bad for business. As for Stolen Skills, I would wager that whatever power is allowing the user to steal the skill wouldn¡¯t work unless they had the Skill Points available to learn the skill.¡±
¡°The system for Skill Points seems complicated,¡± Anton observed.
¡°It can be, but remember everyone earns more Skill Points¡¡± Vie started to say before Anton interrupted her.
¡°Wait, How long would it take to unlock the Skill Points so they could be used to learn a new skill?¡± Anton asked.
Vie smiled, ¡°And that is why we are talking. I can see from your Status Screen that the SYSTEM has that you currently have 56 unspent Skill Points. Let¡¯s use a Master Level 1 skill as an example. To purchase and lock a Master Level 1 skill would cost 1 Skill Point. Just the other day I read a report that stated that it had been verified that three skills had been leveled to Master Level 1 in approximately 100 days of continuous use. Continuous use is defined as 6 times every minute for 100 days straight.
¡°Who could use a skill or ability for 100 days straight?¡±
¡°Doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Vie said. ¡°What matters is that it¡¯s the first verifiable data we have obtained for how long it takes to reach Master Level. Now, if you were to purchase a Master Level 1 Skill and use one of your Skill Points that means that you would lock down that Skill Point until you used the Skill as much as you would need to reach that level normally.¡±
¡°So if Purchased a Master Level 10 Skill and locked 55 Skill Points it would be at least 100 days before I unlocked the Skill Points. That would leave me with only 1 Skill Point to learn new skills if I were to come across something later?¡±
¡°Exactly! Well, except that it would probably bee a lot longer than 100 days,¡± Vie said.
¡°So you''re suggesting that I always keep 55 points in reserve just in case I find something I like so I can learn it then?¡±
¡°I am not suggesting anything,¡± Vie admonished, ¡° What I am saying is that most SYSTEM Users leave a pool of Skill Points, Spells Points, and in your case Psionic Points available for the purchase of skills, which you seem to have already done.¡±
Anton smiled, ¡°Actually, the only reason I have saved up Skill and Psionic Points or slots, whatever they¡¯re called, is because I was busy worrying about other things. I only purchased what I needed at the time. Additionally, there was a credit issue, not so much anymore.¡±
¡°Do you have an idea of what kind of skills you¡¯d like?¡±
¡°I unlocked a Class Skill at Level 20. I still need to review my available choices. Additionally, I need skills in both short blades and swords and maybe a skill in dodging or at least deflecting blows.¡±
¡°There are quite a few Skills at Rare Level 1 for 100,000 credits each. They would tie up your Skill Points for a bit but as they only cost one Skill Point you¡¯d still be able to learn any skill you came across up to level 9, at least until you level a couple of times or free up the Skill Points.¡±
¡°Well, I do want to keep a couple of Skill Points in reserve just in case so let''s take a look at the list of skills. While I¡¯m looking at those skills could pull up the psionic skills for me. Specifically, I¡¯m looking for skills that enhance investigation, analyze or identify things. Also, the ability to use telepathy would be nice.¡±
¡°I can do that, though I would suggest that you look at your Class Skill choices first, there may be something there that is useful.¡±
Anton nodded opened his Notifications and found his Class Skill Notifications
Congratulations! You have reached Specter Level 20.
New Class Skills Are Now Available. You may choose 1 of the following skills.
Manifest ¨C You may now manifest into a visible representation of yourself on the Plane your body entered the Spectral Dimension from. There is no cost. While Manifest others can see you but you still cannot hear, smell, touch, or taste them nor they you. There is no cost to use this skill, nor does it level normally.
Spectral Combat ¨C You may spend 1 Psychic Energy per Combat Turn to enhance your Combat abilities and Defenses. Your body now exists in a state of constant flux that will allow normal attacks that you are aware of to pass through you while you may continue to attack your target. Note: Magical Weapons and Area of Effect attacks do full damage as do any attacks that you are not aware of. Combined with a very strong marital skill the Specter becomes death incarnate on a battlefield as no normal attack can hit them.
Spectral Touch ¨C On touch drain 1 health per Skill Level per attack and convert it to an equal amount of Psychic Energy. This attack requires a successful touch attack.
Anton looked over the three skills. Previously he¡¯d just earned skills but now at level 20, it looked like he was able to choose the order he learned them. Anton wondered if he¡¯d be able to choose another one every 10 levels because he could use all three. Spectral Touch would be extremely useful for getting Psychic Energy back but he needed to be able to touch his target without the worry of being attacked. Spectral Combat would be a game changer but first, he needed to learn how to fight. So Manifest was the way to go. Anton made his choice and hit ¡°Accept¡±
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Congratulations you have learned the Class Skill Manifest. Skill Level Unique.
Anton closed his notification and immediately looked up and purchased the Common Level 1 Skill, ¡°ASL¡± for 100 credits. ASL allowed him to use and understand American Sign Language (ASL). That would be very useful when he activated Manifest. He could purchase other versions of sign language, and he probably would, but he figured being able to use Sign Language in English would be his best bet for now.
The Class Skill didn¡¯t cost him any Skill Points. ASL cost him 1 Skill Point. Next, he looked through the various Combat Skills and found three that seemed to be what he needed. The first skill was Short Blades, which included daggers, knives, dirks, and even Short Swords. The Second Skill was Long Blades which included a lot of sword types that he recognized from gaming including Long Swords, Great Swords, and the like. The Last Combat skill he found that he wanted to pick up was the Two-Weapon Fighting Style. The fighting style allowed him to use two short blades at the same time and reduced the penalty in his off-hand from -50% to -10% initially and further reduced and then improved his ability to use two weapons when the penalty was removed at Scarce Level 1. At Rare Level 1, The penalty was an 11% bonus to hit with both weapons. One of his favorite fictional characters had been a specific dark elf that loved to use two scimitars, now if he could just find a black panther¡.
Anton looked over the 4 skills. ASL was a common skill but the other three were all Rare Level 1 with a cost of 100,000 credits each. Now it was time to look for ranged weapons. He thought about getting crazy and choosing futuristic weapons but in the end, chose weapons he could easily understand; Bows, Crossbows, and Long Range Firearms. The Skill Bows allowed him to use any Bow. Crossbows allowed him to use any crossbows. Long Range Firearms focused on rifles, sniper rifles, and the like which was exactly what he wanted the skill for. Each skill increased his chance to hit by 1% per skill level. At Rare Level 1 that was a +21% bonus to hit. Each skill was also Rare Level 1 and would cost another 3 Skill Points and 300,000 credits
¡°Vie, hold on bringing all purchases out yet. I¡¯ll get them at the end.¡±
¡°Very well Anton.¡±
Anton went back to the tablet and pulled up long-range weapons. He purchased 3 Berrett M82 Sniper Rifles and 1,000 rounds. For 100,000 credits, which he knew meant he was getting fleeced but he didn¡¯t care. It wasn¡¯t like it was his money anyway.
Then he went back to the skill list and looked for a skill that improved his personal storage and also made it harder for someone to try to use the skill Snatch on him.
After looking for a bit Anton found a skill but he wasn¡¯t exactly happy with the level or cost.
Maggen¡¯s Exceptional Storage
Rarity: Master
Level: 5
Skill Point Cost 15
Cost: 15 Million Credits
This Skill increases the size of the Personal Storage Perk to 20 cubic Feet. Also, there is no longer a weight limit. Additionally, as long as something is within the user''s Personal Storage this skill will continue to increase in level normally. Invested Skill Points will be returned to the User approximately 314 days after initialization. Master Level 6 will occur 70 days after that and will continue to increase at a slower and slower rate, but it will increase. Please Note, Master Level 6 increases the area within the user''s Personal Storage to 27 cubic feet.
Purchasing that skill would take him below the ability to purchase a level 9 skill but it couldn¡¯t be helped. A skill that allowed him to carry more would be very useful. Another skill from the same entity was listed right below it which Anton quickly pulled up and read.
Maggen¡¯s Gift
Rarity: Master
Level: 1
Skill Point Cost 1
Cost: 1 Million Credits
Prerequisite: The user must also have Maggen¡¯s Exceptional Storage
Any skill that attempts to pilfer or steal from the user''s Personal Storage receives a pre-chosen item of the user''s choosing. If no item chosen by the user is present the thief''s skill, ability, or perk works normally if successful.
WARNING. This Skill is only considered in use when preventing the theft of items from Personal Storage. There is no way for the creator of his Skill or the SYSTEM for that matter to know when the Skill Point tied up in this Skill will be released.
It sucked that the Skill Point would be tied up for who knew how long but the skill was perfect. Anton converted 10 Credits into 1,000 Copper pieces and deposited them into his inventory and chose ¡°1 Copper¡± as the reward anyone who tried to steal from him would get. He laughed to himself. 7 Skill Points for seven Level 1 skills and 15 Skill Points for Maggen¡¯s Exceptional Storage. That left him with 34 Skill Points. He could spend 6 more Skill Points and still have 28 Skill Points which would let him purchase any skill up to level 7. He would need to earn at least 27 more Skill Points to get back to 55 Skill Points in reserve.
Anton searched through the defensive skills and decided to just go with a Rare Level 1 Dodge Skill. That would increase his base Defense by 1% per Skill Level and 5% per skill level against any specific attack he was trying to dodge. That couldn¡¯t be too bad and could come in quite useful.
Next, he looked up the skills to help him recover attribute pools, specifically Psychic Energy, and found Battle Meditation.
Battle Meditation - Increase All Resource Regeneration Rates by 1 per Skill Level per 1 turn or 10 seconds. This state can be maintained for a number of Combat Turns equal to the Skill Level. While in Battle Mediation the user is vaguely aware of their surroundings and will not react unless attacked.
Battle Mediation may only be utilized once every 100 turns or 16.66 minutes regardless of Skill Level.
This Skill was also available at Master Level 1 and would cost another Skill Point and 1 million credits. If he was reading the write-up correctly at Master Level 1 he could enter a state of Battle Mediation and regain 41 points of Stamina, Mana, and Psychic Energy back every 10 seconds for 41 turns which was just about 7 minutes. His current pool of Psychic Energy was only 252. That meant that in just over a minute he could be back to full Psychic Energy and ready to go every 17 minutes or so. 1 Skill Point and a million credits? Yes, please!
Anton decided to stop there for now. He had some combat skills and the weapons to use them. He also had a couple of defensive skills and even a new skill that would help him recover his Stamina and Psychic Energy quickly. He didn¡¯t worry about mana, but if he had any mana it would recover faster now too. His purchases would leave him with 32 Skill Points which would allow him to learn any Level 7 skill he found as well as 4 Level 1 skills if he ran across any he liked. Now it was time to look for Psionic skills.
¡°Vie, did you find any Psionic Skills?¡± Anton asked.
Vie looked up from her tablet and smiled, ¡°Of course, though there wasn¡¯t as big of a selection as I¡¯d like.¡±
¡°What do you mean?¡±
Vie hesitated for a moment before she said, ¡°Well, the highest level skill the Shop has available is Common Level 1, on any of the skills. There are skills but no one has sold anything that would allow you to purchase any skills at higher than Common Level 1.
¡°That¡¯s Fine, so what did you find?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Here take a look at this. I made a list with the highlights of each psionic skill,¡± Vie said as she turned the tablet around so Anton could see it.
Anton looked over the list
The following skills utilize 1 Psychic Energy per Combat Turn or use.
Eagle Eyes ¨C Magnify visual target within Line of Sight by 10% plus 10% per skill level.
Aura Sight ¨C Allows the user to see the auras of living creatures within 10 feet plus 1 foot per skill level multiplied by 10 per Rarity class
Detect Magic ¨C Allows the user to see magical auras within 10 feet plus 1 foot per skill level multiplied by 10 per Rarity Class.
Mental Refuge - The user has honed their mental abilities to the point where they can create a Mindspace that they can retreat into. While in this state the user is cut off from their normal senses. Also, the user may speed up or slow down the passage of time as they see fit to factor equal to their Willpower Attribute Bonus.
Hyper Focus - Allows the user to dilate the passage of time mentally factor for each level. At level 1, two turns in the user''s mind will pass for every turn in the physical world. This skill is very useful when trying to solve puzzles quickly or have a conversation mentally with another.
Analyze ¨C Allows the user to determine the Race, Class, and Tier of the target if they have a class. More information can be obtained. Base chance is equal to 10%+1% per skill level + Intelligence Attribute Bonus.
Identify ¨C This Skill Allows you to determine the rarity level of an item.
Telepathy - Establishes a link between two minds and allows conversations and sharing of memories between both.
Establish Link allows the use of other mental skills and perks.
The following skills have a variable Psychic Energy Cost.
Quickened Healing ¨C This Skill will allow the user to heal 1 hit point per psychic Energy spent. The maximum that can be healed in a single combat turn is equal to the user''s skill level.
Telekinesis ¨C Lift up to 10 pounds + 1 Pound per skill level x10 per Rarity Class. Objects may be moved up to 1 foot per skill level per combat turn. Psychic Energy Cost equals 1 Psychic Energy or Psychic Energy equal to 10% of the weight of the object to be moved, whichever is greater.
¡°Is this it?¡± Anton asked.
¡°That is it,¡± Vie said, disappointment apparent in her voice. Unlike, spells and normal skills, psionic skills or powers are few and far between. Also, Their current rarity has increased their cost tenfold. Sometimes some psionic skills of higher levels come through the SYSTEM Shop but more often than not, the only skills available are some common ones.¡±
¡°That¡¯s fine Vie and thank you for getting them and please add them to my list. Now how do we add the skills and equipment I¡¯ve ordered.¡±
Normally, I¡¯d say Magic, ¡°Vie said with a laugh,¡± but, your situation makes it so that we need to convert and implant the knowledge. It doesn¡¯t take any longer but might be a little disorienting.¡±
¡°Does that cost extra?¡± Anton asked.
¡°It could, but you are spending 16,710,100 credits so I¡¯m waving the installation fee for all skills¡±
¡°Thank you Vie¡±
¡°Don¡¯t mention it, my commission for this transaction is 501,303 credits. I¡¯m getting a very pretty penny for just helping you.¡±
Anton nodded and followed Vie as she led him to a door and into a room with what looked like a dentist chair at one end, ¡°If you would sit down and make yourself comfortable we¡¯ll get his tarted, Vie said as a skull cap lowered from a panel that had opened in the ceiling. Anton shrugged and sat down. A moment later Vie was beside him and attaching the skull cap to his head as she talked.
¡°Because of your immunity to magic, the spells we would normally use to impart knowledge into you do not work. This device is from a technologically advanced society that mastered skill downloads. While The SYSTEM deems this method of training as ¡®safe¡¯, I need to say that there is a very slight chance that use can lead to death. Again in your case, it doesn¡¯t matter, though if the process does kill you, the specific skill you purchased will not be available to you from the shop ever again. Still, the SYSTEM Shop will offer a full refund for the unlearnable skill.
Anton nodded as Vie brought a piece of rubber toward his mouth, ¡°To bite on so you don¡¯t bite your tongue.¡±
One portion of Anton¡¯s mind wanted to say, ¡°No, don¡¯t use the crazy brain-frying machine.¡± The more pragmatic side of Anton¡¯s mind told that side of his mind to ¡°Shut the hell up and enjoy the ride.¡±
Anton nodded as Vie put the piece of rubber into his mouth which he bit down on. He watched as she stepped back and a moment later Anton¡¯s mind was flooded with information. Thankfully, at least he was thankful, his mind overloaded and everything went dark.
Chapter 18, Information Overload
Anton came to with something in his mouth. With a little effort, he spit it out which caused the pain in his head to hurt even worse. Pain in his head? He normally didn¡¯t feel pain and if he did it only lasted a couple of seconds. Anton took a deep breath and started counting back from 20. By the time he reached nine, the headache was gone but his head still felt like there was a pressure directly behind his eyes that wanted out.
¡°Are you okay,¡± A feminine voice said from his side as she reached up and removed something from his head. That¡¯s right he was in the SYSTEM Shop and he had sat down in this chair to receive some skill implants. Something about blades¡suddenly images of hours of training, practice, and use rushed through his mind as he tried to concentrate on Vie, yes Vie¡¯s voice and his own breathing.
¡°I think I¡¯m fine,¡± he rasped, ¡°just a bit of a headache and I¡¯m a little thirsty,¡±
¡°One sec,¡± Vie said as she walked to the side of the room and then back and handed him a glass of what looked like water, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s water,¡± she said as she waited for him to grab it.
Anton accepted the glass and took a deep swallow. The cool refreshment slid down his throat and seemed to calm his mind. A moment later he sat up and looked around.
Vie looked at him for a moment and then a tablet appeared in her hand as she looked over something before she said ¡°Oh,¡± and looked up into Anton¡¯s eyes smiled sheepishly, ¡°I must apologize, I should have checked your attributes before we started.¡±
Anton just nodded gently and waited, he didn¡¯t want to move his head too quickly just yet even though he knew he should be fully healed by now.
Vie squared her shoulders before she continued, ¡°Your current Intelligence attribute is 64, and your Willpower is 264. While nothing we implanted should have been an issue for you,¡± she paused for a moment before she changed what she was going to say, ¡°For future reference do not try to learn anything above Mythic Level 4.¡±
¡°Why is that?¡± Anton asked.
¡°As I was going to explain, your Intelligence Attribute determines how well your mind absorbs a skill. While you could learn any skill all the way through Legendary Level 10 with time and effort, absorbing the knowledge of a skill quickly, and without side effects or complications requires that the individual have the intellect to absorb and sort huge amounts of data. I had assumed that because your highest Attribute read as 264 all of your attributes had to be above 100. It seems I was mistaken. In fact, the only reason you didn¡¯t die is probably because your Willpower attribute is so high.¡±
So, it¡¯s not that I couldn¡¯t absorb everything, it¡¯s that I tried to absorb too much at one time?¡± Anton clarified.
¡°While the rarity and level of skills is not an absolute indicator the SYSTEM has devised a method to approximate the levels. Master Level 5 requires at least a 45 in intelligence to be deemed safe. Master Level 1 would require a 41 in the intelligence attribute. All of the Rare Level 1 skills would have required a 21 in the intelligence attribute. Now, while adding the information together and packaging it together is not linear the approximate weight of information for all of your skills added together equaled 263. Your brain could have handled each skill individually, but when they were added together and slammed into your mind, well, information overload.¡±
Anton was so glad he hadn¡¯t added another couple of skills, if he had he might have tried to take on more than his mind could handle. He handed the glass of water back and then stood as Vie stepped back, ¡°Thank you for the water.¡±
¡°Are you sure you should be standing, it should take a few minutes at least for your mind to settle back down,¡± Vie started to say.
¡°Nah, I¡¯m fine. My mind feels a little full, but any physical damage was fixed at least 20 seconds ago. No matter what you do to me, 20 seconds later I¡¯m fine, it¡¯s part of that ability thing I have.¡±
¡°Oh, okay,¡± Vie said.
¡°So, if I could make a few more minor purchases and then get everything transferred into my Personal Storage I¡¯ll be on my way.¡±
Vie led him out of the room and back to his seat at the counter before taking her place behind it, ¡°What else do you need?¡±
¡°Are their dimensional vaults that can be added to City Nodes?¡± Anton asked.
¡°There are what¡¯s called Dimensional Storage Nodes of varying sizes. How big were you thinking you¡¯d need?¡±
¡°Well, I should have just over 24 million credits left after all purchases, what size could that get me?¡± Anton asked.
Vie searched through her tablet, tapped a few keys and an image appeared in front of him with prices.
Node-Specific Vault Sizes and Cost
10-foot cube ¨C 1 million credits
100-foot cube ¨C 10 million credits
200-foot cube ¨C 100 million credits
Anton waved away the projection and asked, ¡°Can I purchase more than one and attach them to the same node?¡±
¡°Absolutely. It also makes it easier to sort things and allows the owner of the Node to give access to one storage area while maintaining security on the other.¡±
¡°About security,¡± Anton said as he interrupted Vie, ¡°How hard is it to break into and steal from a node.?¡±
¡°The System guarantees that only those with approved access can access storage locations attached to nodes. That is not to say that there are individuals that can bypass those security measures. To do so though, they must touch the node to gain access to the dimensional storage location, unless they¡¯ve been to it before and can travel through dimensional barriers of course.¡±
¡°Sounds pretty straightforward. Can the storage areas be accessed from anywhere else?¡±
¡°Each storage area can have one Storage Node free of charge. That node can be placed anywhere within the domain of the node the storage area is attached to and will give full access to the contents of the storage area,¡± Vie said.
¡°That¡¯s perfect,¡± Anton said excitedly. ¡°I would like two 100-foot storage areas and two 10-foot storage areas for 22 million credits, please. Please attach them to the city node in Minneapolis St. Paul where I am the City Lord.
¡°Done and done,¡± Vie said tapping a few keys.¡±
¡°Good, now please supply one of the 10-foot storage areas with 1 million credits worth of health, Stamina, and Mana potions in equal amounts.
¡°What quality,¡± when Anton looked at her quizzically she continued, ¡°There are Minor, Major, and Prime.¡±
¡°What¡¯s the difference? Anton asked.¡±
¡°Minor potions return up to 100 points. Major up to 500 and Prime 1,000 or more¡±
¡°I think we¡¯ll be fine with minor for now,¡± Anton said.
¡°Very well, 334 Minor Potions of Healing, 333 Minor Potions of Mana, and 333 Minor Potions of Stamina purchased and placed within your 10-foot City Storage area.¡±
¡°They¡¯re 1,000 credits a pop?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Yes, The SYSTEM Shop doesn¡¯t create them. There are crafters SYSTEM-wide that craft them. Long ago a majority unionized and refused to sell potions for less than 800 credits a piece. The SYSTEM realized that this could be good income resources and agreed and sells the potions for a 200-credit markup. As minor potions are bought constantly there is a high demand. I had to study economic dichotomy in one of my courses between the three types of potions. Major and Prime potions do not follow the same rules and have a much lower availability which increases their cost dramatically. Will you need any potions for yourself?¡±
Anton looked thoughtful for a moment, ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know if they¡¯d even work on me. Besides the only one that I could use would be a Stamina potion. My body is fully repaired every 20 seconds and I can¡¯t use mana, so what¡¯s the point? So, no I think I¡¯m fine on potions. As for for my last purchase for today please use up to 1 million credits to fill one of the 100-foot storage areas with ration bars for humans.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
¡°No water?¡±
¡°No, there¡¯s a river close by, if anything I¡¯ll probably need some way to purify water, but I¡¯ll let someone else from the city handle that. I¡¯m just making sure there¡¯s enough food to go around until the people figure out how they¡¯re going to create and distribute food and water for themselves.¡±
¡°Very well. It looks like you have 22,900 Credits left,¡± Vie said.
¡°Yep, I¡¯m tapped out for now. Though I am quite satisfied with everything I purchased and would like to thank you again for taking the time to explain some things to me,¡± Anton said with a smile.
¡°My pleasure,¡± Vie said with a smile.
¡°Well, if that¡¯s it, would you please transfer my personal purchases to my Personal Storage.¡±
Vie tapped her tablet a couple of times, ¡°Done.¡±
Anton checked his Personal Storage and found the weapons and ammunition he¡¯d purchased and smiled, ¡°So how do I get back to my dimension and world?¡±
Vie pointed to an alcove at the back of the Shop, ¡°That Alcove is directly linked to the portal that is next to your City Node. You can choose to move the portal by accessing its functions through your SYSTEM interface. While it must remain within the same City Node Domain as the SYSTEM Shop Node you can place it anywhere within the City. Close to the SYSTEM Shop is usually best though.
Anton nodded as he stood from the counter, ¡°This is it. I may come back this way and visit someday but for now, I think I need to get back to where I started. Thanks again for all of your help.
¡°You are quite welcome,¡± Vie said as Anton turned and walked toward and then into the Alcove. A feeling of darkness washed over him for just a second and then he stepped onto the center of the field at the US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis-St. Paul.
¡°It¡¯s Anton¡± a woman¡¯s voice called out
¡°I told you he didn¡¯t die!¡± another woman that Anton recognized from the cages in the VIP section called out.
Anton looked around and saw a queue, much like the one he¡¯d seen before. This time people looked to be smiling and talking as they waited in line to use the SYSTEM Shop Node which was on the 40-yard line behind him. As he continued to look around he saw Annabelle walking out from one of the ground-level locker rooms. Anton had to admit she looked a lot more impressive now that she¡¯d had a shower and cleaned up a bit. A light white blouse with blue jeans and comfortable shoes. No high heels during an apocalypse, practical.
¡°Hello, Anton, and welcome back,¡±
¡°Dead?¡± Anton asked.
Annabelle looked hesitant and then explained, ¡°The night after you left there was a giant explosion to the northwest. We haven¡¯t been able to venture out of the Safe Zone so we have no idea was happened, but it shook the ground.¡±
I¡¯ll check it out in a minute. Right now, I need to pop over to the city node and bring back some Storage Nodes,¡± Anton said.
¡°Storage Nodes?¡± Annabelle asked.
¡°You¡¯ll see,¡± Anton said just before he activated Specter and zipped over to the City Node. He deactivated Specter, touched the City Node, and pulled up the SYSTEM Interface to create all four Storage Nodes, which then took control of and placed in his Personal Storage. Anton activated Specter and moved back to the football field above. He reappeared exactly where he¡¯d disappeared from.
Annabelle jumped slightly and then said, ¡°I¡¯m never going to get used to that.¡±
Anton laughed, ¡°As a way of apology I have some gifts for the city,¡± he said and then pulled the four Storage Nodes out of his inventory and placed them on the field.
¡°What are they?¡±
¡°Touch them and find out,¡± Anton said with a smile.
Annabelle reached forward and touched each node for a moment in quick succession. When she was done, she smiled. ¡°We can definitely use them and the supplies you¡¯ve provided.¡±
¡°I thought so. I¡¯d suggest keeping the two small ones for trusted people and then setting up the Node with rations somewhere that the rations can be distributed easily enough.
¡°On it,¡± Annabelle said as she turned to the woman beside her, ¡°Caitlynn take the orb with the rations out to the food line and show Jess how to use it. They won¡¯t last forever but everyone should be able to eat well for at least the next week. Take the other orb down to Fred. He can use it to store anything valuable, I¡¯ll take care of the last two,¡± Annabelle said as the last two Storage Nodes disappeared.
¡°I¡¯m going to go see what happened in St. Cloud. I should be back in a bit. Where do you want me to meet you?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Up in the VIP viewing booth is fine. That¡¯s the safe space for anyone that was¡¡±
¡°I get it,¡± Anton said, ¡°How many did you find?¡±
¡°Total, there are 45 of us, which for a city this big is not a whole lot, but it¡¯s still more than should have happened.¡±
¡°And those guilty of the atrocities?¡± Anton asked.
¡°We¡¯ve incarcerated some of them in Jails. Some fought and were immediately teleported out of the Safe Zone.¡± Annabelle said.
¡°Okay, we¡¯ll talk about the scumbags that are still alive in our Safe Zone in a little bit. I¡¯m going to head to St. Cloud and check on the people up there and see if I can get them down here somehow.¡±
¡°Because of the way you travel you should be fine getting there and back but getting people from there to here is not going to happen for a while. The Monsters outside of the Safe Zone are just too numerous,¡± Annabelle explained.
¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be back in a bit then,¡± Anton said and then activated Specter before he gained some altitude and headed off to the Northwest at almost 700 miles an hour. His Specter skill had increased to Scarce Level 9 during his flight to the ground.
As Anton came over to St Cloud he saw that there was a new circular lake that looked to be centered on the Fargo bank he¡¯d been in when he¡¯d killed that mage monk asshole. As he came over to the train yard he noticed that there were no train cars in the water and while he didn¡¯t have a perfect memory he could swear there weren¡¯t enough train cars to equal the number that had been there before, though they¡¯d been pushed away from the edge of the water and lay on the ground. They¡¯d probably been sucked into the void even though he was sure he hadn¡¯t seen them falling in the sky around him. They must have ended up somewhere else. As he watched he could see people walking around the building Major Findal had been in on the West Side of the yard.
Anton moved to the building, up into the office, and saw the Major sitting behind his desk. Anton activated Manifest and appeared before Major as he signed, ¡°Can you understand me¡± in ASL.
The Major looked up, squinted, and then said something Anton couldn¡¯t hear. Next, he stood, came over to Anton¡¯s manifestation, and passed his hand through it as he pointed at his ears and shook his head.
Anton stepped to the side and deactivated Specter.
¡°Had to try,¡± Anton said.
¡°Anton is that you? Had to try what?¡± The Major asked.
¡°I had to try to talk to you with sign language?¡±
¡°Well, there are some signals I would have recognized but actual sign language, I never learned it,¡± The major said.
¡°Well, when I switch dimensions I can now become visible to people on this side of the barrier. While I can see everything on this side from there just fine, you all can only see me if I Manifest or if I come back across. I picked up ASL from the SYSTEM Shop because I thought it would be a good way to communicate across the barrier since it costs a lot of energy to go back and forth,¡± Anton explained.
¡°Makes sense,¡± the Major agreed, ¡°I have a free Skill Point, so I¡¯ll go pick it up after we''re done talking. It wasn¡¯t expensive was it?¡±
¡°Nah, it was only 100 credits, and for you should be easily learnable,¡± Anton said.
¡°You¡¯ve been gone for a couple of days, everything okay? You saw the hole off to the east of the train yard right?¡±
¡°Yeah I saw it, did anyone die?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Actually no. As the explosion started everyone in the safe zone that would have been affected was moved to another part of the Safe Zone. It seems that the SYSTEM takes its monitoring of Safe Zones pretty seriously,¡± The Major hesitated as he caught something in Anton¡¯s eyes and then he asked, ¡°What do you know?¡±
¡°Well, that explosion was probably caused because of me?¡± Anton said.
¡°Because of you, how did you create a 2-mile-wide crater?
¡°Well, I tried to reach through and touch something from the other dimension,¡± Anton hedged.
¡°What did you try to touch?¡± The Major asked with a fascinated look on his face.
Anton saw the look of fascination but ignored it, ¡°I tried to touch the brain of the guy that was trying to kill me. The resulting explosion opened a Vortex that sent me to another Dimension¡A different dimension than the one I travel through. I just returned about 30 minutes ago.¡±
¡°Welcome back I guess, Where did you end up?
¡°Not sure I know really, but there was a town and a SYSTEM Shop so I was able to come back. Just be aware that such travel is expensive,¡± Anton said.
¡°Dully noted, now what can we do for you?¡± The Major asked.
¡°Nothing really, Annabelle, the defacto leader in Minneapolis, let me know that the monsters are still between both of your Safe Zones so you two haven¡¯t actually met yet.¡±
¡°Yeah, it¡¯s an issue but we¡¯re taking advantage of it to level. With the Monsters so close we¡¯re able to hunt with impunity and gain levels and credits so it''s not all bad,¡± The Major said.
¡°Is there anything you need from me or need me to do?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Just let Annabelle and the others down there know we¡¯re looking forward to opening trade lines as soon as we can establish them. Shoot, we may even be able to turn this into a forward base and move most of our population down to the big city if they can support themselves and us,¡± The Major said.
¡°Something I¡¯ve been worried about for sure, food production. Looks like you have a good water supply within the border of your Safe Zone now,¡± Anton said with a smile.
¡°You think? We also bought something that purifies the water. It seems to be magic based because none of us can figure out how it works. All we had to do was run a hose from it into the lake and it spits out fresh clean water, as much as we need.¡±
¡°How much did that cost,¡± Anton asked.
¡°50,000 credits. We still have to collect our waste and dispose of it but the fresh water has made a big difference.
Anton frowned for a moment before he offered, ¡°You know you can visit the SYSTEM Shop and reactivate power and utilities including sewage disposal for specific buildings right?¡±
The Major zeroed in on Anton before he turned and said, ¡°You can do what?¡±
Over the next hour, Anton watched as the Major visited their SYSTEM Shop Node. After a few minutes, the power came back on in the building, and running water could be heard throughout the building as people rushed to turn off taps that hadn¡¯t been used since the SYSTEM Integration started. A moment later the Major reappeared and looked at Anton.
¡°I could only get three buildings up and running again but we have a goal now and we can rebuild. Thanks, Anton.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t mention it. If you don¡¯t need me, I¡¯m going to get back to Minneapolis and see how they¡¯re doing. I will try to stop in once a week, and don¡¯t forget to pick up ASL?¡±
¡°Already did,¡± the major signed to Anton in ASL
¡°Nice,¡± Anton said as he activated Specter and headed south. This time he slowed down and checked to see how the monsters were arrayed between the city which caused his trip to take a little longer than he¡¯d have liked. Now though, he had a good idea of how the monsters were distributed. Once he was satisfied with his reconnaissance he headed toward the stadium and flew to the hallway outside of the VIP Booths. He deactivated Specter and knocked on the door. He¡¯d noticed over 30 people he didn¡¯t recognize in the room, and he didn¡¯t want to spook them so he would make introductions like a normal person by knocking on the door.
¡°
Chapter 19, Sarahs Quest
Sarah watched as the man, Anton was it? She watched as Anton appeared through the portal in this ancient football stadium. She came into this Dungeon World after she¡¯d watched Tabus kill Zarius by ejecting him into a black hole. All of her effort infiltrating Tabus Aumtara¡¯s organization was now wasted because Zarius had been so sure that what he¡¯d found would appease his Master.
Well, he had been right, after all. Sarah smiled wryly, the old geezer had done something he hadn¡¯t done in a very long time, he changed his routine and dropped everything to come to this shadow earth. She¡¯d been extremely lucky to have been in the right place at the right time with the right equipment to detect his dimensional teleport. She¡¯d been able to analyze the target dimension and location here.
But, she wasn¡¯t a complete moron like Zarius. Instead of rushing after him, she¡¯d purchased the teleport to this world at a location at least 5,000 miles away from the target location and appeared over the South American Continent near Rio. From there she¡¯d flown north until a magical surge and diverted her to St. Cloud Minnesota. She¡¯d diverted to this location because as soon as she¡¯d detected it notifications had appeared in her vision.
Guild Quest Failed, Tabus Aumtara has died but not by your hand. Return to the Guild and report your failure.
New Quest: Determine who Killed Tabus Aumtara and either offer them a place by your side or end them. The Guild¡¯s Honor must be preserved!
Sarah knew that if she returned to the Premiere Sicarius Guild or Sicarius Guild without something to show for her failure, there would be severe repercussions. So, she decided to stay and try to find the person that had ended Tabus. When she flew down to investigate she discovered the Safe Zone. She remained invisible and quickly determined that no one here knew what was going on as they tried to recover from the explosion.
Sarah checked the coordinates she¡¯d received when Tabus had left their world and noticed that it pointed to a location Southeast of her position in the city of Minneapolis St. Paul. She made her way out of the Safe Zone and then headed to Minneapolis St. Paul.
Once she¡¯d arrived she¡¯d found the stadium and watched as the people within the Safe Zone worked hard to bring some order to the people here. She¡¯d floated above them for a while and then landed and took a seat a little further back where she could keep an eye on everyone. As she¡¯d watched the area, she realized that some kind of turnover had just happened and after listening to the people waiting to use the SYSTEM Shop Node talk for a while she realized that some of the women were immune to the Safe Zone restrictions and had been busy saving other women that had been violated and/or abused.
She had no idea why some of the criminals who had violated some of the younger girls were sitting in holding cells; any member of the Guild would have ended them immediately. In fact, one of the things that had drawn her to the Sicarius Guild. While The Sicarius Guild was an Assassin¡¯s Guild, they had very strict rules against killing innocents or any of its members violating others. They had no issue with contracts or killig targets, even children, if the child had performed some heinous act. Innocents though, those were severely offlimits. Even accidental deaths of innocents could lead to expulsion or having your name added to a contract. It probably helped that over 83% of the guild was female but the wants and needs of sexes was not a discussion worth having.
She was a woman who enjoyed killing. Others enjoyed doing unsavory things. She directed her urges in a useful way by killing those who acted on their unsavory desires. Some would judge her as a monster, but she truly believed that if she was a monster she was a needed monster. Besides, she really enjoyed killing. The Sicarius Guild was the place that didn¡¯t look down on her for wanting to satisfy her needs.
So, she was sitting in the stands when the man had stepped through the portal arch, something she hadn¡¯t seen in a while. Normally, magical portals were used because the energy cost was so much less. It¡¯s one of the reasons she¡¯d stayed in the Stadium, it had appeared right after she arrived. While she¡¯d waited she¡¯d listened to the crowds of people while they discussed what had happened yesterday when a man had freed the female slaves, made the area a Safe Zone, and left the women in charge.
Soon after she¡¯d found Annabelle and followed her while she talked with the other women. They had wondered if Anton could have been the cause of the explosion and if he was dead, to which Annabelle had said, ¡°I don¡¯t think so, he¡¯s still listed as the City Lord.¡±
Once Sarah heard that she decided to stay near the portal and wait for Anton to return. If he wasn¡¯t dead, he¡¯d be back eventually if this was his city. The Arch had appeared and about an hour later she¡¯d watched as Anton had stepped through the Arch. Sarah had tried to use one of her better identification spells to get his information, but it failed. The next moment he disappeared and 30 seconds later he was back. She hadn¡¯t detected any use of mana when he did so. Was he using magic or wasn¡¯t he?
She listened as he said something about heading Northwest, and that he¡¯d be back after a bit. Sarah thought about what to do next and decided that a little more waiting was in order. She made sure she was still invisible and undetectable and began shadowing Annabelle. If Anton was going to meet up and talk with her later, she might be able to make introductions at that point.
***
After Anton knocked on the door a woman armed with a pistol in the holster opened the door and asked, ¡°Yes?¡±
¡°I¡¯m Anton, Annabelle is expecting me?¡±
¡°The woman, who he had never seen before stepped aside and motioned toward the first room he¡¯d meet all of the women in the cages in, ¡°She¡¯s in there were a few of the others. While we haven¡¯t met before now, I¡¯d just like to say thank you for freeing Annabelle, if she hadn¡¯t come along¡¡±
Anton smiled reassuringly, ¡°Well it¡¯s a crazy universe right now, but for what it¡¯s worth I think you all are as safe as you can be.¡±
The woman nodded and stepped back as she seemed to struggle with something. Anton left her to her thoughts and walked toward the room where he could hear Annabelle talking.
¡°With the food that Anton dropped off, we have enough supplies for just over a week if people continue to hunt monsters and supplement their food supply from the SYSTEM Shop.¡±
¡°Has anyone come forward with a Merchant type class yet?¡± Annabelle asked.
¡°A few actually. We¡¯ve assigned them to groups that are at the edge of the Safe Zone and going after the smaller monsters. They all need to reach level 10 before they¡¯ll unlock a quest skill that will allow them to create a temporary node that will give access to a very limited SYSTEM Shop Node.¡±
¡°Limited, how?¡± Annabelle asked.
¡°As I understand it, The Merchant can use the orb to transfer to and receive from the SYSTEM Shop Merchant Network or SMN for short. The SMN is a network recognized by the SYSTEM that regulates prices of goods based on sales to and from the SYSTEM Shop or Merchants that are part of the SMN.¡±
¡°Why is being part of that network good for a Merchant? They could just get things locally and then sell them locally and make a pure profit off the difference,¡± Annabelle asked.
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¡°Well, it¡¯s a little more complicated than that but the basic reason is access to goods and cost reduction. Merchants enjoy a discount based on their Class and level. Also, if anyone goes to a SYSTEM Shop, the prices are established by the SMN and they cannot be reduced or increased. If something sells for 100 credits today, it will sell for 100 credits tomorrow even if only one of them was available within the entire SYSTEM. Merchants in the SMN with items can alter their prices based on rarity and also offer discounts. If they could purchase something for 20% less than the SMN they could sell the item for 10% less than the SYSTEM Shop sells it which earns them a 10% profit and XP towards their class.¡±
¡°Sounds complicated. Also, where do they store all the goods?¡± Annabelle asked.
¡°One of the first class skills they receive gives them access to a Merchant Storage Node which is a lot like a Personal Node but it¡¯s directly linked to SYSTEM Shop as long as they¡¯re within the SYSTEM.¡±
Anton walked into the room and saw Anabelle seated at a table with three men and three women. Something that caught his attention immediately was a woman standing off and to the side behind Annabelle. She did not look like any of the other women in the room. When she saw Anton¡¯s gaze stare into her own she smiled and vanished. Anton heard the pop of air behind him and Dodged forward as a hand reached for him with incredible speed.
¡°Please don¡¯t run Anton, we need to talk?¡± the woman said which caused the others in the room to freeze when the woman appeared out of nowhere and spoke.
Anton called out, ¡°Do not move,¡± which caused everyone else in the room to freeze.
¡°Good, it seems that you can be responsible, the woman said as she released Anton and stepped back. Also, your concern for the people in this room is commendable,¡± the woman said.
¡°Be that as it may, who are you?¡± Anton asked.
¡°You may call me Sarah.¡±
¡°Well, Sarah, what do you want?¡±
¡°Is there someplace that we can talk privately.¡±
¡°Wait, why didn¡¯t you disappear when you attacked me?¡± Anton asked, his mind catching up with the fact that they were in a Safe Zone and while he was immune to it, he was pretty sure this woman wasn¡¯t
¡°Anything in the SYSTEM can be purchased. Even immunity to a Safe Zone. While expensive I needed to test your reaction,¡± Sarah said.
¡°How expensive?¡± Anton asked as Annabelle also looked on with interest.
¡°1 Million credits per attack.¡±
¡°You threw a million credits away to test me?¡± Anton asked.
¡°How many credits did you spend to set up the Safe Zone in this City and provide for the people here?¡± Sarah countered.
¡°That¡¯s different, I was helping people,¡± Anton said.
¡°And I may be here to help you. A place we can talk privately?¡±
¡°You seem to be able to teleport, how about the roof of this building?¡±
¡°That would be private enough, but I doubt you¡¯ll be able to get there, I¡¯ve locked down magic in a 50-foot area. You shouldn¡¯t be able to cast or use magic until I release my spell,¡± Sarah said with a smile.
¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll see about that. I¡¯ll see you on the roof,¡± Anton said and activated Specter. He moved up through the ceiling of the VIP booth and reappeared on the roof. A moment later Sarah appeared above him and floated down and landed in front of him.
Anton waited a moment and then asked, ¡°Are you one of the mage monk¡¯s friends?¡±
¡°Mage Monk?¡± Sarah asked questioningly. Are you talking about this man, Sarah asked as she pulled a picture out of her Personal Storage and showed it to him.
Anton looked at the image and immediately recognized it as the man that he¡¯d killed yesterday and said, ¡°Yes, him. Who was he?¡±
¡°Was? Do you know what happened to him?¡± Sarah asked.
¡°Well, he died.¡±
¡°Did you kill him?¡±
¡°I defended myself. He died,¡± Anton said without emotion, ¡°What¡¯s your point.¡±
¡°At the spot, the vortex opened up?¡±
¡°I was sleeping in a vault, he popped in, asked who I was, and began attacking,¡± Anton said though he had no idea why this was important to Sarah.
¡°How did you kill him,¡±
¡°Yeah, not going to lie, you seem like a nice woman but, before I answer anything else I¡¯m going to want to know why?¡± Anton asked.
Anton watched as Sarah thought about his question for a moment, looked him over, and answered, ¡°I¡¯m trying to decide if you are worthy of joining my guild or if I¡¯m going to have to kill you to reclaim my honor,¡± Sarah said.
¡°What is it with this fucking universe now? Don¡¯t answer that, it was a rhetorical question. So, by killing that asshole yesterday in some way besmirched your honor and now I either have to prove myself or you have to kill me, Good luck with that.¡±
Sarah smiled with a glint of hunger in her eyes, ¡°Oh, I can kill¡¡±
Anton interrupted her, ¡°No you can¡¯t.
Before Anton could move, Sarah flashed forward and put a dagger through his heart, while looking into his eyes.
¡°Back in a sec,¡± Anton coughed out as he fell to the roof and died.
You Have Died!
Specter Activated.
What was it with people trying to kill him? Anton¡¯s Point of View shifted to normal as his body disintegrated and he took a step back and waited to rematerialize. While he waited, he observed as Sarah looked at her dagger with a questioning expression and then down at his body as it evaporated. Anton was a little surprised though, he¡¯d had on that mithril armor and that dagger had been sharp enough to pierce it, even with his normal magic negation at work. It looked like he¡¯d need to find something stronger.
As Anton appeared, Sarah¡¯s eyes were drawn to him and she looked at him with a little shock. Before she could speak, Anton said, ¡°As I said, you can¡¯t kill me, well, you can kill me, I just don¡¯t stay dead.¡±
Sarah looked at her dagger and then back at Anton, ¡°You should most definitely be dead and your soul should have been trapped in this dagger.¡±
¡°Yeah, magic and I had a falling out, I told it to get bent so it leaves me alone,¡± Anton said sarcastically. ¡°Now, how can I help you, though I will warn you that if you try to kill me again, I will make it my life goal to repeat what I did to your friend the consequences be damned.¡±
¡°Consequences?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t you worry about that, so again, what can I do for you?¡±
¡°Did you kill Tabus Aumtara?¡±
Anton sighed, ¡°Yes, I killed the man that you showed me the picture of, If his name was Tabus Aumtara, then yes I killed him.¡±
Sarah sighed and seemed to struggle with herself as she came to a decision and said, ¡°Very well, As you have completed my contract and I cannot slay you, or at least seem to be able to at this time I need you to accompany me back to my Guild to determine if you are worthy to be one of our members.
¡°Lady, I¡¯m not going anywhere with you,¡± Anton said.
¡°Yes, you are,¡± Sarah said as she pulled a pendant from her Personal Storage and activated a portal.
Before he could move, Anton was hurled at the portal as she stepped forward, grabbed him by his shirt and pants, and spun him around before she released him at the portal. He¡¯d passed through the portal location but it didn¡¯t send him anywhere. Instead, the portal vanished as he touched it and he activated Specter. He arrested his momentum, returned to where he was standing, and deactivated his skill.
Anton was tired of being attacked. Also, this woman seemed to be a rogue or fighter of some type and far more experienced than him. Still, he was tired of being walked all over. Anton rematerialized and immediately struck out with Mind Bolt which did absolutely nothing.
Sarah looked confused for a moment before she asked, did you just try to use a mental spell, No! A mental skill on me, That would explain why you could still do things when I locked magic down¡
As Sarah seemed to be talking without purpose she flicked her wrist and a dagger struck his heart and killed him.
You have Died!
Specter Activated
Time to draw this crazy woman away from the people he was trying to save. Anton extended the duration of Specter by one minute and activated Manifest. Because he¡¯d died he hadn¡¯t spent Psychic Energy either time he¡¯d died. To extend the duration for a minute cost 1 point and to Manifest would cost 1 point per turn. He wouldn¡¯t have to hold this for long though, he just needed her to follow him.
Anton appeared in front of Sarah and flipped her the bird as he darted off to the east. She was fast as three strikes intersected the spot where he¡¯d appeared, but each failed to do anything. Anton flew up and away from the stadium but stayed under cloud level so he could judge his distance from it. As he flew away from Sarah, she took flight and hurled multiple spells at him as she chased after him.
Anton stayed ahead of her and made sure to turn and taunt her after a failed spell. She might be powerful but her flight spell was shit. Of course, he couldn¡¯t hear her but the spells passed through his noncorporeal form were a great clue that she¡¯d cast a spell. When he was over a mile up and over the outskirts of the east side of Minneapolis he turned and waited for Sarah to come up next to him.
Anton could see her mouth moving but he¡¯d never learned to read lips which it now seemed was another skill he was going to need to pick up . When he saw her lips stop moving he made the okay symbol with his left hand and grabbed his left thumb with his right pointer finger to make it look like his right hand was hanging on to his thumb and dangling from it. This was the universal sign for ¡°Your shit is hanging, or dangling,¡± he never could remember. The Okay symbol represents her sphincter and the pointer finger¡you know what? It didn¡¯t matter. This woman wasn¡¯t going to stop coming after him for some honor-based dumbass reason and it was time to end her, that warning be damned.
Anton deactivated Manifest and before she could move activated Spectral Reach as he pushed his right pointer finger into the center of her brain. This time, as he did so he also tried to dodge the explosion which worked out. The only part of him that was destroyed was his right hand, up to his forearm.
.
.
.
A minute, month, or year later, he wasn¡¯t sure, Anton found himself flying through emptiness with an open blinking notification in his vision.
You were Warned.
Chapter 20, The Void
Anton took stock of his situation. The she-bitch was dead, he was fully healed, and Specter was active again. The explosion he¡¯d caused with Spectral Reach had knocked him unconscious, even though it hadn¡¯t killed him and Specter had remained active until it ran out. He¡¯d had just under 240 points of Psychic Energy left after the attack. He¡¯d lost track, which meant that he¡¯d been unconscious for almost 4 hours when Specter had failed. He¡¯d rematerialized and been ejected into this void. He¡¯d suffocated to death when he did which is when he¡¯d woken up and found himself floating in the void with almost no psychic Energy.
So here he was, freezing and holding his breath. At least he wasn¡¯t suffocating yet, but he was still dying. The void was continuously freezing him at a rate of 5 points of damage every 10 seconds while he held his breath. Anton only had 345 hit points to start, but he¡¯d heal fully every 20 seconds which meant the cold, while it was probably painful to normal people was just annoying to him. No, his problem was oxygen. The only time he could breathe was when he was in his Specter Form and when he¡¯d awoken he was out of Psychic Energy. Definitely NOT good.
So, Anton held his breath and watched his Psychic Energy rise slowly. Currently, he was regenerating 2 Psychic Energy every 10 seconds, or 12 every minute. After 5 minutes he had regained 60 Psychic Energy. He felt like he could hold his breath for a bit, so he waited. His high Willpower and Endurance were coming in quite handy at the moment. At 20 minutes he¡¯d regained 240 points of Psychic Energy. At 25 minutes his Psychic Energy was full again at 252 points. Stable once more, or as stable as he could be, Anton activated Specter for 10 Psychic Energy. Once he appeared in the adjacent dimension he took a very long and much-appreciated breath and then breathed normally. Also, he stopped taking damage from freezing.
It looked like he could remain in this state for just over 4 hours, hold his breath for 25 minutes, and then return to it. Unlike the void, the dimension his Specter Form existed in was not a void darkness. Instead, there was a false negative to the environment so he could at least see himself. The void had been utterly dark and quiet with only the sound of his heartbeat to keep him company. In his Specter Form, he couldn¡¯t hear his heartbeat but he could now see himself and off into the distance.
While he had a moment, he opened his notifications.
Congratulations! You Have killed a level 72 Epic Assassin.
You have earned 81,600 Experience points.
You have earned 544 Gold.
Note: Only SYSTEM Generated Treasure was looted. All other loot was destroyed.
Anton was beginning to hate that attack method. Of course, he hadn¡¯t had a choice. She shrugged off every attack he¡¯d made. Also, he was pretty sure that while he had a lot of weapons he¡¯d purchased, none of them would have been good enough to leave any kind of damage to her. That¡¯s why when his Mind Bolt failed utterly he¡¯d gone with the nuclear option. It wasn¡¯t fair, but neither was being hounded forever by a psychopathic nut job.
Anton¡¯s attention was brought back to his Notifications when he read it.
Congratulations you have gained Level 21!
Anton opened his Status Screen and put his 12 points into his attributes as he had for every level not divisible by 5 when he received his 3 extra attributes. He put one point into every attribute except perception. Perception received 2 points. Accepting his new level and distributing his attributes also bumped his Psychic Energy from 252 to 264.
Since he had a few more minutes before he¡¯d drop his Specter Form and reenter the void to hold his breath again while his Psychic Energy regenerated¡.Anton¡¯s thoughts trailed off as he remembered his new Skill Battle Meditation
Battle Meditation - Increase All Resource Regeneration Rates by 1 per Skill Level per 1 turn or 10 seconds. This state can be maintained for a number of Combat Turns equal to the Skill Level. While in Battle Mediation the user is vaguely aware of their surroundings and will not react unless attacked.
Battle Mediation may only be utilized once every 100 turns or 16.66 minutes regardless of Skill Level.
Could he use that skill in this dimension, while he had Specter active? If he could? Anton relaxed, there was no point in trying to sit since he was floating. He relaxed his mind and activated Battle Meditation.
WARNING! Battle Meditation has been activated while one or more skills are active. All benefits from this skill are halved until all skills are deactivated.
Would you like to continue using Battle Medication, Yes or No?
Would he like to continue using this skill? Anton chose ¡°Yes¡±.
For the next 3 minutes and 20 seconds, Anton meditated and regained 200 points of Psychic Energy. He¡¯d fully recovered all of the Psychic Energy he¡¯d spent after only two turns of Battle Medication but he wanted to test it out to see if he could continue using the skill after he didn¡¯t need to. He could. Anton did some quick math. He could only use this skill once every 16.6 minutes. This meant that he¡¯d spend 17 minutes as a Specter before he could use Battle Meditation for one turn to recover 20 points of Psychic Energy. As long as he didn¡¯t remain in his Specter Form for more than 200 minutes he could remain in this dimension as long as he wanted, or until his mind was so exhausted it couldn¡¯t continue. But his Willpower was 265 so he should be okay for a while. At least he hoped so.
There were a few other things Anton could try so it was time to get to it now that he knew he had a route to survival. He¡¯d picked up some sensory skills, now it was time to use them. Anton held his breath and deactivated Specter. Next, he activated his Psychic Skill Detect Magic to see if he could see anything in the darkness. Nothing changed. He then activated Aura Sight which changed the absolute darkness he was seeing into wispy strings of multi-colored light that haphazardly moved through the void as if moved along by invisible currents.
Without a frame of reference, it was hard to tell how large or long those strands were because his Aura Sight only allowed him to see a very short range but if he continued to use it that should increase. Right now, he¡¯d have to move slowly because the strands disappeared almost immediately when they were more than 10 feet from him. He was in the void and he could not fly. How was he going to follow the strands?
Anton activated Specter and then Battle Meditation to regain his Psychic Energy as he considered the problem. As he exited Battle Meditation 30 seconds later with his resource pools replenished an idea came to him. Anton activated Manifest and became visible in the void. He could see things in the Material plane and in this form, they could see him. Could he utilize a skill that enhanced his vision while he was manifesting?
The answer was yes, which gave him the ability to activate Aura Sight and then while in his Specter Form, follow one of the strands. Anton looked around until he found a strand made of gold and began following it. At first, it was slow going but as time went on the range of his Aura Sight extended which allowed him to increase his speed following the strand he¡¯d found.
Anton followed the gold strand for 30 minutes and then took a break to drop into Battle Meditation to recover all of his Psychic Energy. Then he¡¯d begin again. In this way, he remained in his Specter Form without dropping into the Material Plane and followed the strand of aura he¡¯d found until it vanished. Anton searched for the gold strand for another 30 minutes before he picked up a blue strand of energy and began following it.
4 hours later his Aura Sight had increased in skill level to Scarce Level 4 and allowed him to pick up Aura signatures up to 500 feet away. Anton noticed a gold Strand that had come into range and moved over to follow it. This time he followed the strand for another 8 hours until it also disappeared. When he checks again Aura Sight¡¯s skill level is now Scarce level 8 with a base range of 900 feet. It was taking longer and longer to level, but the skill was still leveling. Anton found another Gold Strand and started following it.
This pattern repeated over and over. Anton checked his Personal Map to ensure he wasn¡¯t going in circles. While the skill couldn¡¯t map very far away from him in this void it appeared that it was keeping track of his starting point which was very far away now. Anton hunkered down and kept following the gold strand of energy.
Eventually, Battle Meditation wasn¡¯t enough and Anton felt tired. When he looked at the clock, which he¡¯d been purposely ignoring he realized that two weeks had passed. Aura Sight had increased to skill level Advanced Level 3 and now had a range of 41,100 feet., or just over 8 miles. Still, he was tired and needed to take a break. Anton spent all of his Psychic Energy to extend his time by 264 minutes, Activated Battle Meditation for three and a half minutes and spent another 243 Psychic Energy to extend the duration of Specter out to just over 8 hours. Once that was done, he closed his eyes and fell asleep.
When he woke up 8 hours later he was truly surprised that his idea had worked. He knew he should feel hungry or thirsty but he hadn¡¯t eaten anything in a while. If he needed to, he could pull out a ration or drink but he didn¡¯t feel hungry or thirsty in this dimension so he hadn¡¯t worried about it. Anton activated Battle Meditation to refill his Psychic Energy, it hadn¡¯t refilled while he was sleeping. When his Psychic Energy was full again he activated Aura Sight and began following threads of aura again.
Anton repeated his cycle of rest and following threads of aura. He tried to stick with one color but more often than not, the ribbon of energy would just come to an end. To stay consistent, he always tried to find Gold ribbons of energy first. Then he¡¯d look for blue, silver, purple, brown, and yellow in that order. If he couldn¡¯t find one of those colors he¡¯d try for green, orange, and finally red. There were a lot more colors and shades of color than the nine he tried to keep to. He was just trying to remain consistent.
The next time he looked at his calendar 12 weeks had passed. He was losing himself in the streams of color. It probably had something to do with the fact that he had attained the skill level of Master Level 1 and could see auras up to 40 miles away. In the void, with no backdrop of color, it was really easy to see any other color that appeared, which brought up the thought, where were the black lines of Aura energy? He hadn¡¯t even thought to look for black until that moment.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Anton began looking for black lines of energy while he continued to follow the other colors. Nothing appeared to him. So, Anton kept following the pattern of colors he established and resting as he normally did. Eventually, he found the black strands. They were technically everywhere, but he hadn¡¯t noticed them until he decided to look closely at the end of a large gold strand of Aura he¡¯d been following that had ended abruptly. Because he hadn¡¯t been looking for them he¡¯d failed to notice that where any line of color ended a new black line came into existence and exploded out like a root system. The reason he hadn¡¯t seen the black lines of energy was because they were small, really small and they appeared to get smaller and smaller as they branched out at the end of the strand of aura they exploded from.
It was almost like the streams of aura energy were feeding the void the way they suddenly ended and then branched off into ever smaller tendrils of black energy until they disappeared from view altogether. So, looking for black strands of energy was a dead end, literally. Anton went back to following the other streams of Aura. He was hoping that they would eventually lead him somewhere that he could use to escape this place.
Unlike his other skills, Battle Meditation was already at skill level Master Level 1. He assumed he¡¯d have to use it for a very long time before it would level again. Especially since he was only using the skill for about a minute every two hours and he wasn¡¯t using it at all while he slept during his 8-hour breaks.
His skill Specter was leveling rather quickly. Over the last 12 weeks, Specter had reached skill level Advanced Level 2. In this void, it wouldn¡¯t matter much because he had to keep his speed down to follow the streams of aura but in the real world, he¡¯d be able to move at 1,120 miles per hour or 1,643 feet per second. If he was killed he¡¯d be able to shift his position in the two turns he was given by more than 37 miles.
12 weeks in this void with nothing to show for it but skill progression? Well, at least he wasn¡¯t going crazy. Since he had plenty of time to think, he wondered how Annabelle and everyone else were doing back in Minneapolis. That explosion would have destroyed some parts of the east side but he should have been far enough away from them and the safe zone that it shouldn¡¯t have affected them. There really was nothing for it. He¡¯d left Annabelle in charge and it was a Safe Zone. Of course, if someone could teleport or shift dimensions like he could¡.
Anton took a deep breath, realized he was coming up on the time he would normally take a break to sleep, and decided to do so early. When he woke up, his mind was clear again and he went back to following the strands of aura away from his starting point. That¡¯s when he decided that he¡¯d had enough for a while. If whatever entity was going to throw him into a void without an obvious way out, he was going to take advantage of his skills and see if he could pass the time without going mad.
Anton increased his speed in his Specter Form and deactivated the skill. As he¡¯d thought his momentum traveled with him and he was coasting along at 1,120 miles per hour. He could tell he was moving very fast by how quickly the threads of aura were zipping by. The cold started to bite and he started taking 5 points of environmental damage every 10 seconds again.
He could have tried to meditate normally while Specter was active but he had a two-purpose goal. While he was in the alternate dimension he was relatively safe. He didn¡¯t think there would be much chance for the SYSTEM to grant him new titles there. If he was under constant stress from freezing and suffocating though, maybe he could build up some resistance or increase the time he could hold his breath.
The other reason was because if he closed his eyes and wasn¡¯t paying attention he didn¡¯t think he¡¯d notice anything. If he was in the void and something changed, he should be able to notice it no matter how deeply he was meditating. At least that was the hope. Of course, this all relied on his ability to meditate normally so there wasn¡¯t a time limit like there was with Battle Meditation.
Anton looked around the void one more time as he coasted through the emptiness and then deactivated Aura Sight. He relaxed, closed his eyes, and began meditating. He wasn¡¯t trying to use Battle Meditation. This time he was simply trying to meditate and slow down his breathing, though he was holding his breath already. Almost immediately he received a notification.
Congratulations you have unlocked the skill of Meditation!
Meditation ¨C This skill allows the user to enter a state of rest that allows the user to recover all resources; Hit Points, Stamina, Mana, and Psychic Energy at an accelerated rate. This state also allows the mind to recover as if sleeping.
At Skill level Common Level 1, All natural regeneration rates are doubled and add 1 per minute. Regeneration rates will continue to improve by 1 per minute per skill level.
Note, that other skills, spells, or abilities that increase regeneration rates are not compatible with this skill.
It wasn¡¯t much but Anton would take it. The strongest point of this type of mediation was that it didn¡¯t have a time limit, which was what he wanted. Anton settled into the meditative state and relaxed. As he did so his senses drew away from his surroundings as his heartbeat slowed. With his eyes closed and no sound in the void his heartbeat became his rhythm and his rhythm slowed further. He forced stray thoughts from his mind and continued gliding through the void at over 1,000 miles per hour.
Later, Anton would check his Notification Log and learn that after 7 days his regeneration rate from meditation offset the freezing damage he was taking. Also, his natural healing removed his need to breathe. It wasn¡¯t that his body recycled or transmuted the carbon dioxide he was generating back into oxygen. No. Instead, his ability Immortal kicked in and oxygenated this body as needed as part of its accelerated healing. Anton had a feeling if he ever had enough hit points to keep from getting killed in one or two quick hits he might not ever die again.
Anton slowed his metabolism down to almost nothing so he wasn¡¯t generating very much carbon dioxide, to begin with, but the freezing damage he was taking kept Immortal active which is what allowed the ability to sustain him. The other thing of note was that while he was meditating so deeply he completely lost track of his surroundings and his mind went blank. Completely blank. It wasn¡¯t until he died suddenly that he woke up in his Specter Form.
You have Died! Specter has Activated.
The one good thing about Meditation, when he woke from dying there was no slow transition to alertness. One moment he was meditating, the next, he was in his Specter Form and completely awake. Anton activated his Aura Sight so that he could see and Manifest into the material plane to look around and find out what had killed him while he also extended the duration of Specter.
As he Manifested into the void he was completely blinded for a moment as a rainbow of colors exploded from many points around him and a large point within a few feet of him. As his eyes adjusted he realized it wasn¡¯t a point but a sphere. Not a portal, but a sphere. As he watched the sphere he noted strings aura of all colors coming out of the sphere in all directions. Something about a dark sphere tickled his memory but he put that aside and opened his Notification Log to see what had killed him.
WARNING You have entered an area of extreme gravity.
You have Died! Specter has Activated.
Extreme gravity, single sphere? Or was it the reference of a point expressed in three dimensions? If so, that meant that there was a singularity on the other side of that sphere. That didn¡¯t make sense though. Then again, Singularities had to open into something, didn¡¯t they? Prevailing theories had thought they¡¯d eject into White holes but what if they opened into another dimension like this one? One way to find out though wasn¡¯t there?
Anton willed his Specter Form into the sphere and emerged into a complete kaleidoscope of light and energy as it fell into the point behind him. He¡¯d only seen Auras in the void so whatever else was happening, matter was being annihilated as it fell into the singularity. Also, while he wasn¡¯t very smart, this was a very large Singularity which meant the event horizon could be a very long way away. Anton passed back through the singularity into the void and moved away from it.
Anton moved away from the singularity and looked at all the other points that streams of aura were flowing from and noticed that there were a lot more strands of aura in this area. He¡¯d coasted into a cluster of some sort. As he looked around he noticed that the points of entry for the aural light appeared to exist along one axis. He willed himself up and out of the plane along the z, or vertical, axis until he was looking down at something that resembled a spiral. In fact, it looked a lot like a galaxy, except a lot more compressed as everything within the galaxy seemed to be visible within his visual range. Galaxies were hundreds of thousands of light years across and he was seeing where the singularities were laid out as represented here. So, this space was compressed or he could travel faster within it, or both.
But that didn¡¯t make sense. When he was on a planet and activated Specter the distance was the same in both dimensions. Had he traveled into another level of the dimension Specter brought him into? He honestly didn¡¯t know. Well, if this was a representation of a galaxy anything at the center would be super giant singularities and if he remembered right Earth was out near the middle of the galactic disc along a spiral so if he had any chance of finding Earth or a planet he could live on he would have to find something that would allow him to exit this place away from the center.
Anton willed himself way from the center cluster and began working his way along the middle of the disc. As he moved closer it was almost like a zoom function activated and the distances between the singularity points he could see expanded out and away from him. He immediately tried to withdraw and was relieved when he fell away and the view he¡¯d had before reasserted itself. It seemed that there was a zoom function. Anton smiled.
Anton opened his Personal Map and began adjusting it. Zooming in and out. As he did so his Aura Sight registered the changes in what he perceived around him. Was he inside the map here in the void? After about an hour he had a good handle on his Personal Map and then he discovered that it even had a Map Legend. A few minutes later he was looking at a sphere in an area of the cluster he¡¯d found that had primarily green, brown, blue, and red streams of aura coming through it intermittently. That¡¯s not why he was looking at it though. The Map Legend had indicated that there were other types of entry points into the Void and that they could be found by looking for a combination of the elemental auras.
Singularities predominantly held the auras of light, dark, space, time, and sometimes earth and air-based. Those spheres that had green, blue, brown, and red usually indicated that there was life, water, earth, and fire in the area. Those weren¡¯t the only colors he should be looking for but he needed to find a sphere with at least that combination of auras.
When he came upon the sphere a tool tip had appeared.
Sphere of Annihilation
The singularities hadn¡¯t had any tooltips pop up but it seemed that his Identity skill had been able to identify the sphere and let him know what it was. He vaguely remembered something about such fictional spheres from something he¡¯d read but honestly, he couldn¡¯t remember anything except that it was supposed to kill you dead if you touched it. Also, they were normally found in dungeons or wizard towers but that was all that he remembered.
Well, anywhere would be better than here so Anton steeled himself and floated through the sphere in his Specter Form and appeared in a short corridor. Ten feet in front of him and to his left was a corridor and directly in front of him was another black sphere. Anton floated up to the corner and looked down the corridor to his left where a closed door sat.
For him, it wasn¡¯t even a choice. If the sphere in front of him was magical he wouldn¡¯t be able to pass through it. This begged the question, how had he passed through a Sphere of Annihilation if it was Magical? Was it because he was in his Specter Form or maybe it wasn¡¯t considered magical for some reason, which would make it an artifact? Who knew?
Before he moved Anton had one thing left to do, he opened his Status Screen and pulled up his skill levels, specifically he pulled up his Meditation skill level. It was now Epic Level 6. Epic was above Master. How the hell had it leveled so high? With a sinking feeling in his chest, Anton opened his Calendar, paused, and then checked it again. He¡¯d been meditating for over 18 months. A year and a half? He¡¯d have to be careful using that skill going forward, especially in a place that had very little stimulation.
He quickly checked his Notifications again to make sure he hadn¡¯t missed a title that had been awarded. There was nothing. It seemed that the SYSTEM was getting a bit stingy, or whoever had thrown him into the void had made it so he couldn¡¯t earn titles. If that was so, that was just petty.
Regardless, he needed to get out of here. Anton glided over to the door and passed through it into a small courtyard. There were no walls, just a short unkept path that led out into a forest beyond. When he turned around he saw that the door he¡¯d come out of was set in a run-down stone wall with walls that crumbled away 10 feet above it. Anton would pay good money and bet that there had been a tower here before whatever had been destroyed.
Anton equipped his Mithril armor, layered his Leather armor over it, and then added the swords and daggers. He also made sure he had the two 9mm Berreta pistols and pump action shotgun he¡¯d picked up were fully loaded and ready in his inventory. Once he was equipped, he set his new loadout as his default and deactivated Specter.
Anton looked around and took a deep breath, his first in a long while. He smiled. He might not be home but at least he was outside in a world that had light, air, and trees. He¡¯d been in the dark for far too long.
Chapter 21, Evermet Forest
Anton followed the path into the forest and looked around. The light coming in through the treetops made it feel like it was either early morning or early evening. He¡¯d know in a little bit. His SYSTEM Clock was useless because it was set for Minneapolis and showed that it was one in the morning. As he looked around he noted that the forest was mostly pine trees with a few oaks and other tree types he didn¡¯t know. The tallest tree in the area only reached maybe 200 feet into the sky.
As he listened he could hear birds chirping and even saw squirrels and other small creatures moving away from him through the underbrush. The path before him was made up of packed dirt. So, it had seen some use but it wasn¡¯t constantly used. He thought about activating Specter and getting a bird¡¯s eye view but decided that walking in a forest after being in that void for so long would be a much better use of his time. Also, the sky seemed to be getting brighter so it seemed that he¡¯d been lucky enough to emerge on this planet in the morning. He¡¯d take that as a sign that maybe he should enjoy a morning stroll.
30 minutes later the small path he was on connected with a dirt path that looked like it was large enough to allow wagons to travel along it. This road looked well used though he had no idea which way to go. The road came from the direction the sun was rising from and faded off into the distance in the direction the sun was fading from.
Anton decided to follow the direction the sun was going, which would be to the west back on Earth. After a bit, he came to a small creek that had a small bridge over it. He pulled out one of the canteens he had and took a long drink of water, which kicked off his hunger. He ended up sitting down on a log along the side of the road and pulled out a ration. He actually pulled out a Beef Stew MRE added water to the warming packet and cooked his meal while he snacked on the cookie that came in the MRE. Once he started eating he went through everything in the MRE in quick order. There were over 2,000 calories in an MRE. He went through it in less than 15 minutes.
As he considered how hungry he felt, It looked like he didn¡¯t have to eat, but his body still wanted to. Good to know. As he was cleaning up his mess and putting it back into his personal inventory a Notification popped up.
WARNING! Maggen¡¯s Gift has been activated. One copper piece has been removed from Maggen¡¯s Exceptional Storage.
¡°What the hell!¡± Anton exclaimed as he stood and spun around looking for whoever had lifted the copper piece of out his inventory. When he saw the wide-eyed¡it had to be a halfling or maybe a gnome. No, it was definitely a halfling. When he saw the young man look sheepish as he pocketed the copper coin and started to back away slowly Anton calmly said, ¡°Stop please.¡±
The halfling continued to back away so Anton pulled a gold coin from his inventory and held it up, which caused the young thief to freeze. Since it was obvious that they couldn¡¯t communicate with words Anton activated Telepathy and tried to connect to the halfling.
Would you like to actively or passively form a mental connection with your target?
Anton chose to passively form a connection. If the halfling didn¡¯t want to talk he wasn¡¯t going to force him to. If he did want to talk, Anton needed information and he had some coins he could share. The halfling paused for a second and then nodded as he accepted the link.
Telepathy without a common language was a little weird. As their minds linked images and thoughts bounced back and forth as the two minds worked to understand one another. While the link was establishing itself Anton tossed the gold coin to the halfling. He pulled another from his inventory and held it up for the halfling to see. Anton watched the look of surprise as the halfling easily caught the first gold coin and then noticed the second one in Anton¡¯s fingers.
Less than a minute later the telepathic link was established and they could communicate.
¡°My name is Anton; how would you like to make another gold coin?¡± Anton asked.
¡°My name is Gopher Moonkettle, why you give me money?¡±
Anton realized that while they could ¡°talk¡± it wasn¡¯t really talking and the sentences were chopped or garbled. Instead, he utilized the higher function to directly convey what he wanted and needed to Gopher and what Gopher would get out of it. He was looking for someone to give him information on the surrounding area as well as someone who could teach him the local language for one gold piece a day.
Once Gopher understood what Anton wanted Gopher came over to the log and sat down just out of Anton¡¯s easy reach. Anton put the gold coin on the log between them. Gopher picked it up and pocketed it and the lessons started.
With Telepathy active, Anton picked up the local language relatively quickly. It was very similar to English after all, though there were slight changes here and there.
Before long, Anton and Gopher were discussing the forest Anton was in and the closest city, which was back the way he¡¯d come from. About five miles through the forest, it ended and opened up onto a bluff that led down to a shoreline where a small town had sprung up. When Anton asked what kind of town and how many people were there, Gopher said he didn¡¯t really know but definitely more than 100. It didn¡¯t have a SYSTEM Shop but there were merchants that purchased and sold to the SYSTEM through their class skills.
When Anton asked what type of town it was, Gopher didn¡¯t understand the question. He just said it was a good town where Anton could find anything he might need. If he wanted to visit a city he¡¯d have to head further down the coast. When Anton asked who ran the town that was close by all Gopher would say was ¡°Some Human.¡± Anton convinced Gopher to continue teaching him Common for the next three days though Gopher led him back to his camp which was a little further down the trail and a couple hundred feet off in the woods behind some bushes that muffled the area from anyone passing by.
Anton enjoyed the break. After being alone in the dark for so long it was nice just to sit back and talk to someone and enjoy the natural setting. Anton told Gopher about Earth which Gopher didn¡¯t believe. Eventually, Gopher asked about their initial meeting.
¡°How did you keep me from stealing from your inventory? You have gold but all I was able to find was one copper piece.¡±
Anton laughed, ¡°I wondered when you¡¯d ask me about that. I bought a skill that lets me decide what gets pulled out of my inventory. It blocks any ability or class skill that isn¡¯t higher level than it,¡± Anton explained.
¡°That¡¯s some skill. What happens when you run out of copper for people to steal?¡± Gopher asked.
¡°Well, if that were to happen their skill would work normally after that but I don¡¯t see that being a problem anytime soon. Someone would need to pick my pocket more than 500 times to even have a chance at getting something from me.
Gopher frowned.
¡°Also,¡± Anton continued, ¡°Every time my skill activates I receive a notification. That¡¯s how I knew to turn and look for you. Not because your stealth failed but because I was told you¡¯d taken something from my inventory.¡±
A look of shocked realization crossed Gopher¡¯s face.
¡°Keep them. I would appreciate it if you¡¯d stop trying to steal stuff from my inventory though,¡± Anton said with a smile.
Gopher nodded. Anton wasn¡¯t too worried about it. He¡¯d only tried four more times over the last three days. It was also good practice for Anton because he knew that he needed to up his Perception or find a skill that allowed him to notice his surroundings better. He hadn¡¯t known Gopher was trying to take stuff from his inventory until he¡¯d received the notification.
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
On their last day together, Gopher brought back some eggs and berries he¡¯d found. They cooked the eggs and added them to the rations that Anton provided.
As they sat down to eat Gopher said, ¡°You talk much better now.¡±
¡°I had a very good teacher. Also, I think my skill in Telepathy helped me understand and learn the various words you were teaching me much faster,¡± Anton said.
¡°What will you do today?¡± Gopher asked.
Anton pulled out another gold coin and handed it to Gopher, ¡°I think I¡¯m done here. What will you do now?¡±
Gopher accepted the coin, ¡°My people have a settlement deep in the forest. No, I can¡¯t take you there. But I now have the coin to live comfortably for quite a while. I¡¯ll probably head there,¡± Gopher said.
They finished their meal and tossed the used items in their inventory. Anton stood, ¡°Well Gopher, I wish you luck. I think I¡¯m going to head toward the town now. If it¡¯s five miles away it¡¯ll take me a little while to get there.
¡°Be careful when you get to the edge of the forest. If there are scavengers or bandits they¡¯ll try to strike before you leave the forest.¡±
¡°You¡¯re not going to go try to hook up with them and get even more loot from me?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Not my style. I am a thief, not a murderer, and yes there is a distinction. I only try to steal. The bandits and scavs as we call them don¡¯t always murder, but more often than not people go missing,¡± Gopher explained.
¡°Well, I¡¯ll be careful, and thank you for the warning,¡± Anton said as he pulled out five more gold coins. ¡°My supplies aren¡¯t infinite but you have helped me quite a bit so consider this a bonus.¡±
Gopher smiled genuinely, ¡°9 gold for hanging out with a human and teaching common for 3 days. I¡¯ve never made money this quick before. Trust me, the pleasure is all mine!¡±
Anton nodded and started walking toward the trail and began following it east toward the town. He thought about everything Gopher had told him about. The forest he was in was one of the largest forests at the border of the human city to the south. The town on the edge of the forest was human-owned but a lot of demi-humans, his term for members of other humanoid races, lived there as well.
Gopher couldn¡¯t tell him what the name of the planet he was on was, nor did he really understand what Anton meant when he tried to explain what a planet was. The forest he was in was the Evermet Forest and the town he was going to was just referred to as The Town. It didn¡¯t have a name. The City to the South was Ancree.
While Anton wasn¡¯t looking for a fight, he¡¯d been unable to identify Gopher¡¯s level or class, His Analyze Skill was still only Common Level 1. He needed to level the skill or purchase an upgrade. As it was the skill had just given him the name and race of the individual.
Gopher Moonkettle, Halfling.
If he was attacked he¡¯d like to at least have an idea of what level creatures or people were attacking him. As it was, he hadn¡¯t seen anything that would give him pause. He¡¯d seen deer, raccoons, rabbits, and even an owl. Just normal creatures. Nothing he¡¯d consider a monster. Also, his Status Screen worked but he hadn¡¯t received a notification since he arrived. Not even one to let him know what world he was in.
Anton put those thoughts at the back of his mind and just enjoyed the walk. While he could move quite fast if he wanted to, he took his time. After a bit, he could see light shining through the trees which meant he was coming to the end of the forest. That¡¯s why he was able to see the bandit standing on a branch that was trying to hide while watching him walk down the trail.
Anton was caught off guard while looking at the archer when a different archer shot him. He was knocked off his feet when an arrow punched into his chest right over his heart. It was actually quite comical. The shot hit him right over the heart and knocked him back and off his feet. If he¡¯d have hit the ground he probably would have tumbled.
Luckily his Mithril armor had kept the arrow from piercing his body and he only took 10 points of damage. As he was falling backward, before he hit the ground, Anton activated Specter and extended the duration to 1 full minute. He stopped the fall and willed himself up and into the treetops looking for the person who had shot him and found ¡°her¡± immediately. She was an elf of some sort. What was it with elves that kept trying to kill him? Maybe he could request a title, something like, ¡°Hated by Elves¡± or something.
While he was considering having a talk with the SYSTEM about titles he also checked to make sure there were no other ambushers by double-checking the other trees in the area. Except for the two archers, there was no one else that he could see in the treetops There were three more people on the ground along the path and not very far from him along the trail though that were moving quickly toward where he should have fallen.
Anton moved 500 feet back and deactivated Specter while he was behind a large tree that gave his attackers no line of sight on him. While he¡¯d moved away the three bandits on the ground had moved over to where he¡¯d disappeared and were searching the area for him. It looked like they were looking for his trail. Good Luck with that, Anton thought as he pulled his sniper rifle from his inventory and moved into a prone firing position behind the tree. He scooted out slowly and took aim through the scope.
His skill with the weapon had been purchased at Rare Level 1 which gave him some innate knowledge on how to set up and fire a sniper rifle. When he scooted out from behind the tree the female elf had moved but the other archer was still in the same tree. Anton lined up the reticle over archer''s heart. Anton considered killing the archer for a moment, then moved the reticle down and to the base of the tree branch. He was using a 50-caliber sniper rifle. The archer, while balanced nicely, was on a branch that couldn¡¯t be more than 6 inches in diameter. A little thicker at the base of the branch where it connected to the tree. Anton targeted just below the archer''s foot and to the side, checked his breath control, and then fired.
The gunshot was loud which caused the four bandits he could see to turn and look in his direction. Until the yelp of their comrade turned their attention to him as he came crashing to the ground. Anton stowed the rifle into this inventory and activated Specter. A moment later an arrow landed near where he¡¯d fired from but obviously, the archer that had fired in that area couldn¡¯t see him and fired blindly. Anton looked back at where the arrow had come from and saw the female archer standing on a different tree branch while the archer who¡¯d fallen out of the treen picked himself up from the ground and looked at his broken bow.
Anton kept Specter active while he moved closer to each bandit to get a good look at them. The three that were rushing toward where he¡¯d fired the gun would be the easiest to recognize, they each had teeth that jutted out from their lower jaw but looked mostly human. Peering at them across the dimensional boundary he couldn¡¯t Analyze them and he wasn¡¯t going to Manifest so they could get a good look at him but he wouldn¡¯t forget their faces. If he had to guess, they were probably half-orcs or some other human hybrid.
The archer he¡¯d knocked out the tree by shooting the branch out from under him looked to be a normal human with long brown hair and a pointed nose. His features were also very distinctive. The female archer was moving from tree to tree and looking for him everywhere. She had piercing green eyes and hair that was light brown at the roots but faded into green at the tips. She also had a very memorable face.
Anton smiled and then moved along the trail until he was out of the forest and down along the road that led into The Town. When he was about 500 feet from the edge of town he crossed a small bridge that had a trail down to a creek. He floated down to the creek, made sure he was alone, and then deactivated Specter.
Anton quickly pulled out the sniper rifle, reloaded it, and stowed it. When he was done he made his way back to the road and walked toward the town. As he walked up to the town he noticed that there were no walls. No walls? Was it a Safe Zone?
Anton walked passed the sign that simply said ¡°The Town¡± which was being generous if he was honest. No notifications meant that it wasn¡¯t a Safe Zone. What were they doing about monster spawns here? Also, calling this set of buildings a town is an over-exaggeration. There were exactly 5 buildings on each side of the road that led off to the south with a few buildings behind those that were obviously places for people to sleep.
The set-up kind of reminds Anton of the cities he saw in the old westerns he used to watch. There was even a building that looked like a saloon right here on the edge of town with some music drifting out of the open doors. Anton walked over to the doorway and stepped through. His senses were assaulted with the all too familiar smell of sweat, tears, blood, and a few more scents he couldn¡¯t make out. There was a bar opposite the entrance so he walked over and took a seat on one of the empty stools.
¡°What¡¯ll it be?¡± a very charismatic-looking man asked.
¡°A beer or mead if you have it?¡±
¡°We have beer, that¡¯ll be three copper. We don¡¯t take SYSTEM Credits here,¡± The bartender said.
Anton pulled 4 copper pieces from his inventory and set them on the counter.
The bartender smiled, grabbed a glass, and cast a spell that chilled it. Ironically the spell was called Chill, at least that is what his Identify skill gave him, ¡°The name¡¯s Herald, this is my bar. The regulars aren¡¯t in yet but they should be here in about an hour or so.¡±
¡°Regulars?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Yeah, this is the only place that provides a meal unless you want to cook it yourself. That costs a silver but does include one drink,¡± Herald explained.
Anton produced a gold coin and set it on the counter, ¡°For dinner and use the half to set me up a line of credit. The rest is for you.¡±
¡°Thank you¡¡± Herald said leadingly.
¡°Anton. The name¡¯s Anton. It¡¯s nice to meet you, Herald.¡±
¡°You as well. You know since you paid for dinner feel free to sit at any table, save the one over in that corner,¡± He said pointing out the table he meant.¡° Serena has that table reserved already.¡±
¡°Thanks, Herald. I¡¯ll go pick a table and if you¡¯d be so kind as to keep my glass filled?¡±
¡°Will do, I¡¯ll also let you know if your tab runs out. If it doesn¡¯t what should I do with the rest?¡± Herald asked.
Anton was about to give detailed instructions but instead just pulled out another gold coin and put it on the counter, ¡°Add this to my credit too. If there¡¯s any change after dinner and all the drinks you give me, keep it.¡±
Herald gave a genuine smile, ¡°You got it, Anton.¡±
Anton stood, picked up his drink, and took a sip. It had a nice full flavor and a kick. Anton walked over to the table by the table Serena had reserved and took a seat with his back against a wall that would allow him to see everyone that was sitting at the table. He had a really good idea of who Serena would be. He couldn¡¯t wait to meet her.
Chapter 22, Excuse Me, Are You...
They¡¯d looked for that damn human for the last hour. He should be dead yet he¡¯d made them look like fools, Serena thought as she walked down the road to The Town.
¡°He must have teleported away,¡± Jerrick, the other Archer in their party said.
¡°Yeah, Ren,¡± Martof, one of the half-orc fighters in their party agreed. ¡°What are the odds we¡¯d run into a mage?¡±
¡°Whatever,¡± Serena finally agreed. Let''s get to the tavern, get a meal, and then get some rest¡±
¡°You can get some rest, but Vrag, Martof, and I are going to have a little fun with the little bit of funds we have left, since we didn¡¯t find anything today,¡± Rug, the third half-orc fighter said.
¡°Suit yourself,¡± Serena agreed as she looked at Jerrick who gave her a smile that promised her that he could make her feel better if she was willing. She weighed her options and then decided why not. She couldn¡¯t always deny the Archer. Besides whatever weapon had blown that branch apart could have just as easily killed the poor guy. He¡¯d been bait and almost died, he deserved a reward, didn¡¯t he?
They made their way into The Town and walked into Herald¡¯s Taven. As they took in the crowd, Serena glanced over at the Table Herald always saved for them, and froze. The man she¡¯d shot earlier was sitting at the table right next their theirs. Back in the forest, she¡¯d had a full minute to look at him and analyze his movements and she knew his face. Jerrick was behind her and noticed that she¡¯d frozen in the doorway as the three fighters entered on their right.
¡°What is it, Ren?¡± Jerrick whispered.
¡°It¡¯s him!¡±
¡°Who¡¯s him?¡± Rug asked looking around the full bar/tavern.
¡°The man sitting by himself at the table right next to ours,¡± Serena said.
Jerrick looked over at the man who¡¯d stood and waved to the bartender as he called out, ¡°Hey Herald, the people you told me about are here. Get them some drinks and see to their meals, I¡¯m buying!¡± the man called out as he pulled out two gold coins and held them up for Herald.
Serena¡¯s mind froze. What was this man doing? She¡¯d tried to kill him and he was buying their drinks and food? What was going on? She regained her composure and led her team over to the table as Herald carried over five mugs.
¡°Here you are Serena, courtesy of Anton,¡± the bartender said as he nodded toward the man she¡¯d tried to kill. When their gazes met, he raised a glass to her in salute.
¡°Thank you, Herald,¡± Serena said with a forced smile.
¡°What is he doing?¡± Jerrick asked.
¡°I do not know,¡± Serena said.
***
Anton sat and drank his beer while he watched the room and his ¡°friends¡± who were eating the dinners he¡¯d purchased for them. When they were done eating and Herald had brought the five of them all another drink Anton stood and moved over to Serena, ¡°Mind if I join you?¡±
Serena looked up with a smile, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid we¡¯ll kill you?¡±
¡°Not at all,¡± Anton said with a cocky smile.
Serena gave him a disdainful look which caused Anton to smile wider.
Without warning the first Half-Orc sitting to her left drew his sword and tried to stab Anton through the chest. The other two half-orcs stood quickly which caused their chairs to fall over as they drew their larger weapons as well.
Anton was somewhat surprised when he fluidly drew both his long sword and short sword and parried the first thrust with his short sword while he waved the longsword at the other two which caused them to step back and take up a defensive stance.
¡°Hold!¡± Serena called out.
The three half-orcs immediately stepped back as Anton looked at them warily. He¡¯d purchased the Skill Two-Weapon Fighting Style at Skill Level Rare Level 1. It had been almost too easy to parry the first half-orcs blow and push the other two back. Anton Analyzed the three Half-Orcs. It looked like his skill still wasn¡¯t high enough to get all of their information but he was able to pull their names, classes, and levels.
Half-Orc: Vrag, Thug, Level 7
Half-Orc: Rug, Thug, Level 6
Half-Orc: Martof, Fighter, Level 8
No wonder their attacks felt pathetic, they were basic low-level thugs. Anton¡¯s thoughts were pulled back to Serena when she asked, ¡°Anton, is it? What can I do for you?¡±
Anton activated Analyze again and looked over Serena and the man beside her.
Half-Elf: Serena, Marksmen, Level 17
Human, Jerrick, Archer, Level 11
What the hell? Anton had checked the other partons in Herald¡¯s Tavern while he¡¯d waited. One person was above level 5. Everyone else was somewhere between levels 1 and 4 and had very common classes like Farmer, Woodcutter, Fisherman, Teacher, etc. There was even a Blacksmith but he was only level 2. It didn¡¯t make any sense. If these people had been doing the job for a little while they should be at least level 10 or higher. Basic classes didn¡¯t require as much XP to level after all.
Anton finished looking around the room and then focused on Serena who was looking at him. She looked a the half-orcs and then said, ¡°Boys get another table, Jerrick and I need to talk with Anton here.
The half-orcs shrugged, sheathed their weapons, picked up their drinks, and moved to another table. Anton sheathed his weapons as Herald walked up, ¡°Is there a problem over here Serena? Anton?¡± he asked looking back and forth between the two of them.
Anton shook his head as he pulled out two more gold coins and handed them to Herald, ¡°No problem. Please make sure my new ¡°friends¡±, he said as he nodded toward the half-orcs, ¡°at the other table keep their cups full. Us as well please.¡±
Herald smiled at the coin but looked to Serena and Jerrick to confirm that everything was okay. Serena gave a quick nod and Herald smiled as he turned back to Anton, ¡°I¡¯ll see to it.¡±
Anton watched as Herald turned and went back to the bar. He moved his chair from his table over to the table with Serena and Jerrick sat down.
Before Anton could ask a question, Serena said, ¡°Awfully generous with your coin, aren¡¯t you?¡±
Anton nodded, ¡°I earned these specific coins almost two years ago, they¡¯re burning holes in my pocket. Might as well use them to make some new friends and maybe learn a few things about the places I find myself in.¡±
¡°Very generous indeed, Mr. Anton,¡± Serena said.
¡°It¡¯s just Anton. Also, if it¡¯s not too rude to ask, why is everyone here so low-leveled except for the two of you?
¡°Low leveled?¡± Serena said questioningly. ¡°We are some of the highest-level individuals North of the City of Ancree, at least until you get to the other side of the forest. Also, you don¡¯t seem to be that high of a level yourself,¡±
¡°Yeah, but where I¡¯ve come from I¡¯ve run into a lot higher level individuals than the people I¡¯m seeing here, and that was only after a few months of integration into The SYSTEM¡±
¡°Integration into The SYSTEM, what do you mean by that?¡± Serena asked.
¡°You know, when The SYSTEM first turns on and everything changes,¡± Anton said.
¡°No idea what you''re talking about,¡± Serena said. ¡°The SYSTEM has always been here, since before I was born.¡±
¡°Still, everyone here seems to be quite low in levels. Also, if the half-orcs skill levels with their weapons are any indication, skill levels aren¡¯t that high either,¡± Anton said.
¡°You¡¯re quite sure of yourself Anton?¡± Jerrick said flatly
¡°Yep, it comes with dying so many times you lose track. Now there are two ways to continue. First, I continue to pay the tab and we have a friendly conversation because I¡¯m new around here.¡±
¡°And the Second?¡± Serena asked.
¡°Well, I show you what the weapon that blew that branch out from under your feet does to the flesh,¡± Anton said with a self-deprecating smile. ¡°I¡¯d prefer to remain friendly if it¡¯s all the same to you.¡±
¡°You realize that we do not take kindly to threats,¡± Serena noted pleasantly
¡°Nor, do I take kindly to being shot in the chest without warning,¡± Anton said as he held Serena¡¯s gaze.
After a moment Serena relented and said, ¡°Very well, what would you like to know?¡±
¡°First, why are there no monsters spawning in this area? This Town doesn¡¯t have walls. I would have thought it would have walls since it isn¡¯t a safe zone.¡±
¡°You really aren¡¯t from around here are you?¡± Jerrick asked with a laugh.
¡°I am not. Serena?¡± Anton asked making it clear that he would like an answer.
¡°Ancree, The City south of us, has a very powerful Arch-Mage. There are no monsters because the Arch-Mage created The Crystal of Ancree which sits upon the highest tower. Any monsters that enter within its sphere of influence are annihilated.¡±
¡°Annihilated?¡±
¡°Truly, I¡¯ve seen it once. If you travel to the middle of the forest where the Crystals range ends you can watch the monsters there. If they charge across the maximum range of the Crystal and enter its influence, they evaporate, like a log after it¡¯s burnt to ash when you kick it. They just burst apart into flakes of ash which quickly evaporate. Nothing of them is left.¡±
¡°And the reason for everyone having low levels?¡± Anto asked.
¡°Any experience earned within the influence of the Crystal is heavily taxed by the Crystal and goes to the Arch-Mage or whoever he designates. It¡¯s the cost of living in safety,¡± Serena said.
¡°That sounds oppressive,¡± Anton said.
¡°It is. The only reason we are the levels we are is because we earned them outside of the Crystal¡¯s influence. Also, it seems that the Crystal¡¯s radius is expanding,¡± Jerrick said.
¡°So why hasn¡¯t anyone tried to remove the Crystal, or destroy it?¡± Anton asked.
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
A look of fright entered both Serena and Jerrick¡¯s eyes. Serena leaned forward quickly and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t even joke about that, the Arch-Mage can see and hear all within his domain. Comments like that get people struck down by the Crystal.¡±
Anton disregarded the warning but nodded along, ¡°Very well. I take it the Arch-Mage runs Ancree?¡±
¡°He does. He also has dominion over everyone with the Crystal¡¯s influence,¡± Serena said.
Anton asked a few more questions but soon learned everything he needed to know. Ancree, to the South, was the true hub of this region which was run by the Arch-Mage. There were merchants but all paid a very high tax to the Arch-Mage. Also, there was only one SYSTEM Shop that anyone knew of in the nearby area. It was only accessible from the Arch-Mage¡¯s Tower at the center of Ancree. Otherwise, everyone had to use the merchants who paid their taxes directly to the Arch-Mage.
To Anton, it sounded like this Arch-Mage was a real prick that was lording it over everyone. If their XP and treasure were taxed so much that they couldn¡¯t grow, never mind that he hadn¡¯t known that he could tax XP as the owner of a Domain. Even if could tax people living in his domain, how were the people of this area going to grow and survive when a truly powerful monster appeared? A better question, was Anton going to do anything about it? He was American by birth and abhorred slavery and this sure felt like slavery but should he get involved? As far as he could tell everyone was safe from the monsters, weren¡¯t they? He wasn¡¯t the hero and if the SYSTEM wanted those people free, they¡¯d be free.
SYSTEM QUEST!
Free the SYSTEM ¨C You have entered a Domain where the SYSTEM has been curtailed by an unauthorized artifact. Remove the Artifact.
Reward: 10,000 XP and 10,000 million Credits.
Optional Condition: Destroy the Artifact
Reward: 1 million XP and 1 million Credits.
Ask a stupid question. Anton¡¯s eyes lit up with mirth as he accepted the quest and closed the notification. He listened to Serena and Jerrick continue to talk about the local area and the various kingdoms outside of the Arch-Mages domain. The halflings had their town to the north. There was also a settlement of dwarves in the mountains even farther north of the forest about a week''s travel away from the halfling town, though Serena wasn¡¯t too impressed with the area. It was relatively low level and most of the quests that were offered related to mining in some way. Anton estimated that the dwarves were over 500 miles north, probably further
To the west, the forest extended for at least a month''s travel, and the elves were known to live throughout the woods with a few other races. To the South of Ancree, outside the range of the Crystal of Ancree was another city that was, as Serena described it, weird. The SYSTEM was more volatile in that area though it was easier to level. She¡¯d only visited once and she didn¡¯t like it. If you weren¡¯t Noble, you weren¡¯t squat and you were treated as such. Most people that visited the city visited it because of the Dungeon under the Castle. Serena had never been to the Dungeon so couldn¡¯t offer any information on it.
Anton talked with Jerrick and Serena while the half-orcs drank and flirted with the local ladies who Anton soon realized were working women. He wondered for a moment how that worked, both physically and if the profession was a class they gained levels and experience in. Then he decided he didn¡¯t want to know, though if he could find a lady to dally with. It had been a long time after all. He had pissed off the SYSTEM, was in a new world, and had no idea how the culture was here. Yeah, that was a hard no, at least until he understood the environment a little more. For now, throw gold at it until it works. If that didn¡¯t work then fight or run. That strategy had been working for him so far after all.
Besides, he had a quest from The SYSTEM and if he wasn¡¯t mistaken doing what he did back on Earth had pissed it, or something that oversaw it off so he¡¯d be a good boy for the moment and do what he was told, at least from the SYSTEM.
¡°You look lost in thought,¡± Serena asked as she took a sip of her beer.
¡°I am, though I have a question, how much do those girls get paid for their services?¡±
¡°Serena looked at the ladies and smiled, ¡°It depends. They charge a silver piece but can make quite a bit in tips if they¡¯re good at their craft.¡±
¡°You sound like you are someone who has utilized their services?¡± Anton asked.
¡°I have, and I do. Though not just the ladies. There are a few men too, but their upstairs and rarely come down. Also, because men in the business are rare they are a little more expensive,¡± Serena shared. Anton noted that her eyes were slightly glazed indicating that she was slightly intoxicated.
Anton stood for a moment, ¡°I¡¯ll be right back,¡± he said as he walked over to the table with the three half-orcs and the three ladies who were giving them all of their attention.
The half-orcs watched Anton walk up to the table warily but the ladies just smiled in his direction. Anton smiled back at the women as he produced 6 gold coins from his inventory. He set one coin in front of each Half-orc and handed one to each of the ladies. All six looked at him questioningly.
¡°Ladies, the coins are for services rendered to my ¡®friends¡¯ Please take good care of them.¡± Each of the women smiled as they pocketed the gold coins and cozied up to the Half-Orcs.
As Anton turned to leave the three Half-Orcs roared happily as each of the ladies made a point to adjust their position so they were sitting on their laps as they draped their arms around their shoulders and started stroking their heads. Anton smiled as he walked over to the counter and drew Herald¡¯s attention to him. When he walked over, Anton placed 10 gold on the counter, which Herald quickly covered and then picked up.
As Herald pocketed the coins he asked, ¡°What are these for Anton?¡±
Anton smiled and then raised his voice, ¡°Everyone, Drinks are on Herald here. Enjoy yourself!¡±
A roar of applause went out and the 40-odd customers inside the tavern cheered. Herald just shook his head and smiled as Anton turned and walked back over to his table with Serena and Jerrick. As he sat down he pulled out two gold coins and set one in front of each of them.
¡°What¡¯s this for?¡± Jerrick asked.
¡°I would appreciate it if you would make sure that anyone that goes after Herald for his money doesn¡¯t ever have the opportunity to do so again?¡±
¡°What makes you think we won¡¯t come after you for the money you have?¡± Jerrick asked with a hint of a smile on his lips.
¡°Just make sure Herald is kept safe, please. I may be back or I may not but what can it hurt, there¡¯s no one here that I¡¯ve noticed that can take the five of you on if you offer your protection to Herald he¡¯ll be safe enough.
Serena nodded, ¡°True, but we have expenses, how about 5 gold?¡±
¡°And you look after him for at least the next week,¡± Anton added.
¡°For a week?¡± Serena mused, ¡°10 gold?¡± Serena said.
¡°Done!¡±, Anton said as he smiled and pulled out another 10 gold and handed them to Serena.
Serena smiled and pocketed the 11 gold Anton had given her. Anton stood, ¡°Well, I must be off, things to do, places to see, and cities to free,¡± Anton said.
¡°Still not afraid we¡¯ll come after you? Jerrick asked.
¡°Not at all,¡± Anton said with a smile. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be able to catch me if you tried,¡± Anton proclaimed as he activated Specter and then Manifest which made it appear as if he¡¯d flickered where he was standing. Then he shot straight through the ceiling. Once he was above The Town he deactivated Manifest and increased his speed as he headed South toward Ancree.
Ancree ended up only being 50 miles away from The Town. If he¡¯d decided to walk the trip would have taken about 12 hours. In his Specter Form, he made it in under 3 minutes. As he came up to the city he noticed the giant tower at the center of the city and moved toward the top where he could see a giant glowing crystal. Anton adjusted course and moved toward the crystal.
Anton passed through a barrier that extended into the dimension he was currently in. It didn¡¯t affect him though. Anton pulled up his Status Screen and looked over his ability Anti-Mage.
Anti-Mage ¨C You are the antithesis of all magical spheres, including natural expressions of those energies, such as lightning and fire for example. Additionally, this ability allows you to break down all physical matter given enough time and will. You may break down one pound of physical material per hour equal to your willpower attribute. Energy of any type automatically dissipates within willpower inches from your body. Note: Soul, Spirit, and Mental attacks are unaffected by this ability.
He could admit to himself that he had forgotten about the ability to break down physical matter. Nor had he looked at the radius Anti-Mage could work at. He¡¯d just set it to five feet, and that¡¯s where it had stayed. Anton extended the radius out to its full range which was just over 22 feet so it would cover the whole platform the Crystal sat on.
Anton deactivated Specter and appeared next to Crystal. The Crystal hovered in the middle of a 30 x 30-foot platform with the human-sized light blue Crystal of Ancree at its center. Off to the side about 5 feet, there was a rectangular depression that ended up being a stairway that led down to the floor below where a door was currently shut.
Warning the Crystal of Ancree has been deactivated. Mana Flow and normal SYSTEM rules have been reinstituted.
There was a pop as a very pissed-off-looking man appeared at the edge of his Anti-Magic bubble. Anton watched as the look of anger turned to one of shock and then horror as he fell away from the tower. Must suck to have your teleport prematurely ended as well as all other magic that might help you fly, Anton thought as a huge smile erupted on his face. Yes, it would suck indeed.
There was a yelp and the man that had appeared dropped below the platform and out of sight. A moment later the Arch-Mage floated up outside the range of the Anti-Mage field Anton was producing and then over and Anton so that he was looking down on him, out past the edge of his anti-magic bubble.
¡°I command you to stop!¡± the man, who had to be the Arch-Mage said.
¡°Stop what exactly?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Stop Suppressing the Crystal!¡±
¡°This Crystals?¡± Anton asked innocently as he reached over, touched the crystal, and utilized his Anti-Mage ability to destroy the physical structure of the Crystal. The ironic thing about the Crystal, even though it was quite large there was almost no weight to it. As he watched the physical structure evaporate he noted that the Crystal contained all types of solidified magic, including undefined magic, or mana. Anton was pretty sure if he hadn¡¯t done this inside his Anti-Mage field there would have been a horrendous explosion.
Anton watched as the mana unraveled into pure energy and then rushed into him. Anton activated Hyper Focus, Aura Sight, and Eagle Eyes as he tried to follow the energy streams that entered his body. He watched as the energy entered his Mental Refuge and then went deeper. There was a deeper? Anton couldn¡¯t follow the energy but someone how he was able to watch the enter travel down what seemed to be a very long tube until it entered what looked like a solar system to him. Once in the solar system, the energy rushed toward one of the ¡°planets¡± and disappeared into it.
Unfortunately, he had neither the skill nor the ability to hold his vision on that location indefinitely, and his sight of the energy and the planet faded. He found himself once more in his Mental Refuge. Immediately he was once again able to sense what was happening around his body and noted that the Mage was casting a spell. He also, noticed that he¡¯d received a few notifications but he ignored those for now.
Anton deactivated Mental Refuge and looked up at the Mage as he cast his spell and called out, ¡°Excuse me, are you just stupid?¡±
The Mage ignored Anton and continued casting his spell. Anton looked on and had a thought. He pulled out his Mossberg 590 Shockwave Shotgun and ensured that it was loaded with Armor Piercing Incendiary rounds. He was considering if Spectral Reach would let him do what he wanted to do when his thoughts were interrupted.
¡°And Now You Die!¡± the Mage proclaimed as a blue portal laced with gold and silver opened 100 feet above Anton and a bolt of Earth-shattering lightning shot down at Anton and disappeared 22.17 feet from the top of his head.
¡°Damn! That looked like it might have hurt,¡± Anton said to the mage who had been shocked into immobility.
¡°My turn,¡± Anton said as he activated Specter, floated up behind the mage, and activated Spectral Reach to push his hands through the dimensional barrier with his shotgun, which was aimed at the back of the mage¡¯s head when he pulled the trigger
You have attacked Level 31 Arch-Mage for 240 points of Damage (Base 100 + 20 fire damage doubled due to a critical hit.)
240 points of critical damage to the back of the head. (+240% chance to be knocked unconscious. -71% for target¡¯s Willpower attribute bonus)
No further defensive bonuses noted.
169% Chance to be knocked unconscious.
Arch Mage has failed Willpower check.
Arch Mage has been knocked unconscious.
Anton was more surprised by the fact that the Arch-Mage hadn¡¯t died than at the fact that he¡¯d been knocked unconscious, though the play-by-play the SYSTEM gave for the shotgun blast was informative. As he was checking those combat Notifications Anton failed to react as the unconscious mage fell from the top of the tower to slam into the ground taking even more damage.
Anton pulled the shotgun back through the dimensional barrier and stowed it in his inventory as he floated down to the ground and deactivated Specter. The Arch-Mage was alive, though he was still unconscious. Anton ended that problem by pulling his short sword and decapitating the Arch-Mage which was made easier because any magical defenses he had were automatically nullified by Anton¡¯s Anti-Mage ability.
Congratulations! You have Slain a Level 31 Arch-Mage with a Coup-De-Grace
You have Earned 86,200 Experience Points.
You have Earned 431 Gold
You have Completed the Quest ¡°Free the SYSTEM¡±
You have Completed the Optional Quest ¡°Destroy the Crystal of Ancree¡±
You have Completed the Hidden Optional Quest ¡°Kill the Arch-Mage of Ancree¡± Bounty amount currently 100,000 Credits. In addition to the bounty, you have also earned 100,000 XP.
Congratulations! You have Earned Level 22
Congratulations! You have Earned Level 23
Anton touched the body and the head and deposited them into his inventory before he activated Specter, returned to the top of the tower, and looked down on the city below. Hopefully the SYSTEM, or at least the prick that had thrown him into the void would get off his case for a bit. While he agreed that the crystal had to be destroyed because it hampered personal growth for the people in this area it also seemed that it had been keeping the people here safe. Now that the Crystal was destroyed things were definitely about to change for this domain.
Anton laughed. Serena and her crew had agreed to watch over Herald. After this change, Anton was absolutely sure he¡¯d received the better deal because, with nothing to keep the monsters in check, those five were going to be very busy for the foreseeable future. Shoot him in the chest without even talking to him first would she? Karma was a bitch and she would come calling to those five, Anton was sure of it.
Chapter 23, Arbiter
As Anton looked around the top of the tower a few more Notifications populated his vision.
Congratulations! You have received 1 million XP and 11 million credits for permanently destroying the Artifact, ¡°The Crystal of Ancree.¡±
Congratulations! You have earned levels 24 through 34.
You have destroyed the City Lord of Ancree, would you like to make the City of Ancree an official domain of yours, Yes or No?
Anton chose ¡°Yes¡±
Congratulations! You are now the City Lord of Ancree and its surrounding hamlets.
You have earned 10,000 XP for conquering a city one category greater than your own.
Anton took in the notifications and then activated Specter. Next, he extended the duration by 10 minutes and opened up his Status Screen while he floated above the roof of the tower. He distributed his attributes as he had been, 1 point per level to each attribute, except Perception which received 2. He also noted the bonus attributes to Perception, Intelligence, and Willpower he received every 5 levels. Anton pulled up his Attributes to check their current values.
Strength 86
Agility 88
Dexterity 88
Endurance 290
Constitution 96
Perception 168
Intelligence 96
Wisdom 86
Willpower 296
Charisma 86
Luck 90
Hit Points: 485
Stamina: 3,070
Mana: 0
Psychic Energy: 409
His regeneration rates were great but he knew that for his Hit Points, it didn¡¯t matter. If they couldn¡¯t kill him within 2 combat turns, his health would be fully replenished which would make his regeneration rate 24.25 per second if that¡¯s the way his regeneration worked. It didn¡¯t of course.
As he looked over his Status Screen he noted that he¡¯d unlocked another Class Skill at Level 30.
Planar Shift - You may move from your current universe or dimension into an adjacent Universe or Dimension for 100 Psychic Energy. While useful for reaching adjacent dimensions this skill will only allow movement to other Universes where they intersect which is usually near portals or leylines. Not this Class Skill allows the user to bypass any dimensional locks that might prevent one from crossing a dimensional barrier.
Anton intuitively knew how the skill worked and realized that the skill had been automatically unlocked because he¡¯d been trapped in the void. So much for being stuck in the void again, unless they took the skill away of course. Then again, could they? Better not to find out. Satisfied with his new attributes and skill, Anton floated down the stairway and through the door.
On the other side of the door, he found the wizard''s room with the SYSTEM Shop node in it. Otherwise, it was a pretty bare and sparse room. Anton activated Spectral Reach and touched the Node and looked for a way to move the node. In the end, he tried to move the node to his Personal Storage and it worked. The node moved into his Personal Storage and Anton deactivated his Spectral Reach skill. Next, he went looking for the City Node, He found it in the next room next to what could only be defined as a Throne Room which had two guards protecting it.
Anton deactivated Specter and appeared in the Throne Room. Two guards turned to him and drew their weapons as the one on his left called, ¡°Halt!¡±
Anton pulled a longsword and shortsword from this inventory, ¡°I have destroyed the Arch-Mage, The Crystal of Ancree is no more I am the rightful ruler of this Domain. Stand Down!,¡± Anton declared with conviction.
He had hoped if he appeared to know what he was talking about these two guards would just go along with it. That was a big no as the guard on the left that had called out moved to attack him while the one on his right stepped back and began casting a spell.
Anton ignored the spell caster and parried the guard who was moving into attack with his offhand short blade while he slipped the longsword up under his guard and drew the blade across his wrist. The guard was wearing chain mail which made no difference to Anton¡¯s sword. Especially, since any magical defenses in the armor were negated while within 22 feet of Anton. The chainmail would normally have blocked the blow but Anton¡¯s strength pushed through the armor''s defense and while he didn¡¯t cut the man''s wrist he brought enough pressure from the blade that the guard dropped his weapon.
The anti-magic field also proved especially effective and satisfying as the second guard finished casting his spell and nothing happened. As the caster looked at Anton in bewilderment and the other guard pulled out a healing potion and started to drink it, Anton withdrew the SYSTEM Shop Node from his Personal Storage and placed it on the floor before the Throne while he reached out and touched the City Node.
¡°What are you doing?¡± a robed man said as he ran in from the other room. ¡°You are not the City Lord!¡±
¡°In point-of-fact, I am the City Lord. Who are you?¡± Anton called out as he withdrew his shotgun from his inventory and pointed it at the ground between the two soldiers. ¡°If either of you two approach me again without being asked to do so by me¡¡±
Anton was cut off when the guard who had recovered his sword started to rush at him. Luckily for the guard, Anton had pulled out a different shotgun that was loaded with bean bag rounds because you never knew when you¡¯d want stopping power that didn¡¯t kill your opponent. Without hesitation, Anton aimed the shotgun just below the man''s navel and pulled the trigger. There was a loud ¡°BOOM.¡± The guard¡¯s sword went flying as he crumpled to the ground holding his family jewels and moaning. Everyone else in the room was too stunned to move and froze up.
Anton cleared his throat and then projected his voice with an air of command and authority like a military drill instructor, ¡°Now that I have your attention, I was going to say that if you approached me without permission, I was going to shoot you with my BOOMSTICK!¡± Anton almost lost his composure as he paused to get himself back under control. He¡¯d always wanted to say that.
Anton looked around the room before he continued, ¡°Now, someone come drag this guard to the back of the room and summon a healer. Magic will not work near me so heal him over there,¡± Anton said as he pointed to a corner of the room. Anton focused his attention on the man in the robe who had entered the room, ¡°Now, who are you and why can¡¯t I be the City Lord?¡±
¡°I am Martin Longshire, Head Merchant of Ancree. You cannot be the City Lord because there are contracts and oaths binding the¡¡±
Anton cut the man off, ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure any agreements you had with the previous City Lord are null and void. In fact, let me help you with that,¡± Anton said as he opened the City Tab in in his Status window and pulled up the Tax information.
Anton kept an eye on the people in the room as he looked over the city tax settings which made absolutely no sense. There were loopholes within loopholes which ultimately led to the City Lord and the Merchants making all the profit. He also found the XP Tax which was set to 95% which was insane.
As he looked over the City Status Anton realized these people were woefully unprepared for what was about to happen to them. Also, if he decided to leave the city, which was what he was going to have to do anyway, someone would rise to power and would just do this again. He could start the process but how would he know what was fair? Nope, it was time for these people to choose for themselves. These people were going to get a SYSTEM integration, just like Earth had where everyone was equal and then they could strive for dominance just like everyone else.
Are you Sure that you would like to sell the rights for the City of Ancree back to the SYSTEM? There will be a significant penalty to this sale, Yes or No?¡±
Anton chose ¡°Yes¡±
Ancree
Current Population? 517,344.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
City Perks
+10% Population Growth Rate
+10% Healing Rate
+25% Population Happiness
City Bonuses
City Bonuses help in all associated tasks.
+25% Food Production
+50% to Trade
+25% to Mana Regeneration
Current City Funds 17,644 Gold
Current Value: 138,498,800 SYSTEM Credits
Cost Breakdown
Population: 51,734,400
Funds: 1,764,400
Food Production: 15,000,000
Trade: 55,000,000
Mana Regeneration: 15,000,000
Sale Value: 13,849,880 SYSTEM Credits
Repurchase Price: 152,348,680 Credits
If repurchase is not desired a basic City Node may be purchased to replace the previous City Node for 10,000 Credits. All perks and benefits associated with the previous City Node will be lost.
Anton pulled the SYSTEM Shop Node out of his Personal Storage and placed it beside where the City Node used to be. He¡¯d gained just over 13 million credits for the sale which was nothing to laugh at but it still wasn¡¯t enough for him to purchase the means to get back to Earth.
¡°What have you done?¡± the robbed Martin Longshire screamed, as everyone else in the room made a swiping motion to close their notifications and also looked back to Anton.
Before Anton could answer a new notification appeared in his vision.
Congratulations! You have completed the secret quest, Self Determination.
The SYSTEM provides avenues of progress through personal growth and social growth. Ether method is acceptable as there is always progress and innovation. Those individuals or items within the SYSTEM that take from others and/or hamper their personal growth are abhorred by the SYSTEM. While The SYSTEM will not go out of its way to target such individuals for items specifically should a circumstance become available in which the individual or item may be dealt with the circumstance of that correction will be rewarded.
Reward? You have gained 517,343 Karmic Luck, 10,000 XP, and the Title Fate¡¯s Arbiter
Fate¡¯s Arbiter ¨C As an Arbiter of Fate you will receive specific quests and direct guidance to ensure SYSTEM cohesion. To facilitate your new role Constitution, Willpower, and Luck have received +10 and receive a +100% Efficiency bonus.
Anton read the notification and closed the window. Karmic Luck, whatever that was good for. 10,000 XP, always nice though it left him 17,757 XP shy of level 35. Finally, he¡¯d received a new Title with a small bonus to three attributes and an overall large effect to those attributes.
Anton opened his Status Screen and checked. Constitution¡¯s Base had been increased to 58 but with the efficiency bonus now at 200%, Constitution now sat at 174 and provided a +82 attribute modifier. Willpower¡¯s effective value was 474 and Luck was 195. One thing he noticed immediately was that he now had a damage resistance. It looked like for every 100 points in Constitution he received a point of Damage resistance which was removed from all incoming physical damage before any damage was applied. That could come in handy.
Anton closed his notification to find Martin still looking at him. It also looked like he didn¡¯t take kindly to being ignored. Now that his notifications had been reviewed he turned to Martin, ¡°I completed a SYSTEM-generated quest. I also pulled out the SYSTEM Shop that the Arch-Mage had hidden in his quarters because I¡¯m pretty sure you all are going to need it going forward. Anyway, I¡¯m not your City Lord so, remember monster spawns happened now that the Crystal of Ancree is no more and this isn¡¯t a City or Safe Zone, Good Luck!¡± Anton said as he activated Specter and floated up through the ceiling. Once he was above the city he followed the main street south and out of City.
As he flew over the city he noticed that guards were leading people to larger structures and people seemed to working together. It looked at lost less panicked than he¡¯d felt when the SYSTEM came to Earth. Now that the city node was gone, the people here would start leveling normally and hopefully, they¡¯d be able to work together to re-establish Ancree. If not there would be survivors and they would move out. Sure, he could have tried to help the city out but this was a world with politics he didn¡¯t understand. He wanted to get back to Earth and try to at least help the people from that Alternate Earth. Barring that, he could try to get to his original Earth. Maybe the next time he was in a shop he¡¯d try to purchase information on how to his original universe or back to Minneapolis on the Earth he¡¯d ended up on. He could do so in Ancree but decided to cut his losses, or theirs, and headed out
As he traveled he thought about his new title, Fate¡¯s Arbiter. It wasn¡¯t his job to save everyone but maybe he could make existence a little more fair for people that crossed his path. Two towns in less than a day and the most powerful in both areas were left with a mess to clean up. Maybe he was Karma¡¯s instrument? A small instrument to be sure but still, he had to admit, he felt kind of good about sticking it to the asshole of the world, material plane, Universe? Of course, there would be a bill to pay at the end, or had he paid it way back at the beginning?
Anton continued to rise into the sky until he was just under the cloud level and followed the coastline south for a bit and then slowed to a hover as he activated Battle Mediation to recover the Psychic Energy he¡¯d spent over the last hour. In less than two minutes he was ready to go and continued south. The other city, which Serena had only referred to as ¡°The City¡± was a lot further south of Ancree than Ancree had been from ¡°The Town¡±
Anton followed the coastline. From as high up as he was it was easy to discern that this area resembled the Gulf of Mexico though it was much smaller and this definitely wasn¡¯t another alternate Earth. After another hour traveling at a respectable 100 miles per hour, Anton passed over a small hamlet. He could also see the larger city off to the south.
It looked like there were gate guards and sentries and patrols. It also looked like this would be as good a place as any to make an entrance. Anton used Battle Meditation to replenish his Psychic Energy and moved to a point one mile north of the hamlet. After he checked to make sure the coast was clear, Anton deactivated Specter and appeared in his leather armor with his long sword and short sword in visible sight. He¡¯d chosen the place to reappear carefully and stepped out from behind a couple of trees onto the road and started walking south. Anton activated Eagle Eyes and Aura Sight to help him see in the dark but it almost wasn¡¯t necessary as two moons were in the partly cloudy sky making sure there was enough light to see by.
Anton walked south along the road for about 15 minutes until he came within range of the hamlet where two sentries stood at the gate.
¡°Hello their stranger, Where would you be headed?¡±
Before Anton answered he willed the radius of his Anti-Mage aura to as close to his skin as possible. If word made it this far south he didn¡¯t want anyone to automatically assume it was him. At least not yet. After he¡¯d adjusted his Anti-Mage radius he said, ¡°A weary traveler looking for room and board, maybe a place to get a mug of ale and pillow to rest my head on.,¡±
The second guard called out in a gruff voice, ¡°It¡¯ll be two silver to pass through the gate and enter the town. There might also be an entry fee to enter the city as well.¡±
¡°The city south of here?¡± Anton asked
¡°That would be the one, you''re coming from the Arch-Mages territory aren¡¯t you?¡±
¡°It was, the Arch-mage has fallen,¡± Anton said.
¡°Truly? What of the Crystal of Ancree?¡± The first guard asked with barely contained excitement.
¡°I received the following message just a short while ago,¡± Anton said as he summoned a notification window to share the message with them.
Warning the Crystal of Ancree has been deactivated. Mana Flow and normal SYSTEM rules have been reinstituted.
¡°It¡¯s hard to fake one of those Rob,¡± The first guard said.
¡°I know, I know. You run and tell the Captain. I¡¯ll watch the gate. You,¡± the second guard said as he pointed at Anton, ¡°You, can enter the hamlet for free. The news you just brought us is more than enough compensation. Taven is about a hundred feet down the street on the right,¡± Rob said as the first guard ran off toward a building in the distance.
¡°Thank you, Rob is it?¡±
¡°You¡¯re quite welcome, now be on your way,¡± Rob said.
Anton stepped through the gate and started walking down the street as he looked for the Tavern. It was quite easy to notice as the sounds of multiple conversations and a musical voice rang out of the building into the night.
Mental Influence Resisted!
Anton hadn¡¯t received that notification in a long time. As he focused on what could have set off his resistance he realized it was from the voice of the singer. The voice was just so beautiful that he wanted to get lost in it. Even so, he walked into the Tavern and looked around to see a silent crowd watching an elf sing near the back of the room. The language wasn¡¯t familiar but the emotions that were conveyed made it abundantly clear that the beautiful elf, in her light blue dress with green eyes and platinum highlighted blonde hair was singing of a loss she would never recover from. As the song came to an end Anton noticed that there wasn¡¯t a dry eye in the tavern, save the bartender and himself.
Many Patrons walked forward and placed a coin or two in a bowl on a table that another female elf sat at. She had the look of a warrior or rogue and was dressed in leathers like himself. Anton made his way forward and pulled out a gold coin from his inventory which he placed in the bowl. The leather-clad elf¡¯s eyes widened a bit but then she recovered and Anton moved to the bar where he took a seat.
A burly human, bald with a trimmed mustache and giant beard walked up, ¡°The name¡¯s Bard, not like the class, it''s just my name, What can I get you?¡±
¡°A beer or mead, whatever you have,¡± Anton replied.
¡°Mead it is!¡± Bard said as he pulled a glass from under the bar and a bottle appeared in his hand which he poured into the glass, ¡°that¡¯ll be a silver please?¡±
Anton pulled out three silver and handed them over, ¡°Two silver are for this drink and a refill, the third is for you.¡±
¡°Thank you, Sir. What can I call you if you don¡¯t mind me asking?¡±
¡°Anton. It¡¯s nice to meet you, Bard,¡± Anton said as he took a long drink of the mead.¡±
Bard turned from Anton and went about his business as the elvish singer sat down beside Anton on his right and the leather-clad elf set down on his left.
¡°Good evening Anton, I am Aredhel and my friend with the daggers on your left is Lia. I¡¯d like to thank you for your generous donation even though you weren¡¯t mentally swayed by voice.¡±
Anton was taken aback. He hadn¡¯t even considered that someone would blatantly use their abilities to make a living. As he considered her words he realized he should have. If you needed money there were only a few ways you were going to get it in this crazy SYSTEM run world and someone with a magical voice could definitely pull in money with that voice.
¡°You have a beautiful voice, I thought you deserved more than a copper or silver coin,¡± Anton said with a smile.
¡°See Lia, there are decent humans in the world,¡± Aredhel said.
¡°If you say so,¡± Lia answered blandly.
Anton knew immediately that winning Lia over was going to be a chore. Anton considered his next action and then asked, ¡°It seems that you knew my name before I came over here. Can I ask how you did? I haven¡¯t been in the city long.¡±
¡°The same way we know that you¡¯re level 34 and that you¡¯re a Tier 1, Specter, whatever that is,¡± Aredhel said.
¡°Analyze?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Analyze, the skill, not the spell, our spells didn¡¯t work on you,¡± Aredhel said.
Just then Bard walked up. Before he could ask a question, Anton pulled out a gold coin and put it on the bar, ¡°Whatever the ladies are having.
¡°Ladies?¡± Brad said questioningly
¡°Two meads will be fine, Brad,¡± Aredhel said.
Brad pulled out two glasses, filled them, and handed them over as he pocketed the gold coins. Once both ladies had taken a drink of their mead Anton asked, ¡°So what can I do you?¡±
¡°We need to return to the Elvish City west of here. We were hoping to hire you to help us do that,¡± Aredhel said.
¡°As I understand it, that is quite far from here,¡± Anton said.
¡°It is, we¡¯ll pay you well once we get there,¡± Aredhel said.
¡°When do you need to leave by?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Tomorrow at the latest¡¡±
Anton raised a hand which caused her to go silent, ¡°Unfortunately I won¡¯t be able to leave so soon, I just arrived here and I have some things to do first,¡± Anton said as he noticed the disappointment on Aredhel¡¯s face at his word, ¡°But, I¡¯ll tell you what, if you¡¯re still here in a couple of days I¡¯ll think about it.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t think too long on it, If we¡¯re here I¡¯ll pay 1,000 gold for my safe arrival to Fariday.¡±
¡°While money is nice, if I accompany you I¡¯d also like to learn more about this world and maybe start working on learning Elvish or whatever language you were singing in?¡± Anton said.
¡°Well, as you said, it will be a long journey with plenty of time to talk. I do hope to hear from you within the next couple of days, if we haven¡¯t left,¡± Aredhel said. ¡°Now, we need to go find a table and let those others who also donated coins have an opportunity to come speak with us. Thank you for drinks Anton, Good day.¡±
¡°Good day to you Aredhel and Lia,¡± Anton said as both stood and walked toward a corner of the Tavern.
¡°Everything okay?¡± Bard asked.
¡°Yes, why do you ask?¡±
¡°That was Aredhel Moonlit, Princess of the Moonlit Clan of elves, soon to be Queen of the Elvish Territories, if the rumors are true,¡± Bard said.
¡°If that¡¯s true, what is she doing here?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Rumor has it that the two of them are the only survivors of a party that entered a dungeon near their kingdom and exited the dungeon in the city.¡±
¡°There¡¯s a Dungeon in the city?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Yep, and it contains a gate to the Labyrinth beyond.¡±
¡°What is the Labyrinth?¡± Anton asked.
Chapter 24, Never Forget The Little Things
¡°What is the Labyrinth?¡± Bard parroted, ¡°Well, that¡¯s a long discussion and I have a Tavern to run. Besides, the truest answer I can give you is that no one actually knows, other than sometimes dungeons are connected to it and you can travel from one dungeon to the next through it.¡±
¡°Would the SYSTEM Shop, have information on it?¡± Anton asked.
¡°The SYSTEM Shop has information on everything if you¡¯re willing to pay the price,¡± Bard said. ¡°You¡¯ll have to visit The City to visit the Shop though. None of the merchants in town carry much in the way of information concerning the Labyrinth.¡±
Anton looked thoughtful for a moment and then asked, ¡°Thanks for the info, Bard. Last question, Is there a place I can rent a room near here?¡±
¡°Sally¡¯s across the street has a couple of rooms she rents out. I wouldn¡¯t normally suggest her because she¡¯s pricy but for a gold piece a night you¡¯re guaranteed complete privacy.¡±
¡°How does she manage that?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Through the SYSTEM Sally has upgraded the building so that privacy is guaranteed. Well more guaranteed than anywhere else here,¡± Bard said.
¡°Thanks again, Bard,¡± Anton said as he placed a silver piece on the counter which Bard casually pocketed, ¡°I think I¡¯m going to head over to Sally¡¯s. I¡¯ll make sure to let Sally know you pointed me her way,¡±
¡°You do that,¡± Bard said with a good-natured smile and moved on to the next customer.
Anton stood and walked out of the Tavern, very aware that others were eyeing him. It seemed he might have been a little too flashy with his funds after all. Still, Sally¡¯s was a three-story wooden building across the street that looked a lot like a hotel from the early 20th century. There was even a small lighted sign that read, ¡°Sally¡¯s Bed and Breakfast¡± above the main entrance. He had noticed the building before but he¡¯d been drawn into the Tavern by Aredhel¡¯s singing and ignored his surroundings until now.
As he looked up and down the street he realized that except for the Tavern, Sally¡¯s, and a couple of merchant shops, there wasn¡¯t much to this little hamlet on the main street. Outside of the area he stood in there were only small one-story shacks and tents that made up the rest of the population of this little area. If Anton didn¡¯t know better this area had been recently developed and was growing quickly.
Anton walked across the street and through the door which opened automatically and closed behind him. As he stepped inside an elf, in what suspiciously looked like a casual light blue business suit, complete with a power tie covered in bright blue and gold patterns stood behind the counter. Anton turned and walked up to the counter.
¡°Good evening, Sir. Welcome to Sally¡¯s. How may I help you?¡±
¡°Good evening,¡± Anton said politely, ¡°I¡¯m Anton and I need a room for the night.¡±
¡°Very good, Sir. What kind of room would you like? We have our Economy Class which will contain a bed and lavatory for 1 silver per night. Our next tier is our Gentlemen¡¯s, or Women¡¯s, class which will provide a bed, desk, lavatory, and simple warding to prevent scrying as well as spell reinforced door. That will be a 1 gold for the night. Finally, we have our Premium Tier which is our most secure and elegant class. For only 1 platinum piece your room is an alternate pocket dimension complete with a small cottage, all the amenities, and a small creak with woods behind. The Cottage is set in perpetual twilight, though we do have a few rooms that contain a daytime setting if that is your preference.
Anton considered for a moment and then asked, ¡°Your Premium rooms, the portal that leads into them is magical in nature, yes?¡±
¡°Yes, Sir!, the concierge said.
Anton couldn¡¯t use those rooms then. There was that little problem with being completely immune to magic that he had to deal with. Though if his Anti-Mage field was at skin level, he might be able to pass through the portal created by the magic¡No, it would be better not to test that unless he absolutely had to.
Anton pulled out a Gold and a Silver and placed it on the counter, ¡°I¡¯d like one of your Gentlemen¡¯s rooms for one night.¡±
¡°Very good, Sir,¡± The concierge said as he picked up the coins and then made some motions on a SYSTEM screen that only he could see. When he was done he looked up to Anton as he pulled a key out of the drawer and handed it to him, ¡°You are in room 31 which is the first room on the left of the main stair landing on the 3rd floor. This key will open the door to your room. We do hope you enjoy your stay here at Sally¡¯s ¡°
Anton accepted the key as he said, ¡°Thank you,¡± and then turned to walk up the main stairway which was opposite the main entrance. The ground was covered in nice rugs with a couple of works of art on the wall that reminded Anton of museum pieces from France and England he¡¯d seen growing up. It seemed that this hotel catered to those of high society if both planets had the same types of individuals.
Anton made his way upstairs and found his room easily enough. Once inside his room, he locked the door and dismissed his clothing and weapons as he walked into the bathroom, used the facilities, and jumped into the bathtub which also contained a shower. In fact, as Anton looked around the lavatory it didn¡¯t seem that there was too much of a difference between this bathroom and any bathroom he¡¯d used back on Earth. The toilet looked the same, the sink had a spout and handles to control a hot and cold valve. The tub had the same with the diverter to reroute the water flow and turn the bathtub into a shower. If he didn¡¯t know better he¡¯d think he was back on Earth?
Anton stood in the hot show for at least 30 minutes before he exited and dried himself off. When he was done he walked out of the shower completely nude. This was why when his perception noted the sword hilt coming in from the corner of his eye, he failed to bring a blade up to block the blow. He had no dagger or sword to draw as his body reacted. The hilt of the sword slid right past his weaponless hand and slammed into his temple.
The attack did not affect Anton, except to make him angry. He hadn¡¯t even felt the hit. Anton made eye contact with his attacker, smiled maliciously, and activated Mind Bolt. Anton¡¯s attack was much more effective as blood exploded from his attacker''s eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. His attackers eyes lost focus and he fell forward onto the carpet outside of the bathroom door. Anton checked to see if his attacker was still breathing and kept an eye on him while he pulled up the Combat Log to find out why the surprise attack to his head had not had any effect.
Warning you have been struck by a Critical Strike from the skill Incapacitating Blow.
Incapacitating Blow inflicts a single point of damage and also converts the full damage of the attack into a bonus to incapacitate.
Base Damage: 8 / Strength Bonus:+26 / Critical Strike Bonus x3 / Chance to incapacitate x2
Attacker Total Damage 102 / After Conversion to Incapacitation / Chance to incapacitate: 204%
Defender must make a Willpower Check to remain Conscious: Willpower attribute bonus +232%
Chance to be knocked unconscious (202% - 232%) -28%
The Defender is NOT knocked unconscious
Attack Clean-up Notes:
Damage inflicted 1 point due to Skill Incapacitating Blow
Damage Resistance: 1
Damage negated by Damage Resistance.
So, he¡¯d been lucky. That skill his attacker had used would have left him unconscious if not for his incredibly high Willpower. Also, he would have taken a single point of damage but his Damage Resistance had negated it. Lucky indeed.
Anton checked his Combat Log to see what his Mind Bolt had done to his attacker.
Mind Bolt
Base Damage: 12 / Willpower Bonus Damage +232 / Critical Strike Bonus: 0
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
Attacker Total Damage: 244
Defender Defense: Base 0 / Mental Resistance: 0 / Willpower Bonus: +26
Damage = 206 (232 ¨C 26)
Mental Attacks have a 1% chance per point of damage to incapacitate Target for a number of Combat Turns = to Damage ¨C 100
Willpower Save versus 206%
Defender failed Incapacitation Check
Defender is incapacitated for 106 combat turns or 17.67 minutes.
It looked like his attacker had no resistance to mental attacks other than his natural bonus for his Willpower which, if his math was correct, would have been 62. Compared to Anton¡¯s Willpower of 474 his attacker¡¯s willpower was low but realistically, that willpower was quite high if the maximum human value was normally 10. What level was this guy? Anton activated Analyze on the person crumpled on the floor in front of him to check.
Tier 1 Burglar / Level 81 / Hit Points: 477/683 / Status: Incapacitated
It looked like he still had 477 of his 683 hit points but he was going to be out for a while. Before Anton did anything else he summoned his default clothing and weapons from inventory. Next, he walked over to the bedside nightstand with a phone on it. This place actually had a phone? He picked up the phone and put it to his ear.
¡°Front Desk?¡± The concierge said as he picked up the call on his end.
¡°I have been attacked in my room. The thief is unconscious right outside my bathroom. Please send someone to clean this up.¡±
¡°Right away, Sir, My apologies¡¡±
Anton hung up and activated Specter. There was a good possibility the hotel staff wasn¡¯t part of the attack but it was just as likely that they were. Anton would watch from the adjacent dimension and see what happened.
Less than a minute later 4 people teleported into the room and looked around. Anton watched as one of them called out ¡°Sir!¡± but he ignored the four of them and watched. Three of the responders, searched the room while the fourth, who was a human woman in a set of red robes walked over to the phone and waited.
Anton watched two of the responders continue to look around the room while the third made his way over to the thief, shook his head, and said something Anton couldn¡¯t hear through the dimensional barrier. A moment later a portal opened and the thief was unceremoniously thrown through the portal. The man brushed the dust off of his leather armor, stood straight, and said something to the female by the phone.
She picked up the phone, said a couple of words, and then nodded once. The three guards that were with her vanished. She hung up the phone and vanished a moment later.
Anton didn¡¯t know if they had been part of it but he wasn¡¯t going to take any chances. He spent 240 Psychic Energy to extend the duration of Specter. Next, he activated Battle Meditation for 2 minutes to recover the 240 points of Psychic Energy and then spent 240 more Psychic Energy to extend the duration of Specter out to 8 hours. Then he dropped into normal Meditation and rested. It wasn¡¯t sleep but it would do and he should be relatively safe in a dimension adjacent to this room.
When he woke from Meditation 8 hours later he felt fully refreshed. Anton looked over the room, didn¡¯t notice anything amiss, and deactivated Specter.
He walked out of the room, which he hadn¡¯t used, except to shower, and made his way downstairs. As he made it to the first floor an elderly woman walked up to him and scrutinized him with a skill.
Anton did his best Mr. Spock impersonation, even trying to lift a single eyebrow, as he looked at the woman questioningly.
¡°Excuse me for being so blunt Mr. Thomson, Alex failed to get your name yesterday and I wanted to know how to address you. I am Sally, owner and operator of this Bed and Breakfast. It is my understanding that you had an issue yesterday.¡±
¡°Good Day, Sally. Yes, I was attacked as I left the shower yesterday about a half hour after I entered the room. Do you know who he was?¡±
¡°Yes I do, he ¡®WAS¡¯ one of our former employees who did house cleaning each day. It would seem that he and a gang of his had been preying on the rich that visited the Tavern and this Hotel.
¡°And the individuals that visited my room last night?¡± Anton asked.
¡°They are part of a team of individuals that I pay very well to make sure that my guests are protected. When they couldn¡¯t detect you on the premises they left,¡± Sally said.
¡°I see,¡± Anton said.
¡°Of course, your fee will be compensated, and here is a card that will let you stay in any of my establishments for the next year at no cost,¡± Sally said as she pulled out a black credit card with three diamonds on it; silver, gold, and platinum.
Anton accepted the card and placed it in his inventory after he verified that the card was plastic and even had a magnetic strip on the back.
¡°Is there anything else we, or I can do for you?¡± Sally asked.
¡°Actually, yes. Why does this hotel resemble a 20th-century hotel from Earth? We¡¯re not on Earth.¡±
¡°You¡¯re from Earth too?¡± Sally asked.
¡°I am. How did you get here?¡±
Sally shrugged as she said, ¡°It¡¯s a long story. The short version is that The SYSTEM came to Earth. Me and my friends entered a Dungeon while we were trying to level and we never made our way back to Earth. Eventually, we exited into The City South of here. After a bit, I found a niche in the service industry that was very easy to exploit. You should have seen this place 5 years ago. Most houses were still using outhouses or the magical equivalent. I brought plumbing to the City and then established this hotel chain which has three branches. One in the city and two in outlying hamlets. One of which is the one you¡¯re standing in.¡±
¡°So, you came through the Labyrinth then?¡± Anton asked.
¡°If that¡¯s what you want to call it. To me, and those of my friends who made it or survived and were separated from the group, it was just a series of planets, tunnels, and other places that we were thrown into over and over. One interesting thing about the Labyrinth. The SYSTEM didn¡¯t work exactly like it does here.¡±
¡°Interesting,¡± Anton said, ¡°So you just created plastic and everything else here?¡±
¡°Yes and no. Some of the things look familiar but a degree of magic is still used. For Instance, instead of boreholes down into the ground to refill the water tower, there is a rune that draws moisture from the air and fills the water tower as it empties. The toilets flush into a septic tank that evaporates the water and then destroys the solid materials left. And of course, the Platinum rooms open into a pocket dimension which I paid a very powerful Arch-Mage to make for me.¡±
¡°So the best of both worlds?¡±
¡°Of course. We even have cheeseburgers and fries from our Kitchen, which the locals still have a problem producing.
¡°A cheeseburger and fries,¡± Anton said, his mouth already watering.
¡°Yes, would you like to eat lunch here, on me of course,¡± Sally asked.
¡°I would like that very much. Will you be joining me?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Unfortunately no, I need to get back to the City¡You know what, I think I will, it¡¯s been a while since I sat down to eat with someone from Earth.¡±
Anton nodded graciously and then asked, ¡°Why does everyone only refer to the place south of here as ¡®The City?¡¯¡±
¡°Oh, that? Simple enough really, The City Lord changes every time the previous City Lord is killed. That happens a lot,¡± Sally said.
¡°So the City doesn¡¯t have a name?¡±
¡°It may have had one in the far past, but no one alive remembers it. Also, there are so many factions vying for that power that the smart people stay out of it,¡± Sally said.
¡°Why doesn¡¯t someone just take over the city and sell it back to the SYSTEM?¡±
¡°Because they can¡¯t, of course. One of the previous owners used what little wealth he had to purchase a SYSTEM option that prevents the sale of the city to the SYSTEM. It can be sold to another individual, who will receive the rights and take on the responsibilities but it can not be sold for less than the full value of the city. The SYSTEM will not accept the transaction. The scholars think it has something to do with the Dungeon underneath the keep and the population being over 1 million sentient beings,¡±
¡°What do you think?¡±
¡°I think someone was smart enough to purchase SYSTEM insurance, if that¡¯s a thing, to prevent people from taking over a city without investing in it,¡± Sally said.
¡°That¡¯s a thing, Domain Insurance?¡± Anton asked.
¡°It has to be. A couple of people have tried to sell The City and failed each time. One person was so adamant that they tried to force the SYSTEM with a skill or ability to do something it did not want to do. No one has heard from that ruler since.
Anton laughed, ¡°Yeah, if you do something the SYSTEM doesn¡¯t like you end up in the Void. I¡¯m speaking from experience,¡± Anton said ruefully.
¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like The SYSTEM,¡± Sally said.
¡°I¡¯m sure you know that the old SYSTEM was absorbed by a different SYSTEM, at least that¡¯s the way I read it when I received the notifications,¡± Anton said.
¡°I remember seeing those notifications but that was over 10 years ago,¡± Sally said.
¡°10 years?¡± Anton asked.
¡°10 years, why do you look surprised?¡±
¡°For me it¡¯s only been, at most, maybe three years, using my SYSTEM clock,¡± Anton said.
¡°I was in the Labyrinth until 3 years ago, when I stepped out into The City, I was in the Dungeon or Labyrinth for at least 7 years. I made a lot of levels in there so I¡¯m sure the time passage has to be accurate,¡± Sally said.
¡°I believe you,¡± Anton said as he gathered his thoughts and then said, ¡°Two more questions if you don¡¯t mind. First, who is running The City? Second, how do I get into The Dungeon?¡±
¡°The Answer to your first question is no one. No one is currently in charge of the City. There¡¯s a committee of elders and prominent figures, including the nobility of the area that meet and decide how things are going to be run but for the most part, there is no ruler. Smart people don¡¯t want it because it puts a target on their back,¡± Sally said.
¡°And the Dungeon?¡± Anton asked.
¡°To enter the Dungeon, you need to prove yourself to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. To even have an attempt at getting into the Labyrinth you need to be Tier II and while I do not know what the ¡®Specter¡¯ class is, I know it¡¯s only Tier 1 and that you are only level 34,¡± Sally said.
¡°A very good point but not one I¡¯m too concerned about,¡± Anton said.
¡°So what will you do now?¡± Sally asked.
¡°It depends, what happened to my attacker and his crew?¡± Anto asked.
¡°There is no legal system here. Their deaths helped my allies grow, probably you too, at least for the Burglar who died.¡±
Anton checked his log and sure enough, there was a notification that had been buried.
Congratulations! You have helped defeat a level 81 Burglar. You receive 20% of the XP award. 1,620 XP Earned
¡°I did. It wasn¡¯t enough to get me another level,¡± Anton said, ¡°As for what I¡¯m doing next, ¡°With that team out of play I¡¯ll probably head into The City, stop by the shop, and then go join the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. I¡¯ll need to level to get into the Dungeon, or at least prove to someone in charge that I¡¯ll be fine if I do go in.
¡°You think you¡¯ll be fine?¡± Sally asked.
¡°Oh yeah, not even an issue,¡± Anton said.
¡°Very well, it¡¯s your life. But before you go, would like to join me for lunch. I believe there¡¯s a Cheeseburger and Fries with your name on it?¡±
¡°Sounds good,¡± Anton said.
Two guards led the way for Sally who was followed by Anton who was in turn followed by two more guards. They entered a small room that looked like any hotel dining room complete with premade food on platters for everyone load their plates from. The guards each grabbed a small plate and drink and sat nearby at two different tables while Sally and Anton sat at a table and reminisced about the things they missed from Earth. 30 minutes later two plates, complete with metal lids were brought in and placed before them. The waitress lifted metal lids to reveal a Cheeseburger and fries on each plate.
The aroma of a freshly cooked cheeseburger complete with lettuce, onion pickle, and tomato filled his sense of smell. Before he even realized he was moving, he¡¯d picked up the cheeseburger and took a very large bite out of it. Until that moment, he had not realized how much he¡¯d missed normal food. He¡¯d relied on his ability to keep him alive for so long that he¡¯d forgotten how to enjoy the simple things in life. He vowed not to let that happen again. Anton nodded to Sally and they both ate their meals in silence as they enjoyed their cheeseburgers and the camaraderie of someone from a similar culture.
Chapter 25, True Multiculturalism
Sally and Anton ate their cheeseburgers in silence for the first couple of bites until Sally asked, ¡°Where are you from?¡±
That question led to him telling Sally about North Dakota and him learning that she was from a little town in the panhandle of Texas, Amarillo. As they finished Anton commented, ¡°That was one of the best cheeseburgers I have ever had.¡±
¡°I know, right?¡± Sally said as she finished her burger, wiped her hands on her napkin, and then took a drink of her lemonade. Sally stood and adjusted her clothes before she pushed her chair in and looked down at Anton, ¡°I really enjoyed our lunch, even if it was short. I do need to get going though. I hope we¡¯ll meet again.¡±
¡°Me too,¡± Anton echoed as Sally walked out of the dining room. Anton also stood and followed Sally out of the room, though he left in a different direction as he made his way to the front of the building.
It was midmorning when Anton stepped onto the street. Traffic was heading in both directions along the main road. Anton decided a leisurely walk would do him some good after his early lunch with Sally. He also took the time to look around and noticed that there were all kinds of humanoids, including some races that looked human. One race looked to be a cross between lions and humans while another had reptilian skin and a tale. Both were headed north toward Ancree. Now that he¡¯d noticed, it seemed that there were a lot of people on the road heading north this morning. Could word of the Crystal''s destruction have already made it this far south? The answer was obviously yes. There had to be various ways people could send messages, especially in a magical society.
At that moment Anton noticed five flying Pegasus with riders heading north. Or, there could just be flying messengers. An honest to God Pegasus though, how cool was that?
Skill Notification, Maggen¡¯s Gift has activated.
Skill Notification, Maggen¡¯s Gift has activated.
Skill Notification, Maggen¡¯s Gift has activated.
Anton whipped around to see three child-sized humanoids running into an alley. Anton laughed and then turned as he adjusted his notification for that skill. He set it so that it wouldn¡¯t warn him again until he was down to fewer than 20 copper. If people wanted to steal a copper piece, so be it. He wasn¡¯t going to chase each one of them down.
Anton continued his walk out of the small town and headed north. After walking for about an hour to let his food digest, Anton moved far enough ahead of everyone else that he felt comfortable beginning to jog. Not because he was embarrassed to jog, but because he accelerated and reached an easy 35 miles per hour. With his high endurance, he was also able to keep up the pace with little effort.
The road he was on wound through low hills, pastures, and some farmland. He could see various fields plowed and planted in the distance. He also noticed that the road seemed to be veering to the west. After jogging for just over three hours Anton came to the top of a cliff and stopped to take in the view. He had to be at least a thousand feet above the plains below. From a waterfall off to his right, a river continued south and entered a humongous city.
The city, a combination of cement, steel, and glass stretched out to the east and west at least a couple of miles with the river making its way right down the middle of it. The city was so big that he couldn¡¯t see the other side of it even though he was a thousand feet above it.
As he looked over the city he noticed that there were a few buildings toward the center of the city that rose higher into the sky than the cliff he was standing on. Also, he saw the familiar setup of roadways and breaks that seemed to set up in a circular pattern with a few roads that acted as spokes and made their way toward the interior of the city.
Anton looked for a way down the cliffside and noticed that the road he was on followed the cliffside to the waterfall where there was a very large waterwheel connected to some sort of pulley system that moved a platform between the bottom of the waterfall and the cliff.
Anton jogged along the road to the loading platform where about 30 people were waiting for the next platform. As Anton looked over the cliff''s edge he noticed that the platform was almost to the cliff. Also, while the waterfall seemed to be producing spray the platform was completely dry. Anton had to admit whoever had built this had made sure that there was plenty of room and had taken care of the little things like keeping the passengers dry. The platform was about fifty feet by fifty feet and had rails on the sides with a guard rale that could be opened on the cliff side and the opposite side of the platform when it reached the bottom of the waterfall.
Anton looked around for someone who was in charge but didn¡¯t notice anyone on the cliff so he joined the crowd of travelers that were waiting. As the platform came to a stop, a man pulled a lever that disconnected the turning wheel from the chain and the platform came to a rest. While the waterwheel continued to turn the chain, the platform stayed where it was. The man reached over and lifted a bar. With the way open, people on the platform began walking off the ramp onto the walkway that led to the road. Some led horses but most walked.
After everyone had exited the platform the man, obviously the conductor for the platform looked at the crowd Anton was in and said, ¡°Alright everyone, That¡¯ll be one silver. Please put your silver coin in the urn as you step on board,¡±
Anton followed everyone as they stepped on the platform and pulled out a silver which he tossed into a metallic urn at the conductor''s feet. Just as Anton stepped onto the platform a voice from the urn screamed, ¡°Copper!¡±
The conductor waved his hand, and the offender, a leather-clad slimy-looking fellow, was magically lifted off the platform and thrown back onto the cliff where he rolled and created a small cloud of dust.
The man jumped to his feet, drew his blade, and began running toward the conductor, ¡°I¡¯ll kill you for that!¡±
The conductor waved his hand again and the thief was picked up and thrown out and over the platform with a yelp that turned into a scream as he fell out of sight.
¡°All right people, the show¡¯s over. If you don¡¯t know the drill, here are the rules for you newcomers. If you try to cheat the fee, we remove you from the platform in any way we see fit. The first time, we¡¯ll be kind enough to throw you onto the ground you tried to walk on from. If you attack us though, well, we reserve the right to see if you know how to fly and swim.
¡°Fly and swim? You killed him!¡± a man called out from the platform.
¡°I didn¡¯t stutter, Fly and Swim,¡± The conductor said with no hint of emotion in his voice, ¡°Though to ease all of your minds I¡¯ll explain. If the thief had entered from below, he¡¯d have been thrown out into the middle of the lake. It would have been a short flight sure, but then he¡¯d have had to swim. From this end though we throw you off the platform when you make us angry, though the law says I can¡¯t kill you unless I¡¯ve been hurt so the spell I used will reactivate and slow the moron down just before he splashes into the middle of the lake where he¡¯ll have to swim. Sure, it¡¯s a longer flight but we won¡¯t be seeing him again for a while. Also, you can¡¯t use the platform for at least a day. So, pay your silver and enjoy the ride.¡±
¡°That¡¯s just not right,¡± one of the young men muttered near Anton.
¡°That was Seriven, he¡¯s going to come looking for that conductor later¡¡±
¡°Let him. It looks like that conductor¡¡±
Anton left the muttering behind as he moved to the other end of the platform and looked down at the lake below. The mist from the waterfall shrouded the area in a haze but he could make out someone in the lake swimming for the closest shore which was on the opposite side of the lake from where this platform would come to a rest down there. The conductor hadn¡¯t killed him.
The trip to the bottom only took about 10 minutes. It looked like the waterfall pully system had gears to make the ride as smooth and level as possible. About halfway down they passed another platform that was going up on the opposite side of the chains. Anton marveled at the simplicity of the design. It was a simple system, powered by water, that was quite technologically advanced.
As the platform came to a rest, Anton¡¯s eyes were drawn to what looked like a bus stop complete with what looked like a Greyhound bus. Had more people made it to this world than just Sally? Anton walked over to the bus stop. Unfortunately for Anton, he couldn¡¯t read the sign, but the map on the wall had three stars on it. The first was by a waterfall and the other two were in the middle of a city image.
¡°All aboard for the Market and Sally¡¯s. This is a complimentary service provided as part of your cost to ride the platform,¡± a man sitting in the driver¡¯s seat said.
Anton stepped onto the bus and walked to the back. He took a window seat and looked out over the town.
¡°Isn¡¯t it amazing what they¡¯ve done to the City over the last year,¡± a middle-aged woman said to a man next to her.
¡°I see what you mean,¡± the man sitting next to her said with wonder in his eyes, ¡°How did they make the changes so quickly?¡±
¡°Magic of course, they have Earth Mages creating the structures and Sally and a few of her friends, at least that¡¯s the talk of the town, taught them how to make this new material that is almost as strong as steel, but light. That¡¯s how they built those buildings. Magic to create the structures and elementals to place them. It was amazing watching those buildings rise into the sky. That building in the center of town is the new Adventurer¡¯s Guild, it¡¯s at least 150 stories, that¡¯s what they call floors.¡±
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¡°How does it not fall over?¡± the man asked with awe in his voice.
¡°Chuck, the city engineer has been overheard using the word physics, whatever that means,¡± the woman said.
Anton listened to the two talk while he rode the bus toward the center of the city. There was a lane in the middle of the road for the bus but the street was also wide enough to allow horseback, and other animals to walk up and down the street. The bus lanes were paved with what looked like concrete, but Anton couldn¡¯t be sure. The area for the riding mounts was made up of packed dirt.
As the bus entered the outskirts of The City Anton saw a mage directing some earth and air elementals. Earth was transformed into cinderblocks which were then covered with logs and roofing that was waiting on a nearby wagon. While this was obviously the poorer sector of the town all the houses and buildings were in good repair and children of all races could be seen playing in various parks that had been set aside for them. He also noticed that guards seemed to be everywhere. All wore a pin of a sun setting on the horizon, while guards from different sections of the cities wore cloaks with different sigils.
The bus ride was relatively short and only lasted about 30 minutes. As the bus came to a stop the driver called out, ¡°This is the market. The bus will be continuing further into the city to the Adventurers Guild at the top of the hour. Be back in less than 20 minutes. We leave in 25 minutes. The next bus after that will not be by for an hour.¡±
Anton watched as everyone, including the driver, stood, and made to exit the bus. Anton stood with them and stepped onto the street. He watched as the bus driver walked toward a public bathroom and everyone else walked down the street into a row of shops and stalls that looked to sell anything he might desire.
Anton noticed that one of the shops had a neon green sign in the window that said, ¡®SYSTEM Shop Access.¡¯ Anton only had about 19 minutes left so he beelined to the store, walked in, and made his way to the SYSTEM Shop node. He quickly placed his hand on the node and was transported into a familiar gallery with a female wood-elf behind the counter. She looked over, met Anton¡¯s eyes, and smiled, ¡°Welcome back, Anton.¡±
Anton could swear he heard the hint of recognition and genuine excitement in her voice to see him again but he didn¡¯t recognize the wood elf, ¡°Do I know you?¡± he asked.
The wood-elf laughed, ¡°Yes, but the last time we met I was human. I¡¯ve gone through some changes as you can see. It¡¯s me, Vie.¡±
¡°Vie? But last time you were human¡¡±
¡°My primary sector has gone through a SYSTEM update. During the update, I received an offer to change my race, so I did,¡± Vie said.
¡°You can just change your race, like that?¡± Anton said as he snapped his fingers.
¡°Not really,¡± Vie said. ¡°The Universe I come from originally is being used as a test bed for some SYSTEM changes that are being made. The Notification I received said that I was part of a ¡®Beta Test¡¯. As I understand it there will be major changes to how attributes, skills, and spells work. Also, the class system and maximum levels are being altered.
¡°How so?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Currently every class is set within a range category. Tier 1 classes are Common, Scarce, and Rare. Tier 2 is Advanced and Master. Tier 3 is Epic, Tier 4 is Mythic and Tier 5 is Legendary. As I only have one class I¡¯m not exactly sure how the new system for classes works but the notification stated that individuals can have up to five classes and each class could be any of the ranks mentioned above. Additionally, instead of leveling a Tier 1 class to level 100 and then taking on a Tier 2 class and needing to level it to level 100 before being able to take on a Tier 3 class, individuals can pick up their 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th classes at any time as long as they meet the prerequisites.
Anton thought about what Vie was saying and compared it to some rules he¡¯d seen in roleplaying games and Massive Multiplayer Online Games. It sounded like the SYSTEM was adopting true multiclass rules which meant¡,¡±If you take on additional classes won¡¯t that slow your progression down?¡± Anton asked.
XP costs for class leveling are influenced by the rarity of the class and the number of classes an individual has,¡± Vie said as she looked at Anton thoughtfully, ¡°How would you know to ask that question?¡±
¡°Just something I read about back on my homeworld,¡± Anton hedged. ¡°So, if you¡¯re part of the Beta Test does that mean everyone will eventually be converting to these new rules?¡±
¡°That is my understanding. But, you know what this isn¡¯t supposed to be about me, How can I help you today Anton?¡±
¡°I need to know if there¡¯s a way for me to get back to the Earth I returned to when you helped me get back from The Hunting Grounds,¡± Anton said.
¡°Let me pull up that information. I see, we used technology because you can¡¯t use magic. Hmmm. Well, the good news is that you won¡¯t have to pay the 2 million credits for the gate and the remote activation fee as the gate is already in your city. The bad news is that your current location within The SYSTEM requires both a pass and an extreme mana energy cost which would be right around 120 million credits. Even if we liquated all the coins you currently have you would still only have just over 15.5 million credits.¡±
¡°Okay, it¡¯s out of my price range. I¡¯ve heard that I could enter a dungeon and maybe get home through the Labyrinth. Could I purchase a map?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Before I answer that let me first tell you that another change that is part of the Beta Test is my inability to purchase any information from the SYSTEM concerning other beings or individuals. If others create the information and it''s for sale, the SYSTEM will provide it but the SYSTEM will no longer provide information as the primary first source. If I had to adhere to that rule for you, I would only be able to provide you with a Universal code for the Universe you''re trying to get back to. It would then be your responsibility to find someone to help you get back or get back yourself using your abilities or skills.¡±
¡°Why are you telling me about all of these changes that I might not see for a while?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Oh, you¡¯re going to see them, when they take effect is up in the air, but since you were so good to me on your last visit, I thought I¡¯d let you know so you could either wait before adding anything or if you needed to purchase information do so now, while you still can. My supervisor thinks there will be information brokers that pop up, but that will take time and effort to set up once the switch is made. Right now, it¡¯s just easier to buy that information from the SYSTEM.¡±
¡°We¡¯ll still be able to buy information concerning skills, spells, abilities, and general monster data?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Skills, spells, and abilities, yes. Monsters will fall under selling information about individuals. People who create compendiums of knowledge will make a ton of credits in the early days,¡± Vie said.
Anton looked at his Status clock and noticed that 15 minutes had already passed, ¡°Vie, thank you for the information, I need to finish this up and be on my way in the next minute or two¡±
¡°Okay, what do you need?¡± Vie asked.
¡°I need the coordinates of the Earth I went back to the last time you helped me. If that¡¯s not possible, I need to know how to use a dungeon and the labyrinth to make my way back to that Earth.
Vie tapped on her console before she said, ¡°I can give you a memory, wait you can¡¯t use magic, hmmm. Okay, I can sell you a neural downloader and the file you¡¯ll need. You wear it like you¡¯d wear sunglasses and insert the file in the memory slot. It downloads the information through your optical nerves. The headgear is 10,000 credits. The file is only 1,000 credits. The information won¡¯t get you home but I noticed that you have the skill Planar Shift. The knowledge will allow you to use that skill to shift back to that universe, eventually.¡±
¡°Eventually?¡±
¡°Yeah, you are extremely out of phase between here and there. To correct that phase shift requires a lot of energy, which someone with only 34 levels should not have yet. I mean, never say never, but it is unlikely that you would be able to pull it off,¡± Vie explained.
¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take both, and the other information?¡± Anton asked.
¡°That information is a little more involved. There is no specific path as will be explained in the datafile I found for you. Again because you are so far away from your origin point. Since the information I¡¯m going to sell you is comprehensive the cost is one million credits. Also, be aware that you can use that first data file and there will be almost no downside to doing so. You might get dizzy if your willpower is low, but since we know that¡¯s not the case, you¡¯ll be fine. The second data file though. That one, you should only use when you¡¯re in a safe place. Even with your impressive willpower for your level, it is going to be a lot of information all at once.¡±
¡°That¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll take both,¡± Anton said.
¡°Very well,¡± Vie said as a small box appeared on the counter and two small rectangular pieces of plastic appeared that looked a lot like Universal Serial Bus (USB) memory sticks. Vie opened the box, and placed the device that looked a lot like a Geordi¡¯s visor from Star Trek the Next Generation with a strap over the top to hold it on the wearer¡¯s head. Vie showed Anton where the data files were inserted. ¡°The data file with the green dot on it is the one you can use anywhere. The data file with the blue dot is the one you should use in a safe place.¡±
Anton transferred 1.25 million credits to Vie, which would give her a very good tip, ¡°Thanks for everything Vie, I have to be going now,¡± Anton said as he put the visor and data files in his inventory.
¡°You¡¯re very welcome. Please come again,¡± Vie said.
Anton nodded, turned, and hurried to the node to exit the SYSTEM Shop. He quickly made his way back to the bus. As soon as he was onboard and seated the driver pulled away from the curb and they were headed even further into town. Anton took in the architecture of the buildings they drove by and marveled at how the city was a true melting pot of multiple races, cultures, and eras. He could see hints that a lot of the changes hadn¡¯t been implemented everywhere but it looked like there were both magical and electrical signs and lights throughout the city.
One thing he noticed was that there didn¡¯t seem to be any truly exotic humanoid races. He didn¡¯t see Angels, Demons, or Dragonkin of any kind. Mostly humans, elves, dwarves, halflings, gnomes, and the like. Of each of those species, he saw multiple types and while there seemed to be areas where each held sway, when others of a different race entered a section of the city inhabited by another race it looked like they were cordial to each other.
Of course, it was daytime so that could be a factor but Anton believed that what he saw was a good cross-section of how the various races interacted with each other. Also, as the bus made its way deeper into the center of the city, the building grew higher and higher and the neighborhood and streets seemed to be for the more affluent of society.
As the bus came to a stop, Anton couldn¡¯t help but notice that there was a Sally¡¯s directly across the street from the skyscraper that housed the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. Anton exited the bus and made his way up the steps to the front door of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild and made his way up to the steps to the main doors, which looked to be made of glass surrounded by a gold frame.
While the streets outside the building were slightly populated that changed as he stepped through the doors. Inside was a bustle of activity with multiple lines of individuals making their way through a queue. As each person made it to the end of the line they were called into five different closed-door rooms.
¡°Look Ralph, new meat for the grinder¡±, a red-haired female halfling said to a dark-haired male halfling.
¡°Trixie, will you stop it!¡± the halfling, who had to be Ralph said.
Anton stepped into line behind the two of them and smiled, ¡°Trixie, Ralph, nice to meet you, I¡¯m Anton, how are you doing?
¡°See he¡¯s not so bad,¡± Ralph said to Trixie as he turned and stuck out his hand, ¡°Nice to meet you Anton, is this your first time in the Adventurer¡¯s Guild?¡±
¡°What kind of question is that? Of course, it¡¯s his first time in the Guild building, or he wouldn¡¯t be in this line, duh!¡± Trixie said.
Anton shook Ralph¡¯s hand, ¡°Nice to meet you Ralph, you too Trixie, and yes it is my first time here. Do you two have any advice?¡± Anton asked as he held up two silver coins he pulled from his inventory.
¡°Not such a bad sort after all,¡± Trixie said with a smile as she pocketed one of the coins and Ralph did the same. ¡°Not much to tell really. Recruits stand in this line. Get called into one of those rooms and are asked a lot of questions before you¡¯re either added to the guild, tested, or just sent packing. This is our second time coming here, they sent us both packing two years back for being too young and inexperienced so we¡¯re trying to join again.¡±
¡°Anything I should know about the questions they¡¯re going to ask?¡±
¡°Just don¡¯t lie,¡± Ralph said. ¡°The Adventurer¡¯s Guild doesn¡¯t tolerate liars.¡±
¡°Thanks for the information,¡± Anton said as he settled into the line and the three of them talked about The City and the things they¡¯d seen. Trixie and Ralph were a treasure trove of information for areas in The City away from the bus line which Anton promised himself he¡¯d go visit. They also had some information about the dungeon but most of that information was generic. By the time it was Anton¡¯s turn to step into the office, the three of them had become good friends. It probably also helped that Anton had given each of them a gold time just before he left to go into an office for an interview. They just smiled and wished him well as they were led into their interviews.
Chapter 26, The Adventurers Guild
Anton stepped into a room with two chairs and a table. On the table sat a hand-sized solid dome of clear crystal. On the other side of the table, a light-skinned female elf sat waiting for him. The chair for himself was on this side of the table.
¡°I am Elowyn, Adventurer¡¯s Guild liaison. I am here to determine if you meet our requirements to enter the Adventurer¡¯s Guild for access to the local Dungeon. Would you please have a seat?¡± Elowyn asked.
Anton moved to sit and looked at Elowyn. She didn¡¯t appear to be a high elf, wood elf, or dark elf. Instead, her skin was pale white and she had light purple irises. She kept her hair long and wore an elegant silver robe that was both dignified and professional. Anton shook off the effect of her unique appearance and said, ¡°Hello Elowyn, I am Anton, it is very nice to meet you.¡±
Elowyn smiled as she wrote something on a clipboard she pulled up from her lap, ¡°Thank you for answering my first question Anton. My second question isn¡¯t really a question. Please put either hand over the doom of crystal in front of you. It is a magical device that will detect your classes and levels.
Anton placed his hand on the hand-sized crystal dome as he said, ¡°It¡¯s not going to work on me.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know why you would think that¡¡±, Elowyn started to say when she noticed that the crystal had not activated, ¡°What are you doing to our Analyzing Crytal?¡±
Anton took his hand off the crystal and made sure that his Anti-Mage field was restrained to his body. The crystal started to glow a light blue immediately
¡°What?¡± Elowyn asked.
¡°Magic doesn¡¯t work on me,¡± Anton said as he opened his SYSTEM Status pulled up his Anti-Mage ability, and made it visible to Elowyn.
Anti-Mage
You are the antithesis of all magical spheres, including natural expressions of those energies, such as lightning and fire for example. Additionally, this ability allows you to break down all physical matter given enough time and will. You may break down one pound of physical material per hour equal to your willpower attribute. Energy of any type automatically dissipates within willpower inches from your body. Note: Soul, Spirit, and Mental attacks are unaffected by this ability.
Elowyn read over the ability and looked at Anton wonderingly. She touched the table in front of her and an embedded keyboard and terminal appeared. She typed something into the keyboard and waited. A moment later a low-pitched ¡°zzzt¡± sound came from it. Anton guessed that the sound implied a negative result. A moment later he was proved correct when Elowyn said, ¡°We do not have any information on the ability you just showed me. Are you implying that you are completely immune to magic?¡±
¡°As far as I know, yes,¡± Anton answered truthfully.
¡°Very well, what is your class?¡±
¡°Specter,¡± Anton answered honestly.
¡°What is a Specter?¡± Elowyn asked.
¡°What do you mean?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Is it a fighter class, a rogue class, a mage class, or a healing class?¡± Elowyn asked.
¡°If I had to quantify it, I¡¯d guess it¡¯s a scout, rogue hybrid class,¡± Anton said thoughtfully.
¡°Okay,¡± Elowyn said as she wrote something on her clipboard, ¡°What level are you?¡±
¡°Tier 1, Level 34,¡± Anton said.
¡°Tier 1. You realize we normally don¡¯t allow members to join here until they¡¯re at least level 50 right?¡± Elowyn asked.
¡°I did not know that, though in my case it shouldn¡¯t matter,¡± Anton said.
¡°The level minimum is to ensure you have the attributes and skills to survive when you enter the level 50+ dungeon. It is very unlikely that anyone of lower level could survive in the Dungeon.¡±
¡°I guess there¡¯s nothing for it,¡± Anton said as he opened his Status Screen again and shared the information on his other ability.
Immortal
You are immortal. If you are killed you will automatically heal at a rate of 1% cumulative per second until all damage is repaired and hit points restored. This ability is always active and does not require you to die for it to activate.
Body and Hit points are returned by 1% after 1 second. 55% after 10 seconds. 100% after 14 seconds. Energy of all forms except Soul, Spirit, mental, and that which is tied up in living or undead creatures can be broken down to fuel the ability Immortal.
Additionally, if completely disincorporated or disintegrated a new body will materialize near where your previous body was destroyed. You may alter your resurrection point by a number of feet equal to your Perception attribute.
Elowyn looked away from the information Anton had shared with her, typed something into the terminal at her fingertips, and waited. This time there was a ¡°ding¡± as information began scrolling across the embedded monitor.
¡°What did you discover?¡± Anton asked.
¡°That ability is not unheard of. There are at least two known cases loaded into our network, Elowyn said.
¡°It was my understanding that this ability was incredibly rare. You have two people with that ability here in the city?¡±
Elowyn laughed gently, ¡°Heavens no. The network I¡¯m referring to spans multiple worlds, dimensions, and universes where we have Adventurer¡¯s Guild branches throughout the many universes that exist within the SYSTEM.¡±
¡°Your organization is that large?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Of course,¡± Elowyn said.
¡°Then why do you have a level limit for joining? I would think a guild that large would have the ability to allow individuals to join at every level?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Simply put, in this city there is a minimum level requirement because of the Dungeon that we use. Anyone can join the Adventurer¡¯s Guild. If you wish to apply for a basic membership I can issue that but you will need to travel to another area to level because you will not be able to do so in the Dungeon below us.¡±
¡°That makes no sense,¡± Anton said confusedly, ¡°Can¡¯t you make a group and power-level people?¡± Anton asked.
¡°That is not the purpose of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild,¡± Elowyn stated.
¡°The Adventurer¡¯s Guild isn¡¯t here to help people get stronger so they can fight monsters?¡± Anton asked.
¡°The idealist among us would say that is so but, no that is not the purse of this Branch of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild,¡± Elowyn said flatly.
¡°Then honestly, I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m doing here?¡± Anton said.
Elowyn looked thoughtful for a moment before Anton heard a click behind him as the door he¡¯d entered locked.
¡°What is going on?¡± Anton asked, even though he was pretty sure he knew the answer.
¡°Well, it is not often someone with two Legendary abilities while at a very low level comes within our grasp. Since you won''t need those abilities, we¡¯ll transfer them to someone who can utilize them,¡± Elowyn said with an evil grin, as she cast a spell.
Anton looked at Elowyn with a sense of resignation. He should have known better than to trust anyone, especially a corporate shill. Also, she¡¯d tried to cast a spell at him. Next time he had a chance he was going to have to pick up some bombs or grenades or something. Still, he needed to get to the Dungeon Entrance and he didn¡¯t want to have the entire guild after him so he added Elowyn to the list of people he had a score to settle with and activated Specter.
Elowyn stood quickly and looked around the room while Anton moved to the door behind her.
¡°Where is he? I need a sweeper team in orientation room 3, now!¡± Elowyn called out.
Anton waited until the door he was next to opened and then phased through the 3 people walking into the room. As the door closed, he heard Elowyn say, ¡°Sweep the room, he has to be in here, he couldn¡¯t have teleported out.¡±
Anton smiled as he moved through the hallway looking for a way down to the Dungeon. Nope he hadn¡¯t teleported out, he¡¯d just floated out.
Anton looked around for a moment to get his bearings. It looked like the interview rooms were set up to process people and get them on their way to the dungeon immediately. The hallway Anton exited into led to a big corridor that had a few different shops on each side. Weapons, Rations, Generic Supplies, a SYSTEM Shop, and even a magical store. Anton thought about sneaking inside of one but decided there was no point. He continued along the hall which ended in a circular ramp that led around a huge hole in the ground. Anton estimated that it had to be over 100 feet deep.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Anton stepped off the ramp and allowed himself to float down to the very bottom where the ramp opened into a large room with two sets of huge double doors. Each door was at least 20 feet high and 10 feet across which meant very large creatures could enter and exit this area. Anton looked around and saw that there was a large room off to his right in a very large room with oversized furniture and items. Anton could see a portal that opened into a scenic mountainscape. As he watched a giant humanoid stepped through the portal into the chamber. A moment later the portal winked out of existence, leaving a flat stone archway behind.
As he looked around he noticed that the area was bustling with people moving to and fro and stepping into a queue that led toward a huge golden portal at the end of the hall. Anton ignored the queue and moved to the front of the line. As he came to the front he saw the backs of five adventurers as they disappeared into the glowing golden portal. Anton wasn¡¯t sure if he could use the portal while in his Spectral Form but it couldn¡¯t hurt to try.
As Anton came up to the barrier he didn¡¯t notice anything different as he willed himself through it. Which was why he wasn¡¯t surprised when he passed through the barrier and found himself in solid rock. Anton floated back through the barrier and looked at the portal into the dungeon. Anton brought himself level with the ground and deactivated Specter.
Before anyone could say anything Anton stepped through the barrier and found himself standing inside a small room with a pedestal and a clear crystal node. Anton didn¡¯t hesitate and walked up to the node and placed his hand on it.
You have entered The Dungeon of Life and Death
Do you wish to wait for other members to enter this Dungeon Instance, Yes or No?
Anton chose ¡°No¡±
Warning, this is a level 50 Dungeon, You are currently under-leveled for this dungeon. Are you sure you wish to continue, Yes or No?
Anton chose ¡°Yes¡±
Very well. Please continue through the door into the 1st Floor.
Anton withdrew his hand from the node and passed through the door onto the first floor of the Dungeon. As he stepped through the door he noticed that he was in a small clearing within a jungle with trees and vegetation all around. There was an obvious path leading off into the foliage and the door he¡¯d entered from was embedded in a cliff face behind him that rose up at least 100 feet to a cavern ceiling. The light in the cavern seemed to come from somewhere above him and made him feel like the sun was in the late afternoon.
Anton activated Specter and rose above trees and plants as he followed the path forward. Once he was above the trees he immediately noticed that some of the plants and animals along the path appeared to be predatory. One of the plants looked a lot like a giant Venus Flytrap. Both of its pedals lay flat on path and waited for someone or something to step onto them. From the ground the plant would have been hard to detect as the ¡°teeth¡± along the edge of the pedal looked like small twigs or tree stems sticking out of the ground. From the air, the plant was easy to make out.
Anton knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to Analyze any of the creatures he saw unless he dropped his Spectral Form so he skipped along until he came to the end where he found a giant bull. Nothing fancy, just a giant bull. Giant, in this case, meant that its shoulders were at least 20 feet off the ground while standing on all four legs. It had to weigh at least a ton. How the hell did a team of Adventurers fight something that big?
Anton ignored the Giant Bull and found a depression in the ground that had a stairway that led into the Earth. Anton followed the path down until he came to a new room which seemed to be a rest area. There was a small stream, an obvious place to rest if someone wanted to. Anton looked around the rest area and noticed a door along the wall.
Anton moved over to the door and stuck his head through to see what was on the other side. This door opened into the side wall of a corridor that went off to his right and left. Also, the doorway appeared to be a concealed door from the other side.
Anton passed through the door and followed the corridor off to the left. As he floated along he noticed that except for the spot where the first floor connected with this corridor, everything seemed to be natural. The floors and walls did not appear to be reworked in any way. The corridor, or tunnel, only went on for about 50 feet and opened into a very dark cave. Anton turned around and followed the corridor in the other direction and found that it only went 50 feet in that direction before it opened into the same cavern. It appeared that both corridors had a slight curve to them. Now that he knew what to look for Anton verified that both corridors opened into the same cavern.
Anton looked around for a bit and ran into the denizens of this cavern when he partially passed through a spider about the size of a German shepherd. Spiders? He hated spiders. So this level was a hell-to-the-nope. Anton continued through the cave and into the last chamber where he found the Spider Queen which was as big as the Giant Bull on the level above. There was no way he was sticking around to mess with a spider that big.
It took him five minutes to find the exit to the corridor because it was hidden behind some webbing. Unlike the corridor that led to this level, this corridor contained masonry and looked well made. After 50 feet, Anton came across a wall socket that contained an unlit torch. In his Spectral Form, Anton could see in darkness just fine so he ignored the torch and continued on his way.
As he came onto the third level he noticed immediately that that his level would be something special. The first room was empty but the single corridor that led from it went down thirty feet and opened into a hall lined with skeletons and what Anton could only describe as a lich, sitting on a throne looking down on the Undead.
Magic was real, even though it couldn¡¯t be used on him but Anton realized that if magic was real the possibility that there were undead as well. Anton was going to bypass this level as well when he ran into a problem. As he came to the wall on the other side of the lich where he found a corridor that led out of the chamber Anton bounced off of a barrier of some sort. He also noticed that as he bounced off the barrier the staff in the Lich¡¯s Skeletal hand flashed red.
Suddenly, Anton heard a raspy voice that seemed to echo through the dimension he was in, ¡°Appear before me, mortal, there is nowhere you can look upon me that I cannot find you!¡±
Lich¡¯s, Lich¡¯s, what was it about Lich, what was their weakness again? Anton thought as he racked his memories from the roleplaying and phone based fantasy games he¡¯d played. A phylactery! What is a Phylactery? A container of some sort. Anton looked around the room quickly. There was nothing in the room, though there were two sealed vases on the other side of the barrier in the corridor to the next level. If there was a barrier stopping him, it couldn¡¯t be magical in nature which meant that space in this dimension must be limited in this area, or sealed off somehow. On the mortal plane though¡
Anton walked over to the corridor behind the lich and deactivated Specter. The Specter was already moving as Anton stepped through the magical barrier that was keeping the lich trapped. It was kind of ironic. The dungeon was placing the lich¡¯s phylactery behind the lich and forcing it to protect it by stopping anyone from proceeding. Normally people would have to fight the undead before the lich would even come into play but in Anton¡¯s case. Anton just stepped through a magical barrier and pulled the lid off of one, and then the other vase.
A moment later the Lich was at the barrier looking at Anton with glowing red eyes as it exclaimed as he tried to break through the barrier, ¡°There were magical wards and traps on those vases, you should not have been able to open them!¡±
Anton looked back into the glowing eyes of the lich as he reached into the second vase pulled out a smaller sealed vase and said, ¡°Good to know,¡± Just before he opened it.
Anton watched as a light ethereal current left the jar and the Lich fell apart, as did all of the skeletons along the wall behind it as the staff it had been holding fell to the ground, and notifications filled Anton¡¯s vision.
Congratulations! You have destroyed a Tier III Level 51 Lich
You have earned 195,300 XP
You have earned 2,604 Gold (Treasure was doubled for a Flawless Victory 1,302 Gold x 2)
Congratulations You have earned Levels 35 and 36
Two levels for opening a vase? can¡¯t beat that, Anton thought as he reached through the barrier and picked up the staff. Once he¡¯d drawn it back through the barrier he willed it into his inventory. He couldn¡¯t use the staff but he could definitely sell or trade it later on.
There was nothing else in the room so Anton activated Specter and continued down the corridor until he came to a closed door. He passed through the door and stepped into a small room with two node pedestals in it. One was a clear crystal ball, the other was a black crystal. Anton made sure the room looked empty and then dropped Specter. He stepped over to the pedestal with the black crystal orb and touched it. Nothing happened.
Anton moved over the pedestal with the clear crystal orb and touched it.
Congratulations you have completed The Dungeon of Life and Death.
Labyrinth Travel has been unlocked. Would you like to add the entry node to this Dungeon to your Labyrinth Waypoint list, Yes or No.
Anton chose ¡°Yes¡±. A moment later the second node with the black crystal flared and changed its color to sapphire.
You may use the Node you are touching to return to the entrance of this Dungeon or you may touch the Sapphire node and enter the Labyrinth.
Note, there are no nodes at entry points to the Labyrinth though there is at least one node within one day''s travel of your entry point. If you are not suitably outfitted, it is recommended that you outfit yourself before proceeding.
Anton walked over to the Sapphire Node. As he brought his hand down to touch it a prompt appeared.
Would you like to travel to the Labyrinth, Yes or No?
Anton chose ¡°Yes¡±
Error, Magical Teleport has failed.
Error Log elevated for Review.
A Portal will open momentarily
A moment later a portal opened onto a grassy plain surrounded by trees just a little way off. In the distance, Anton could see other people walking away from his vantage point and making their way onto a street that could have been anywhere on Earth with buildings that looked somewhat familiar. There were men and women, human men and women wearing outdated clothing walking up and down the streets. Anton noticed a blimp off in the distance floating above the skyline.
Without hesitation, Anton stepped through the portal which closed immediately once he was through. His vision was once again peppered with notifications.
Welcome to the Labyrinth.
You have translocated to Earth circa 1928.
Labyrinth Nodes are scattered around the globe and are only visible to individuals who have entered this instance of the Labyrinth from outside. In all other regards this, and all, other instances within the Labyrinth are living breathing memories of times past throughout the various realities the Labyrinth reaches into.
In this Instance, SYSTEM Shop access will be found in any City Library.
Please Note: Not all Instances will have helpful information like these notifications.
Good Luck Adventurer, May you find that which you seek in the Labyrinth
Chapter 27, Unsealed
Anton looked around and realized that he was in a park. His surroundings looked familiar but the buildings on the skyline were a little lower. Was he in Central Park in New York City in 1928? Anton searched his memory. The Great Depression had started in the 30s. Weren¡¯t the 20s remembered as the roaring 20s after the end of the first World War? That could be true if this alternate Earth followed his Earth¡¯s timeline. There was only one way to find out.
Anton looked around and noticed a building off to his west that wasn¡¯t too far away through the scattered trees. He turned and walked in that direction. After he¡¯d taken 10 steps a yelp of shock came from a nearby tree where a man and woman were looking at him from a blanket they were sitting on. The man regained his composure before he asked his lady friend, ¡°Where did he come from?¡±
The woman looked around, ¡°I don¡¯t know, there¡¯s nothing over there but that thicket of bushes and trees, ¡°The young woman said.¡±
Anton looked back in the direction he¡¯d come from where he could clearly see the entrance to the exit and only scattered trees in every direction. There were no bushes to speak of. He was about to ask the two but realized the entrance must be hidden magically. In which case, he wouldn¡¯t be able to see it because he was immune to magic.
Anton caught himself and looked at the two who had obviously been making out in what had to be the late afternoon and quickly apologized, ¡°Sorry for the inconvenience, nature called and this looked like a good spot.
¡°Excuse me, Sir, I can¡¯t understand you, what language are you speaking,¡± The man asked in English.
Anton switch to English and apologized again, ¡°Sorry about that, I was practicing my foreign language with some friends¡¡±
¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like any language I¡¯ve ever heard before,¡± The woman called out, ¡°Even if it sounds familiar.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve heard it before, up on Broadway when I was working in the theater as an attendant,¡± the man said as they both nodded which Anton took to mean that they thought only the rich used the language. Anton, on the other hand, realized that it could mean that there were others like himself living in the Broadway area which was good to know.
¡°I do apologize for intruding. I was taking a shortcut and lost my way. I need to get back to work now,¡± Anton said with a smile before he turned and walked toward the opposite side of the park. As he was just about out of normal earshot he heard the woman ask her man, ¡°Where does he think he¡¯s going, Broadway is back the way he came from south of here¡¡±
Anton put the people out of his mind. After he¡¯d walked until the two were no longer in sight and he didn¡¯t see anyone else Anton activated Specter. A moment later he rose into the sky above the treetops and looked around. If he wanted to find the SYSTEM Shop he needed to find the library. While there were quite a few libraries in New York, Anton turned to the southeast and flew over to 5th Avenue before he began following it to the southwest.
Two and a half miles later 5th Avenue ended at Washington Square Park. Anton turned to the Southeast and followed Waverly Plaza three blocks to Broadway. He turned right and followed Broadway southwest for a little over a mile to Chambers Street. There, he turned left. On his right was the Courthouse and at the end of the block on his left was the library.
The Library looked just like it did in that one movie when the movie ended with the world entering a new ice age. However, the buildings around it weren¡¯t as high as those in the movie, and it looked to be in a lot better condition. Anton found an alcove nearby and deactivated Specter. Anton looked around quickly to make sure no one had noticed him. Once he was pretty sure he hadn¡¯t been seen, Anton stepped onto the sidewalk and walked up the steps into the Library.
As he stepped through the threshold into the Library proper he was surprised by how regal it felt. While the decorations were simplistic, everything looked to have had a place set aside for it. In fact, it looked like there was a place where everything belonged. Also, it was quiet. This library took silence to a whole new level. Anton walked inside and began looking for access to the SYSTEM Shop.
As he walked through the library a few patrons stared at him, most likely due to his attire, which he ignored. When he came to the center of the main room he noticed a female elf walking normally toward the wall opposite where he¡¯d entered. No one else reacted to her elvish ears so either she was using an illusion to mask her visage or elves were known here. Either way, he decided to follow her. He kept a bit of distance and watched as she walked to the back wall.
There was an opening between two bookcases which she stepped through. Almost like a doorway, without a door. The only person who saw her step through the opening was himself. As he approached, Anton looked through the opening and saw the elvish woman reach out and touch a node before she vanished.
Anton stepped through the opening and looked around a small empty room which only contained the node resting on a pedestal at its center. Anton reached out and touched the node and received a shock as a notification appeared in his vision.
USER CANNOT BE TRANSLOCATED FROM THIS LOCATION!
Anton removed his hand from the Node and touched it again. Again, he received the same notification. Anton, took his hand off the node and replaced it one more time just to be sure. This time something changed.
USER CANNOT BE TRANSLOCATED FROM THIS LOCATION!
User¡¯s mana channels have been severely damaged
User configuration is currently incompatible with Labyrinth.
Analyzing Configuration
Damage identified.
Specific Mana Channels have been sealed.
Anti-Mage Ability Noted. Note: Changes made to the ability, Anti-Mage, do not match historical records. Current unknown configuration does allow for continued existence without dissolution though.
Continued existence is possible with severe penalties to further progress
OR
The Labyrinth can unseal the various sealed Mana Channels.
What is your choice?
Anton paused, reread the notifications, and then asked, ¡°What are the benefits and detriments either way?¡±
There was a soft pop and a blue-skinned male humanoid, that looked a lot like the Na¡¯vi from the movie Avatar appeared in a flowing white robe. Additionally, Anton noticed that a bookcase had filled the exit that led into the main library and sealed the room.
The blue-skinned man smiled as he said, ¡°Good Afternoon. I am Nabi. I have been sent to answer any questions you might have. How may I help you?¡±
¡°Nabi is it? The Node gave me a few notifications. I would like to know what the pros and cons are for staying the way I am or accepting help from the SYSTEM,¡± Anton said.
¡°One moment please,¡± Nabi said as he moved over to the node and place a hand on it opposite Antons. Instead of vanishing, his eyes fluttered for a moment and then he withdrew his hand before he said, ¡°I see.¡±
¡°You see what?¡± Anton asked.
¡°It seems that your physical structure was modified somehow and in doing so the process sealed away your access to all but a few spheres of magic, which is lucky for you because if all the spheres had been sealed, you would have ceased to exist,¡± Nabi said with a smile.
¡°Yeah, that would have sucked. Back to my question please, why should I allow the SYSTEM to fix me now since it didn¡¯t before?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Oh, it¡¯s not the SYSTEM offering to fix your issues. This is a Labyrinth Shop Node. It is the Labrinth who is offering to unseal your access to magic,¡± Nabi explained.
¡°But I have the ability Anti-Mage. How will unsealing my access to magic interact with that ability?¡± Anton asked.
Nabi smiled, ¡°Very carefully, of course,¡± When Nabi realized that Anton wasn¡¯t in a joking mood he continued, ¡°Currently, something happened to you that altered your fundamental makeup. Think about it like this. You are a cake and Magic is trying to eat you. You look like a cake, perform like a cake but if magic tries to take a bite out of you, you don¡¯t taste like a cake. In fact, to most magic the cake doesn¡¯t exist.
Anton sighed, ¡°I understand that already. What does that analogy have to do with Anti-Magic and regaining access to magic.?¡±
¡°I was getting to that,¡± Nabi admonished, ¡°Because of your legendary ability Anti-Mage all that unsealing magic for you will do for now is allow you to suppress your ability and interact with the world as if you were normal. Currently because your magical sphere channels are sealed, magic has nothing to connect to. With the ability Anti-Mage also in play magic doesn¡¯t even have a chance to notice you to try to establish those connections. It¡¯s why magic doesn¡¯t work on you at all. If your magical spheres are unsealed all that will happen is that you¡¯ll be able to use certain extremely powerful magical items.
¡°As an example,¡± Anton pressed.
¡°As an example, you¡¯ll be able to use SYSTEM and Labyrinth nodes normally. Anti-Mage will still prevent you from utilizing most magic but eventually you might be able to suppress Anti-Mage enough that you¡¯ll be able to use some magical items and even spells, if that is your wish. A more immediate example of the difference is that this room was covered by an illusion. You didn¡¯t notice it because magic cannot make a sympathetic connection with you. If you accept the changes the Labyrinth wishes to make instead of not seeing the illusion you¡¯ll see where the illusion is as a hazy outline of the spell. Because you are immune, it can¡¯t affect you but, because your magical spheres are unsealed you¡¯ll be able to sense the magic that should affect you.
¡°Wait, I¡¯ve been attacked by spells before, and I was able to see them just fine. Why is this different now?¡± Anton asked.
¡°What kind of spells?¡± Nabi asked.
¡°I believe it was a Fireball,¡± Anton said.
¡°I see,¡± Nabi said thoughtfully. ¡°If I were to hazard a guess, I¡¯d say you could see that spell because it had an elemental component which created heat an light. Because the energy was generated by magic it couldn¡¯t affect you but the light would still be visible. The illusion that created the bookcase behind you, before I sealed the room with a physical bookcase, used magic to connect to the mind and input a false memory or image. While you are still susceptible to mental and spiritual magic, the magic that tried to alter your thoughts was not originally of that sphere. The illusion was based on Air Magic, which you are sealed from.¡±
¡°Seems kind of flaky to me?¡± Anton said
¡°Well, considering you shouldn¡¯t be able to exist in the state you¡¯re currently in, that¡¯s the best explanation I can give you,¡± Nabi said.
¡°Very well, is there anything else I should know before I accept this change?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Well¡Almost immediately after you entered the Labyrinth a change to the SYSTEM which was originally designated as a Beta test cascaded throughout the SYSTEM. As the Labyrinth is a universe or universes unto itself, it could ignore the changes or allow them to propagate inside. The Labyrinth is doing the latter.¡±
¡°What does that mean for me?¡± Anton asked
For the most part, nothing. You might notice a slight change in the way attribute bonuses work but for the most part, since you only had one class, there isn¡¯t any kind of change that I need to go over with you now,¡± Nabi said thoughtfully.
¡°Attribute bonus change, what do you mean?¡± Anton asked.
I¡¯m going to use hypothetical numbers to keep this simple. An average person has an attribute score of 10. With a 10 in an attribute, there is neither a negative nor a positive modifier. Before the cascade event, every two points spent on an attribute increased or decreased the bonus for that attribute by one for every two points. An attribute of 8 would have given a -1 modifier while an attribute of 12 would have given a +1 modifier. The change makes it so that an 8 garners a -2 modifier while a 12 garners a +2 modifier. In other words, every point put into an attribute increases the chances that you will be successful in whatever task you are trying to accomplish.
Anton thought about it for a moment before he commented, ¡°That seems like a much better way to excite people about allocating their attributes. What other changes will I notice?
¡°Skill Levels,¡± Nabi said matter-of-factly.
¡°Skill Levels?¡±
¡°Yes, Skill levels. Skill level rarity is gone. Skill levels now range from 0 to 100,¡± Nabi said.
Anton considered that for a moment before he asked, ¡°What about skill points and leveling skills?¡±
¡°That change is a bit tricky. Also, spells and psychic abilities utilize the same type of system for leveling, ¡°Nabi said as he paused for a moment to collect his thoughts before he began. ¡°Skills are leveled by either spending skill points, using the skill, or receiving skill points through training.¡± Skill points are earned from leveling, training with Trainers, or from skill books and tome level skills by paying a number of skill points equal to the new level. 1 skill point for level 1, 2 skill points for level 2, or 3 total skill points, and so on.¡±
¡°And the other way?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Using the skill of course. Using Skill points will always be faster though,¡± Nabi said. ¡°The information we¡¯ve seen for the changes showed us an example for a level 10 skill. To level a skill to level 10 would cost 55 skill points. Depending on what type of skill or spell it was to reach level 10 would require you to use the skill 2,200 times or maintain the skill or spell for 367 full minutes.¡± Additionally, the total equivalent skill level is the sum of both. So, if you spent 55 Skill Points AND you used the skill 2,200 times or for 367 minutes, the skill would be considered level 20. Finally, no matter how many skill points you spend or how much time you put into a skill, the maximum level is 100.¡±
¡°That doesn¡¯t seem to be too hard to understand. We earn skill points from leveling, training or finding tomes. Or we earn skill points by spending time to improve our skills. The first looks to be a lot faster than the other. One question, do we ever get the skill points back?¡±
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
¡°No. This change to the SYSTEM removed earning the skill points back. If you utilize skill points to artificially level a skill they are spent forever. Besides, now that skill points will be awarded as treasure it¡¯s just easier to make it a once used and done scenario. Whoever instituted this change put some thought into it,¡± Nabi said thoughtfully.
Anton considered what he¡¯d been told. Being able to at least recognize magic, even if he couldn¡¯t utilize it, would be nice and it seemed like the changes to the SYSTEM would make it easier for him to level going forward so why not, ¡°If there is nothing else I need to know, I believe I will accept the changes the Labyrinth has offered to make to me.¡±
¡°Very well. If you are ready, I will be on my way. A word of warning, this next part might hurt a bit,¡± Nabi said just before he disappeared.
Anton was about to ask what Nabi meant when a tube of light surrounded him and the node. The light was a variety of colors that, while bright, did not blind him at first. As the colors shifted they did become brighter until closing his eyes failed to stop him from seeing the color. At that moment, the pain began.
Fortunately for Anton, pain and death were close friends at this point and while he intellectually knew that the searing lights were painful as every part of his body began to tingle and then burn, it was a pain he could easily endure. The colors oscillating around him began to shift rapidly until everything turned white. The burning sensation intensified as the pain soaked into his bones and intensified to a level he¡¯d only felt once before.
Anton felt as if he were next to the sun, deep underwater, buried in the earth, and being hit by hurricane-force winds while life poured into him as he rotted and he was surrounded in a halo of light while darkness tried to surround and smother him. Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Life, Death, Light and Darkness, those were¡
The pain shattered Anton¡¯s concentration as his natural regeneration from the ability Immortal kicked in and prevented the pain from killing him. Existence became agony. Agony was existence. Did it continue for a moment, a minute, or a year? Anton wasn¡¯t sure. One thing he did know was that even with his Willpower and Endurance over 200, he couldn¡¯t endure the pain, merely bear it.
Eventually, the pain receded and Anton found himself standing alone in the room with his hand on the Labyrinth Shop node. A moment later notifications began scrolling down his vision.
Life Mana Channel has been unsealed
Water Mana Channel has been unsealed
Darkness Mana Channel has been unsealed
Earth Mana Channel has been unsealed
Death Mana Channel has been unsealed
Fire Mana Channel has been unsealed
Light Mana Channel has been unsealed
Air Mana Channel has been unsealed
Proper Mana Channel has been unsealed
Absolute Mana Channel has been unsealed
Putrescent Mana Channel has been unsealed
Space Mana Channel has been unsealed
Time Mana Channel has been unsealed
Gravity Mana Channel has been unsealed
Divine Mana Channel has been unsealed
15 Mana Channels have been unsealed.
The following mana channels have been strengthened; Anti, Soul, Spirit, Mental, Order, and Chaos.
Unsealed mana channels allow magic to interact with and affect the targeted individual normally.
NOTE: Legendary Ability Anti-Mage detected. All magic sphere interactions except Soul, Spirit, and Mental are suppressed. Any ability, spell, or skill that utilizes magic from one of the suppressed magical spheres lower than level 81 does not affect you.
Additionally, magical items are still unusable by you unless the item is at least Legendary. Fortunately, all SYSTEM and Labyrinth Node and magical effects inherent to those two entities are considered at least Legendary in nature.
Conversion Implemented
Conversion Finished.
Rarities of all Skills, Spells and Psychic Skills Removed
Status Screen, Abridged
Name: Anthony Nicholas Thomson
Identity: Anton
Race: Human
Age: 27
Weight: 225
Birthday: September 13th 2013 (Friday the 13th)
Animae: Normal
Classes:
1st Class: (Rare): Specter / Level 37
Attributes
Strength 90, 45 100% efficiency. (+80)
Agility 92, 46 100% efficiency. (+82)
Dexterity 92, 46 100% efficiency. (+82)
Endurance 294, 147 100% efficiency. (+284)
Constitution 180, 60 200% efficiency. (+170)
Perception 178, 89 100% efficiency. (+168)
Intelligence 102, 51 100% efficiency. (+92)
Wisdom 90, 45 100% efficiency. (+80)
Willpower 483, 161, 200% efficiency. (+473)
Charisma 90, 45, 100% efficiency. (+90)
Luck 171, 57, 200% efficiency. (+161)
Chaos 0, 100%, 0 (-10)
Order 0, 100%, 0 (-10)
Skill Slots: 122
Spell Slots: 0
Psionic Slots: 192
Primary Stats
Carrying Capacity: 1,013 lbs / 459 kgs
Hit Points: 630
Health Regeneration:4 per hour (SPECIAL: NOTE: Immortal, fully healed after 14 seconds)
Stamina: 3,125
Stamina Regeneration: 30 per 10 seconds
Mana: 0 of 4,830 (See Ability Anti-Mage)
Mana Regeneration: 0
Psychic Energy (PE): 461
PE Regeneration: 5 per 10 seconds
Movement
Running Speed: 63 MPH/ 93 FPS
Standing high Jump: 18 Inches.
Note. Falling Damage is not mitigated by maximum jumping Distance.
Flying Speed: N/A
Base Attack
Unarmed Attack: 42 (2 Base + 40 Damage)
Critical Damage Maximum Damage x2
Abilities:
Anti-Mage
Immortal
Perks
Specter (Ability Immortal and Class Specter)
Titles:
I Ain¡¯t Worried
I Can Take it
Goblin Slayer 3
Trifecta
Arbiter of Fate
Psychic Skills
Perk Granted Psychic Skills
Specter, Level: 41
Class Skills
Manifest (Specter), Level: 71
Spectral Reach (Specter), Level: 2
Spectral Scream (Specter), Level: 17
Purchased Psychic Skills
Analyze, Level: 1
Aura Sight, Level: 1
Battle Meditation, Level: 41
Detect Magic, Level: 1
Eagle Eyes, Level: 1
Hyper Focus, Level: 1
Identify, Level: 1
Meditation, Level: 51
Mental Refuge, Level: 1
Mental Shield, Level: 5
Mind Bolt, Level: 2
Planar Shift, Level: 1
Quickened Healing, Level: 1
Telekinesis, Level: 1
Telepathy, Level: 1
Skills
Perk Granted Skills
Basic Map (SYSTEM Granted Perk Skill)
Personal Storage (Tier 2) (SYSTEM Granted Perk Skill)
Purchased Skills:
ASL - American Sign Language - Level 1
Bows (Purchased Skill) ¨C Level 21
Crossbows (Purchased Skill) - Level 21
Dodge (Purchased Skill) - Level 21
Long Blades (Purchased Skill) - Level 21
Long Range Firearms (Purchased Skill) - Level 21
Maggen¡¯s Exceptional Storage (Purchased Skill) ¨C Level 41
Maggen''s Gift (Purchased Skill) - Level 41
Scavenge (Purchased Skill) ¨C Level 1
Short Blades (Purchased Skill) - Level 21
Snatch (Purchased Skill) ¨C Level 1
Two-Weapon Fighting Style (Purchased Skill) ¨C Level 1
Treasure
On Person
Copper: 1,000
Silver: 1,000
Credits: 14,380,367
Gold: 2,302
Platinum: 1,000
SYSTEM Bank
Copper: 15,698
Silver: 1,263
Credits: 1,972,320
Gold: 0
Platinum: 26
Anton looked over the abridged information and immediately realized that the conversion had increased his level from 36 to 37. Additionally, the attribute modifiers had effectively doubled. He¡¯d have to wait to see how that played out in combat but damn, that was a significant boost. The changes made implied that every point above 10 made a difference. Chaos and Order being at 0 and giving a -10 modifier were a bit worrisome. Finally, it looked like all of his skill levels had been converted. Manifest at level 71 was insanely high, but that had been a Legendary Psychic Skill so that made sense.
Anton shifted his feet. That slight movement shifted his hand which activated the Labyrinth Shop Node
Would you like to enter the Labyrinth Shop, Yes or No?
Anton chose ¡°Yes¡± and felt himself get translocated into a small room with a few display cases and a kiosk. Before he could get a good look at anything a pleasant male voice spoke from the air directly in front of him.
¡°Welcome to the New York City Labyrinth Shop 1928. This shop contains only limited materials and items available at this location. Additionally, please note that one of the changes implemented by the SYSTEM and followed by the Labyrinth is that information can no longer be created by SYSTEM, and by proxy, Labyrinth personnel. At this time no information brokers have provided information for sale and all previous resources have been removed.¡±
Anton was disappointed. He thought about what he needed and what he needed to know before he asked, ¡°Can I convert credits to the local currency and do you also sell clothes that match this era?¡±
¡°Currency is available, as are clothes and weapons appropriate to the location, culture and era,¡± The Labyrinth Shop said.
Anton stepped forward and touched the flat screen before him. It seemed to work just like a touchscreen tablet but Anton was sure that it was magic-based. Opening up his mana channels allowed him to at least interact with magical items. Or, could it be that the Labyrinth and the System items were considered so powerful that they bypassed his ability? He wasn¡¯t sure but he had to admit it was rather nice to be able to interact with magical devices. Maybe he wouldn¡¯t have to rely on technology anymore.
Anton looked over the items that he could purchase. The first thing he noticed was that the currency conversion was set to 1.5 credits for 1 U.S. Dollar. Anton was pretty sure that was highway robbery but he needed it so he spent 1,500 credits for 1,000 U.S dollars. He also looked through the clothing and found a couple sets of nice casual clothes, a business suit, ties, and both casual and business shoes for another 1,500 credits. Weapon-wise, he had plenty of weapons and ammo but decided to purchase a Browning Model 1922 with a silencer and ammo which set him back another 1,200 credits. He wanted to purchase some explosives but they weren¡¯t available in this shop.
There were no spells or skills for sale and as there were no information brokers there was nothing he could purchase that might give him a hint about where he had to travel to next. Anton put all of his purchases into his Personal Storage and then added his new clothing to a few new preconfigured clothing sets for quick changes. Once he was ready he switched his clothing to a casual pair of shoes with nice grey slacks and a white short-sleeved shirt with a blue power tie. This outfit should allow him to blend in nicely.
When he was done he made his way back to the Shop Node, touched it, and reappeared in the room with a now visible illusionary wall back into the main library. Anton checked to make sure no one was watching and then stepped through the illusionary wall into the main library. Anton made his way out of the Library and found a coach waiting on the curb outside.
¡°Can I help you mister?¡± the driver called out as Anton walked down the steps to the street.
¡°I would like to stay in a hotel if that¡¯s possible. Is there anything close?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Are you looking for a nice place or a cheap place?¡± the driver asked.
¡°A nice quiet place would be best,¡± Anton answered.
¡°The Merrymen is just a few blocks south of here, but it is a bit expensive at 10 dollars a night,¡± the coachman said.
¡°That¡¯s perfect,¡± Anton answered back with a smile. ¡°How much for a ride?¡± Anton asked.
¡°A quarter. Hop on in, I¡¯ll get you there.¡±
Anton stepped into the Coach and sat down as the driver clicked his tongue and they were off. The trip to the Merryman was anticlimactic. Anton gave the Coachman a full dollar and let him keep the change. When he arrived at the hotel he paid 100 dollars to rent a penthouse guest room for a full week and then made his way upstairs. Instead of sleeping Anton stayed fully clothed laid back and entered a state of meditation. He needed to rest but he wanted to make sure he could react to anyone that might break into his room. He was in the Labyrinth after all. While he hadn¡¯t seen any monsters yet, there had to be some here somewhere, didn¡¯t there?¡±
Chapter 28, Uninvited Guests
Anton woke the next morning after a very sound, and uneventful evening. He¡¯d heard someone playing the piano in the common room on the first floor, but he¡¯d been so tired that he couldn¡¯t remember hearing it the rest of the night. Also, every inch of his body ached. What his mother would have described as growing pains flooded his body, his whole body. How the hell did the tip of his nose have growing pains?
Anton activated Meditation and concentrated on feeling out his body. He focused his attention on his fingers, toes, arms, legs, and torso. Nothing felt wrong. Was this a purely mental phenomenon? Anton ended his skill, sat up, and stood. He did a few stretches and moved his arms to make sure he could move normally. After a minute of double-checking his ability to move, pick up stuff, make striking motions, and walk around the room he was satisfied that whatever was making him sore was not affecting him physically.
One thing that sucked about the 1920¡¯s, no indoor plumbing. It wouldn¡¯t be invented for a few more years and wouldn¡¯t be required until the end of the 1930s. Luckily for him, his body converted everything he ate into energy. He couldn¡¯t even remember the last time he used a bathroom. There was a wash basin, which he walked over to. Anton dipped his hands in the room-temperature water and splashed it on his face. Lucky for him diseases and bacteria were something he didn¡¯t need to worry about, though he wondered if he could be a carrier. Maybe for the first 14 seconds, if something was trying to kill him. If he had a disease and it wasn¡¯t killing him though¡ The next time he was in a place with sufficient technology he¡¯d have to test that out. Did activating Specter kill the diseases and bacteria? It might.
Anton was shaken from his thoughts when he heard three loud knocks from the door to his room. ¡°One moment please,¡± Anton called out. He pulled himself from the bed and walked over to the door. He put his foot against the door before he asked, ¡°Who is it?¡±
¡°Housekeeping, Sir. I have a message for you,¡± the man on the other side of the door called out.
Anton wasn¡¯t sure how things were supposed to work in this day and age but since no one in this world should know him, Anton activated Specter and slid forward through the door to see who was on the other side. As he did so, a large foot kicked through him into the door and shattered it open as Anton watched five goons burst through the door.
While he couldn¡¯t hear what they were saying, Anton easily understood the gist of the conversation as the leader pointed down the hallway and at the window. Three of the four goons took off. Anton kept pace with the leader as he made his way out of the building and back down to the street. He also noted that the leader nodded to the manager as the group walked out of the lobby. If he had time, Anton would make time to come ¡°talk¡± to that manager later, or he¡¯d just kill him. It all depended on who had sent the goons.
Anton was spending one Psychic Energy per minute while he remained in Specter Form which meant that his pool of 461 would last for 7, almost 8 hours. He could use Battle Meditation to replenish his psychic energy pool, but he wouldn¡¯t be able to follow anyone for over two minutes while he did so. On the wide open plains, or even in a forest, that wouldn¡¯t be a big deal. In a city, with millions of people, that might be a problem. With 7 hours though, he should be able to follow these idiots back to their master with time to spare.
Anton watched the group look for him for almost 20 minutes before they jumped on some horses and started heading toward the piers along the southeast shore. Anton need not have worried. It was only 7 blocks to the shoreline and they seemed to be in a hurry. Anton followed the five men to a warehouse, watched them tie down their horses, and walk inside. There were so many ways he could proceed, but first, he needed to replenish his Psychic Energy.
Anton centered himself, closed his eyes, and activated Battle Medication. At Skill level 41, what used to be Master rank level 1, Anton regenerated 41 points per turn, or 20 points per turn while in Specter Form. He¡¯d spent 10 points to activate Specter and 35 points to maintain it for the last 35 minutes, 36 if he rounded up until he was done meditating. After 3 turns, or 30 seconds he¡¯d regenerate 60 points of Psychic energy and was only down 1 point as he reappeared in the physical world. That would give the goons a 30-second head start, which was fine. He knew where they were and he was tired of placating people who disrespected him, especially in a dungeon, instance, or whatever the hell the Labyrinth was.
Anton slid through the door to the warehouse and deactivated Specter on the other side. He reached back, opened the door a bit, and then closed it loudly enough that anyone in the warehouse could hear. As he expected someone called out from inside the warehouse.
¡°We¡¯re closed. Get Out,¡± a man with a gruff voice called from the shadows ahead. The man thought he was hiding from Anton but with a perception of 178, the man, who looked to be in his thirties, stood out. Anton also noticed that he looked to be armed with a shotgun of some kind.
¡°I¡¯m the guy from the Merryman the five men that just came in here were looking for,¡± Anton called back.
¡°Seriously? And you followed them back here. Are you daft?¡± the man asked with a laugh as he stepped forward with the shotgun trained on Anton.
¡°Not daft. I just wanted to see what the ruckus was all about. Besides, they broke down my door at the hotel. Someone has gotta pay for the damages.
The gruff-looking man laughed, ¡°That¡¯ll be you. Now, no sudden moves while my partner checks you.¡±
Partner? Anton was slightly surprised when a seamless door slid aside and an¡elf stepped out. Anton was kind of confused by what he saw because he saw the outline of an Asian man superimposed over the frame of the elf underneath. This must be what looking at people using magic looked like since this was the first time he was looking at magic in use since his mana channels were unsealed.
There must be an illusion over the man but because Anton was immune to magic and he could now detect it, he could see what the magic was trying to do, but he could still see the truth. Also, the image of the Asian was much less prominent, almost like it was in a grayscale and barely visible. His Anti-Mage ability was the dominant part of that interaction. He didn¡¯t need to think about what the truth of what he saw. He knew it was an elf pretending to be an Asian man he automatically knew that.
The door on the other hand hadn¡¯t been hidden by magic which was why he hadn¡¯t noticed it. Now that he knew what to look for, he could see the peephole and knew he hadn¡¯t noticed it before because the door had been perfectly aligned with the wall and there hadn¡¯t been any visible seem.
The elf stepped forward, patted Anton down, and turned to the gruff-looking human, ¡°He¡¯s clean.¡±
¡°Of course, I am. Why would I need a weapon,¡± Anton asked.
Both men laughed as the elf turned to the outer door, ¡°I¡¯m going to step outside and look around. Be back in a minute,¡± the elf said before he stepped outside.
The man with the shotgun waved Anton toward a stairway in the back, ¡°Come on, the boss did want to see you.
Anton was guided up the stairway, along a catwalk to an office door. As Anton stepped up to the door, it opened and a fist aimed directly at his head flew toward his face. Unfortunately for the goon and the man behind Anton, the strike was pathetic. Pathetically slow and pathetically normal. With plenty of time to act, Anton activated Specter and then Manifest. To the man trying to punch him, Anton appeared to flicker and his fist passed through Anton¡¯s body while the man with the shotgun stepped back as a fist went through the target in front of him.
Anton ignored the idiot and floated into the office where four men stood before the boss who sat behind the desk with one man beside him. Now that he was manifested, Anton noticed that two of the goons that had come to his hotel room were demi-humans. If he had to guess, they were some sort of half-orc variant. The boss also had an illusion on him that made him appear to be a very large human. What that illusion hid underneath reminded Anton of Bugbears. Half Man, Half Bear demi-humans. Anton activated Analyze and sighed as he saw the notification.
???
Anton checked the skill. Damn, it was only level 1. He needed to use that skill more or put some skill points into it, something he would look into after he dealt with his situation. The man beside the boss moved his hands and cast a spell at Anton. Anton just stood still and waited. When he was done Anton watched as a magical wave passed through him. Probably because his true body was in another dimension.
Without a word, Anton activated Mind Bolt and targeted the mage. Anton was a bit surprised when notifications appeared in his vision. Anton activated Hyper Focus which increased his mental acuity and checked the notifications.
Target ??? attacked with Mind Bolt.
Changes to SYSTEM implemented
Base Damage 8
Default damage bonus of 47 added.
NOTE, the change to the system has changed how attribute bonuses are added to damage. Willpower of 483 has a maximum attribute bonus of 473. This bonus damage can be divided and added to individual attacks and defense against individual attacks during a single combat turn as you like or the default damage bonus of one-tenth the total bonus may be added to ALL attacks and Defense against all attacks for the Combat Turn. This is true for all attribute bonuses when added to attacks.
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WARNING. The default attribute bonus is added to all attacks and defenses that utilize that attribute. If you decide to manually control the allocation of your total bonus, you must declare how many points of the attribute bonus will be utilized for each attack and to defend against each attack. When you no longer have points to allocate, no bonus is added.
The SYSTEM has set all Attribute Bonuses to default.
Total Damage: 55
Target is Stunned.
So, combat had been tweaked as well. Anton didn¡¯t remember reading anything about that. While he hadn¡¯t killed the magic user his attack had damaged and knocked him unconscious. Anton thought about the need to test that out when boss declared, ¡°Fuck it, Kill him!¡±
The two men behind Anton dived to the side of the doorway to get out of the line of fire as the four men in front of the boss turned and began shooting at him. Anton had no idea what draining his entire Willpower pool would do so he designated 200, of his 483 points. Then he targeted one of the half-orcs. With Hyper-Focus active he looked at his combat log just as his target¡¯s eyes exploded out of his skull and blood also exited his nose, ears, and mouth.
Mind Bolt activated
Base Damage: 8
Bonus Attribute Damage: 200
Total Damage: 208
Critical Hit!
Total Damage: 416
Congratulations, you have killed a Level 10 Half-Orc.
Total XP awarded: 334
XP to Next Level: 163,055
Anton quickly checked his attributes and noted that his Attribute for Willpower was now greyed out and covered with 283. There was also an information tab that indicated that he would recover his willpower at 1% per turn or 4.83 per 10 seconds. 200 divided by 4.83 was just over 41 turns and there were 6 turns to a minute so just under 7 minutes before he¡¯d be back to normal. That wasn¡¯t too long but during combat, it was long enough that utilizing his attributes manually was probably a bad idea. Anton closed his Combat log and exited Hyper Focus. Everyone around him was reacting to the dead half-orc that still had the illusion over him. That must be something intrinsic to the Labyrinth and not something they were doing. Good to know.
The other half-orc stepped forward and pulled a two-handed battle axe out of a spatial storage device as he brought it down on Anton¡¯s head. It passed through him and buried itself in the floor at his feet. Anton decided enough was enough and pulled his P90 out of his inventory, activated Spectral Reach, and pulled the trigger at point-blank range. 16 bullets exploded out of the gun in the second he had Spectral Reach active before he deactivated the psychic skill and put the gun back in his inventory.
To everyone behind the half-orc, the battleaxe cleaved through the middle of the man in front of them which was followed immediately by a burping sound as the half-orcs back exploded and covered them with gore. The half-orc leaned forward on the handle of the battle-axe for a moment and then fell face first at Anton¡¯s feet.
What followed next was one of the most chaotic scenes of combat Anton had ever been a part of. The men behind him shot into the room while the boss dove for cover and the last three goons that had come to his hotel room returned fire. Anton watched as one of the goons in front of the boss was hit by a shotgun blast from behind which took him out of the fight. Now there were two in front, two behind, the boss and the unconscious man on the floor.
Anton decided that it was a good time to see what his Psychic Skill Psychic Scream did under the new SYSTEM rules and floated back out of the room until all five people were in front of him. What happened after he activated the skill wasn¡¯t expected, especially since he was working with just over half his normal willpower.
All five fell over. A quick check showed him that they were unconscious. A state Anton removed them from permanently a moment later. Anton deactivated Specter, pulled out his silenced Browning Model from his inventory, and coup-de-graced all of the goons except for the boss with a bullet to the brain. As for the boss, he picked him up, put him back in his chair, and pulled some rope from his inventory. He quickly tied the boss to the chair before he moved the two corpses into the pile of four bodies already in the room, and closed the door to the office.
Anton pulled a fully loaded P90 and Healing Potion out of his inventory. He uncorked the potion and fed it to the boss as he stepped out of reach and pointed the P90 at him. A moment later the bear-man sputtered and looked around until his eyes focused on Anton, ¡°You are so¡¡±
Anton casually flipped the selector switch on the P90, aimed, and put a single bullet into the bear-man¡¯s shoulder. Anton watched as the residual energy from the healing potion healed the wound as the boss took a few deep breaths and prepared to speak.
Anton interrupted his attempt by speaking first, ¡°My name is Anton. I have a few questions. If you¡¯re helpful, I may let you live. If you¡¯re not, well, look around.¡±
With that opening, the Boss launched into a tirade, ¡°Do you have any idea who I am? Do you know what you¡¯ve done? When the Adventurer¡¯s Guild gets their hands on you¡Oh, I can¡¯t wait to watch what they do to you¡.¡±
¡°Yeah, Yeah, whatever. Are you going to answer my questions or not?¡±
The Boss smirked, ¡°Why should I¡¡± just before his head exploded when Anton put half the bullet in his clip through his head and into the bookcase behind him. Anton went over, touched each body, and put them into his inventory before he looked through the desk and bookshelves. Then he activated Specter and checked to see if there were any hidden rooms or passages behind the walls.
Anton deactivated Specter and searched the room. One of the side walls was a hidden door which he found easily. Anton passed through the secret door into a small room that held a table and a coat rack. On the coat rack, a leather satchel hung. His eyes were drawn to the satchel because it seemed to glow, a lot like the demi-humans that were wearing illusions. There was a ghostly image superimposed over the satchel. Anton reached out and lifted the satchel off the hook. He expected a prompt of some kind, but nothing happened.
Anton looked the satchel over but no prompts activated. He thought about what to do next and then activated his Psychic version of Identify
You have found a Level 21, Satchel of Holding.
This Satchel can hold up to 20 items totaling no more than 200 lbs.
Anton looked at the Satchel of Holding. So he could now notice magical items but he could utilize or activate them because of his ability Anti-Mage. That was both awesome and sucked at the same time. There could be something in the satchel that he could use but he couldn¡¯t activate it. Were there any psychically based storage devices? He had his inventory, sure, but having more storage wouldn¡¯t be bad. Then again, hadn¡¯t opening his channels made it so he could interact with sufficiently powerful magical items? He was going to need to do some shopping and testing to see what level a magical item had to be before he could use it. If he could figure out what level the SYSTEM Nodes were considered, that should give him a starting point.
Except for the satchel, the room was empty which was all the evidence he needed for him to believe the bag held items he needed to get to. Could he purchase access to the contents of the bag through the Shop? He¡¯d have to check. Anton was brought out of his thoughts as he heard a loud bang and movement on the other side of the wall in the room with the dead men. That settled it, it was time to go.
Anton activated Specter, moved straight up, and then headed back toward the library. He didn¡¯t deactivate Specter until he was next to the Labyrinth Shop node. Once he was at the kiosk he looked up how much it would cost to inventory the satchel for him. It was 1,000 credits for the inventory and 1,000 credits per item removed from the satchel. Anton ordered the inventory and the removal of all items.
Stachel of Holding Inventory.
Gold Ring
545 Gold Coins
1,215 Silver Coins
5 Basic Health Potions
3 Basic Stamina Potions.
2 Basic Mana Potions.
1 Map
Anton spent the required 8,000 credits and added the items to his inventory. While he couldn¡¯t use the satchel, it was something an ally of his could use so he held onto it for now. The potions too. He wasn¡¯t sure if he could use them, probably not, but someone else should be able to . The ring appeared normal. When he was done transferring all of the coins, Anton picked up the map and looked at it.
It was a map of Earth. On the east coast of North America right where New York City should be there was an ¡°X¡±. There was another ¡°X¡± in the middle of Australia. Australia? If the Xs represented nodes, that 2nd one was going to be a pain in the ass to get to. Well, not for him, but still it would suck.
Anton pulled the bodies out of his inventory and tried to sell them and all equipment to the Labyrinth. He could have haggled or tried to keep some items but he figured that would be a bad idea. He didn¡¯t want to pay for items to be identified so he just converted the gold to 51,775 credits. The shop took 5% off the top. The silver coins converted to 1,154 credits. He also received another 2,500 credits for the bodies and the rest of the equipment. They hadn¡¯t had much on them but 500 credits per body seemed respectable. Anton wondered if the bodies would be sold to someone else and then decided he didn¡¯t care.
Anton checked his XP gains. Unfortunately, he¡¯d only earned a total of 1,633 XP. Also, a few new notifications waited for him.
SYSTEM Edit.
XP conversion was incorrect.
47,421 XP Added
NOTE: Changes to the Class System have forced adjustments that were not fully integrated. After a readjustment your new level would have been 36 This one-time bonus XP award will bring you to the bottom of the Level you were awarded.
Total XP: 2,061,580
Level 37 maintained.
XP needed for level 38, 2,223,000
XP to next level 114,000
Anton read over the notifications and shrugged. It was nice that there were SYSTEM messages detailing what had just happened but since he didn¡¯t lose anything, he didn¡¯t really care. No, the more important question he had was whether he should explore this area of the Labyrinth or continue on his way to the next area. 1928 wasn¡¯t doing it for him so he might as well get going
Anton exited the Labyrinth Shop, activated Specter, and floated up through the top of the Library. Australia was over 10,000 miles away. He quickly checked the stats on his associated skill for Specter. His top speed was 1,435 miles per hour. It would take him just under two hours to make it to the west coast and another 4 to get to Australia if he could navigate across the Pacific Ocean. Then again, he could go up until he could see that whole side of the globe and come down on Australia, couldn¡¯t he? With a plan made, Anton shot off to the west, it was time to see where the next node led.
Chapter 29, Snack
The trip across the United States was uneventful. Anton flew about 1,000 feet above the roads as he made his way west. He headed west toward Chicago and then on to Omaha. From Omaha, he headed west to Denver, then Las Vegas, and finally on to Los Angeles. It was interesting to see what the area had looked like back in the 1920s, if this was a true historical representation of Earth, of course.
He watched for anything out of the normal, but nothing caught his attention. His ability to see magic automatically was a nice game changer but not useful when everything around him appeared normal.
When he reached the west coast, he found a secluded beach and sat down to meditate and regain his Psychic Energy. He had about 4 hours of flying left and he might as well be topped off before he headed out. Again, he saw nothing out of the ordinary or magical here. Why would the Labyrinth copy such a location and make it a stopping point before opening into a world that did have magic?
His meditation complete, Anton activated Specter and launched into orbit as he headed west over the Pacific. He was, of course, correct. It was a lot easier to see the world laid out below him as he rose in altitude. That made it a lot easier to find, and then head for Australia. It still took four hours but at least he didn¡¯t have to worry about wind resistance or being overheated during reentry.
During the flight, he looked over the changes to his abilities and skills and noticed a theme. It seemed that the changes to the SYSTEM relied more on the level of the ability, skill, or spell. Attributes still mattered and could be quite devastating if used correctly but the level of the ability, skill, or spell was what really mattered. There was also new information available; Estimated training time to earn the next skill level which was labeled ETT which he zeroed in on as soon as he saw it. Anton pulled up the information on Specter which read
ETT: 251 Hours / 246 hours remaining.
Anton could also display the information in minutes.
ETT: 15,050 minutes / 14,685 minutes remaining
Anton looked through his skills and was able to get an idea of how long constant training would take though his purely combat skills displayed that information as an ETU, Estimated Times Used. His skill Short Blades at level 21 had an ETU to reach level 22 of 22,500. Did that mean he had to use the skills 22,500 times successfully, or just use the skill whether he hit something or not?
As he looked over his skill list he noticed a new skill that he hadn¡¯t purchased, Firearms
Firearms: Allows the use of handguns, submachine guns, and shotguns. +1% to hit per skill level.
What caught his attention was that the Skill level for Firearms was ¡°0¡±. The ETU for the skill was ¡°ETU: 10 / 5 uses to level 1.¡± That couldn¡¯t be right. He¡¯d used handguns and submachine guns at least 10 times. Anton thought back to every handgun and submachine gun he¡¯d used. After a little while, he figured it out. The handgun he thought he¡¯d figured it out. It seemed that if he didn¡¯t continue to utilize the attack the work he¡¯d done faded and he had to redo that work. While he¡¯d used multiple guns, he¡¯d never killed 10 people in one setting with a single firearm. He had killed 5 people with his silenced browning just a little while ago, which meant that if he could use that weapon 5 more times within whatever time limit the SYSTEM had set he could earn level one without spending a skill point. Of course, he couldn¡¯t be sure, but it was the only thing that made sense to him.
The X on the map had been in the middle of Australia. While he was in his Spectral Form he couldn¡¯t see magic in the Prime Material plane but maybe he could do so if he Manifested. One thing about Australia, is there weren¡¯t any clouds over the center of the continent. Anton stopped descending, activated Manifest, and looked around.
Immediately he noticed a pillar of light on the horizon just west of his position. He deactivated Manifest and it vanished. He activated Manifest again and it was back. So, he could see magic while manifesting. Good to know. Of course, if he was manifest, others could see him but that didn¡¯t really matter did it? It wasn¡¯t like anyone could do anything to him.
Anton headed toward the light. Below him was a range of hills and low mountains with valleys and paths running through them. The pillar of magic descended into one of the valleys that served as a crossroads for a few different valleys that came together at that point. Where the light met the ground a small circle of stones sat. It was surrounded by trees along the bottom of the ravines and openings into the natural passes the hills and mountains created an orb sat there. There was also an obvious place for a campfire and a small stream along one side of the clearing.
Anton deactivated Manifest, floated down to the campsite, and looked around. As he looked around a party of elves appeared in the center of the circle of stones, looked around, and shook their heads. A moment later they vanished. Anton couldn¡¯t say that he was surprised. This entrance, or exit, from another location, led to a place that was in the middle of nowhere.
Anton looked around and realized that if he¡¯d appeared in the middle of that circle for the first time and looked around, yeah, he wouldn¡¯t be impressed either. It sat in the middle of a ravine with hills and mountains rising on all sides. There was no way to know what was around and the only evidence of civilization was the small place for a campfire off to the side. Yeah, that would get a big nope from him as well, if he had a choice, and he couldn¡¯t just activate Specter and go look around of course.
Anton deactivated Specter and stepped into the center of the circle of stones.
Would you like to Activate the Labyrinth Teleportation Circle, Yes or No?
Warning, Target Location may or may not be compatible with all species that utilize this teleportation circle.
Anton chose ¡°Yes¡± and vanished. A moment later he found himself floating in a cube of soft white light. He floated in the center of the cube for a single moment before he received notifications and vanished from the white room to appear in a cave with a pedestal and a familiar gray orb floating above it. He looked around quickly and noted the natural walls and an exit directly in front of him. Except for the node and himself, the cave was empty.
Anton reached out and touched the node as he pulled up his notifications and read them in order.
Warning!
Dimensional Interference Detected
Traveler Identified as Source
Required Alterations added to Labyrinth Teleportation Matrix
Alterations distributed throughout Labyrinth Network
Recommencing Teleportation.
Those notifications must have been when he teleported. The next few were when he touched the node
Congratulations! You have discovered a Labyrinth Node
Location: 1 of 16
World: Vala
Universe: Labyrinth Seed VX-001234a
Recommended Levels 1-100 depending on location
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Mana Level: 100% Saturation
This Labyrinth Node has been added to your Labyrinth Node Registry.
As Anton looked over the information he had to admit it was quite informative. Also, he opened his Status Screen and found a tab. Sure enough, when he asked for the Labyrinth Node Registry there were three entries. The first two were designated by the word Earth with a shortcut to a designation number that was far too long to remember. The same was true for the 3rd entry which was for Vala.
Labyrinth Node Registry
Available
Vala <¡> Node 1 of 16
Unavailable
Earth <¡> Portal
Earth <¡> Teleportation Circle.
There was no further information provided with the entries, which meant he¡¯d have to remember where each led. Of course, for the Earth he¡¯d just left that was pretty easy. The Portal was located in New York City while the Teleportation Circle was in the middle of Australia. Also, only the Node seemed to be available. Did that mean he¡¯d have to use a Teleportation Circle to target a Teleportation Circle, or a Portal to target a Portal? If that were true, that would be tiresome, unless you could find a location that provided all three types of fast travel options.
Well, there was no way to know until he found another Teleportation Circle or Portal so he might as well get out of this cave. Anton removed his hand from the Node and walked over to the entrance of a cave. The entrance looked down a hill onto a beach that stretched off to his right and left and overlooked an azure, blue ocean that extended out onto the horizon. As he looked around, he noticed a footpath that led into the cave from the right. Anton followed it out of the cave and soon found himself walking up a hill that led above and behind the cave entrance. Once he reached the top of the hill snowcapped mountains with a city at the base were visible in the distance. A medieval-looking city that looked quite large. Between himself and the city farm fields with people working them were visible in the distance. The people in the fields looked humanoid but he couldn¡¯t be sure they were human.
Anton followed the path toward the city. As he drew closer to one of the farms he realized that the humanoids were not human. Human-like for sure, but not human. They had pointed ears, but they weren¡¯t elves. They also had horizontal ridges on their foreheads. When Anton drew close to one of the farms and was less than 10 feet from one of the humanoids which looked at him warily, Anton activated Identity.
You have discovered a Carinus Farmer, Level 3
Interesting. He didn¡¯t get any other information but with a skill level of 1 with Identify, he wasn¡¯t surprised. Anton continued to use Identify on each Carinus that came within range. After 20 uses of Identify the skill¡¯s level increased to 2. After 30 more uses it increased to level 3. Each increase in level increased the skill¡¯s range by 10 feet and the PE cost by 1. Since he was regenerating 5 PE every 10 seconds, he was able to keep on identifying everyone he came across, By the time he was less than 1,000 feet from the city gates he¡¯d identified over 200 Carinus and reached level 4.
Anton opened his Status Screen to see if any new data was available concerning his Identify Skill
Psychic Skill: Identify
Range: 40 Feet
PE: 4 per use
If successful, provide creature type, class, and level. More information becomes available every 10 levels.
Number of uses toward next level 5 of 50.
Note: Continued use of skill is required to progress in this manner. If you pause for more than one hour, progress toward the next level is reset.
Note: Skill Points spent to increase a skill level automatically resets and skill progression through use.
So, to increase his skill levels he either had to use the skill or spend skill points. If he used the skill, he had to continuously utilize the skill or the progress would be lost. Anton wondered if skill levels that were earned would eventually wear away or if each level acted as a stopping point when the skill progress toward the next level reset. Regardless, it meant that he would have to be dedicated to leveling a skill he was working on. This change actually made sense to Anton. If you didn¡¯t use something you tended to forget how to after all. It also made skill points very valuable when leveling skills as well as making it much more likely that someone who utilized a skill all the time would be much higher level, while some would only be able to get skills to a certain level before progress would stall out.
Anton opened his Status Screen and pulled up the description for his skill, Short Blades.
Short Blades ¨C This skill increases attacks and defense with items classified as Short Blades by 1% per Skill Level.
Short Blades include, but are not limited to, Daggers, Dirks, knives, Short Swords, etc.¡
Level 5 Special Attack ¨C Feint
Feint ¨C The Short Blade may be utilized in a feint that leaves the target vulnerable to the next attack made against them by anyone.
Stamina Cost: 10
Effect: Decreases defense by 25% toward the next attack made against them.
Level 10 Special Attack ¨C Piercing Blow
Piercing Blow- A Short Blade may be utilized to strike vital organs or targets.
Stamina Cost: 20
Damage Bonus: 1 point and applies Bleeding Status at 1 point per Combat turn until bandaged or healed.
Level 15 Special Attack ¨C Surprise Attack
Surprise Attack ¨C any equipped Blade may be utilized when outside of combat to make a sudden attack against any target within melee range.
Stamina Cost: 25
Effect: +25% to hit when making an attack against an unsuspecting target. This bonus stacks with sneak attacks. Additionally, maximum weapon damage is inflicted.
Level 20 Special Attack ¨C Piercing Blow (Evolved)
Piercing Blow (Evolved)- A Short Blade may be utilized to strike vital organs or targets.
Stamina Cost: 20
Damage Bonus: 5 points and applies Bleeding Status at 3 points per Combat Turn until bandaged or healed.
That was interesting. It looked like the skill had been remolded a bit. Additionally, it looked like special attacks had been added to skills. Mostly to his combat skills. He still didn¡¯t know how that would all play out during combat but as his attention was drawn to the Carinus farmers making their way toward the gate to the city and the obvious interest the guards there were showing him, he might get to figure that all out sooner than later.
Anton watched as the farmers dropped off their tools and baskets and tools in wagons along the wall and walked toward the gate. They fell into line and waited as the Sun dropped lower and lower on the horizon. Just as the last rays of sun dropped below the horizon Anton felt and heard a sigh as something changed in the air. He couldn¡¯t place his finger on it but if he had to describe it, the area he was now in felt almost unholy. The farmers still stood in line with their heads bowed as the guards stood stoically watching over them. Anton was still a quarter mile away when he saw three robbed figures step up beside the guards and then move among the lined-up farmers. Ten were gently touched on their shoulders, stepped out of line, and passed through the gate. Anton could not see where they were off to, he just knew they were headed into the city.
As for Anton, he found it a bit abnormal but decided to continue toward the gate. After all, what could anyone here do to him? He was immortal after all. Ironically, that was the last coherent thought Anton would have for quite a while as one of the robe figures lifted their gaze to Anton and red glowing eyes met his and¡
***
¡°He breaking free, reapply the conditioning¡±
***
Anton heard himself ask, ¡°Where am I¡± as he looked around and felt his neck, as his fingers were brought into view covered in blood¡±
¡°Don¡¯t you worry, we¡¯ll get you all fixed up in a minute,¡± a sultry feminine voice said as her red glowing eyes drew his attention away from her fangs and¡
***
You have Died! Specter has activated
Anton immediately came back to himself and remembered everything. The first thing he did was extend the duration of Specter and flew east toward the rising sun.
How could he have been so stupid? He just had to jinx himself, didn¡¯t he? Unlike when he¡¯d woke up as the mental control of Azre¡¯el had begun to slip there was no confusion. He knew where he was, where he¡¯d been, and what he¡¯d been doing for the last, how long had it been? In his Specter Form his mind was intact and her mental influence was now non-existent.
Before reviewing anything, he needed to find a safe place away from the city of Dravul and ¡°Her¡± influence. He could see that he had a lot of notifications to go over but he needed to be in a safe place to do so. One good thing, the vampire that had been feeding on him and accidentally killed him was going to have a horrible day when his Azre¡¯el found out.
Anton flew for another hour until the rays of the sun were on the ground below him and then began looking for a place to land. It was all he could do to focus on moving away from the city of Dravul as memories of the years he¡¯d spent there flooded his mind. Memories of combat lesson after combat lesson, followed by being used as a source of sustenance. Sustenance? That bitch and her friends had fed on him continuously. When Azre¡¯el discovered that he was immortal and that any damage that didn¡¯t kill him would heal quickly she began using him for combat training after which he was cleaned up and turned into their meal for the day.
At first, it had just been Azre¡¯el. Then something had changed. Feeding on Anton had changed something fundamentally within Azre¡¯el which had turned him into a commodity for all of the other vampires in Dravul. Well, the vampires that could pay Azre¡¯el¡¯s price anyway.
Over time he¡¯d begun to build up a resistance to her mental compulsions and finally today, he¡¯d played into the feeding session until Eilex had tried to drain him dry. He knew it would kill him and he hoped it would set him free. He¡¯d been lucky they never asked what his second ability was.
Anton found a clearing near a river and flew down to hover over the ground near a log. That should be far enough, shouldn¡¯t it? Anton looked around and made sure no predators were nearby. With nothing around, Anton deactivated Specter as new Notifications populated his vision, the first drawing his attention immediately.
Warning! You have Suffered Soul Damage
Chapter 30, No Time for a Nap
¡°Warning! You have Suffered Soul Damage.¡±
What in the actual Fu¡ was the only thing Anton had a chance to think before the pain hit and he collapsed to the ground into a fetal position. He hadn¡¯t felt anything while he¡¯d been a Specter but as soon as he resumed his physical form the pain had hit. Anton tried to push through the pain but it felt like his insides were shifting as muscle and bone reconfigured themselves. He didn¡¯t feel like his physical appearance was changing but his bones seemed to be thickening while his muscles shifted and condensed. Unlike normal physical pain, which he¡¯d become used to, this pain came from within as he was forcibly changed.
As the pain began to recede a little bit, Anton focused his will and pulled up his notifications to see if he could figure out what was going on.
Vampiric Transformation Begun
ERROR!
Ability Immortality NOT compatible with Vampiric Transformation
Soul Transformation initiated
ERROR!
New Soul Configuration NOT compatible with Immortal Body
New Soul Configuration requires Magical Matrix
ERROR!
Ability Anti-Mage prevents Magical Matrix
ERROR!
Magical Matrix Mutation Imminent
Psychic Matrix Established
Psychic Vampiric Matrix Establishment incompatible.
Soul Damage detected.
SYSTEM Override, Race, and Class Evolution Required.
Ability, Immortal cannot be superseded by Race Evolution, No mana present.
Vampiric Transformation Adjusted. Race: Human has been changed to Human Vampiric Specter
Class Evolution required
Rare Class Specter has evolved to Mythical Class Vampiric Psuedo-Specter due to Race Evolution.
Initiating Class Evolution
Earned XP adjusted to new Class Rarity
Rare Level 37 Specter converted to Mythical Level 22 Vampiric Pseudo-Specter
SYSTEM NOTE: Legendary and Mythical Rarities have been swaped. Mythical Rarity is now the last Rarity category.
Before Anton continued reading the notifications he couldn¡¯t help but think, What the hell was a Vampiric Pseudo-Specter? Which promptly pulled up a tooltip that described his new class.
Vampiric Pseudo-Specter (Unique, Mythical) ¨C Vampiric Pseudo-Specters are a culmination of random unique occurrences. The result of a vampire attempting to kill and convert someone with the Legendary abilities, Immortal and Anti-Mage, Vampiric Pseudo-Specters are a Unique Mythical creature. As a being with no mana present to allow the conversion of the individual into a ¡°normal¡± vampire, the individual instead mutates into a being that relies on Psychic Energy to survive and thrive. Additionally, because the being was already Immortal before the metamorphosis, physical changes required by a normal Vampiric Specter were not required. The qualifier ¡°Pseudo¡± is given to indicate that the being in question meets the requirements of being both undead and alive.
Unlike a True Specter, you are corporeal. You do not gain any more sustenance from feeding on the blood of others that you would not gain normally. Nor do you need to feed on the psychic energies of others to survive. You do, however, receive a special Racial Skill that will allow you to draw the energies of others into yourself and replenish your resource pools.
Syphon ¨C Upon touch, resources from the target may be drawn into yourself to replace your spent resources at a rate equal to your willpower minus the target''s willpower up to the skill level of Syphon per turn. If the target''s willpower is greater than your willpower, the skill fails. For example, if the target had a willpower of 10 and you had a willpower of 20, at skill level 1 you would be able to transfer 1 point of energy per turn. If you were skill level 11 you would only be able to transfer 10 points of energy per turn.
Additionally, all resource pools of the target contain psychic energy and are absorbed in the following order with the following conversion rate.
First, Psychic Energy (PE) 1 for 1
Second, Mana 2 for 1
Third, Stamina 5 to 1
Fourth, Hit Points 10 to 1.
Resources are absorbed in this order. Also, resources may not be absorbed if doing so would cause your Psychic Energy to exceed its maximum.
You may not replenish Hit Points, Mana, or Stamina with this skill.
NOTE: As a Non-Corporeal Entity you may NOT regenerate Psychic Energy¡Error¡You are a corporeal Entity. Psychic Energy regenerates normally.
NOTE: YOU are unable to absorb or convert Mana from a target into Psychic Energy.
WARNING! If a target is reduced to mana only, unforeseen complications can arise as the physical matrix that holds individuals together becomes compromised.
Well, that seemed pretty straightforward. He could now touch others and replenish his Psychic Energy if he had to as long as he had higher willpower than others. However, he couldn¡¯t use the skill if his Psychic Energy was topped off. If he had been turned into a normal Vampiric Specter, that would have sucked as he would have had to continuously feed to replenish his Psychic Energy.
Anton turned back to his Notifications and continued going over them.
Vampiric Pseudo-Specters receive the following benefits:
Attributes: 50 per level
Hit Points 25 per level
Stamina: 25 per level
Psychic Energy: 50 per level
The conversion had cost him 15 levels but it looked like he¡¯d gained significantly. At level 37 he¡¯d had 444 attributes at 12 per level. At level 22, receiving 50 attributes per level netted him 1,100 attributes. Anton glanced at his status screen and looked over his new attributes.
Strength: 238 / 100% / 119
Agility: 240 / 100% / 120
Dexterity: 196 / 100% / 98
Endurance: 398 / 100% / 199
Constitution: 336 / 200% / 112
Perception: 240 / 100% / 120
Intelligence: 236 / 100% / 118
Wisdom: 192 / 100% / 96
Willpower: 684 / 200% / 228
Charisma: 236 / 100% / 118
Luck: 324 / 100% / 108
Chaos: 0
Order: 0
Hit Points: 1,046
Stamina: 4,530
Mana: 0
Psychic Energy: 1,250
Running Speed: 155 MPH
Flying Speed: 466 MPH
Weight: 225
Carrying Capacity: 2,678 lbs.
His level had decreased but his available attributes had more than doubled as had his Psychic Energy. As Anton explored the pain that had been running through his body he realized that most of it was due to the forceable change to all of his attributes at once. While his body could handle it, the changes being made suddenly had been quite painful.
As his mind started to clear, something he saw in his notifications drew his attention. He could fly? Anton moved into a sitting position and then stood slowly. He brushed himself off and looked around. He willed himself to float and immediately lifted off the ground. He checked his status and noticed that he was only spending 1 PE per turn while he floated. Anton shot straight up and began increasing his speed and watched as the PE cost increased. Additionally, because he was physical he could feel the wind resistance and was forced to slow down a bit. He found a comfortable cruising speed at around 10 PE per turn, which after he checked his Status was right around 350 miles per hour. He could go faster but started having a hard time keeping his eyes open. If he was being truthful, anything over 100 miles per hour was a bit too much but he could endure it.
Anton activated Specter and flashed back down to the ground as he looked over his status. The maximum speed he could currently attain was right around 450 miles per hour which cost him about 13 PE per turn. In the five minutes he¡¯d been in the air he¡¯d burnt through 306 PE. So, yes, he could fly normally now but it was quite expensive. Or, he could become a Specter and fly from one place to the next at a much higher speed.
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Anton deactivated Specter and sat down as he allowed his Psychic Energy to recharge. As he waited he looked through his Status and noticed that he¡¯d gained a new Perk, Pseudo-Undead.
Perk: Pseudo-Undead - Neither Living nor Dead, your existence threads that area between both. Undead do not recognize you as living while Living may or may not recognize you as being alive as you no longer have a heartbeat unless you wish to. You are sustained by your ability Immortal. You may still eat and drink normally.
That didn¡¯t seem like that big of a deal. That is until he started looking through his skills and noticed a change in his Mental Shield skill. He kept forgetting to activate that defensive skill. Shit, if he had had it active, Azre¡¯el might not have been able to keep him suppressed as long as she did, if at all. Now he wouldn¡¯t need to worry about forgetting, the skill was automatically always on.
Psychic Skill: Mental Shield ¨C By Default, Mind Shield is always active. +25% +1% per Willpower bonus + 1% Mental Defense against any mind-altering magics including illusions
Additionally, All mental attacks are automatically absorbed and converted to Psychic Energy at a ratio of 1 PE to 1 PE. For every PE spent to fuel the attack you gain 1 PE. Psychic Energy may not be absorbed above your maximum PE. Any absorption in excess of your maximum PE is lost with no further effect.
Mana-based mental attacks affect you normally.
The skill was not the same after all. It looked like he was now immune to mental attacks like his Mind Bolt but if there was a spell that mimicked that attack it would still affect him. Still, that was a hell of an upgrade and would have been really useful over the last¡.How long had it been again? Anton searched through his Notifications that had been automatically archived and found a few that were somewhat worrying. His claim to Minneapolis had been contested and he''d lost control of the City Node. Not that he was anywhere near that world, but it would make it a lot harder to get back to now. Anton checked the time stamp on the message from his transfer into this section of the Labyrinth and then looked at the current time stamp and paused.
More than ¡°2 YEARS¡± As a popsicle to that bitch? No wonder he¡¯d lost control of his city. What was worse was he could remember what he¡¯d been doing which was a whole lot of nothing. Though he had to admit a couple of his skills had seen some heavy use as he was used as a sparring partner. Both his Short Blades and Long Blades skills had increased to level 38. In addition to those two skills, three other skills had increased; Personal Storage, Maggen¡¯s Exceptional Storage, and Maggen¡¯s Gift. Anton reviewed the number of earned skill points versus the time in question and realized that he¡¯d only earned one-tenth the number of skill points he¡¯d have earned if a skill had been active for two years. Then again, that made sense. It would be completely broken if all he had to do to level a skill automatically was earn the skill and let it run in the background while he effectively did nothing with it. In this case the result was that all three skills had increased to level 46.
As he looked over the descriptions of each skill he realized that the space and how much could be held had changed both with his level and because of the SYSTEM update.
Personal Storage - Personal Storage is an extra-dimensional storage area. The weight that can be held and the area available for storage increase with each skill level. Current Weight that may be stored: 71,119 lbs. Current Area: 41 Cubic Feet.
Maggen¡¯s Exceptional Storage - This Skill provides a second Personal Storage area that acts as the Primary Storage Area for the individual. This Storage Area follows the same criteria as Personal Storage. Additionally, other skills provided by Maggen may be linked to this skill that will help keep all stored items safe. Current Weight that may be stored: 71,119 lbs. Current Area: 41 Cubic Feet.
Maggen¡¯s Gift
Prerequisite: The user must also have Maggen¡¯s Exceptional Storage
This Skill is linked to both Personal Storage and Maggen¡¯s Exceptional Gift. Any skill that attempts to pilfer or steal from the user''s Personal Storage receives a pre-chosen item of the user''s choosing. If no items chosen by the user are present the thief''s skill, ability, or perk works normally, if successful.
Current Treasure Designation: 1 Copper Coin. Copper Coins available 547.
Damn, it looked like someone had been trying to steal from him over the last two years and had over 400 copper coins to show for it. How nice for them. Anton quickly went through his inventory and noticed that everything else he had in inventory was still there. How had those damn Vampires failed to check his inventory or even wonder what other special skills he had. Had they been so arrogant as to completely disregard him as a threat?
Well, that was the first, and last mistake the Vampire ruling class of Dravul would ever make. Almost all of the other Vampires used magic while he¡¯d been completely unluckily to run into Azre¡¯el first. Mental attacks had been his one bane and he hadn¡¯t even had his defense skill active. Now it was active all the time and he was also immune to any attacks that utilized Psychic Energy.
So, to recap, he¡¯d been a prisoner of vampires for two years until some idiot finally killed him. For that waste of two years, the idiot that had tried to turn him instead caused his race and class to evolve into something so unique that it had never been seen before which now made him immune to mental attacks, immune to magical attacks, and while he wasn¡¯t immune to physical attacks, anything that killed him only slowed him down for 20 seconds. Yeah, there was a group of Vampires he needed to go kill, Right Now!
Anton activated Specter, floated up into the sky, and headed back toward the city of Dravul. He considered the various ways he could take out the vampires, Azre¡¯el in particular, and decided to go with what he knew would work; Sunlight. They¡¯d had control of him and his mind for over two years and they¡¯d had no idea what he could do. Now it was time to show them what being an Anti-Mage truly meant. He could break down one pound of material per hour per point of willpower. At 684 willpower, he could destroy 684 pounds in 60 minutes or 1.9 pounds per turn if the ability would let him focus it. He¡¯d never tried before but right now¡.in the early morning, while the sun was up? He had the perfect place to remove material to allow sunlight into a location it would not normally reach.
Anton slowed down for a moment and began looking around along the ground. He just needed a log or large rock¡Anton noticed a fallen tree and floated down beside it. He checked the area and while he didn¡¯t see anything he decided to remain in his Specter Form as he activated Spectral Reach and touched the log. Two things he¡¯d never done before; Utilize the ability to break down physical matter and try to break down matter using his skill Spectral Reach.
It was a lot simpler than he¡¯d thought it would be. He focused on the shape he wanted to create which was a round hole and willed it to happen. Anton was pleasantly surprised as a circle began to appear directly where he wanted it to. A minute later there was a half-foot circle completely through the trunk of the tree. So he¡¯d be able to remain a Specter and burn a hole through the ceiling into their crypt. His idea could work.
Anton launched himself back into the air and continued on toward Dravul. The trip back only took about an hour which gave Anton plenty of time to figure out how he was going to destroy the Vampire leadership. Once they were gone, it would be relatively easy to clean up all the low level vampires with a Mind Bolt, a stake or more sunlight. As he thought about how to take out Azre¡¯el and her direct subordinates, he could help but consider the irony. For safety reasons, Azre¡¯el and her top five lieutenants all slept in the same chamber. Anton knew that there was one way into the vault but he¡¯d have to check and make sure there wasn¡¯t a secret path he didn¡¯t know about. He¡¯d found out about their sleeping arrangements when Azre¡¯el had chained him to a wall in the chamber during the day while she slept. That first six months, she¡¯d kept him close to her at all times.
An hour later Anton flew into Dravul and toward the building at the center that best resembled a cathedral. The ceiling over the main chamber was made out of painted glass with depictions of Azre¡¯el as she subjugated Dravul. The floor beneath the glass ceiling was marbled black stone with red streaks running through it. Beneath the floor fifty feet down was the chamber they slept in. It wasn¡¯t directly beneath the main chamber but as Anton explored he noticed that one corner of the sleeping chamber did reach under the main chamber.
Anton slid through the ceiling and floors to make sure there were no hidden passages or watchers nearby. As he did a quick search around the room they slept in he did find a secret passage. With little effort, Anton began melting a one-foot diameter hole through the ceiling in the direction of the setting sun. Luckily the whole did not go through any occupied areas. His plan was to make it so sunlight was flooding both the main entrance and the escape tunnel and then time the sunlight coming through the roof of the chamber with direct sunlight shining down on the two exits from the room. He might not be able to get all of the vampires at once, but the sunlight should make it harder for them to move around and try to escape if he could do this before the sun set.
One hour later the hole to the secret exit was completed and he began creating one just outside the main door into the chamber. He made sure to angle the holes toward where the sun should be in about three hours. He wanted to make sure direct sunlight came into the hallway. Another hour passed and the main entrance was flooded with sunlight. Luckily there were two sets of doors which prevented anyone outside the outer set of doors from knowing what he was up to. Luckily, Anto knew that no one would enter the chamber during the day, as to do so was to invite immediate death.
Now that the exits were blocked with sunlight, Anton began creating a bigger hole in the ceiling. This one was two feet in diameter and angled so the sunlight would enter the room opposite Azre¡¯el¡¯s coffin. He wanted to save her for last. He was also using Spectral Reach to direct the area that was being broken down so there was even less chance that he¡¯d be interrupted.
Anton believed if he had mana he¡¯d be getting some mana back while he broke down materials but since he didn¡¯t have mana, this portion of his ability was worthless to him, well except for the fact that he could break down barriers.
This time the hole he was creating took almost two hours to create as he worked from the chamber outward. He didn¡¯t want to alarm anyone inside before he was ready. He¡¯d been lucky with the first two holes as they¡¯d opened into empty corridors. The hole directly above the chamber would open into the main hall which would be visible to anyone that happened to step into the room. Luckily, no one was in the main room at the moment but Anton knew it was just a matter of time before someone came along to prepare the chamber for the nightly routine.
Do you know what sucks about making someone that is immortal your popsicle for over two years and feeding off of them repeatedly, these mother fuckers were about to find out?
Anton broke through the last barrier into open sunlight which flooded the chamber below. Anton floated back down into the chamber and activated Spectral Reach. He reached out and touched the coffin farthest from Azre¡¯el and focused on breaking down the lid of the coffin simultaneously. Anton estimated that it probably weighed about 100 pounds so it should take about eight minutes. Eight minutes later the coffin lid disappeared and direct sunlight struck the vampire. It was quite cathartic to see the lid disappear, the rays of the sun hit the vampire and watch it flash right before it turned to dust. Maybe it had died too quickly?
Congratulations! You have killed a level 41 Master Vampire. You have earned 2,563 XP and 41 Gold
So, the SYSTEM did register his actions as having killed the Vampires, Nice! He was worried that the SYSTEM might have considered that an environmental factor. Sucked to be them then cause he was going to kill them all. Though, only 2,563 XP for a level 41 Master Vampire? Then Anton remembered that his class was now considered Mythical. That meant he would almost always receive reduced XP. Though he couldn¡¯t complain too loudly, 50 attributes per level was awesome.
Anton looked at the other coffins. He had five more to open before the sun set and only about two hours remaining, if he was lucky. Anton sighed and went to work. He destroyed the next coffin lid with no issue and the second, and then the third vampires were destroyed in the next 20 minutes.
Congratulations! You have killed a level 53 Epic Vampire. You have earned 3,975 XP and 106 Gold
Congratulations! You have killed a level 64 Epic Vampire. You have earned 5,600 XP and 128 Platinum.
Anton read the notifications and then checked to see how much XP he needed to level.
XP to Next Level: 136,861
Well shit, at this rate he¡¯d have to kill at least 35 master-level vampires to level. Well, these little assholes were enslaving and eating everyone that came through the portal so guess what, they could become the fuel for his levels, literally because they were on fire. Yeah that joke sucked, but it was true!
Anton laughed at his own terrible joke and then redirected his attention toward the fourth coffin and went to work. While he was concentrating and destroying the coffin lid he double-checked his Psychic Energy. He still had 343 Psychic Energy left so he should be fine for a bit longer. Anton concentrated on the fourth coffin lid. Eight minutes later it disintegrated into nothingness and showed an empty coffin. Anton looked around but didn¡¯t see anything. Did the vampire teleport away or turn into mist? Well, he could be in this room somewhere so¡
Anton deactivated Specter and allowed his Anti-Mage aura to expand out to the size of the room. A moment later a vampire near the roof became visible and dropped to the ground. Short-range teleportation and invisibility? Anton watched as the Vampire began to scream as he ran toward the entryway. Unlike the last three vampires, he didn¡¯t immediately burst into flames, though his skin started to glow red. It also looked like the lack of magic was increasing the damage from the sun. As the vampire made it to the door, it burst into flames and exploded into a cloud of dust.
Anton was about to look at his notifications when the last two coffin lids exploded upward as the Vampires within exploded out of the coffins and focused their attention on him. Anton saw Azre¡¯el look at him and declare ¡°You!¡± right before she moved to attack him. Anton wasn¡¯t surprised by the sudden attack, he just wasn¡¯t expecting it so he wasn¡¯t ready for it. He watched as she ignored the sunlight and the lack of magic and jumped toward him. She was able to make it to him and attack before he even considered taking a defensive action.
He''d also been distracted because he was watching the fifth Vampire burn and try to escape out of the entrance only to step into direct sunlight and explode as the amount of sunlight affecting him doubled. Anton was able to mutter, ¡°Damn, that¡¯s gotta hurt,¡± just as Azre¡¯el made it to him. In moments she performed two claw-based attacks which ripped his head off and caused his transformation into a Specter.
You have died! Transformation into Specter complete
You may wait for two full turns and respawn as normal or you may expend PE equal to your body weight to respawn early.
He could immediately transform back into his physical form? That was an awesome change. Anton floated through the wall Azre¡¯el had turned toward, turned around, and respawned. He 225 points of his 315 Psychic Energy to respawn
Azre¡¯el was still taking damage from the sunlight and was seeking shelter from the Sun when she stepped into her fully sun lit escape tunnel. The look of surprise on her face was only made better when shock crossed her features as she found Anton standing on the other side of circle of sunlight which flooded this corridor from above. Anton smiled as a P90 appeared in his hand as he said, ¡°Did you miss me?¡± and pulled the trigger. He had no illusion that the gun would do anything but piss her off but he was hoping that it would slow her down long enough for the sunlight to do its thing.
Anton watched as the bullets pushed Azre¡¯el back into the room with the coffins. He watched as flames started to burst from her skin. Just as Anton¡¯s clip ran out, Azre¡¯el focused her intent and launched herself at him as she screamed, ¡°I Will Kill You!¡±
Anton didn¡¯t even dignify her declaration as he stored the P90 in his inventory and activated Specter as she flew through him and exploded into dust. Anton looked around and noticed for the first time that there was no loot to grab from these vampires. Only dust remained where each of them had died. The only thing he received was the gold and platinum from the Labyrinth.
For killing the last three vampires, he received 20,950 XP and 436 platinum.
Why wasn¡¯t he getting any of their gear? There was no way all of their gear was summoned. As he was thinking about what he should do next a new notification appeared.
Congratulations! You have completed the Hidden Quest, Kill a Progenitor
Reward: 10,000 XP
You have destroyed the Progenitor Azre¡¯el. All vampires spawned from her have also died.
Congratulations! You have completed a Hidden Quest, Free Dravul from the Vampires
Reward: 25,000 XP
Your actions have destroyed all vampires in the city of Dravul.
There had been over 500 vampires in this city, and they were all dead? It kind of sucked that he wasn¡¯t going to get any XP all those extra deaths but the bonus XP was nice and probably amounted to more than he could have earned if he¡¯d killed each vampire individually. Anton¡¯s attention was drawn back to his notifications as one of his Titles activated.
Fate¡¯s Arbiter
You have left the city of Dravul leaderless and in shambles.
Quest: Restore Order to Dravul
Restore leadership to the citizens of Dravul. City ownership is NOT required to meet this goal.
Reward: Dependent on Performance.
Consequences of Failure:
Loss of Reputation with Citizens of Dravul
Loss of Reputation with Labyrinth.
Well then, It looked like he had some work to do.
Chapter 31, Moving On
Three weeks later, Anton looked back up the river he was floating down toward the city of Dravul. He¡¯d been assured that there was a portal south of town and hired a boat to carry him down the river. For all his work, he¡¯d received 10,000 XP for completing the Quest ¡°Restore Order to Dravul¡±. Though, if he was being honest it was the easiest 10,000 XP he¡¯d earned thus far. Once he freed the other Adventurers and helped the Carinus realize that they were free from the oppression of the vampires, the people and the adventurers had done all the work.
Anton had considered ruling Dravul until he learned the rules that governed controlling domains within the Labyrinth. One of the unknown conditions of taking over a city within the Labyrinth was that if the ruler left the Realm in which the domain he controlled sat, the title and benefits of being a City Leader, Lord, etc. were removed automatically. Oh, and he¡¯d learned that Labyrinth Realms could be any size. A Realm could be a cave, city, world, solar system, galaxy, or pocket universe. It seemed that the Labyrinth required those who ruled to remain within the Realm of their Domain.
If he¡¯d accepted the rank of City Lord, he could have had to work to expand his domain. Once he¡¯d expanded to the edge of this Realm that would have been it. If he left the Realm, he would have automatically lost everything. Sure he could have tied himself up, and maybe gained some levels, but whatever was happening to him didn¡¯t feel like something that would work well with him in charge of a city, or at least a city within the Labyrinth where his achievements wouldn¡¯t leave the Realm when he did. Granted, it looked like he had forever, but right now, he was young, and being tied to one place just sounded boring. Besides, He was the only human. None of the Adventurers were human. If he wanted to find a woman to hook up with, maybe try to establish a relationship, or just make a ¡°Friends with benefits¡±, well he couldn¡¯t do that here, where there were no human women could he, well he could hook up with an elf, if he could find one which wasn¡¯t a stuck up bitch that was trying to kill him, of course.
So, Anton freed some Adventurers and helped them organize the Carinus to get the city up and running. Once they had a leader, he¡¯d left them to govern themselves. Of course, nearby cities that had normally stayed away because of the vampires would probably come to investigate once they learned of the change in leadership, but that sounded like a problem for the denizens of this Realm.
So, for the last three weeks, Anton had been reviewing the changes to his body and the changes he¡¯d undergone over the previous two years while he came to grips with those changes. The mind control he¡¯d suffered had messed with his memory a bit. Luckily it didn¡¯t look like he¡¯d have to worry about that anymore unless the entity was extremely powerful.
In addition to the change to his mental defense, he noticed physical changes as well. Once he¡¯d found a mirror, the first thing Anton noticed was that his skin was a bit paler and his eye color had changed. His irises were now amber-yellow with a hint of purple around the outer edge. He also looked thinner. His skin pallor hadn¡¯t gone completely white, so he didn¡¯t look like an undead, but he was incredibly pale.
Thinking back on the change to his skill Mind Shield he couldn¡¯t help but be satisfied. He was now like a Psychic solar Panel. If someone tried to use mental abilities on him with Psychic Energy, he absorbed or ignored those attacks. However, if a friend was trying to use telepathy or something like that it might cause issues. Anton opened his Status and looked to see if there was something he could do about it. As he¡¯d explored the automatic skill he found that it did have the ability to tweak the skill a little. He could, for instance, set Mind Shield to defend against all attacks and it would do so. Or, he could set it to only defend against attacks that did physical damage. The problem with the latter was that if he let someone into his mind with a skill like Telepathy they could then use other skills that didn¡¯t do damage to subvert or control his mind. Luckily, the skill also allowed him to create a ¡°White List¡± which meant that he could designate certain people as ¡°Approved¡± to use Psychic Skills and spells on him.
Unfortunately, individuals on the White List could also use skills that did damage to him. That, however, was a lot better option as at least if he was going to give a friend the ability to affect him, if they turned on him, he¡¯d know and could change the default settings of the skill once he broke free, which would happen eventually.
Another thing he¡¯d thought about over the last three weeks was the fact that immortality might not be as glamorous as he first thought, especially if someone could take control of his mind and keep him subjugated for any length of time. Still, he had learned a lot. His skill with short and long blades were much improved, his race had changed to something better, and he was on his way back to Earth, and the company of humans, hopefully.
The boat he was riding was driven by one of the local fishermen who was a bit of an elemental caster, which required Anton to bring his Anti-Mage Antimagic field as close to his body as he could. It seemed that Evan, the driver, and caster, summoned a water elemental to help push his boat along the river. This increased ship speed and allowed Evan to drive his boat against the current with some success. It also made the ride nice and smooth.
The trip downriver was quick and uneventful. Within a couple of hours, the boat pulled up to a dock that had been built near a road that led off toward a large cave opening that Anton could see from the river.
¡°Thanks for the ride, Evan,¡± Anton said.
¡°Your welcome, Mas¡ I mean Anton,¡± Evan said with a slight hesitation as he corrected himself.
¡°Don¡¯t you worry about accidentally calling me something I¡¯m not, Evan. You all are free now,¡± Anton said in Standard.
¡°You take care of yourself, Anton, if you¡¯re ever back this way¡¡± Evan said with a nod. Evan turned with the boat as the water elemental pulled the small boat back into the river, flipped it around, and began pushing it upstream. Anton had to admit, that was pretty cool, and quiet¡he¡¯d have to remember that.
Another thing, the language here was something called Standard. A lot like Common, even Latin but not quite the same. Next time he found a shop he was going to have to try to find a skill or piece of equipment that acted like a Universal Translator from Star Trek. The inability to understand those he ran into would be a real pain in the ass. If he had something to help with that, things would be much easier. The language, Common, had been really close to Latin, so it wasn¡¯t that hard to pick up. Standard was to Latin, what English was to French. It might have a similar root, but it had changed so much that maybe 1 in 100 words could be immediately recognized.
Regardless, his constant use of Standard had increased his skill level to 55. His primary language, English was listed, but the level was listed as an asterisk. When he¡¯d concentrated on the asterisk a tooltip had popped up with ¡°Primary Language¡±. Common and Standard were listed below it. Common was only level 3 which made sense. He¡¯d been speaking Standard for over 2 years while he¡¯d only interacted with people speaking Common a couple of times. Also, he hadn¡¯t been looking for languages in his skill list until he¡¯d wondered about Standard.
Additionally, all of his notifications had been archived while he was out of his mind. They were just skill level and location notifications. He had leveled, one level to level 38, which he hadn¡¯t realized as the fog was removed from his mind, but that didn¡¯t matter. The most interesting thing to come out of these last two years was finding out that Classes now had rarities and he¡¯d been lucky enough to acquire a Mythic one when he was ¡°killed¡±. The XP requirement was horrendous though. Over 2 million XP had allowed him to reach level 37 with a rare class. Now, the same amount of XP only allowed him to reach level 22 in his Mythical Class. It was a bit crazy how much leveling was going to cost now.
Anton brought his mind back to his current surroundings and followed the path from the river¡¯s edge to the nearby cliff face. After a short walk, Anton came to the cliff face and looked at the large cave opening. Anton knew it was a large cave because it had a large entrance that allowed light to flood the entire cave. Only 100 feet deep and about 50 feet high, there were no obvious tunnels in the walls. The only thing Anton noticed was the floating portal of darkness in the center of the cave.
The portal hovered just above the ground with one side facing the entrance to the cave and the other facing the back of the cave. Anton walked up to the portal and was about to walk around to the backside when he felt a slight tugging sensation when he was about 30 feet from the portal. Anton decided to keep his distance and walked around the edge of the cave to look at the backside of the portal. Once he could see behind the portal he noticed a pedestal with a node crystal floating above it ten feet behind the portal.
Anton approached the node crystal. He didn¡¯t feel a pull this time. Anton placed his hand on the Node Crystal.
Labyrinth Realm Portal
Welcome Adventurer
Universe: Labyrinth Seed VX-001234a
World: Vala
Location: 3 of 16
Recommended Levels 1-100 depending on location
Mana Level: 100% Saturation
This Labyrinth Node has been added to your Labyrinth Node Registry.
This is a dual portal.
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
The portal before you has two functions.
The side facing the Node exits and enters this Realm at a single location with another location within a different Realm within the Labyrinth.
The opposite side of the portal is an exit from this Realm to a randomly chosen unoccupied portal within the Labyrinth.
If using the random teleportation aperture, please use caution when exiting this location. The opposite side of the portal will attempt to pull in and transfer anything that moves within 10 feet of the portal in a 180-degree arc. Conditions on the other side of the portal are NOT guaranteed to be compatible with the current environment.
Additionally, the Node you are touching may be utilized as a Fast Travel point.
Labyrinth Fast Travel Locations Available to you.
Vala <¡> Node 1 of 16
Earth <¡> Portal
Unavailable
Vala <¡> Node 3 of 16 (Current Location)
Earth <¡> Teleportation Circle.
Fast Travel is only available between Nodes. Portals and Teleportation Circles are NOT part of the available Fast Travel system within the Labyrinth.
You may utilize the Fast Travel options or pass through one of the portals to transfer between locations.
Anton withdrew his hand from the Node and considered what to do. He could travel back to a 1928-era Earth or travel to the next known location along this chain. Or, he could jump to a random location anywhere within the Labyrinth. Anton opened his Status Screen and looked at his Luck.
Luck: 324
His luck had been atrocious before the Beam had struck him back in Antarctica. But he¡¯d come a long way since then and the boost to his class seemed to have increased his Luck a bit, well maybe more than a bit, it had only been 171 before. If the average stat for humans was 10 then he was supposedly 3,240% luckier than the average human. If he was wrong, and 1,000 was considered average by this SYSTEM¡
You know what, Fuck it!
He¡¯d been a vampire bitch¡¯s bloodsicle for the last two years and he wanted to get as far away from this place as he could. Besides, if it didn¡¯t work out for him, once he found another Node he should be able to teleport back to this node and he could just try another random location. Finding a Node like this had been pretty lucky. Maybe his luck was helping him out.
Anton walked around the cavern to the entrance and looked around one last time. Still, nothing in the immediate area except the normal sounds of nature; birds, insects, and the scamper of small forest creatures not too far away. With no more reasons to wait, Anton stepped forward and walked toward the portal. There was a slight tug that became steadily stronger with each step though the tug was much slower than his pace. That changed when he was 10 feet from the portal. As soon as he crossed the threshold the pull of gravity became stronger as he watched two arms of magic reach out and pass through him. When he realized what was going on, he allowed the portal to interact with him as a notification appeared in his vision.
Allow Labyrinth Portals to affect you with Magic, Yes or No?
Anton chose ¡°Yes¡±
Allow this choice for all future interactions with Labyrinth Portals, Yes or No?
Anton chose ¡°Yes¡± again. There was no point in preventing portals from affecting him within the Labyrinth since he would have to use them. It could be dangerous but he should be able to survive anything that might happen.
Anton watched as the magical arms grabbed and lifted him off the ground and drew him into the center of the portal. He felt the universe shift and suddenly he was weightless in a transparent cube.
¡°We have another one?¡± a feminine voice called out in Standard from a speaker Anton noticed on the wall off to his right as he looked around. ¡°You in the cube, just hold on for a second and we¡¯ll get someone in there to move you to the airlock.¡±
Anton used his flight ability to orient himself toward the airlock and floated toward it.
¡°Excuse me, how are you doing that?¡± the female voice asked.
¡°Telekinesis,¡± Anton said though it was probably something else, but telekinesis was as good a description as anything else.
¡°Um, okay,¡± The voice said hesitantly, ¡°My name is Seska. Welcome to Catch Point.¡±
Anton floated up to the airlock as a light flashed green and the door opened. Anton floated into a small room with a transparent wall on his left and another airlock in front of him. He also noticed that the room he was in had gravity, though he still floated above the ground. Anton ended his flight and landed gently on the metal floor before he turned to the left and looked at a small human woman with two large individuals in full Syfy armor. The armor they were wearing looked like a cross between the armor the Paladins would have worn in that game RIFTS and a Mecha Suit, though streamlined and a lot lighter.
The woman in the middle had piercing blue eyes and short blonde-cropped hair. She also looked to be wearing body-tight armor, though she wasn¡¯t wearing a helmet, or if the suit had one, the helmet was retracted.
¡°Hello again. I¡¯m Seska and this is Basil and Jory. Before we open the airlock we have a few questions for you?¡± Seska said with a bright smile.
Before Anton could answer her question a SYSTEM notification filled his vision.
SYSTEM UPDATE
After further review, the XP award SYSTEM has been scrubbed and redesigned. Previous SYSTEM settings saw a significant amount of earned XP transferred back to the SYSTEM upon individual death. This hampered growth and slowed progress. Due to circumstances beyond SYSTEM Control, Leveling Acceleration is required from this point on. This change is NOT Retroactive.
Instead of a 1,000 XP award per level of defeated opponents, the SYSTEM will award ? of the total earned XP as modified due to rarity difference, number of parties involved in the attack, etc... As an example, If a level 10 individual killed a level 10 monster of the same rarity as their class they would have been awarded 10,000 XP. 1,000 multiplied by 10. Now if the same level 10 individual kills a level 10 monster of the same level they will instead earn 27,500 XP, Half of the required 55,000 XP it would take to a Common Class to reach level 10.
The previous SYSTEM ensured that the SYSTEM would be able to award XP to every participant in a hunting party. For instance, if 100 level 10 individuals had attacked the same level 10 creature in the example above each individual would have been awarded 10,000 XP, even though the creature only had 55,000 XP. The SYSTEM would have made up the difference. After this update, if 100 level 10 individuals attack and kill a level 10 monster they would instead only be awarded 275 XP.
This change is also being made so that the SYSTEM can hold onto more XP when larger parties are involved so that larger Quest XP awards can be given.
This change is universal and has spread through all adjacent systems and dimensions.
Happy Hunting
The SYSTEM had never explained something as thoroughly as it just did. Then it hit him. Well damn it, if he freed himself from those vampires after this change he would have pulled in some serious XP. He wasn¡¯t sure how much but he knew as a level 22 mythical class he had earned over 2 million XP which meant that if he killed a level 22 mythical creature he might earn 1 million XP just based on how much XP it took him. Wait the system said costs and such were adjusted so if he killed something the same rarity as himself he¡¯d earn what a common person would earn for the same feat as the XP award had already been adjusted. So for him, as a mythic class, he would either make the normal award or less than the normal award depending on the difference in rarity between himself and others. So, it was going to be a grind either way, but this way he¡¯d still be making more XP than he would have before.
Seska¡¯s voice came over the intercom, ¡°Are you okay in there, you kind of zoned out for a second?¡±
¡°Didn¡¯t you just get the SYSTEM Update message?¡± Anton asked.
¡°SYSTEM Update message?¡± Seska asked, ¡°What are you going on about?¡±
Anton looked thoughtful for a moment and then asked, ¡°Do you know what the SYSTEM is?¡±
¡°An operating SYSTEM, sure¡±
Anton shook his head, ¡°No, not an operating SYSTEM. Different question, Do you know what the Labyrinth is?¡±
¡°Labyrinth? Isn¡¯t that a maze or something?¡± Seska asked.
Anton was confused, how could these people not know what either of those two things were? Better question, why didn¡¯t they see the SYSTEM updates?
¡°Before we continue, could you let me know where we are?¡± Anton asked.
¡°You appeared within an artificial cube that was placed on the exact position creatures randomly appear from time to time. As for where you are. We are currently on the outer edges of our solar system about 4.2 billion miles from the nearest star, or about 3.2 billion miles from Earth, my home planet,¡± Seska said.
¡°How did you know to enclose this area in an air-tight chamber if we¡¯re so far out from Earth¡this is just a little farther out than Pluto, right?¡± Anton asked.
¡°You know of Earth?¡± Seska asked.
¡°Of course, I¡¯m from Earth as well, though probably not this one,¡± Anton said.
¡°Not this one?¡± Seska asked.
¡°Alternate Dimension, timeline, whatever. The Earth I¡¯m from didn¡¯t have space travel so I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯m not from here. Also, I believe I¡¯m still in the Labyrinth so this can¡¯t be my Earth,¡± Anton explained.
¡°What is this Labyrinth you keep mentioning?¡± Seska asked.
¡°I¡¯m not really sure, other than it is a ¡°Thing¡± that connects multiple dimensions or universes which it refers to as Realms together and allows entities to travel through it. Now, how about my question, how did you know to surround where I appeared in an airtight chamber?¡±
¡°Easy enough, years ago, we found millions of bodies of all types floating at this point in space. While our scientists were trying to figure out how they arrived another animal appeared. They don¡¯t appear often but when they do they normally die very quickly.¡± Seska explained.
¡°And you haven¡¯t captured anything that lets you know about the Labyrinth before now?¡± Anton asked.
¡°You are the first sentient humanoid we have ever recovered from here. Some of the dead individuals resembled races from mythology; elves, dwarves, gnomes, and the like. You are the first human. We have captured plenty of animals and even what some would classify as monsters but you¡¯re the first sentient being that has appeared since the chamber was put in place,¡± Seska said.
¡°So what happens now?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Now we run tests and talk. While we¡¯ve been talking various chambers have been prepositioned to ensure your safety and ours. We¡¯re going to have you move through the airlock into the next room where our doctor will have a look at you. Once they¡¯re done, we¡¯ll talk again,¡± Seska said.
¡°Last question before I go then, do you all have magic here?¡±
¡°Magic, you mean as in Merlin and Wizard-type magic?¡± Seska asked.
¡°Yeah, that kind of magic,¡± Anton affirmed.
¡°No. Why? Do you think magic is real?¡± Seska asked.
¡°I¡¯ve run across a couple of things, yes,¡± Anton answered.
¡°Well, sorry to disappoint, but there isn¡¯t any magic here?¡± Seska said definitely.
The other airlock buzzed as Anton turned to it and floated through. As soon as he crossed the threshold, he felt normal gravity take hold and floated down to stand on the floor in a small chamber with three people in clean suits waiting for him. It looked like it was time for an exam, not one of the intellectual kinds.
Chapter 32, Trojan Horse
The exams were everything Anton hated about going to the doctor. Blood pressure, temperature, oxygenation, and blood samples were all checked or taken. Anton stored all of his equipment in his Personal Storage just before he stepped through the second airlock which caused one of the nurses to ask, ¡°Sir, where is all the equipment you just had?¡±
Anton looked at the nurse and said, ¡°I stored it in my extra-dimensional storage location.¡±
The nurse looked at Anton with confusion, stepped into the airlock, and looked around. With a shrug, the nurse turned and stepped back into the exam room and closed the airlock, ¡°Neat trick.¡±
Another nurse in a clean suit said, ¡°Sir, if you¡¯d take a seat over here this shouldn¡¯t take long.¡±
Anton sat. Twenty minutes later he was led through another airlock into a small room with a toilet, table, and bed. Before he stepped inside he asked, ¡°Am I a prisoner?¡±
¡°No, Sir,¡± the second nurse said, ¡°This is just a holding room until we¡¯ve had a chance to analyze your blood to make sure you¡¯re not carrying any sort of contagion that can be passed on to the other individuals at this station.¡±
¡°How long will that take?¡± Anton asked.
¡°A couple of hours at most. There is a monitor on the wall here and the controller is beside the bed, if you¡¯d like to watch something on our internal network.¡±
¡°That¡¯s fine, if everything goes as planned how long will it be before I can head to Earth,¡± Anton asked.
¡°Well, you should know that this facility, while large, has no direct access to the station with the portal generators,¡± Seska explained.
¡°Why are you, explaining that to me?¡± Anton asked.
¡°We just want to make sure that you understand that there is nowhere to escape to, if you were to try to leave. Personnel at this station are very careful about what we allow back to the planet.¡±
¡°And the station that contains the generators?¡± Anton asked.
¡°It¡¯s within easy communication range,¡± Seska said.
Anton considered the statement. That meant that the station was probably within 186,000 miles, well half that probably so 90,000 miles or so. That would allow for communication with zero lag time. Without knowing which direction to head, he was stuck here. He guessed he¡¯d have to play along, for now. Anton kept his thoughts to himself before he said, ¡°I guess I¡¯ll wait in here then,¡± Anton said as he stepped into the room before the hatch was closed behind him.
Anton walked over to his metal cot, which was bolted to the floor, and picked up the TV remote on the bed. He looked it over and noted that the buttons followed the normal configuration he was used to. He pushed the power button at the top and a monitor appeared on the ceiling above him. He leaned back in the bed and started going through the menus provided.
There was only one ¡°news¡± channel. It was simply a status screen for the station which let him know that the station was fully functional, it was 13:51, or 1:51 p.m. local, and the temperature was at a nice 75 degrees Fahrenheit. The other available options were recorded movies and TV shows that dated back quite a while and included shows he¡¯d never heard of. However, he did find ¡°Friends¡± and decided to lose himself to some nonsense for a while. Anton made his choice and relaxed while he watched the monitor above him. At least that¡¯s what he wanted those watching him to think while he went through his Notifications and status to see if there was anything he¡¯d missed. Since the SYSTEM Update, he hadn¡¯t received a single notification, maybe he¡¯d missed something in one of the earlier messages.
***
Doctor Elizabeth Bashir looked at the results of the blood test. This was the third time she¡¯d run the tests which were in a word, impossible. Elizabeth looked to her assistant Kenneth Malic as she asked, ¡°And you watched the test from beginning to end personally this last time?¡±
¡°Doctor Bashir,¡± Ken said with a hint of exasperation, ¡°I did exactly as you ordered. I sat there and watched the analyzer the whole time. From the moment I placed the sample into it, until it was removed I had eyes on the sample the whole time. The test went exactly as expected.
Elizabeth looked at the monitor where Anton relaxed on the bed, his eyes closed and moving back and forth under his eyelids, as if in REM sleep. She looked at the results again. The man in the other room shouldn¡¯t be alive. Of course, she¡¯d seen a lot of impossible things at this posting; animals that had no business existing, elves, dwarves, and a few other species out of mythology. All had been dead and floating in this section of space which had been discovered when a probe happened to pick up a large collection of biological signals as it was leaving the solar system. No one understood why living creatures had appeared in this one spot in the solar system until the ship that had been sent to investigate and witnessed a squirrel appearing out of nowhere, still quite alive before the vacuum killed it.
After the discovery, ships and probes searched everywhere within the solar system to make sure there wasn¡¯t another point where creatures were just appearing out of nowhere. More importantly, the ships and probes were looking for an exit point where objects were pulled out of this universe. They¡¯d found nothing else within the solar system
The facility she was in had been created to perform tests on the location and discover where these bodies had all come from as well as provide a stable environment for creatures to appear in. The discovery led to new research which ultimately led to dimensional portal technology. All that happened before her time but the portals made getting from Earth to this station a whole lot easier. The mandatory quarantine on the way back to the moon base sucked but at least she could talk to her family from the moon with very little lag. Eventually, that would be taken care of when stable portals were kept open for communication but they weren¡¯t there yet. Maybe another five years.
What had her stumped her was that the sample of blood they¡¯d taken was deteriorating. Well, it was probably not deteriorating while it was in the sealed vial but as soon as they put it on a slide to take a look at it, it just seemed to evaporate which implied that Anton was also decaying at a steady rate, yet there he was, laying on the bed. The few tests they were able to perform came back normal, but when the test was done, the blood was gone. A cotton ball with a little blood on it. 20 seconds later, the cotton ball was clean, though the fibers of the cotton looked like they¡¯d had something on them. When the cotton ball was tested for residue there was no indication that anything had been there.
Doctor Bashir looked thoughtful for a moment before she turned to Ken, ¡°Put that vial of his blood on the scale please.¡±
Ken did as requested before he looked at Doctor Bashir questionly.
¡°Wait for it,¡± Doctor Bashir said.
They both watched as the digital counter lowered from 276 grams to 275.
¡°It¡¯s losing weight?¡± Ken asked with apparent shock in his voice.
¡°It would seem so,¡± Doctor Bashir agreed. ¡°It seems that the vial is slowing down the effect but the blood is dissipating no matter where it is.¡±
¡°So what, is he going to disappear at some point too?¡±
Doctor Bashir considered the question before she answered, ¡°I don¡¯t know. What I do know is that I need to share these findings with Headquarters.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll make sure our guest is fed,¡± Ken said before he looked thoughtful and asked, ¡°He is to remain quarantined?¡±
¡°Yes. I¡¯ll send off my report and we¡¯ll wait for them to respond before we release him into the larger living area while everything else gets sorted. We can give him a little legroom while keeping him quarantined.¡±
¡°As you wish,¡± Ken agreed before he left the lab and went to see their guest.
Doctor Bashir turned back to her terminal and began typing up her report.
***
Two hours later Minister Allen was sitting at his seat in Moon Base One going over his daily schedule when the inbox for his electronic mail pinged.
From: Doctor Bashir
Subject: Visitor
Minister Allen read over the very short email and then opened the attached file. There was no doubt that the man who had appeared in the collection cube, as it was often referred to, was extremely important. Everything pointed to him being a normal human being except for the blood sample that was evaporating.
The test results showed no contagions, no communicable diseases, and no cancer cells, as far as they could tell with the level-one tests that were performed. For all intents and purposes, this man, Anton, appeared to be healthy and normal. Included in the report was a question Anton had voiced about magic, which seemed to be nonsensical.
Regardless, they wouldn¡¯t learn anything with him out at the edge of the solar system. Minister Allen pushed the button on his intercom, ¡°Becky.¡±
A feminine voice answered after a moment, ¡°Yes, Minister.¡±
¡°Please have Commander Davis report to me at his earliest convenience,¡± Minster Allen said.
¡°Yes, Minster,¡± Becky said. Minister Allen noted that the intercom was still active as he heard Becky tap on her monitor before she continued, ¡°He¡¯ll be here shortly.¡±
***
30 minutes later Caitlyn Sheppard, one of three security personnel escorting Commander Davis, walked to the portal chamber where they were about to travel out to the edge of the solar system. As they arrived in the vacuum chamber Commander Davis turned to the three, ¡°This is a quick escort mission. We¡¯re heading out to Interlock Station. Once there another portal will transfer us to Cube Station. We will then escort our charge back to Interlock Station and from there to Moon Base 6. Once we have the subject secured at Moon Base Six, we get to come back here and stay in quarantine for a bit. Currently, there is no reason to worry but keep your armor on internal air throughout the mission.¡±
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
¡°Yes, Sir!¡± Caitlyn and the two other escorts with her said. She did a quick check to make sure her suit was set to internal oxygen, set her face place to mirrored, and waited.
A moment later a portal opened and the four of them stepped through into a small chamber. She¡¯d expected the area to feel different but the gravity was identical. The portal closed behind her and a new portal opened into a different chamber where the subject was standing off to the side with a doctor who was in a clean suit. While not as sturdy as the armor Caitlyn was wearing it would protect her from most biological hazards.
The doctor nodded to the subject and stepped through a hatch that closed behind her. Caitlyn watched Commander Davis walk over to the subject, ¡°Anton, is it?¡±
Anton nodded but didn¡¯t say anything.
¡°Another portal will open shortly and we will step through to Interlock Station. Once there we will wait for another portal to be opened to a base on the moon, any questions?¡± Commander Davis asked.
¡°Nope, I¡¯m all yours,¡± the subject said with a smile.
Commander Davis nodded and a portal opened to Interlock Station. The five of them stepped through. After the portal they¡¯d just traveled through closed, a new portal opened and they stepped through that portal as well. For a moment she felt the gravity of the Moon before artificial gravity kicked in and everything felt normal again.
Commander Davis led Anton out of the arrival chamber and into Isolation Wing A, ¡°This is to be your new home while those in charge decide what to do with you. It¡¯s a little more spacious than the station you were just on and you have freedom of movement here in this wing. You have a room, lounge, and place to exercise as well as a view of Earth.¡±
¡°Where is the window to Earth?¡± Anton asked.
Caitlyn had a funny feeling in her gut when she heard him ask the question but Commander Davis just nodded down one of the hallways out of the entry room. Caitlyn followed Commander Davis as he led Anton to a small room that was enclosed in a bubble of transparent Aluminum. Caitlyn saw Anton smile just before he vanished.
¡°What the hell?¡± Commander Davis exclaimed as he tried to reach through the space Anton had just been in.
Caitlyn instinctively moved to block the passage into the dome room in case Anton was trying to get passed her but even as she did so she stopped. There really was nowhere for him to go. The other two escorts came running down the tunnel side by side, making it all but impossible that Anton had tried to slip passed the three of them.
As an alarm sounded Commander Davis asked, ¡°Where did he go?¡±
For the next hour, the four of them were stuck in Isolation Wing A as they repeatedly searched the wing to no avail. Command even watched the oxygen usage which didn¡¯t change. The four of them were on internal oxygen and no carbon dioxide was created while they conducted their search. When their internal oxygen was almost used up each recharged and met Commander Davis in the main room.
Commander Davis looked at the three, then cracked the seal of his helmet and took it off, ¡°Might as well make yourselves comfortable, we¡¯re going to be here for a little bit longer.¡±
¡°Shouldn¡¯t we be looking for him,¡± Sergeant Jack asked.
¡°We did look for him. We couldn¡¯t find him. Command wants us to stay here until they¡¯re sure he isn¡¯t in here with us,¡± Commander Davis explained.
¡°Why take your helmet off then?¡± Caitlyn asked.
¡°Because I get the feeling we¡¯re going to be in here for a while. Also, I wanted to make sure I could feel a breeze if he¡¯s somehow cloaked and moving by me,¡± Commander Davis said.
¡°Cloaked? Like cloaking tech? That¡¯s not a thing is it?¡± Seargent Jacks asked.
¡°The man appeared in the middle of nowhere which implies that he either teleported or was deposited at that location. If that¡¯s possible, cloaking tech could be possible too.¡±
¡°But he was in a hospital smock?¡± Caitlyn said wonderingly. ¡°He was practically naked. Where would he have hidden the equipment?¡±
¡°Exactly, where did he hide the technology he used to escape?¡± Commander Davis asked. ¡°Now, relax, grab a bit to eat from the dispenser, and make yourselves comfortable, we¡¯ll be in here for a while. If we¡¯re here long enough to sleep, we team up into groups of two in the bedrooms, no one sleeps alone.¡±
¡°Yes, Sir,¡± The three said as they unsealed their masks and went to get something to eat. Caitlyn tried to send out an email through her digital assistant but all communication channels were currently blocked. That figured. There was a security breach after all.
Caitlyn watched as Private Stevens grabbed something to eat and then grabbed the controller for the monitor and pulled up the local news. It seemed that they could receive transmissions, they just couldn¡¯t make them. As she grabbed one of the meals from the dispenser she sat down at the table and began to eat as she wondered where the hell Anton had disappeared to. He¡¯d been right in front of her and then he hadn¡¯t. The better question though,where was he going? He¡¯d seen Earth and smiled. Did he have a way to travel there from here? No portals had opened¡could he have teleported? Idea after idea entered her mind, which she discounted as implausible. After a while, she put it out of her mind and let her attention be drawn to the movie that Private Stevens had turned the channel to. Some science fiction shows about robots that were going to take over the universe or something. It was now time to hurry up and wait.
***
It only took Anton 20 minutes to get close enough to Earth to alter his course toward one of the stations he could see. He¡¯d activated Specter, swapped his clothes with his inventory and traveled in a straight line toward Earth. He¡¯d have stopped putting up with all of the pointless questions a long time ago but flying at just over 1,400 miles an hour from the outskirts of the solar system and trying to find Earth in the vastness of space. Yeah, that would have sucked. From the moon though, he could get back to Earth in a relatively short time and he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about not finding a place with atmosphere if he wanted to take a break, it was right there in front of him now. Sure he could use Battle Meditation to remain as a Specter for a really long time but he¡¯d already done the stuck-in-the-void schtick, he wasn¡¯t going to repeat that if he didn¡¯t have to.
So he¡¯d been polite, allowed team of soldiers to escort him back to the Moon and as soon as he¡¯d verified that Earth was within sight, he¡¯d left. He¡¯d floated up through the roof of the dome and moved toward the Earth at his top speed. He noticed the red flashing lights as he moved away from the Moon but paid them no mind. He did look back at the Moon as he lifted away from the surface and noticed various domes and structures scattered here and there as well as shuttles moving between the habitats and the ships in orbit.
Anton was mildly impressed with the ships in orbit. They weren¡¯t cobbled together but looked to be at least the size of aircraft carriers with bays and weapon emplacements as well as fighters. When one of the fighters came near him he altered his course to move beside it. Anton didn¡¯t know what the orbital velocity of the Moon was but it was faster than his maximum speed as a Specter because the ship and all of its drones moved passed him in just a few moments. Still, he was able to get close enough to realize that there was no room for an occupant so all the small ships that he had thought were fighters must be drones.
Anton readjusted his course and began heading toward Earth. 20 minutes later he was close enough to see a couple of very large stations in orbit. There was one over the north and south pole with four other large stations placed 90 degrees apart around the equator. He also noticed that there was a space elevator from Antarctica to the station directly above the continent.
As he looked down at Earth now that he was much closer, it didn¡¯t look all that different to the Earth he knew. Anton altered his course so that he¡¯d enter the atmosphere over North America if he decided to make it down to the surface. A she drew closer he noticed something weird. It was obviously nighttime over North America and there were a lot fewer lights along the eastern and western seaboard. In fact, the whole world seemed to have a smaller population. Luckily one of the larger stations was in Geosynchronous orbit over North America.
Anton altered his course and flew toward the station. As he approached the station he was surprised at how large it was. This wasn¡¯t a small station like the ISS. No, this station was at least three miles long and had domes along the outside that Anton could see buildings, parks, and people going about their business as if they were in a city on Earth. If he had to guess, one of the domes could easily house 100,000 people in the area he could see and there were sublevels below the domes.
Anton considered what to do and then decided to check out the station. If there was an underclass working in the bowels of one of these stations, it would be a lot easier to blend in and lose pursuit if someone came looking for him. He could always head to Earth if it didn¡¯t work out. His first thought was to find out as much as he could.
Anton passed through an outer dome through the sublevels and found himself looking at a large open space in the center of the station. It looked like a reactor of some sort. He looked around the outer edge until he found an observation room, entered it, and then began mapping out the corridors, elevators, and ladders until he found the control room five levels up from the observation room. One thing he had noticed while he was looking around, was that the reaction area at the center of the station was well shielded.
He found a place in a corner and activated Battle Meditation to replenish his Psychic Energy before he started paying attention and looking for the person in charge. One thing he hadn¡¯t tried, which he was going to do now, was to use Telepathy while Manifesting. He wasn¡¯t sure if it would work or not but if it could, he¡¯d be able to Manifest and listen in on someone¡¯s thoughts.
Anton found the person who looked to be in control. A middle-aged Asian woman was in an office that overlooked the command room. Anton could see her mouth moving but couldn¡¯t understand what she was saying because he couldn¡¯t read her lips. Anton found a vent in the room with Line of Sight on her and activated Manifest. His body did visually manifest in physical reality but it was behind the wall, out of sight. Anton adjusted his eye level until he could see the woman and then attempted to utilize Telepathy.
Anton felt his mental energy push out and meet a very slight resistance before he broke through and found himself listening to the thoughts of the Director of this Space Station. It was quite surreal. He noticed that she had felt something as she reached up and rubbed the back of her head as he read her thoughts.
Damn, where did this headache come from?
Anton adjusted his attention through her mind until he could hear the conversation going on around her.
¡°There¡¯s a food riot in Subsection 3, how do we respond?¡± one of the technicians asked.
Anton heard the director say, ¡°They¡¯ve already brought in the crops from their section. If they don¡¯t end their nonsense in the next 30 minutes start reducing their oxygen until they get the hint. If it comes to the point where we knock them all out, some will be going to the Asteroid belt while their children are re-educated.¡±
¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am¡± the technician replied swiftly as he relayed what he¡¯d been told. Anton focused on her thoughts again and noted that she didn¡¯t really want to be a hard ass but one of her thoughts stood out, We do not need to starve again.
Before he could pass judgment on the choices that were made he first had to understand what had happened in the past which meant he needed to find out as much as he could from as many people as he could. Anton settled in for a long night, day, or both of listening. Perhaps there was a way to data mine their minds. He¡¯d never tried but maybe he could search through memories.
Anton activated Hyper Focus, concentrated on reaching further into his target''s mind, and suddenly found his point of view falling toward the woman he was looking at. There was a momentary feeling of wrongness as his vision went black for a moment.
When Anton opened his eyes he was sitting at a desk. He raised his right feminine hand and looked at the light red nails as he, no she, moved the right hand. She? Anton quickly looked around until he found a reflection of himself staring back, he was in and controlling the director''s body. He was in her body?
Anton quickly tapped his/her fingers on the desk and both heard and felt her fingers as they tapped. Next he, no she, moved both of her hands to push down her bouse like he¡¯d seen Picard do to his shirt in Star Trek the Next Generation to see if he could feel that. More importantly, he allowed his thumbs to gently rub the underside of his/her breasts to see if he could feel that. He was a man after all, he normally didn¡¯t have breasts so it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if he couldn¡¯t feel those nerves. Nope, he felt them, which was weird. He was very literally a man in a woman¡¯s body. It was very unsettling.
Anton considered what had happened. He¡¯d tried to read her mind and instead jumped into her body. While this ability would be very useful going forward, it wasn¡¯t what he needed right now. Still, he had an opportunity, didn¡¯t he? Anton looked at the terminal directly in front of the director and decided to find out what kind of world this was. Also, he needed to see how long this skill would last. Anton tried to pull up his Notifications and immediately realized that he couldn¡¯t. Anton ignored the problem and went to his next task. He used the terminal and began to pull up as much data as he could about the history of this Earth and the stations surrounding it. Luckily there was a function in this system much like Google and YouTube. While he began to search the local internet web, Anton noticed that the nearby technicians saw that their director was busy and left her to her own devices while they monitored their terminals. It seemed that no one wanted the bosses attention, which was fine with Anton.
Chapter 33, Dimensional Breach
Anton was amazed at how familiar everything was. He wasn¡¯t a programmer by trade, but like everyone else he had figured out how to surf the web and find information. After only five minutes he had a pretty good understanding of how the terminal in front of him worked and how to surf for information. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t have access to the memories of the person whose body he was in, nor could he feel her thoughts anymore.
Another thing that was a bit concerning, he hadn¡¯t seen any notifications, nor could he pull up his Personal Status while controlling this woman¡¯s body. Was that because there was no magic in this world? Maybe he could see his Status because he was permanently tied to whatever fueled his Immortality and Anti-Mage abilities? He guessed that was a possible explanation. Even so, it looked like the notification system didn¡¯t work for anyone else so maybe the SYSTEM couldn¡¯t normally access others.
Anton could feel his mind getting weaker which he figured meant he was spending a bit of psychic energy while he was controlling this woman. Unlike when he utilized Specter, he could feel the strain. It wasn¡¯t a huge strain but he felt himself losing focus the longer he held onto her body.
Knowing that, Anton went to work. First, he did a search for an abbreviated timeline of historically important events. He also found out what the local date was.
-
It was only 2086 in this Realm. He¡¯d been born in 2013 on his Earth. This Earth didn¡¯t seem to be too much further along technologically as everything he¡¯d seen so far was just tweaks on themes he was used to. Apple or Android type interfaces and the computer in front of him had YouTube. Well, it wasn¡¯t YouTube but it was very similar. After a little research, he discovered that it was completely AI-driven and that anything posted was verified as factual or opinion-driven.
Anton set the filter to factual information and pulled up a timeline.
2030 - the first Moonbase was established.
2033 ¨C the first trip out to the Asteroid Belt was successful.
2035 ¨C the first large asteroid was transferred from the Asteroid Belt into orbit around the Moon and mined for materials utilized to increase mining and manufacturing production.
2040 ¨C Breakthroughs in technology allowed the first Lightspeed capable ships to be built utilizing an Alcubierre Warp Drive.
Anton was drawn into the article about the Alcubierre Drive which talked about the possible problems concerning trying to make the bubble created by the drive exceed the speed of light. One of those problems was that some believed that if the warp bubble exceeded the speed of light extremely high temperatures caused by Hawking Radiation would destroy anything inside the bubble. As there was no way to test the theory the original ships were designed to remain below the speed of light. There were some other nonsensical arguments that signals wouldn¡¯t be able to get to the front of the ship but the same theorist that made that claim failed to remember that Relativity was in play. The ship itself and the space around it wouldn¡¯t be traveling at the same velocity in a bubble. Even Anton, NOT a physicist, understood how relativity played into that scenario.
Anton returned to reviewing the timeline.
2041 ¨C First Alcubierre Drive spaceship launched, Destination Proxima Centauri.
2041 - 2048 ¨C Expansion to Mars complete, Station and bases established.
2049 ¨C Mission to Proxima Centauri returns
2050 ¨C Alcubierre Drive upgraded allowing Faster than Light travel.
From that point, the history and desire of the Human race in this Realm was pretty straightforward. Expansion. The estimated maximum speed of the upgraded drive was approximately 100 times the speed of light. This had nothing to do with the actual speed of the drive but more to do with the shielding and energy required for that shielding. He couldn¡¯t do a deep dive into that specific information but it was easy enough to find short articles or videos explaining the major points. The faster something went the fast it heated up requiring more energy for shielding which created the upper limit to the ships speed.
Anton continued his research and discovered that humanity had expanded into an area roughly 2,000 lightyears across with probes out to 4,600 lightyears. As the center of the Milky Way was approximately 26,000 lightyears from Earth, they had quite a bit to go before they¡¯d reach that point. From everything he came across it looked like humanity was spreading slowly but expanding the area that they¡¯d explored at a much quicker rate.
The last entry of note was that the area he¡¯d teleported into had been discovered roughly 30 years ago and only recently had the station been created, though most of that information was identified by the A.I. governing the web as fiction. Knowing that the area was real and that the A.I. would know it was real, yet chose to label it incorrectly indicated that whoever was running the show for Earth had some measure of control over the A.I.
Anton had been researching for about 20 minutes when he suddenly became extremely tired. He tried to disengage from the Directors mind but found that he was unable to for some reason. He was able to explore the feelings and the closest analogy he could come up with was that it felt like he had fallen into quicksand and while he was trying to withdraw himself from the quicksand that was her mind and body, it clung to him, refusing to let go. It felt like if he¡¯d tried to do this sooner he could have withdrawn easily but now that he had a headache and his mind was feeling lethargic it was that much harder. He couldn¡¯t read his notifications, he couldn¡¯t activate any of his skills or abilities, and he was sure he was about to run out of Psychic Energy.
Anton was not at all surprised when as his vision went dark and three Notifications filled his vision before everything went dark.
You have Died, Specter has Activated.
Psychic Energy depleted.
You have been Disincorporated.
***
Caitlyn Sheppard, along with Commander Davis and someone in a very clean business suit who hadn¡¯t bothered to introduce himself stood in an Observation Room looking down on Anton who had been strapped down to an exam table.
¡°Where did they find him?¡± the unidentified man asked.
Commander Davies took the lead and answered man, ¡°Approximately one hour after he disappeared on the moon he reappeared unconscious and unresponsive next to Director Li-Meng. Before Anton¡¯s appearance in the Control Center of this Space Station, the Director¡¯s terminal was utilized to perform research on the history of Earth.¡±
Whoever the man in the suit was mused for a moment before he continued, ¡°In the recordings we have he mentioned that he was from Earth and that this Earth was in something called the Labyrinth, Did any of you hear him say anything else on the subject while you were traveling.¡±
Caitlyn spoke up, ¡°Sir, he didn¡¯t say anything, but as soon as he saw Earth, he smiled.¡±
¡°You¡¯re sure?¡±
¡°Yes, Sir.¡±
¡°The recordings didn¡¯t pick that up. Why wasn¡¯t that in any of your reports?¡± The man asked.
Commander Davis spoke up, ¡°We have only filed a preliminary report at this time, Sir.¡±
The man looked thoughtful for a moment, ¡°Please, call me Felix. Also, it has only been one hour, correct?¡±
Commander Davis, Caitlyn, Sergeant Jack, and Private Stevens nodded.
¡°Very well. Commander Davis, set up a two-person shift for the four of you. I want eyes on him until he wakes up, two at a time. No one besides Doctor Bashir is to interact with the prisoner unless he wakes up, she should be along shortly. He is being sedated so he shouldn¡¯t wake up, but he¡¯s already done something impossible so let¡¯s not jinx it,¡± Felix turned and walked toward the door as he said, ¡°Commander, the station is yours. Please get those reports filed and try not to let him go this time.¡±
¡°Yes, Sir!¡± Commander Davis said as Caitlyn Sheppard watched.
Commander Davis and Private Stevens took the first watch. Twelve hours later Sub-Commander Sheppard and Sergeant Jack replaced them. As they were sitting in the observation room watching Anton sleep Sergeant Maxwell Jack, ¡°Max¡±, turned to Caitlyn, ¡°Where exactly are we?¡±
Caitlyn looked at Max and smiled, ¡°I have no idea.¡±
¡°Does Commander Davis know?¡± Max asked.
¡°I don¡¯t think so. We have portals that can reach approximately 10 light-years out, though the power requirements are insane for those transfers so they don¡¯t happen often. As you know, we were called from the Moonbase to the station to pick up Anton and then shunted through another Portal in short order. I¡¯d think we were back at the Cube because Docter Bashir is here but that doesn¡¯t feel right. The Cube is an artificial station floating in space. This doesn¡¯t feel like we are in space. We are either in a very large asteroid or somewhere underground. As there isn¡¯t any access to the outside and I don¡¯t feel angular movement I believe we are on one of the outer planets or moons. Also, we could be on one of the planets in one of the nearby solar systems. While baren they could still support a station underground.
¡°How long will we be here?¡± Max asked.
¡°Until Anton wakes up, most likely, though I wouldn¡¯t count on it. As soon as Felix finds other people he can trust we should be replaced. Clandestine work isn¡¯t part of our normal duties, though how we do on this assignment will either open or close doors for us going forward,¡± Caitlyn mused to herself, as much to Max.
A moment later Caitlyn had that feeling in her gut that something was wrong just before a screen popped into her vision that wasn¡¯t one of the screens she normally interacted with that was part of her ocular implant.
WARNING!!!
Realm Integrity has destabilized.
The Dimensional Barrier has failed.
Caitlyn¡¯s attention was drawn from the messages as Max screamed and was suddenly cut off. She tried to focus her attention on him, at which point the screen of messages disappeared and Max became visible to her. She watched as the body within his clothing and gear rippled and then from his right side to his left was erased. He wasn¡¯t burned or frozen, his body just disappeared from his right shoulder to his left shoulder in a moment which caused his clothing and gear to drop to the ground. At that same time, Caitlyn felt a slight tingle start at her left shoulder and wash through her from left to right. Unlike Max she felt fine. No better than fine, she felt like something that had been locked away was now unlocked.
SYSTEM Initialization Commencing.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
***
Anton came to a semblance of consciousness and floated in the nothingness of warmth and comfort for a while. How long? He had no idea. He just knew that he was warm and comfortable. He also realized that he was having a hard time concentrating, though as time went by that mental fogginess cleared. When he finally realized what was happening, Anton activated Mental Refuge and dropped into his Mindspace.
Wait, he hadn¡¯t been able to activate his skills before. What was going on? Anton focused on opening his Notifications which populated normally. Anton scrolled the messages back to the point when he entered this Realm.
Welcome Adventurer
Universe: Labyrinth Seed VX-072365c
World: Universe Seed: E0456739
Location: 1 of 2
Recommended Levels: N/A
Mana Level: 0.001% Saturation
This is a Teleportation Destination, Fast Travel, is NOT available
The next notification Anton received was the SYSTEM Update which had somehow pushed its way through whatever had censored the notifications he¡¯d received when he¡¯d arrived. After that were the last three messages he¡¯d seen just before he blacked out, though the notifications did continue after his mind was unable to process them. One thing he did notice was that while he¡¯d been possessing the director of the station, he¡¯d been spending 10 Psychic Energy each Combat Turn, or 60 per minute. That¡¯s why he¡¯d run out of energy so quickly.
Anton continued reviewing his Notifications.
You have Died, Specter has Activated
Psychic Energy depleted.
You have been Disincorporated
Zero Psychic Energy available for Reconstitution.
Reconstitution will commence in one hour.
Magical Saturation insufficient for Reconstitution.
Magical Matrix failure imminent.
Magical Matrix breached.
All Negative Bodily Status Effects have been neutralized.
Ability Anti-Mage Link at 101%
The next few, it wasn¡¯t a few. The next ¡°few¡± messages indicated that whatever link Anti-Mage had with the source of his Anti-Mage ability had continued to increase until it reached 1,001%
Ability Anti-Mage Link at 1,001%
Magical Matrix has become disconnected from Ability entry point.
Dimensional Barriers breached.
Magical Saturation detected
Realm Integrity has destabilized.
Magical Saturation has increased to 1%
Magical Saturation has increased to 25%
Magical Saturation has increased to 50%
Magical Saturation has increased to 100%
Magic Saturation has stabilized
Current Magical Saturation 100%
Personal Magical Matrix has stabilized
Personal Magical Matrix has returned to the previous configuration.
Local Labyrinth Realm has been breached. Magical Saturation will continue from this point until parity is reached.
Anton opened his eyes and found himself strapped to an examination table. Now that whatever had been in him was neutralized he knew he only had moments to get free, which didn¡¯t prove that difficult. He¡¯d been tied down to the bed with Velcro straps which snapped when he put just a little of his strength into the effort. After he sat up in the bed, he reached over and pulled the IV in his left arm out and undid the straps on his legs.
He looked around and saw one of the guards who had escorted him to the moon standing behind the observation window. This time the blond-haired, blue-eyed woman was in a normal uniform, her gaze unfocused, like someone who was reading Notifications or Status Screens. He¡¯d been able to see his notifications in his Mindspace, were his notifications working again? Anton tried to pull up his Personal Status and was pleasantly surprised when it worked.
There had been no changes since the last time he¡¯d looked except that he¡¯d unlocked a class-specific Psychic Skill, Possession.
Possession
Prerequisite: Specter and Manifest
While Manifested in Specter Form you may move into and control the body of any creature whose will you can suppress. Will in possession you may utilize the physical body you control to perform any physical action normally possible by the possessed body.
To end this skill, you must disconnect from your target by spending PE equal to the target''s willpower. If you do not do this before you cannot do this you will be forcibly ejected from the target. Note: Psychic Creatures with no Psychic Energy are normally disincorporated at this point and can meet their final death.
Cost: 10 PE to initiate and 10 PE per turn after.
NOTE: Ability Immortal is synergistic with this ability. Disincorporated entities will reconstitute normally if disincorporated due to energy deprivation.
So how had they captured him? Also, where was he? Anton considered the various things he could do and activated Specter. He rose through the ceiling and then through two more floors before he came to a point where he entered solid rock. After a little while, at least 1,000 feet he broke the surface onto a barren rocky plain. As he looked around he noticed a bunker with a hanger door built into a cliff that opened onto the plain he now floated above. That wasn¡¯t the most interesting thing about this location though. What was interesting was that the light coming from the star above him was red. Also, there was no plant life as far as he could see which meant he was probably on a barren planet in another solar system.
Anton checked the hanger and the facility connected to it and tried to determine how many people were here. A couple of minutes later he had his answer, not many, as in none. He did, however, find piles of clothes. The clothes and gear were arranged in random locations as if whoever had been wearing them had suddenly vanished and been left behind. As for living people, there were none.
Anton followed the elevator shaft back down to the lower levels. Entry into the sublevels was made through a very robust airlock system that consisted of three separate airlocks that could allow multiple people to transfer through each airlock. The upper section hadn¡¯t been that large but the lower area could easily house hundreds of people. Still, a quick search revealed that except for the lowest sublevel, there had been no one in the upper two sublevels of the facility.
On Sublevel 3 he found evidence of two people who had been asleep in one of the rooms when whatever happened vaporized them. If that¡¯s what happened. In the observation room, he found clothing and gear beside where he¡¯d seen the woman when he¡¯d come to.
He''d read the notifications. There had been some kind of dimensional breach centered on him and it looked like there was a conduit centered on this location that was feeding magic back into this Realm of the Labyrinth. That could be both good and bad for him. Anton had a thought, what if creatures and people within this Realm were generated? If energy from outside the Labyrinth was entering could that energy do something to them or had they been subject to a wave of the Anti-Magic that his Ability was based on? What would that look like if someone was exposed to it in an insanely concentrated form?
Regardless, he needed to talk to the woman and figure out what happened to her. Also, if she was here, there had to have been others. Had she seen what had happened to them? Anton explored Sublevel 3 and eventually made his way back to the Examination Room where he found the woman When he found herth her she was searching the room he¡¯d been kept in.
Anton moved into the examination room on the other side of the bed he¡¯d woke up on and deactivated Specter. The woman across from him looked up, saw him, and stood as she stepped back.
¡°What? Where did you come from?¡± the woman asked.
Anton looked at the woman and noted that she was mostly unarmed with only an extendable baton hooked to her utility belt. It did look like she could handle herself as her first movement had been to step back into a classic defensive posture. Anton smiled reassuringly, ¡°Hello, my name is Anton. I know we¡¯ve met before but I didn¡¯t catch your name last time,¡± Anton said leadingly.
Anton watched the woman as she thought about how to proceed before she said, ¡°My name is Caitlyn Sheppard. I am the Sub Commander assigned to keep you in this restricted facility. Technically you are my prisoner.¡±
Anton laughed lightly as he made sure he had access to all of his skills and abilities before he made a show of slowly stretching out his arms and rotating them so Sub-Commander Sheppard could see that he was holding nothing in his hands. Then, he summoned a P90 from his inventory which he casually pointed at the examination bed between them, ¡°I am not your prisoner, nor do I actually need this weapon,¡± Anton said as the P90 vanished back into this inventory, ¡°Just know that the weapon I just showed you is one of many I can pull from my inventory. Now, Caitlyn can I call you Caitlyn? Where is everyone else.¡±
¡°They should be here any mome¡.¡±
¡°No, they won¡¯t. I¡¯ve already scouted out the whole facility. All of the sub-levels down here, and the attached facility and hanger on the surface. There is no one else in this facility besides the two of us. Also, the star in this Solar System is red, so I¡¯ll ask again, Where is everyone, and also, where are we?¡±
Sub-Commander Sheppard bolted for the door, opened and closed it, and then hit the lock mechanism. Anton watched apathetically as she moved across the room to the door and fled. He could have reacted but chose not to. Once he heard the locking mechanism engage, he sighed.
Sub-Commander Sheppard stepped into the observation room and looked at Anton while he looked right back at her, ¡°As I was saying, you are my prisoner. I¡¯m going to let you wait here while I figure out what happened.¡±
Anton didn¡¯t bother answering her. Instead, he pointed to a location in the room behind her. As she turned to look, he activated Specter flashed over to the location he¡¯d pointed at in the observation room, and deactivated Specter. Her reflexes were very good, Anton had to admit that. Within a moment she realized that the position she was in put Anton between her and the only door out of the small Observation Room. Without hesitation, she attacked.
Caitlyn had martial arts training. Anton did not. That, however, did not matter. Anton, attributes were at least 10 times as high as Caitlyn¡¯s and it showed. She made a move to grapple him into a headlock which he easily sidestepped because, to him, she appeared to be moving in slow motion.
When grappling didn¡¯t work, he slapped aside her punches, again because she moved too slowly to be any threat. This went on for a few minutes while she continued to attack Anton and became more and more frustrated with her lack of progress. Suddenly her fist glowed with a golden light and moved at incredible speed just before it came into contact with his Anti-Mage field which snuffed it out. As her fist made contact with the center of his chest he was a little surprised when it didn¡¯t hurt. Caitlyn immediately stepped back with a look of shock on her face. Anton took the opportunity to pull up his Combat Log and find out what had just happened.
You have been targeted by Celestial Fist.
Celestial Fist has been negated upon contact with Anti-Mage field.
All damage bonuses have been removed.
Modified Damage taken: 2
Damage Resistance has completely negated damage.
Damage taken: 0
Anton¡¯s attention was brought back to Caitlyn with shock apparent in her demeanor when she asked, ¡°What just happened?¡±
Anton looked thoughtful as he considered how to proceed and then asked, ¡°Are we going to fight some more, or do you want to head over to the small mess hall and sit down while we talk? I saw a coffee machine when I quickly scouted out the area?¡±
¡°Are you going to try to kill me?¡± Sub-Commander Sheppard asked.
¡°Not unless you try to kill me,¡± Anton replied honestly. Besides, if I wanted you dead, I could always pull out my weapons.¡±
That statement brought the Sub-Commander up short as she asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you?¡±
¡°You¡¯re not a threat to me. If I was a betting man I¡¯d almost guarantee that whatever left you behind, killed anyone else in this facility though I don¡¯t know why. Though, after that glowing fist you just displayed I do have a few ideas.¡±
¡°You think you know what caused that glow?¡± Caitlyn asked.
¡°I do, but let''s go get that coffee and sit down while we talk,¡± Anton said as he stepped out of the room and ushered down the hall.
Caitlyn hesitated for only a moment before she walked out of the room and led Anton to the mess hall which was really just a small room on Sublevel 2. Anton followed Caitlyn into the room and waited for her to grab some coffee before he did the same and joined her at one of the nearby tables.
Anton watched as the Sub-Commander sat with her hands wrapped around her cup. He was sure she was thinking about the various things that had happened. Anton sat down out of easy reach, which caused her to look up, ¡°You said you knew what my glowing fist was?¡±
Anton nodded, ¡°If I had to guess, I¡¯d say that it was a skill or ability that drew on or was fueled by Celestial energy. If it truly is divine in nature it could explain why a field of null or anti-energy that spread through this facility didn¡¯t kill you.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not divine, I¡¯m just a girl from St. Cloud Minnesota.¡±
¡°You might be a girl from Minnesota but you are no longer just a girl from Minnesota,¡± Anton said
¡°How is that possible?¡± she asked as she looked into her coffee. ¡°I don¡¯t feel any different.¡±
¡°I saw you looking off into the distance when I first woke up. Were you by chance reading a slew of notifications?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Actually, yes. How did you know?¡±
¡°When anyone is viewing those screens their eyes become unfocused. Have you checked your Personal Status?¡±
Caitlyn looked confused, ¡°Personal Status?¡±
¡°Just think ¡®Personal Status¡¯ and review the information that comes up. If you want to know what something means, focus on it and think ¡®Help¡¯ or ¡®Info¡¯.
¡°What¡¯s that going to ¡. Caitlyn started to ask before her eyes became unfocused.
¡°While you¡¯re looking at that I¡¯m going to see if there¡¯s anything to eat. Just letting you know so I don¡¯t surprise you when I move,¡± Anton said. Caitlyn nodded as Anton stood and went to look for something to eat. He still had a lot of questions but they could wait. As the only person he could talk to here he wanted to garner a good relationship with her. Also, he hoped that the energy pulse that had killed everyone here had dissipated or this was going to be a very empty Realm when that energy wave reached Earth. Even if the wave was traveling at the speed of light he should have a little bit of time before it made it that far shouldn¡¯t he?
Chapter 34, Reluctant Ally
Anton went through the drawers, cupboards, and cold boxes. The only foods he could find were breakfast bars, full-kit MREs (Meal Ready-to-Eat), and various containers of individual-sized juices. Anton grabbed a breakfast bar and an orange juice and sat back down while he waited.
A few minutes later, Anton had finished his snack and walked over to one of the walls, where he noticed a touchpad. When he touched it, the large monitor lit up with a military-type logo. It looked like a cross between the seal of the United States and the logo in Starship Trooper, though there were a few distinct changes. The center was filled with an image of Earth orbited by six golden stars with an eagle floating above the world and the stars. It wasn¡¯t a very detailed symbol, but it was easy to recognize.
The monitor showed the time and an image of the main room in the facility attached to the hanger was visible. A 10 by 10-foot red square was painted on the floor directly in front of the camera, which Anton realized was probably where any portals appeared. There was also a panel on the right side of the monitor labeled announcements, but there was nothing in the announcement block.
Anton sat back down at the table and waited for Caitlyn to finish reviewing her status screen. Five minutes later, Caitlyn¡¯s eyes cleared, and she looked across the table to Anton, ¡°What is going on?¡±
¡°You were able to review your Personal Info?¡± Anton asked.
¡°I was. It looks like something out of a tabletop or computer game,¡± Caitlyn said.
¡°It does, but you¡¯ll get used to it. First question: were you able to review your abilities?¡±
¡°I was. I have something called Celestial Spark.¡±
¡°Can you show it to me,¡± Anton asked.
¡°How do I do that?¡± Caitlyn asked.
Anton pulled up a copy of his Attributes and made them visible, explaining, ¡°Just pull up the information you want to share and then will it to become visible, like this.¡±
Strength 238
Agility 240
Dexterity 196
Endurance 398
Constitution 336
Perception 240
Intelligence 236
Wisdom 192
Willpower 684
Charisma 236
Luck 324
Chaos 0
Order 0
Caitlyn looked at the holographic screen between them. A moment later, a screen with the Celestial Spark appeared. Anton quickly read it over while Caitlyn looked at the window containing his attributes.
Celestial Spark
Celestials are beings of the Proper or Absolute. Also sometimes referred to as the Divine. Celestial Spark makes you 100% resistant to Putrescent and Anti, or Null, magic-based attacks. Additionally, you may utilize mana to channel your spark and augment your attacks on a 1 for 1 basis¡ªone point of mana for 1 point of celestial damage. The chance to hit for the attack increases by 100% and is incredibly hard to dodge.
While Anton looked over Celestial Spark, Caitlyn asked, ¡°What level are you?¡±
¡°Five, why?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Five? How?¡± Caitlyn asked disbelievingly.
¡°What?¡± Anton asked confusedly.
¡°Well, I have a Strength of 13, and yours is 238. First, you don¡¯t look that much stronger, and second, what do the numbers even mean?¡± Caitlyn asked with a hint of doubt in her tone.
Anton looked thoughtful for a moment before she responded, ¡°The simple answer is magic. Also, after our little sparring session downstairs, you¡¯re not telling me you thought you had a chance against me, did you?¡±
¡°Eventually, I would have taken you out if I needed to,¡± Caitlyn said determinedly.¡±
Anton looked thoughtful for a moment before he answered her original question, ¡°I have much higher attributes than you because one of my abilities is called Immortal. On the Earth I came from, a nuclear device went off directly in front of me before I knew that I was Immortal. Every 14 seconds, I respawned into the residual atomic fireball until I eventually figured things out, and the alien base I was in cleansed the residual radiation and fireball. Then I received the title ¡° I Ain¡¯t Worried which increased my Attribute Efficiency by 100% for all attributes, which effectively doubled all of them.¡±
¡°Still, that would mean you have 100 attribute points in every attribute. I¡¯m level 5. When I reviewed my Personal Info I learned that I receive four attributes per level. Even if your attributes are effectively doubled, You have at least 100 in each of the 11 primary attributes. If everyone starts with ten or so in each attribute, that means that you have earned 990 attributes, which means that you would need to be at least level 247.¡±
¡°So what do you think that means?¡± Anton asked.
¡°I have no idea,¡± Caitlyn admitted.
¡°Which is precisely how I¡¯ve felt since I was struck by a beam in an underground facility in Antarctica,¡± Anton said with a laugh. ¡°First, there are various categories of classes. I would bet that you possess a Common Class, which limits the amount of attributes you are receiving at each level. The good news is that you can improve the rarity of your class, which will increase the amount of attributes you earn. Be warned, though, that if the rarity of your class increases the longer it will take you to level. I am not level 247, but explaining what class I have and how that all works is going to take longer than we have.¡±
¡°Why do you say that? There¡¯s no one here?¡± Caitlyn asked confusedly.
¡°You¡¯re the soldier; how often do people check in, or on, this this facility? Better yet, does it have a dedicated communications connection back to Earth, and if so, how long do you think it will be before someone is sent here to investigate?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know the answers to any of those questions. Before I stepped through a portal into this facility, I didn¡¯t even know it existed. As for your other questions, are you some tactical genius or military analyst?¡±
Anton laughed, ¡°Not at all. I just read a lot of Tom Clancy and science fiction novels growing up, and it seems like something the people in charge of a facility like this would want to do, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Well, if there is a dedicated line into this facility, wouldn¡¯t the phenomenon that destroyed everyone here have translated through the connection back to that area?¡± Caitlyn asked.
¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know,¡± Anton said. ¡°I believe that part of the energy that permeates my body exploded out from me and wiped out all living creatures that weren¡¯t resistant to that energy, or magic, type.¡±
Caitlyn looked at Anton incredulously, ¡°Magic, Really?¡±
Anton met her gaze unflinching and agreed, ¡°Magic, Really. Anyway, the magic that exploded out from the room below may have passed through a portal if it was open and faced in the direction of the origin of the energy wave. If it wasn¡¯t, the wave of energy may have just washed over it with no effect or, more likely, because keeping such connections open would require a lot of energy, maybe they only establish a portal once in a while to check in,¡± Anton mused out loud.
¡°How do you know the ¡®magic¡¯ only affected people?¡± Caitlyn started to ask as Anton made a show of looking around and then spread both of his hands to the table they were sitting at. ¡°Yeah, that tracks. If it affected inanimate objects, none of this would be here now.¡± Caitlyn said.
¡°Bingo,¡± Anton agreed.
¡°Well, shit,¡± Caitlyn said.
¡°No. Shit is wondering if the wave is going to continue spreading and eventually reach Earth or if the return of magic to this Realm will negate it?¡± Anton said.
¡°Do you think it¡¯s going to wipe out everyone, everywhere?¡± Caitlyn asked.
Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.
¡°We¡¯ll know as soon as someone opens a portal and checks in with this facility,¡± Anton said.
¡°How?¡±
¡°If the field is still detrimental to living tissue, anyone stepping into this base with no resistance is going to have a very short stay,¡± Anton said.
¡°How do we stop it?¡± Caitlyn asked as she stood
¡°I have no idea,¡± Anton answered honestly. ¡°Now eat. Things may go sideways, or they may not. We need to get our calories when we can and take a few extra breakfast bars with us, just in case. Also, I would carry some water,¡± Anton said as he walked over to one of the cool boxes and transferred half of the water bottles inside into his Inventory.
Caitlyn watched as he reached into the fridge and, after a few moments, closed it without taking anything out. She stood from the table, opened the door, and noticed that half of the water bottles on the top shelf were now missing. She looked at Anton before she asked, ¡°Where did you put the water bottles?
Anton thought best about how to proceed, then walked over to a small square table. He moved the chairs away from the table, picked up the table so that he was holding it sideways, and turned it to and fro so that there was no doubt to Caitlyn that she could see the whole table before he asked, ¡°Would you agree that there is nowhere for me to hide the water bottles and that there is nothing on or under the top?¡±
¡°There is nothing on or under the table,¡± Caitlyn agreed.
Anton put the table down and then gestured for Caityln to pick it up. ¡°Please pick up the table, check it for yourself, and then put it back down,¡± Anton said.
Caitlyn did as instructed. Since it was a tiny table, it took almost no time for her to check the top, check the bottom, lift the table off the ground, and turn it sideways. No weight shifted, and as the top was only a half-inch thick, there was nowhere to hide anything. She put the table back on the ground in front of Anton and stepped back, ¡°Nothing on or under the table,¡± Caitlyn agreed.
¡°Okay,¡± Anton said as he turned around slowly, showing that his arms had nothing on them, and placed his hand over the table with a single finger pointed down, ¡°Now, I¡¯m going to pull the bottles out of my extradimensional storage and put them on the table at the end of my finger. I need to move my hand so I can place the bottles next to each other, but other than that, I will not move any other part of my body. Feel free to walk around me and check to see if I¡¯m using sleight-of-hand.
¡°Okay,¡± Caitlyn agreed.
Anton stood back from the table, placed his hand over it, and moved his hand so that his right pointer finger was directly over the table as he methodically called 20 water bottles from his inventory and placed them on the table. Caitlyn was surprised by the first bottle but then moved around Anton and watched as bottle after bottle appeared on the table. When he was done, he stepped back and gestured for Caitlyn to look at the table.
Caitlyn stepped forward, picked up one of the bottles, and unscrewed the top. She sniffed it, poured a little water on her finger, and even took a small sip. It¡¯s water:¡± she said as she tried to come to terms with what Anton had just shown her.
Anton stepped forward and shifted the entire table, which still had all the water bottles on it, into his inventory.
¡°What, where did it go?¡± Caitlyn said.
¡°As I said earlier when I showed you the P90, I have an inventory. My weapons and supplies, including the table and the additional 19 water bottles, are all in that inventory.¡±
¡°That makes no sense,¡± Caitlyn said in a voice that clearly meant that she was talking to herself.
Anton answered her anyway, ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s called magic.¡±
Just then, a red light flashed next to the monitor, drawing both of their attention. A portal had formed right above the red square on the ground.
¡°Looks like we''re about to have visitors,¡± Anton commented.
¡°Yep, and it looks like you¡¯re once again my prisoner,¡± Caitlyn said
¡°I¡¯d rethink that,¡± Anton said.
¡°Whatever,¡± Caitlyn said just before a voice spoke through the speakers in the wall next to the monitor.
¡°Sub-Commander Sheppard. Where is everyone else?¡±
Before Caitlyn, the speaker yelled out, ¡°What is happening?¡± as Anton and Caitlyn watched the portal shift from a flat black into a blue, then through every color of the rainbow until it entered and returned to black with an ultraviolet hue surrounding it.
¡°What the hell just happened?¡± Caitlyn asked.
¡°I don¡¯t know, but if we don¡¯t want to be stuck here, I suggest we make our way to that portal and return to wherever it leads,¡± Anton said.
Without a word, Caitlyn stood and led the way to the elevator. They rode up to the surface level and stepped out of the elevator to see that the portal had started fluctuating. Anton looked at the portal, then at Caitlyn before he said, ¡°Run!¡±
Anton could have probably made it to the portal at 30 feet in two seconds, but he stayed behind Caityln and followed her to the portal. In just under three seconds, Caitlyn dove through the portal, which looked to be destabilizing. A moment later, Anton sighed in relief as his head and upper torso crossed the threshold into a clean room as gravity rushed up to meet his severed torso. Caitlyn turned back to see only the upper half of Anton as his arms and legs came to rest against her legs. The portal had closed and sliced him in half, leaving his lower torso and legs back at the other base.
Anton still had his lungs so he could look up at Caitlyn and say, ¡°Be right back,¡± as he activated Specter.
From his vantage point in the other dimension, Anton watched as security personnel rushed into the room, immobilized Subcommander Sheppard, and began asking her questions Anton couldn¡¯t hear. Fourteen seconds later, Anton¡¯s body was fully healed, and he deactivated Specter, which left him standing right next to four guards and Subcommander Sheppard. What followed next could have been a scene in the movie ¡°The Matrix¡± but was more like a scene from ¡°The One.¡± In the space of 10 seconds, Anton had moved to each guard, disarmed them of their weapons, placed each of those weapons in his inventory, and left each guard unconscious. When he was done, he had his hand braced against the only door into the room and four unconscious soldiers at Caitlyn¡¯s feet.
It only took a moment for Caitlyn to come to terms with what she¡¯d just witnessed before she said, ¡°Holy Shit!¡±
¡°The good news is, it looks like magic coming back into the Realm, which has stabilized the death field that was initially emitted,¡± Anton commented as the first man tried to push their way into the room. ¡°Also, you might want to convince whoever is in charge to stand down, or my next trick is going to involve a very similar outcome to how I arrived in this room,¡± Anton said as he pointed to where he''d landed. Although, the blood stains had already evaporated.
¡°Stand Down!¡± Subcommander Sheppard called out.
¡°We have an invader in our midst. Do you expect us to stand down?¡± the man in the control booth asked through the intercom. Anton realized it was going to take a bit for Caitlyn to get these yahoos to calm down, ¡°Caitlyn, you talk to your people; I¡¯ll be watching and back after a bit.¡±
¡°You¡¯ll be watching?¡± Caitlyn asked just as Anton activated Specter again. The good news was that it looked like everyone might still live. The bad news was that he had a militaristic state that he had to deal with before he could work on finding a Labyrinth Node to get out of this Realm¡ Did he need to?
Anton continued to watch Caitlyn as people rushed into the room to check on the guards he¡¯d disarmed and knocked out while he pulled up his Personal Info and looked at one of the last Psychic Skills he¡¯d picked up: Planar Shift.
Planar Shift
You may move from your current universe or dimension into an adjacent Universe or Dimension at a cost of 100 Psychic Energy.
Could he take someone with him? Better yet, would she want to go with him? Did it matter? He could work that out later; for now, he wanted to know where he was. Anton floated up through the ceiling. It was at least 10 feet to the next floor above this one, which was just an empty room directly above the chamber. As he went through the next ceiling, he found himself on a large roof with solar panels and air handling units that looked quite large.
Anton shot straight up about a mile and looked down. Off to the south, he could see a large city. To his east was a much smaller city. Additionally, he was over a sand lake that looked vaguely familiar. Was this¡It was. He was at Area 51. He was sure of it. The Nevada Test Range was off to the west, and the large city to the south should be Las Vegas.
Anton dropped back down to ground level, looked around at the various low mountains and hills in the area to get this location down in his mind, and then shot off toward Las Vegas. One minute later, he came in over the city and realized that something was very wrong with this Earth. This version of Las Vegas looked like the version he¡¯d seen in that Resident Evil movie. Most of the roads on the outskirts of the city had been all but covered with sand. The few trees that he could see were all palm trees, and the city was in shambles. One area near the main strip looked to have some people moving around, but where there were millions, he only saw a few hundred people.
If he didn¡¯t know better, he would guess that the stations in orbit were being used as safe havens for a majority of the population. What happened to the Earth here? He¡¯d been indoors; was there a lack of oxygen, too? Anton considered his options and then headed back to Area 51 as he retraced his back to the room where he¡¯d come through the portal. When he made it back, the room was being thoroughly searched. A man in a business suit stood in front of Caitlyn, shaking a finger at her. Anton couldn¡¯t hear anything that was being said, but the suit looked angry.
Anton moved up into the room with no one in it, remained in his Specter Form, and activated Battle Meditation. Five minutes later, his Psychic Energy was once again maxed out at 1,250. He floated back down through the floor and found that the suit had calmed down. Two guards stood at the suit''s back as they kept an eye on his surroundings, and he questioned Caitlyn. Caitlyn was answering his questions but looked a little pissed off. Anton smiled. This next part was going to be a little bit of fun.
Anton moved over next to Caitlyn and faced the suit as he activated Manifest. His image appeared right next to Caitlyn, who flinched and stepped away from Anton. The two guards behind the suit reacted instantly. The one on the left moved between Anton and the suit, while the one on the right moved in and tried to grab him. When his hands passed through Anton, he stepped back and looked around warily.
Anton used sign language to ask, ¡°Can you understand me?¡±
The suit and Caitlyn both shook their heads. Next, Anton pointed at his head, then at the suit¡¯s head, and then back and forth, making both of his hands into mouths that talked at each other. Then he looked at the suit questioningly.
The suit nodded.
Anton targeted the suit and activated Telepathy. A moment later, their minds connected, and Anton sent, ¡°Hello. I¡¯m Anton, and you are?¡±
¡°Telepathy, how remarkable. I am Felix; if I might ask, where are you right now.?¡± Felix sent through the link.
¡°I¡¯m right in front of you, though my body is currently in an adjacent Dimension. I¡¯ve just manifested so that you can see me. Still can¡¯t interact except with sign language or Telepathy, but as you can see, it gets the job done.¡± Anton explained with a self-deprecating laugh.
¡°It does seem like that would be useful. But you¡¯ll have to rest at some point. If you don¡¯t talk to us on our terms, we will be forced to take more drastic measures when you do,¡± Felix said.
¡°And we were starting on such a positive note. Why don¡¯t you ask Caitlyn what abilities I told her I have? Then, ask her how we arrived here, though I expect you have that on video. You cannot hold me, and you cannot kill me. Now, I am willing to work with you because I would really like to find the Labyrinth Node on this planet so I can get the hell out of here, but I can also activate one of my skills and leave.¡± Anton sent.
Felix looked thoughtful for a moment before he sent, ¡°Caitlyn has been sharing fantastic tails about you since I started questioning her. She said you can make stuff appear and disappear into an inventory?¡±
Anton held out his hand, activated Spectral Reach, and pulled a bottle of water from his inventory, which he set on the ground before he deactivated Spectral Reach.
¡°What was that?¡± Felix asked with interest.
¡°For a moment, I solidified my hand, which allowed me to pull a bottle of water I had picked up on the base out of my inventory. It¡¯s real, test it for yourself,¡± Anton sent.
One of the guards reached down and picked up the water. He cracked the seal and poured some water on the ground before he sniffed it and handed it to Felix. Felix sniffed it and tapped the liquid with his finger before he touched his tongue with it. Anton watched and picked up through his telepathy when he said, ¡°It¡¯s water.¡±
Of course, it¡¯s water,¡± Anton sent.
What are you going to do now?¡± Felix asked.
¡°Well, that depends. Did you get the System notifications? Anton asked.
¡°Yes, we¡¯re still going through them,¡± Felix said.
¡°Well, I¡¯m willing to help if you promise not to try to turn me into some type of experiment and treat me as a VIP guest and not a lab subject. With the understanding that if you try, I will leave and never return. Once I¡¯m gone, you can figure this out all on your own, which should be a lot of fun,¡± Anton sent.
Felix thought about it for a moment before he nodded and sent, ¡°You have my word.¡±
Anton ended Specter, Manifest, Telepathy as he stepped into the material plane and said, ¡°Awesome, let¡¯s get to work!¡±
Chapter 35, Tela
While Anton sat down to talk with Felix, the primary consciousness of the Labyrinth was addressing a much more cosmic-level problem. Namely, the large hole that had just been torn from its fabric and linked it directly to a dimension anathema to it. The Labyrinth as a whole was a living entity. Not an it, the Labyrinth thought of herself as a she. She had a circulatory system of sorts, though, that was made up of various types of magic more than physical structures. Also, within herself, she had multiple Realms that acted much like organs. There was a Realm that took in her¡± blood¡± from the various Realms and then redistributed it to others constantly. She even had an area that collected what biologicals would consider refuse, which was broken down and repurposed throughout her body.
Dungeons were more akin to the pores of a creature''s skin and allowed entities to enter and exit her physical body. There were other ways to do so, but the dungeons were the primary way. The nodes scattered throughout her Realms acted as the nerves of a body and allowed signals to be sent throughout, or in this case, the entities using that network. However, the entities that were the defacto rulers of the labyrinth, which could be considered lessor, or minor, gods by those who knew better, were summoned and transferred to the area she considered her ¡°brain.¡± She would need all of their help if she were to overcome this latest issue.
***
¡°Tela, why have we been called here?¡± the newest arrival to what could only be deemed a banquet hall asked. Of course, he wasn¡¯t talking to anyone specifically as the others looked up to take in the newcomer. At the same time, they perused the various delicacies displayed before them, which were being laid out before them by multiple types of elementals that moved to and fro.
¡°Xantier, calm down. I¡¯m sure our host will let us know why she¡¯s called for us as soon as she¡¯s able,¡± a tall, beautiful, lightly green-skinned woman with emerald eyes called over as she popped a succulent grape into her mouth, which showcased the delicate fangs hidden within.
¡°I was just on my way to investigate something that had happened in one of my holdings when the call was sent, Lila,¡± Xantier said
¡°I¡¯m sure that you understand that the rest of us were also busy,¡± Lila pointed out.
¡°Well, of course. I just expected Tela to be waiting for us if she called this meeting,¡± Xantier stated lamely.
¡°Xantier, Relax, grab some snacks and mingle. I¡¯m sure Tela will be along when she¡¯s able,¡± Lila said again with the practiced ease of a politician who knows just what to say to defuse a situation.
Xantier nodded and walked over to the table of fruits and vegetables she stood near. Xantier looked over the various items and picked up an apple.
¡°You always did like the classics,¡± Lila noted with a smile.
¡°Of course,¡± Xantier said with a grin, ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be a classic story if there weren¡¯t some truth to it.
¡°That a nude man and woman were somehow convinced to eat an apple to gain knowledge by a serpent,¡± Lila said dryly.
¡°Are you denying that you didn¡¯t persuade Adam and Eve to eat an apple?¡±
¡°His name was Asmund, and she was Evelyn, and it was at a party. How that was in any way compared to a story from that book from those worlds that only believe in one God¡¡±
¡°Lucifer is known to have a sense of humor,¡± Xantier noted.
¡°Yes, but the story wasn¡¯t even about him. He just happens to have the name,¡± Lila said with an exasperated breath.
Just then, an almost human-looking man with red-tinted skin stepped into existence beside Lila, ¡°Did you call?¡± Lucifer asked before he noticed the apple in Xantier¡¯s hand, which brought a huge smile to his face as he turned his ruby-red eyes on Lila, ¡°I see.¡±
¡°Are you ever going to stop being so childish,¡± Lila asked.
¡°And become a boring nobody,¡± Lucifer said, looking thoughtfully at the question. He tilted his head up, lifted his left hand, looked to the right, and lifted his right hand. He made motions as if he were weighing something in each hand and then dropped his hands and gazed at Lila. ¡°Nope, childish is on the table for as long as possible.¡±
Xantier bit into his apple to stifle a grin as Lila turned and strode away from the two men. Both watched the sway of Lila¡¯s back and ass as she walked over to another group of individuals that made quick eye contact with Lucifer before looking away.
¡°Lucifer,¡± Xantier said with a nod.
¡°Xantier,¡± Lucifer said before he asked, ¡°Any idea why we¡¯ve been called here?¡±
Before Xantier could answer, the entire room shuddered, and the magic holding the location together stuttered for a moment. Xantier looked up with a hint of alarm as he was the first to voice what everyone was thinking, ¡°What was that?¡±
A moment later, a woman with jet-black hair appeared in the center of the room and responded to Xantier¡¯s question, ¡°That is why I have called you all here,¡± Tela, Mistress of the Labyrinth, said.
Everyone in the banquet hall turned to the center of the room. Like Xantier, most were technically gods, though each had made their way to that level of power differently. Only Tela, an Avatar of the Labyrinth itself, and himself were truly divine beings who predated everyone in the room. Lucifer was a very close third on that list. So, when Tela spoke, everyone listened.
Tela looked around the room and lingered her gaze on Lucifer for a moment before turning as she continued to address everyone, ¡°As some of you know, an unknown force has been attempting to undo the rules that had been agreed upon. While I have been able to detect and prevent those forces from entering myself, somehow, one made it through and was able to create a link back to their Primary source of power. That link has created a conduit for that energy and minions of that force to enter me at a greater rate than I can easily thwart. ¡°
¡°What does that mean for us?¡± one of the lesser gods toward the back of the banquet hall asked.
¡°It means that I have been breached. It means that some of the Realms within me¡ªsome of your Realms¡ªare now being invaded by creatures that are anathema to us. It also means that this will be a struggle as I work to seal the breaches throughout the various Realms, and we all work to destroy or remove any creatures that make it into the Labyrinth.¡±
Xantier looked around at the group of lesser gods. One of the younger-looking men in a corner jumped as if shocked and teleported away. Tela¡¯s attention focused on the recently vacated spot. ¡°His Realm has just come under attack. Those that are under attack, mobilize your followers and prepare to defend that which you hold within me or flee; the choice is yours.¡±
Tela disappeared as suddenly as she¡¯d appeared, followed soon after by all the other ¡°minor¡± Gods that resided within her. Lucifer, the last to leave before himself, nodded to Xantier and vanished. Once Lucifer was gone, a portal opened before Xantier, which he stepped through. As he stepped through the portal, he found himself standing on a transparent balcony that looked out into the cosmos.
¡°Xan, how good of you join me,¡± Tela said distractedly.
¡°Tela, how bad is it, really?¡±
Tela looked thoughtful for a moment before she answered, ¡°For me, I¡¯ll recover. Parts are gone, and others will grow back, whether the pretenders defend their Realms or not. I can cauterize those areas, so the damage is negligible. For you and the others outside that came to power outside of my body, whatever caused this has created a staging area within our sphere of control from which they can access other realities, universes, and dimensions. Short answer: it will be a mess.¡±
¡°We already have one mess to deal with, which no one wants to deal with,¡± Xantier said.
¡°What happened?¡± Tela asked.
¡°Right, you weren¡¯t there. So, you know how there are limits for a reason?¡± Xantier asked.
¡°Of course,¡± Tela replied evenly.
¡°Well, somehow, someone has broken those limits,¡± Xantier said.
¡°Oh, him. Yes, I know. A friendly word of advice: Stay out of his way. He does his own thing, and as long as you¡¯re not on his bad side, you¡¯ll be fine,¡± Tela said.
¡°How do you know that?¡± Xantier asked.
¡°One of the Realms that popped into existence within me carried the memories of one of my shadows, which I absorbed. While I¡¯m not exactly sure what he¡¯s up to, I could ascertain from the memories I absorbed that he seems to be a live and let live type of person, unlike this new enemy,¡± Tela explained.
¡°Can he help with this new problem?¡± Xantier asked.
¡°I have no idea unless they get on his bad side; then maybe the problem will handle itself,¡± Tela said thoughtfully.
¡°This new problem, these invaders from the null universes, how exactly did one get inside of your main body? I thought they couldn¡¯t interact with their opposite.
¡°As far as I can tell, it was an accident or a random ability. I¡¯m not exactly sure,¡± Tela said distractedly.
¡°And the instigator of your issues?¡± Xantier asked.
¡°Currently, he¡¯s within one of the few realms not anathema to creatures of the void,¡± Tela said.
¡°This happened in a Barren Realm?¡± Xantier asked, surprised.
¡°It did,¡± Tela asserted.
Xantier¡¯s mind raced as he tried to figure out how that was possible. If this had happened where magic was present, it would have made sense that some mage tried a spell that opened a doorway to that which he shouldn¡¯t have. Barren Realms, though? Barren Realms had no magic with which to open such gateways and usually only had a few ways into and out of them.
Xantier asked the only question he could, ¡°Do you know how?¡±
¡°I believe it was ability-driven,¡± Tela said.
If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.
¡°An ability that allows someone to create a link from a Barren Realm into the void. Such an ability would be priceless in certain circles,¡± Xantier said.
¡°It would, yes,¡± Tela agreed. Now that you understand the situation, would you please report this to the others?
¡°The others, you¡¯re sure?¡± Xantier asked.
¡°The damage is done. I am not the only entity affected by this flood of void-based monsters. The others need to be warned,¡± Tela said.
¡°What do you think is going to happen?¡± Xantier said.
¡°The best case involves physical damage to many areas within a Realm or universe. The worst case is annihilation,¡± Tela said.
¡°Annihilation of what?¡± Xantier asked.
¡°This energy type annihilates anything that is subjected to it. That¡¯s what this energy does, after all.
Xantier nodded once and teleported away. The others did need to be notified. First, they were spanked like overzealous schoolchildren by someone they couldn¡¯t control, and now this. Xantier was pretty sure some of them were not going to take this new wrinkle in the long-standing schemes well. Maybe he could find someone else to convey the message.
***
The last 24 hours were interesting. Anton had been portaled up to one of the stations in orbit where he¡¯d been questioned about his origin, the history of his Earth, and finally, the SYSTEM windows that were appearing in everyone¡¯s vision. Anton realized immediately that Felix was one of those textbook government types who would say whatever was needed and continue to plot to get precisely what he wanted. Once he¡¯d realized that, Anton asked Felix to take him to a clean room with a table in it.
Felix had looked at him quizzically and then led him into a room.
¡°Alright, now you, Caitlyn, and your guards can step back to the wall there. I wouldn¡¯t want any of you to think I¡¯m trying to attack you, Felix.¡±
¡°What are you going to do?¡± Felix asked as he stepped back to the wall and motioned for Caityln and the guards to do the same.
¡°Okay, so I don¡¯t believe for a second that you believe me, so a little demonstration is in order. No, I¡¯m not going to kill myself. That¡¯s boring and sucks, and you don¡¯t really see anything except that my body evaporates and I reappear after a short time, so I¡¯m going to try something new. Something I¡¯ve never actually done before, so this will be a new experience for me too,¡± Anton said.
Anton paused for a moment as he considered how to proceed then nodded once and started, ¡°So, first, I¡¯m going to summon a knife from my ¡®magical¡¯ inventory. In my case, it¡¯s not really magical, but that¡¯s just semantics. Next, I¡¯m going to cut off my left pinky finger with my knife, and then we¡¯re going to watch it grow back.¡±
A look of shock crossed Caitlyn¡¯s face but Felix looked thoughtful before he asked, ¡°How long do you think this will take? I mean, if it¡¯s going to take days for you to regenerate the lost limb¡
Anton cut him off when he said, ¡°Probably, no more than 14 seconds.¡±
¡°14 seconds. Are you serious?¡± Felix asked.
¡°Yes, I¡¯m serious. No matter what happens to me, 14 seconds later, whatever damage was done is repaired. It¡¯s been a constant since I was introduced to the SYSTEM.¡±
Before Felix could respond, Anton placed his left hand on the table, summoned a knife to his right hand, and severed his left pinky finger above the second knuckle. A small amount of blood spurted onto the table, which vanished with the severed digit 3 seconds later. Anton returned the knife to his inventory and then watched with the others as, after 14 seconds, a new finger appeared where the severed one had just been. He¡¯d thought it would regrow like body parts removed from Deadpool, but it hadn¡¯t. Fourteen seconds after he¡¯d severed the finger, it had been returned to him just like he popped into existence after he died.
¡°What the fuck?¡± one of the guards said out loud.
¡°I told you he¡¯d been severed in half by the portal,¡± Caitlyn affirmed.
Felix just looked at Anton as if he were a troublesome calculation he couldn¡¯t figure out.
Anton smiled as he lifted his hand from the table and made a show of flexing all of his fingers and even popping his knuckles, ¡°As I was saying. There is nowhere you can keep me, nowhere you can take me, and nothing that you can do to me that I can¡¯t recover from. If my body is damaged significantly enough, I become a Specter and can go wherever the hell I want. I can also transform into a Specter at will. If I feel like our arrangement isn¡¯t providing benefits to me, I¡¯m just going to leave.¡±
¡°Why don¡¯t you then?¡± Felix asked.
¡°Well, that¡¯s the kicker. The Earth is a huge place, and I think I need to find something there. The more people that help me look for it, the less time it will take.¡±
¡°The Earth is mostly overgrown with nature. Most of the human population was moved up into orbit so the planet would have a chance to recover from the ecological damage we did,¡± Caitlyn explained.
¡°Still, someone helping me while I help them is a lot better than going alone, trust me. I got stuck in a very lonely place once. It sucked.¡±
¡°So, what did you hope to accomplish with this demonstration?¡± Felix asked.
¡°I wanted you to see that the things Caitlyn has told you are true so we can move forward as equals, not two people where one thinks he has no power over the other. I have no power over you, and while you do have the power of a host over a guest, you have no real power over me. Besides, you¡¯re going to need the knowledge I have learned about the SYSTEM if you hope to stay ahead of the other people with powers that are undoubtedly going to start appearing now that magic is returning to this Realm.¡±
¡°And this Knowledge, you¡¯re just going to offer it up freely,¡± Felix asked.
¡°The little knowledge I have, sure. As the SYSTEM incorporates itself into this Realm, I do expect there to be some changes. I figure it will be easier to work with and help you than to go it alone. Of course, a place to sleep and food and drinks would be nice, but I can live without them if necessary,¡± Anton said.
¡°Now you¡¯re telling me that you don¡¯t need to eat?¡± Felix asked.
¡°Nope. I wouldn¡¯t be able to claim I was Immortal if I could die of hunger, would I?¡± Anton smiled.
After the demonstration, Anton was led to an apartment adjacent to Caitlyn¡¯s. She was to be his point of contact and also his guide around the station. Two guards were posted outside but need not have been. Anton was pretty sure the room he was in was bugged but didn¡¯t mind it. He did a quick look around, found the food and drinks, and tried out one of the frozen meals. He found what appeared to be a microwave and cooked his meal. A microwave was a microwave, after all.
As he sat there wondering what he should do next, a red rotating beacon came to life over the door to his room. A moment later, the floor he stood on shuddered as the door burst open, and the two guards rushed in with their weapons drawn, looking for trouble. When they saw him sitting at the dining table eating a meal, they immediately altered their focus and began searching for threats in the room and also at the door behind them.
There were two loud knocks on the door between his and Caityln¡¯s apartment, and he heard her call out, ¡°It''s Sheppard. I¡¯m coming in!¡±
One of the guards shifted his focus to the door as they both made their way to the table. Just as they reached him, the door opened, and Sheppard stepped in. She looked in, saw where everyone was, and stepped into the room with her back to the guards and Anton. She kept her eyes on the door she¡¯d just exited and the door to the hallway.
¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Anton asked just as a Klaxon went off and an automated voice spoke.
Please proceed to the nearest fallout Shelter!
This facility is under attack!
Please proceed to the nearest Fallout Shelter!
This facility is under attack!
¡°Under attack from whom?¡± Anton started to ask when three individuals stepped into the room and the one waving what looked like a thick IPad said something Anton couldn¡¯t immediately understand.
What in the actual fuck, Anton thought as his mind raced to make sense of what the armor-covered man had said. Then he understood. ¡°They¡¯re talking backward. He said, Where is the Anomaly?¡± Anton declared.
Caitlyn glanced at Anton as a weapon of some sort was pointed in their general direction, which was all the two guards needed to see before they opened fire. Caitlyn dropped to one knee, fired two shots, and pivoted on her knee toward cover as the three intruders returned fire.
Anton activated Specter and watched as the bullets from his enemies and allies found their targets and did something that he hadn¡¯t entirely expected. Caitlyn was lucky enough to dive behind cover as the bullets from SMGs the guards assigned to him struck their targets, which wasn¡¯t exactly what happened. The bullets the guards fired passed through each of the attackers as if they were a high-powered laser burning through flesh. It even looked like the wounds were being cauterized as no blood exploded out of their backs as the bullets slammed into the door and walls behind them.
The weapons fire from the intruders, however, didn¡¯t stop. They passed through the guards, leaving bleeding holes in their wake. Once through the guards'' bodies, the bullets passed through the walls, and new yellow strobe lights beside the red one went off as a bulkhead slammed down where the door had been sealing off the room. It didn¡¯t matter for the three intruders or two guards; they were all dead before they hit the ground. Caitlyn, on the other hand, was moving toward a cabinet with a yellow strip around it. She reached in and placed an air mask over her face.
A minute later, the yellow strobe lights stopped, and Caitlyn removed and stowed her mask as the bulkhead doors retracted. Caitlyn made her way to the door and looked into the hallway. She looked back into the room and then made a circling motion with her left hand.
Anton deactivated Specter and appeared next to the dead guards on the floor, ¡°What happened,¡± he whispered.
¡°No Idea, check them while I watch the door,¡± Caitlyn said.
¡°Anton walked over to three just as they popped out of existence. Anton immediately realized that their bodies had been teleported away, and the popping sound was made as the air rushed to fill the void they had left behind.
¡°What the hell was that?¡± Caitlyn asked.
¡°Looks like the bodies teleported away,¡± Anton said.
¡°Well, that sucks. Any idea what we¡¯re dealing with?¡±
¡°Not really,¡± Anton said, ¡°What¡¯s up with the yellow strobe lights?
¡°Oh yeah, we never had a chance to brief you. This is a space station. If one of the compartments loses pressure, the yellow strobes come on, and we have to grab an air mask out of the designated cupboards. The outer hull is self-sealing, but it still takes a few moments for the hull to pressurize, as long as the leaks are minor. If the damage is from ship-based weapons fire, nothing in this room will save you if a hole is blasted in the bulkhead,¡± Caitlyn explained.
¡°Yeah, that would have been good to know. Are there any other color stones I need to know about? Kind of obvious that the red rotating beacon means we¡¯re under attack. Besides the yellow strobes and the rotating beacon, is there anything else I should know about?¡± Anton asked.
Caitlyn considered the question, then shook her head, ¡°Nope, nothing I can think of.
At that moment, a red strobe light began flashing rapidly which caused Anton to look at Caitlyn Incredulously.
¡°Hey, I didn¡¯t mention that rapidly flashing Red Strobe because that one indicates that everyone needs to abandon ship, or in this case, the station because it¡¯s lost structural integrity and/or is going to explode.¡±
¡°So, we need to abandon ship?¡± Anton asked.
Caitlyn hit a sequence into the pad on the door, which caused the emergency bulkhead to lower into place as she stepped away from the door, ¡°No point; we¡¯re at least two levels from the escape pods, and when those strobes go off, whatever is about to happen is less than 60 seconds from happening.¡±
Without considering what he was doing, Anton reached out and touched Caitlyn as he activated Planar Shift and willed the psychic skill to include Caitlyn in the transfer.
Planar Shift activated
NOTE: You are attempting to bring along an additional individual. The energy cost for the second individual increases the cost to (N + (Nx10)), where N equals the initial cost.
Cost to activate Planar Shift: 1,100 Psychic Energy
Planar Shift has activated
134 of 1250 Psychic Energy remaining.
Warning!!!
Planar Shift has been utilized while within the Labyrinth. Localized dimensional rules are present.
Warning!!!
Dimensional Boundary has been damaged. Labyrinth rules compromised.
Warning!!!
Link to Void noted
Warning!!!
Link to the Celestial noted
You have been ejected from the Labyrinth
Searching
Searching
Searching
Universe ¡013aE013013 within range.
Planar Shift complete
There was something familiar about that Universal designation. Before he even looked around, Anton opened his Personal Status and pulled up his Origin. Yes, the universe he¡¯d originated in and the designation for this Universe matched. Only after he¡¯d checked that did he take the time to look around. The two of them were standing in the middle of 11th St NE in Minot, North Dakota. He was less than 50 feet from a house he never thought to see again.
¡°Where are we?¡± Caitlyn asked in a very soft voice.
¡°I think, somehow, I¡¯m home,¡± Anton said.
Chapter 36, Limited Iteration Reset
(Author¡¯s Note: This chapter coincides with Pandora Chapter 42 and Infinitium Chapter 271. While you do not need to read either of those books to find out what is happening, I thought that sharing where the books intersected might be helpful. Now, back to our favorite Anti-Mage, Anton)
Before Anton could even take a moment to look around, the world went quiet, and everything froze. Even Anton froze was in place. He was unable to move any part of his body except his eyes, which he shifted to see that Caitlyn wasn¡¯t moving either. She was just barely within his visual range, and he quickly noticed that not even her eyes were moving. She seemed to be completely frozen.
As Anton stood there, unable to move, a Notification popped into his vision.
LIMITED SYSTEM RESET COMMENCING.
SYSTEM Genises and Variation Initiated. While One SYSTEM does oversee all Realms within its domain. Individual Realms may be governed by sub-SYSTEMS or no SYSTEM at all if the magical density of the Realm is too low.
Animae are now incorporated into Complex Souls automatically.
Souls are now classified as either Basic or Complex.
Basic or Common Souls are found within creatures and constructs created by magic. The energy of Basic Souls can be captured and utilized for those with the skill and magic to do so. This energy can be stored but fades naturally over time or through use. If not captured and used, the energy disperses and is reabsorbed into the magical density of the Realm into which the energy was released.
Complex Souls are found within entities born through natural means. What is defined as natural is unique to each form of life.
Note: Basic Soul scan transforms into Complex Souls. Again, the process is unique to each type of creature and will not be detailed in this message.
What happens to Complex Souls after death will not be detailed by the SYSTEM. Individual Creatures must find this out for themselves.
Other minor changes have been made to increase SYSTEM Functionality but will not be detailed here.
Additionally, Macro changes to Realm availability and the distribution of divine entities have already occurred. Therefore, a Limited Iteration Reset is required.
Limited Iteration Reset
An Iteration is the cyclical point of reference, defined as the point at which all energy and matter within the Multiverse and all adjacent dimensions have reached a point of Entropy.
After an indeterminable time, the Multiverse is reborn. That point of rebirth is the beginning of the next Iteration.
The current Iteration is the 9th Iteration to have occurred.
A Limited Iteration Reset will repair all damaged Prime Realms and incorporate changes to SYSTEM functionality.
Anton sighed to himself; if the SYSTEM was going to repair itself before he was able to move again, that meant he was going to be here for a while, which was going to suck. His thoughts were interrupted when the world around him shimmered as the day-night cycle shifted rapidly, and the Sun rose in the West and crawled across the sky to the East, slowly at first and then more quickly as the world appeared to be running backward.
Anton watched the day and night cycles flicker faster and faster. After two minutes, the flickering slowed until time was once again frozen, and a new notification appeared in his vision.
Reset to Temporal Convergence Complete.
Adjustments have been made; Copies have been removed.
Limited Iteration Reset Complete
Both Caitlyn and Anton lurched forward and caught themselves as the force that held them released. Anton looked around and noticed that, unlike the last time he¡¯d been home when everyone was gone, the streets were now filled with people. When he looked over to what he expected to be an empty driveway his father was washing the family mini van. A moment later, his father looked over his way, turned off the hose, and called out, ¡°Anton, I didn¡¯t see you there; when did you get back? Better yet, who¡¯s your friend?¡±
Anton was taken aback for a second but recovered quickly, ¡°This is Caitlyn. We¡¯re just walking over from Hampton Inn by the Airport. You know it¡¯s not that far, and after our journey, we needed to stretch our legs.¡±
¡°If you kept to the roads, that¡¯s just about a mile,¡± his dad said while he continued to wash the van, ¡°Well, don¡¯t just stand there. Grab a sponge and help me finish washing the van so we can go inside together.¡±
Anton walked over, followed by Caitlyn. He reached down into a bucket filled with soapy water and grabbed a sponge. Caitlyn stepped back and out of the way while she looked around. Anton was pretty sure she was making sure there were no threats in the area. Anton took his sponge and started scrubbing the left side of the minivan while his father worked on the right side.
When Anton and his father were done washing the car, Anton moved over behind his father and resumed their conversation while he rinsed the vehicle off. ¡°This is Caitlyn. We¡¯re working together at the moment. Caitlyn, this is my Dad, David Ellis.¡±
¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you,¡± Caitlyn said with a nod to his dad.
¡°Speaking of work, how are things going for you and the rest of the family?¡±
¡°Well, our oldest, you, should currently be working in Fargo at that auto parts store with his girlfriend Leslie, if I¡¯m not mistaken,¡± his dad said, though it was worded in such a way that it came across as a question.
Anton shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s complicated. " He said this to change the topic as he was still trying to figure out if time had been reversed or if this mash-up was making things even more complicated by allowing him to be near Leslie and here simultaneously.
¡°Okay then,¡± his father said and then continued. ¡°Sara just had her 5th birthday, and we¡¯re getting ready to¡¡±
Anton listened to his father talk about the everyday things his family had been doing for the last week. While his dad spoke, Anton¡¯s mind took in what his father had said. If Sara was five, then it was 2038, two years before he¡¯d been in the Antarctic. He hadn¡¯t found Leslie cheating on him, he hadn¡¯t made his way to Florida, he hadn¡¯t¡
Anton calmed himself down and thought about it for a moment. This was just like what had happened in that show Continuum, well, sort of. He¡¯d binge-watched that old series when he was a teen. Rachel Nichols played a time traveler in the early days of her acting career, which, as far as he knew, would still be going strong.
Anton put her out of his mind and considered how Continuum had addressed time travel. Her character had traveled back in time. Each time she¡¯d tried to do so again, she¡¯d created timelines that would eventually deteriorate, and in the end, well, he didn¡¯t like the end of the series, but it made sense for the story. He¡¯d disliked how that series ended so much that he wasn¡¯t even going to think about it. Besides, it didn¡¯t seem like that was what had happened here.
The SYSTEM message said, ¡°Adjustments have been made; Copies have been removed.¡± If Anton was reading that right, it meant that any copy of him that existed was now gone. How had the SYSTEM chosen which copy to keep? Then he thought about it. His previous self would not have had the abilities he now had, so for him, the choice would have been simple. What about the rest of the world?
Wait, what about anyone from those alternate Earths that didn¡¯t exist in this one? If there was no copy to remove, would that mean that people would begin appearing all over the world? If that happened, then he wouldn¡¯t have really gone back in time. Instead, The SYSTEM had reverted this Universe to an earlier time, adjusted everyone and everything, and then resumed starting it up again. In that case, there would be no chance of paradox. Also, it would make it very unlikely that anyone from the future could travel to any point before the moment the SYSTEM performed the Limited Iteration Reset.
A moment later, the tornado siren went off. Anton, Caitlyn, and Anton¡¯s dad looked up into the clear blue sky and then looked off in all directions. One thing about Minot: it''s flat. No matter where you are in the city, you can see the horizon in all directions. There wasn¡¯t a cloud in the sky. Also, if they had just celebrated Sara¡¯s birthday, it was late May or early June, depending on how many days it had been. Her birthday was on the 28th.
¡°Why is the Tornado Siren going off?¡± Caitlyn asked.
¡°No idea,¡± Anton¡¯s dad said, ¡°We should get inside.¡± His dad said as he walked over to the faucet, turned off water, and gestured for Caitlyn and Anton to follow him inside. Once inside, they heard the T.V. announce.
¡°¡We have received multiple reports that strange individuals have appeared out of nowhere in areas they should not be. It is recommended that everyone seek shelter and remain inside until the origin of these strangers can be determined. Local Law Enforcement is responding as quickly as they can, but there are so many reports that we have been asked to pass on that everyone should be patient¡¡±
¡°What is he talking about, Susan?¡± Anton¡¯s dad asked his mother as they walked into the living room.
¡°The programming was interrupted by an emergency announcement. People have been appearing out of nowhere¡Anton! What are you doing home,¡± his mother exclaimed as she rushed over for a hug.¡±
Anton considered how to respond to his mother¡¯s question as he returned the hug. How was he supposed to tell them that he thought this was just the beginning? As luck would have it, he didn¡¯t have to. A Notification appeared in everyone¡¯s vision.
Welcome to the SYSTEM
Anton looked over and saw Sara and Jack waving at something in front of them. His mother and father looked shocked and then in awe as they reached out and tried to touch something.
¡°What is going on?¡± Anton¡¯s mother asked.
Anton minimized the notification and brought up his Status Screen.
Fundamental changes to the Multiverse have modified both of your abilities.
Anton quickly accessed his ability page and pulled up the ability descriptions.
Anti-Mage
You are the antithesis of magic; this includes beneficial magic and magical energies described as produced by items.
Basic spheres of Magic: Air, Life, Water, Dark, Earth, Death, Fire, and Light - Immune.
Intrinsic Spheres of Magic: Space, Time, and Gravity - 80% less effective.
Higher Spheres of Magic: Mental, Spirit, and Soul ¨C 50% less effective
Supernatural Spheres of Magic:
Putrescent (Abyssal) and Anti (Null/ Negative) - Immune
Absolute (Celestial/Heavenly) ¨C Affects you Normally.
Proper (Positive) ¨C 1000% out to a radius in feet equal to damage received. If no damage is received, Damage equals mana spent.
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Divine ¨C Affects you Normally.
Fundamental Spheres of Magic: Order and Chaos ¨C Affects you Normally.
You may break down physical matter given enough time and will for any item or structure produced by Spheres of Magic to which you are immune. Items and Structures created by spheres of magic that may affect you may not be broken down in this matter.
NOTE: Attempting to break down structures created by the Proper Sphere of Magic will cause an extremely volatile reaction.
You may break down one pound of physical material per hour, equal to your willpower attribute. This ability may be utilized on any object you are touching or up to a range of 1 inch per point of willpower. Only the portion of an object or structure within range may be affected in this way.
Living and Undead creatures and plants may not be affected by this ability.
Immortal
Immortal is synergistic with Anti-Mage and returns a cumulative percentage of hit point after death or upon taking any damage, including disintegration. Body and hit points are returned by 1% after 1 second. 55% after 10 seconds. 100% after 14 seconds. Once fully healed the rate at which hit points is returned resets to 1% when new damage is taken and progresses as stated above.
The energy required to regenerate your body is drawn from the Null Realm and fuels the regeneration process. As one of the Supernatural Spheres of Magic, the link that allows regeneration is available anywhere within the Multiverse.
Upon Death, the body and any items touching the body vanish as the items are moved into your inventory, and your body disintegrates. If completely disincorporated or disintegrated, a new body will materialize within one foot of where your previous body was destroyed. You may alter your resurrection point by a number of feet equal to your Perception attribute by concentrating on where you would like to appear while waiting for your body to be created.
Note: The Perk Specter as modified by the Psychic Skill Specter may modify the place and duration before resurrection.
Anton read over the description of his Anti-Mage Ability and realized that it seemed to have been adjusted. He was still immune to all basic spheres of magic, but it seemed like some other types of magic could now affect him, one in particular, more than others. Proper Magic, whatever that was, could really affect him. Otherwise, the ability seemed to be about the same
His ability Immortal looked like the description had been streamlined, but otherwise, it was mostly the same. The mention of Perks and Skills made him want to check and see if those had changed, but he waited and pulled up his attributes page. After a quick scan, he was satisfied that nothing had really changed. His class was still Vampiric Pseudo-Specter and his level was 22. When he opened his skill page a flurry of notifications filled his vision.
SYSTEM Message
Skills progression and proficiency have been modified.
Skills now have a maximum level of 100.
Skill levels can be increased through use or by investing Skill Points into the skill.
Skills Proficiency now diminishes over time. Skills that are not used on a frequently listed below, will be reduced by one (1).
Level 90 ¨C 100, not used for one day.
Level 80 ¨C 89, not used for one week.
Level 60 ¨C 79, not used for one month
Level 40 - 59, not used for three months
Level 20 - 39, not used for six months
Level 2 ¨C 19, not used for one year.
Level 1, no skill, once learned, will ever drop below level 1 unless the skill is forcibly removed from memory.
NOTE: Some Abilities may extend or negate skill deterioration.
Additionally, any skill deterioration cannot reduce skills below the level obtained with skill points. Only skill levels earned through use can degrade over time.
Anton read over the notifications and smiled. It seemed that there was a use for Skill Points after all. Why that hadn¡¯t been the way Skill Points worked before, he¡¯d never know, but that change made a lot of sense. Skill Points were gained by leveling one''s class, and that experience could be directed into specific skills that he¡¯d remember. It also made sense that not using a skill would reduce how proficient one was with that skill and that those at the pinnacle would need to use that skill to maintain their proficiency continuously. He hadn¡¯t dedicated any of his Skill Points yet and now had 464 to use and 224 Psychic Skill Points. He wasn¡¯t sure how many levels he could acquire with skill points, but he¡¯d find out when he had a chance to investigate this further.
Anton pulled his attention from his Status Screen to find everyone looking at him. It was only a moment before his mother asked, ¡°Anton, what were you doing?¡±
¡°Dad let¡¯s move everyone into the bunker for now. We may be safe here for the moment, but we probably won¡¯t be in a bit. Also, if you¡¯d like to invite anyone over, do it now. You might not get a chance later.¡±
¡°Son?¡± his dad asked questionly while he looked at Caitlyn.
¡°She¡¯s good people, Dad. Besides, I think you¡¯ll need her help.¡±
Anton¡¯s Dad nodded and walked out the front door while his mother guided the children into the basement.
¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Caitlyn asked him.
¡°Dad has a bunker under the house. He¡¯s probably running across the street to their friend''s place and inviting them into the bunker to ride this out. Just follow my mother downstairs, and I¡¯ll make sure my father makes it back,¡± Anton said.
Caitlyn nodded and helped Anton¡¯s mom get the kids and the animal¡¯s downstairs into the basement. Anton went to the front door and watched as his father reached the house across the street, knocked on the door, and talked to Mr. Kendall. A moment later. Mr. and Mrs. Kendall, their son Rodger and his girlfriend followed Anton¡¯s dad back across the road. Anton held the door for the five. When they were all inside, Anton closed and locked the door and then very quickly went through the house, turned off all the lights, and locked the back door before he made his way into the basement and then into the Bunker before his father closed and sealed the door.
This was almost a d¨¦j¨¤ vu moment. Anton opened his notifications again and checked to see if the SYSTEM had sent out any more SYSTEM-wide messages since the first one welcoming everyone to the SYSTEM. He didn¡¯t see anything.
Anton turned to Caitlyn, ¡°Caitlyn, have there been any more SYSTEM Messages since the one welcoming everyone to the SYSTEM?¡±
¡°Not that I¡¯ve seen. Why, have you seen other messages?¡± Caitlyn asked.
¡°The SYSTEM; what are you talking about, Anton?¡± Mr. Kendall asked.
Anton thought about how to explain everything he¡¯d been through. Smiled and then began, ¡°First, Magic is real¡.
It took Anton the better part of an hour to explain the little bit he knew to everyone. That was when he found out that while he¡¯d been aware of what was happening after Caitlyn and he left the Labyrinth, for her, they¡¯d appeared with no one in front of them one moment. The next, his father had been washing the minivan in front of the house.
Anton was interrupted when his mother asked, ¡°What about Leslie? If everything you say is true, the version of you that should be here is now gone, and you¡¯re here. If magic is real, did you teleport over here or something?¡±
¡°Oh, that¡¯s the part you¡¯ll probably find the hardest to believe. As far as I can figure from everything Dad has said, right now, we¡¯re about two years before I went down to Florida.¡±
¡°Are you saying you time traveled, Son?¡± His father asked.
¡°Not exactly,¡± Anton hedged, ¡°Before we go into that, though, I¡¯m going to leave Caitlyn here and check to see what is going on in the general area.¡±
¡°You¡¯re not going to leave, are you,¡± his mother asked, ¡°While the news reports haven¡¯t really detailed much of what¡¯s going on, there have been reports of people disappearing and appearing out of nowhere from all over the world.¡±
¡°Not to worry, Mom. I took the time to talk to you, so when I vanish in a moment, you won¡¯t be surprised,¡± Anton said with a sly grin.
¡°Vanish?¡± The four adults in the room asked while Caitlyn remained silent.
¡°Vanish, as in disappear. I¡¯m going to hop over to Fargo and take a look around.¡±
Caitlyn interrupted him as she asked, ¡°About how long will you be gone?¡±
Anton thought about it for a minute and then said, ¡°If the changes to the SYSTEM haven¡¯t affected my skills, I should be able to get over there in 10 minutes, look around for a bit, and then head back. I¡¯ll say about an hour and a half. Ten minutes to get there, an hour to look around, and ten minutes to get back.¡±
Caitlyn nodded as his father looked at him disbelievingly, ¡°You¡¯re going to get to Fargo in 10 minutes?¡±
¡°It¡¯s a bit hard to explain, but basically, I can turn into a ghost and fly over at almost two times the speed of sound.¡±
¡°What! You¡¯re a superhero?¡± Carla, his 10-year-old sister, exclaimed.
¡°Not really, Sis, but I do have powers. Someday, you might too,¡± Anton said with a smile, ¡°Now, though, I really need to go over to Fargo and see what¡¯s going on.¡±
¡°What do you want me to do here if you don¡¯t come back right away,¡± Caitlyn asked.
¡°You¡¯ll find that my dad has a pretty good arsenal here and enough supplies for all of you to survive comfortably for the next couple of years, if necessary. Here is some equipment for you, though, just in case,¡± Anton said as he pulled out some of the weapons he had from his inventory and handed them to her, as well as some ammunition.
¡°Where are you pulling those weapons from?¡± his father asked.
¡°As I said before, Dad, Magic,¡± Anton said as he pulled out some ammunition and handed that over as well. That still left him with plenty of weapons in his inventory. ¡°Alright, everyone, don¡¯t scream. I¡¯m about to vanish, and when I reappear, I¡¯ll be stepping out of the bathroom so I don¡¯t scare any of you. Be back in a bit,¡± Anton said as he activated Specter and vanished.
As expected, Anton watched as the children screamed, and his father came over to where Anton was standing and waved his hand through Anton¡¯s incorporeal body. Anton would have laughed if the shift into his Specter form hadn¡¯t been¡different.
He dropped through the dimensional barrier with no problem. What drew his attention to the fact that things had changed was the sparks of white light that showed from the positions of every person he could see. Also, instead of looking at solid individuals, they looked like photographic images of people whose opacity had been reduced by 50%. While he knew he wasn¡¯t solid to anyone who could see him when he Manifested, now each person had a nexus of energy within themselves, and he could see through them.
Anton had an idea of what that light represented. He put that out of his mind for the moment and rose up through the ground level and then the ceiling into the sky until he was about one thousand feet above his house and looked around.
To the north was the runway, which didn¡¯t appear to have any traffic moving around. Below him, in the neighborhoods surrounding his house, he could see people moving around. Each had the same type of spark he¡¯d seen in his family as they made their way into houses and closed the doors.
Anton looked to the south, where the hospital was about a mile away, and thought he saw flashes of light streaking from the hospital into the sky. Well, if he were right about the sparks, it would be easy enough to check by going to the hospital. Anton flew over to hover above the hospital and looked down to find a madhouse of vehicles and people trying to make their way into the hospital with wounded people in tow. Anton was startled as one of the sparks of energy shot up from the roof of the hospital, passed him, and vanished. He couldn¡¯t tell if it was because it was moving incredibly fast or if it had broken through the dimensional barrier and gone elsewhere.
Anton waited for the next spark to fly by and attempted to use Analyze on it.
Congratulations, you have discovered a Complex Soul. Your Analyze skill, Level 1, is too low to determine any other features of this Complex Soul. Level your Analyze skill in order to identify more traits.
So, he had been right. The SYSTEM had changed the dimension his Specter form existed in, and now it seemed to be the dimension that people''s souls traveled through upon death. If that were the case, would that mean that this plane intersected other planes of existence as well? If that were true, could he now use his ability Planar Shift to move his Specter form to one of those other planes?
Well, that was nothing he needed to worry about now. Anton turned to the east and increased his speed until he was traveling about 1,400 mph. He should reach Fargo in just over 8 minutes at this speed. He was wondering what he¡¯d find there when he checked on Leslie. This was about one full year before he left in his original timeline. Could she have already been cheating on him at that point?
The answer to that question was yes. When he floated into the apartment and found the mailman and Leslie naked in bed, sleeping after what must have been a ¡°strenuous¡± session¡wait, it was only 2 p.m. Sure, it had only been about two hours since the world went crazy, and since they weren¡¯t running around scared they hadn¡¯t even noticed the first notifications. They probably had sex around noon in this timeline, and when it started back up, they were still sleeping. Wait, she was supposed to be at work with him. Was this one of her ¡°sick¡± days, that bit..
Anton took a deep breath, or at least went through the motion of taking a deep breath as he didn¡¯t really breathe anymore to calm himself down. Once he was a little calmer and more settled, he considered his options clinically and then acted. Anton moved over to where he stashed his emergency go kit and other personal items, activated Spectral Hand to manifest his hand in the real world, and brought all of those items into his inventory. Luckily, he had spare identification, credit cards, and the like that should work in this timeline. Anton even went over to the computer desk and grabbed his laptop, power supply, and carrying case. He¡¯d be able to connect to the internet if it remained active without having to go purchase new equipment now.
Unlike Leslie and the mailman, the rest of the residents in the apartment and pretty much anywhere else he looked were in a bit of a panic and were glued to their televisions. He looked down on her naked form one more time and rose through the roof. Whatever was to come, she¡¯d made her choice, and she could live with it.
Next, Anton went to where he used to work and floated above the counter as he watched his coworkers run around looking everywhere; for him, maybe? He couldn¡¯t tell what they were saying, but he had an idea. Alex, one of the new guys at this point in the timeline, stood off by himself. Anton moved over to him and reached out to touch the spark of energy in his chest. Immediately, a prompt appeared above the spark.
Would you like to Possess this individual, Yes or No?
Anton, could Possess people without Manifesting? That was a huge change. Anton chose ¡°Yes.¡± His point of view changed, and he could see and hear from the body he was occupying.
SYSTEM Message:
The Psychic Skill Possession has been altered. While possessing another entity, all maintenance costs are taken from the target''s Psychic Energy, Mana, and Hit Points in that order. When the target runs out of those resources and dies, Possession will automatically end.
While possession is active, the user''s Psychic Energy regenerates at its normal rate. Additionally, the target''s consciousness is suppressed. Should they survive, they will have no memory of any actions taken while possessed.
Possession does not harm the target''s soul and can be discontinued at will.
¡°Alex, why are you smiling?¡± Becky, one of the other employees at the auto parts store, asked.
Anton looked out through Alex¡¯s eyes, ¡°I was just thinking.¡±
¡°You can think and help. So, get your butt moving and help us look for Anton, he¡¯s been gone for over an hour, and no one saw him leave!¡±
For the next two hours, Alex helped them look for Anton and watched the security cameras just like everyone else. Anton had walked into the male bathroom, which did not open to the outside or even have a window. He never stepped back out. There was no record of him ever leaving the bathroom.
Anton also noticed that while they were looking for Anton, the tornado sirens had gone off, and the store had been locked down while everyone moved to the inner part of the store, away from the windows. They were checking their phones while they looked around, but no one seemed to worry about the SYSTEM message even though there hadn¡¯t been any more global updates.
After two hours, Anton¡¯s resource pools were all full, but Alex¡¯s Psychic Energy and Mana had bottomed out. He didn¡¯t have very many hit points, and Anton had no intention of killing the guy, so he sat down in a chair, laid his head against the counter, and released Alex¡¯s body from Possession.
He didn¡¯t reappear physically. Instead, he reassumed his Specter form and looked on as Becky noticed that Alex was slumped against the counter and came over to check on him. When he didn¡¯t stir, Becky called for help. Anton watched for a bit longer until Alex came to groggily and decided it was time for him to return to Minot.
As he floated up through the ceiling and flew west toward Minot, the one thing that had been bothering him crossed his mind again. Why hadn¡¯t there been any more global messages from the SYSTEM, and why were all the electronics working if magic was coming back into the world? Maybe the magical density wasn¡¯t high enough yet. Maybe he was one of the only ones that could use magic right now. All questions he¡¯d need to find answers to if he was going to figure out how to help his family and friends. In fact, if technology continued working with magic, it could allow for some exciting uses of Possession. Anton smiled; this could be a lot more fun than when he¡¯d been in Antarctica.
Chapter 37, Headache
As Anton flew west, he thought back to what he¡¯d heard on the news over the last two hours. Of course, he hadn¡¯t been trying to find the version of himself that had existed here before¡well, he could refer to it as the combining, smash-together, or slam fest. Nah, all those references sucked. He guessed he¡¯d refer to the moment everything changed as the Reset.
While he¡¯d been helping look for himself while he possessed Alex. He¡¯d listened to the local news channel. Anton watched as reports came in showing videos of people appearing out of nowhere. Some of the people who appeared were not identifiable, while others who had been reported dead were back. The most famous of which was a singer who had died in a plane crash a year ago. They showed the footage of the plane crashing right after take-off and then switched to the singer appearing in front of the house they owned and finding that they couldn¡¯t walk into the house and that someone else was living there.
As expected, the reports were following that story closely. However, there were so many stories coming in that the reporters had apologized for not being able to keep up. Before Anton had realized it, two hours had passed. In fact, the only thing that brought his attention back to himself was the notification that informed him that he¡¯d depleted all of Alex¡¯s Psychic Energy and Mana. Alex hadn¡¯t had a lot to begin with. He¡¯d only had 4 points of Psychic Energy and 120 points of mana. After 124 minutes, or 2 hours and 4 minutes, Anton had received a warning.
Warning!
Target¡¯s Psychic Energy and Mana have been depleted
Possession will end in 29 minutes.
It was interesting that he could mana from a host to maintain possession when he couldn¡¯t even store mana within his own body. Did that mean that he might be able to utilize magic while possessing someone? Anton brought his thoughts back to what had happened to Alex. It usually required one point of Psychic Energy to maintain Possession when the cost was paid by himself. Now that the skill was powered by the host, that meant that Alex had 29 hit points. Since he hadn¡¯t wanted to kill the guy, he¡¯d released him from Possession. Anton didn¡¯t know why the cost had been changed to come from the host, but he did like the fact that his Psychic Energy would regenerate while he was possessing someone else. With the changes, he could possess someone and return to his Specter form without ever materializing if he really wanted to. It was almost like the demon in the movie ¡°Fallen¡± with Denzel Washington. Granted, it had been an old movie, but he¡¯d watched it when he was a teen, and how the demon had body hoped¡damn, he could do that now.
Thinking of souls, what had the SYSTEM said? He pulled up the notification and reread it.
What happens to Complex Souls after death will not be detailed by the SYSTEM. Individual Creatures must find this out for themselves.
Anton looked down as he flew over Devil¡¯s Lake. It looked like there were a lot of people out and about, but they seemed to be working together to put up tents and set up common areas. It was interesting. Fargo hadn¡¯t been that bad either as he left. There were under 100,000 people in Fargo and Minot only had about 50k when he¡¯d lived there before. The smaller towns would probably be okay for a bit. If a lot of people were showing up in the heavily populated areas, there could be problems, though. Anton wondered how many people had been brought to his Earth. Also, why had The SYSTEM done that?
Anton flew into Minot¡¯s airspace and noticed that, like Fargo, the build-up of people around the Hospital had been organized. Tents and temporary shelters were being put up in a cordon around the hospital. So, the government was responding to the crisis.
Anton flew down to his father¡¯s bunker and waited until the bathroom was empty and released Specter. After he¡¯d materialized in the bathroom he called out, ¡°Don¡¯t shoot, it¡¯s me. I¡¯m back.¡±
¡°Anton?¡± his mother called from the living area, which was just outside the bathroom and to his right.
Anton stepped out to see everyone in the living area. Dad had set that up so there was one area for everyone to gather and watch a movie or sit around and play board or card games if they wanted to. There was another smaller room right next to it that was set up for electronics. He had a computer, and another monitor for people to play console games if they wished. Additionally, there were two much smaller monitors with headphones so the kids could all play games if they wanted. The dining room held a table that could be used for studying, and the kitchen was off the hallway that led back to rooms along the back.
The hydroponics, water pump, filtration for both air and water and everything else the facility might need were in the first and second subbasements below the level he was on. It wasn¡¯t a large facility, but it wasn¡¯t all that small either. Power was supplied from some batteries that were renewed by solar power built into the roof. If the worst happened, there were extra portable solar panels next to the emergency exit that came out over by the airport that could be plugged in after the fallout cleared. Additionally, there was a diesel generator with enough fuel to run for two weeks without needing to be refilled if run constantly. Dad always planned for the worst.
The shelter had been built to survive a nuclear blast if it were targeted at the Air Force Base. Luckily, Minot Air Force Base was a little more than 10 miles to the north. If a nuke were targeted at the base, their house would probably be destroyed, but the bunker should survive. If a nuke were targeted at the city of Minot, the bunker might survive, but it wasn¡¯t guaranteed. The bunker was shielded with a half inch of lead, but a blast directly over the city would probably kill them all anyway.
Anton¡¯s thoughts were brought back to his mother as she asked, ¡°That was a bit longer than an hour and a half; what took so long, Anton?¡±
¡°It was. I got caught up at the auto store for a bit, helping them look for something and watching the reports that were being released by the local news,¡± Anton explained.
¡°A few minutes ago, there was an announcement that the President would be addressing the nation at 7 p.m.,¡± his dad explained, ¡°That¡¯s about three hours from now.¡±
¡°Any idea what he¡¯s going to say?¡± Anton asked.
¡°None,¡± his mother answered. We¡¯ve been discussing what he could possibly tell us, but none of us have any idea. Now go to the stove. There is a pot there with some ramen in it. You need to eat.¡±
Anton walked into the kitchen. As he passed the electronics room, he saw the older kids on the computers and game consoles. Sara and Jack were on handheld versions that had been created for kids. Anton grabbed a bowl and fork from the cupboard, filled the bowl with the ramen, and walked back to the living area to watch the news with everyone else. Caitlyn was sitting in a recliner opposite the entrance with a weapon close at hand. She could keep an eye on the news and the door, though there was a small monitor that showed what was on the other side of the secret door that led into the airlock that opened into this room.
Anton turned to his father until he noticed that Anton had a question and raised an eyebrow slightly. ¡°Just wondering why you''re letting all the kids run down the batteries?¡± Anton asked.
¡°That''s an easy enough answer. Right now, we''re still on city power, and the batteries are fully charged. I don¡¯t know what this emergency is, but I think we¡¯ll be okay, and I¡¯m going to run on the city''s power as long as we can. While you were gone, The Mayor contacted the base and asked for assistance in acquiring and setting up portable shelters and cops to house the people who appeared out of nowhere.¡± His father explained.
¡°When I flew over town, it looked like the area around the hospital had been cordoned off and was being set up as a makeshift tent city,¡± Anton said.
Mr. Kendall cleared his throat and then spoke up, ¡°Right now, the plan is for there to be three areas for the extra people that appeared. They¡¯re setting up one near Dakota Bark Park on the southwest side of town. The other area will be Oak Park because it¡¯s naturally defensible with the artificial moat around it, and the last area is near the hospital. Everyone is supposed to reduce travel to essential use only until the nature of the crisis has been determined. Anton, have you seen anything like this, assuming everything you shared with us earlier was true?¡±
¡°Not like this exactly. Caitlyn is from a different type of Earth, where things didn¡¯t work out too well for Earth. As for myself, the areas I¡¯ve come across were suddenly flooded with magic, which cut off the power and left people stranded while monsters began spawning all over the globe. There were variations that I ran across as I tried to make my way home. This, ¡°Anton said as he waved his hands around to indicate the world he was in,¡± was not something I expected. I would have thought monsters would have started spawning by now. I have the ability to use my psychic skills, which should indicate that magic is present, but I haven¡¯t seen anyone use normal magic yet. The other thing that¡¯s different is that the SYSTEM was a lot more descriptive about what it was doing in the past. So far, it has only welcomed everyone,¡± Anton paused as he waited for an answer from the others in the room.
His father said, ¡°Yes, Son, we¡¯ve all only received only one message.¡±
¡°Even me,¡± Caitlyn offered.
Anton continued, ¡°Besides that first message, I¡¯ve received a couple more notifications, but they are all tied to changes in my abilities and skills. There is nothing from the SYSTEM that could be considered an informational message,¡±
¡°That is weird. Back on my Earth, we did receive a lot of SYSTEM messages once they started,¡± Caitlyn said.
¡°Exactly,¡± Anton agreed, ¡°I¡¯m not exactly sure what¡¯s going on, but whatever it is, it is different than what I¡¯ve seen before,¡± Anton agreed.
Anton moved over to one of the empty chairs, pulled up a tray to sit his food on, and sat down to watch the news with his family, friends, and Caitlyn while the children played their video games in the other room.
For the next three hours, they watched the news while Caitlynn shared what living on her Earth had been like. Three hours later, the President made his announcement. When the President entered the Press Room, he was followed by Felix and a woman Anton had never seen before.
¡°That¡¯s Felix!¡± Caitlynn exclaimed.
¡°It is,¡± Anton agreed, waving everyone to silence so they could listen to the President''s speech.
President Cruger stepped up the podium and looked into the camera before he started, ¡°Please hold all questions until I¡¯m done. We have a lot to get through. Approximately six hours ago, the world was affected by an event that increased the Earth''s population by between 20 and 50%. Luckily, we have some of the best worldwide satellite coverage and analysts on the planet, and we were able to detect and record the sudden appearance of more than 1.4 billion people. We were also lucky that Mr. Felix R. Cutting and Mrs. Angelica Catherine Ellison appeared and were brought to the White House.¡±
The President paused for a moment to take a sip of water from a glass on the podium and then looked back into the camera. ¡°Both Mr. Cutting and Mrs. Ellison are individuals that appeared out of nowhere, as many others have. I have brought them out here in the hopes that their people will recognize them. A number will appear on the bottom of the screen. If you recognize either Mr. Cutting or Mrs. Ellison, please give the number and give them a call. We are trying to bring everyone together that came from the same place as them. If you are a government leader and do not recognize anyone on this screen, please call the number. We will bring you in and do a conference like this again. I have mobilized the military to prepare locations around the United States where we can temporarily house everyone that just appeared.¡±
At that point, Anton tuned out what was being said on the television and looked over at Caitlyn, ¡°You¡¯re going to call?¡± he asked.
¡°I have to,¡± Caitlyn responded. He¡¯s from the government I swore allegiance to. If I can help with the transition as everyone acclimates to this world and works for Felix again, I have to.¡±
¡°Very well, we can call from upstairs,¡± Anton said.
They sat and listened to the rest of the speech. The President requested that everyone to remain calm and try to go about their business as usual while also being cognizant that there were a lot of people who might not understand how things worked and to be patient. For now, a limited curfew was in effect nationwide. Underage individuals were not to be out after 8 p.m. and travel should be limited to what was essential. Additionally all grocery stores were to limit how much they sold to a single customer. There was to be no hoarding of food or water. The President assured everyone that even with the increase in population, there was enough food so that everyone would be able to receive food and water daily. The last thing he mentioned was The SYSTEM. At this time the Government had no new information concerning The SYSTEM but information would be shared as it was acquired.
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Anton''s father turned down the television as his mother asked, ¡°You¡¯ll be leaving?¡±
Anton nodded, ¡°We will. I met Felix a little while before we made our way here. I know him. Also, I probably have information about the SYSTEM that no one in this Government has. With the reset to the timeline and the addition of people from alternate timelines, everything everyone would have gone through in two years has been reset. I don¡¯t know why it isn¡¯t exactly the same or why I still have access to my abilities if magic isn¡¯t completely back into the world yet, but still, I might be able to help the President prepare if things start to go the way they did before?¡±
¡°Before?¡± his father asked.
¡°Technology and magic didn¡¯t get along last time. Of course, things could be different this time, but I wouldn¡¯t count on it. Additionally, monsters started appearing all over the planet while everyone was out of contact with others. Finally, human nature kicked in. A lot of pricks decided it was a good time to create slave camps and harems for themselves.¡±
¡°You¡¯re serious,¡± Mrs. Kendall asked.
¡°That¡¯s the way it was where I came from also,¡± Caitlyn offered. Those that we couldn¡¯t boost into orbit that were left behind turned the world into a sort of post-apocalyptic wasteland, at least for the first couple of years. When our people started going back to the surface, we found evidence of the many atrocities committed by the people who had been left behind.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t see any of that,¡± Anton said.
¡°You wouldn¡¯t have. That was about ten years before you showed up. Remember, the place I came from was a little farther along year-wise than where we are now. This era is just history to me, almost 100 years in the past,¡± Caitlyn said.
¡°So, you did time travel,¡± Anton¡¯s father said.
¡°Not exactly. Right now, that doesn¡¯t matter. Dad, do you still have an extra cell phone?¡±
¡°I do. You don¡¯t have yours?¡±
¡°If my previous self was holding the phone when he disappeared, it disappeared with him. I haven¡¯t had that old phone since I switched it out when I moved to Florida after I left Fargo,¡± Anton said.
¡°Why did you leave Fargo?¡± his mother asked.
¡°I found out Leslie wasn¡¯t being faithful,¡± Anton said honestly.
¡°But you saw her when you just went over to Fargo, didn¡¯t you?¡±
¡°Yep,¡± Anton said, not wanting to discuss how he¡¯d found her.
Anton¡¯s father noticed the look in his eyes and interrupted his mother before she could make this more awkward, ¡°If you and Caitlyn are going to make the call, go ahead. I¡¯ll go get the spare phone and bring it to you,¡±
¡°Thanks, Dad,¡± Anton said as Caitlyn and he moved to the bunker exit and cycled through the airlock into the basement. Anton led Caitlyn upstairs, picked up the landline, and handed it to Caitlyn. Most people didn¡¯t have a hardline in the house, but his father had kept one just in case. He dialed the number that had been on the television and handed the telephone to Caitlyn as he said, ¡°Your turn.¡±
Anton watched as Caitlyn spoke into the phone. She answered a few questions, listened for a moment, and then hung up just as his Dad stepped into the kitchen where the phone had been hanging. Anton accepted the cell phone his father gave him, ¡°Both of my numbers are preprogrammed into the phone,¡±
¡°Thanks, Dad,¡± Anton said before he turned to Caitlyn to find out what she¡¯d been told.
¡°We¡¯re supposed to make our way to Minot AFB. They¡¯ll have someone waiting for us and then fly us to Washington DC,¡± Caitlyn explained.
¡°Us,¡± Anton asked.
¡°Yes, I was specifically asked if you were with me. I told them yes.¡±
¡°So, they have their memories too, then?¡± Anton stated.
¡°Looks like it,¡± Caitlyn agreed
¡°Dad, think you can take us to the base?¡±
¡°I think perhaps I¡¯ll just let you two take the minivan. There is a field opposite the front gate. Just park the minivan there with the keys locked inside, and I¡¯ll stop by and pick it up when I¡¯m able,¡± His father explained.
¡°If you¡¯re sure?¡± Anton asked.
¡°I¡¯m sure. Now, let''s head back down so you can say goodbye to everyone.¡±
Fifteen minutes later, Anton drove the minivan north on Highway 83, parked in the field, and followed Caitlyn to the front grate. While they¡¯d driven north, Caitlyn had handed everything but a knife back to Anton. He¡¯d stored the phone his dad had given him and everything Caitlyn had given him in his inventory.
As they approached the barricades that forced vehicles to slow down, one of the guards stepped out, ¡°IDs?¡±
Caitlyn handed over her Identification badge, which she pulled out of one of her pockets. ¡°I¡¯m Caitlyn Sheppard; you should be expecting me,¡±
The Guard called her name over his shoulder, and a second guard stepped out, ¡°Sub-Commander Sheppard?¡±
¡°That¡¯s me?¡±
¡°Who do you have with you?¡±
Caitlyn looked at Anton and indicated that he should answer, ¡°Anthony Thomson.¡±
The second guard looked at his list, frowned, and then asked, ¡°Is your nickname Anton?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Anton affirmed.
¡°Very well, you¡¯re both on the list. If you¡¯d allow a quick weapons pat down and then follow Seargent Blair,¡± the first guard asked.
Caitlyn and Anton walked up to the gate and allowed them to pat them down for weapons. When they found the Sub-Commanders knife, they handed it back to her. You can keep the knife; we¡¯re just looking for firearms at this point.¡±
Caitlyn nodded. They were both led to a vehicle by Seargent Blair and driven further into the base. They stayed on the road they were on, took one left, and pulled up to a gate. The gate opened, and they were driven out onto the runway where a Learjet with Air Force markings sat, ¡°That¡¯s your ride,¡± Seargent Blair said as the vehicle came to a stop. Just as Anton was about to ask a question, he continued, ¡°There¡¯s a lieutenant on the plane who is supposed to let you know what¡¯s going on. Have a safe trip.¡±
Caitlyn and Anton shrugged, exited the vehicle, and walked to the boarding steps that led up to the fuselage door. As they entered the aircraft, a young female 2nd Lieutenant said, ¡°Please take a seat anywhere you¡¯d like. It¡¯s just the three of us and the flight crew. We will be underway shortly.
Caitlyn moved to the back of the plane and sat in a seat close to a window on the right side of the plane. Anton sat across from her on the left. Shortly was as soon as the door was closed, and the lieutenant knocked on the door to the cockpit twice. Before she¡¯d even made it to her seat, the Learjet began taxing.
Five minutes later, the Learjet was rising into the sky and turning South and East, heading for Washington, DC.
When the Lieutenant stood and moved up to them, Anton asked, ¡°Excuse me, Lieutenant, why are we receiving special treatment?¡±
¡°I¡¯ve been ordered to get you to Washington D.C. as quickly as possible. I was not giving any information as to why, other than the order comes from the top. Now, would either of you like a drink or something to eat? We have some alcoholic beverages, as this aircraft normally ferries around Senior Officers and government officials.¡±
¡°A Jack and Coke if you have it,¡± Anton said
¡°Orange Juice if you have it, water if you do not,¡± Caitlyn said.
¡°Very good, and food?¡±
¡°I just ate. I¡¯m good for now,¡± Caitlyn said.
¡°Me too,¡± Anton added.
¡°I¡¯ll be right back with your drinks then,¡± the Lieutenant said as she made her way to the small galley. A few minutes later, she returned with their drinks: ¡°Our flight time should be just about 3 hours. If you need a refill or you get hungry, just let me know.¡±
Caitlyn and Anton nodded as the Lieutenant returned to her seat. Caitlyn looked at Anton and said, ¡°If it¡¯s all the same to you, I¡¯m going to close my eyes and take a nap for a bit.¡±
Anton nodded, picked up his drink, took a sip, and set it back down in the holder set into the window panel for drinks. Maybe he should take a nap, too? Anton leaned back and closed his eyes.
What felt like a moment later, Anton was roused by a change in the sound of the engines. The light outside the plane had changed, which indicated that he¡¯d been asleep for a little longer than a moment. It was, in fact, a couple of hours later. The sky was full of the pinks and reds of the sunset, which cast long arcs across the ground below.
Anton looked at the clock above the cockpit door, which showed two times. The first had the word ¡°Origin¡± with ¡°19:34¡± below it. To the right was the word ¡°Local¡± with ¡°20:34¡± under it. Caitlyn had left her seat and must have gone to the lavatory behind them. The Lieutenant was still at the front of the plane in a seat that allowed her to keep an eye on them and also keep an eye on the cockpit door.
A moment later, Caitlyn retook her seat and looked over at Anton, ¡°While you were out, the Lieutenant came back and let me know we¡¯d be landing soon. If you need to use the bathroom, I¡¯d do so now.¡±
Anton shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m good,¡± When Caitlyn looked at him questioningly, he added, ¡°It¡¯s not something I¡¯ve had to worry about since events changed me.¡±
¡°You don¡¯t use the bathroom,¡± Caitlyn asked.
¡°Nope,¡± Anton shrugged.
¡°Must be nice,¡± Caitlyn muttered as she turned to look out the runway at the lights below them.
They were both interrupted when the Captain¡¯s voice called out, ¡°This is the Captain; we¡¯ve started our descent. I¡¯ll be turning on the fasten seatbelt light in about five minutes. If you need to use the bathroom or would like to stretch your legs, I suggest you do so now.¡±
The plane landed at Andrews Air Force Base in Washington D.C. and taxied to a small hanger at the north end of the runway. The Lieutenant led them outside to where a couple of men in black suits waited. Caitlyn and Anton were both searched. This time, the knife Caitlyn had was taken as the woman who kept it said, ¡°I¡¯ll get this back to you after your meeting.¡±
Caitlyn merely nodded before they were led into the small hangar that had been converted into a makeshift sleeping and living area. Anton saw The President, Felix, and Mrs. Ellison sitting at a table talking with Secret Service personnel, keeping everyone away as they were led up to the table. There were also guards stationed all around the out skirts of the hanger including three different snipers that he noticed.
Felix looked over, noticed Caitlyn and Anton, and smiled, ¡°Caitlyn, It¡¯s so good to see you. And Anton, How are you?¡±
Caitlyn nodded to Felix and said, ¡°Sir,¡± then looked at Anton to indicate it was his turn.
¡°I¡¯m fine, how are you doing? I don¡¯t understand precisely how you are here, but I do know who you are.¡±
¡°How delightful. Please, both of you, take a seat. We have a lot to talk about,¡± Felix said.
Both Caitlyn and Anton sat opposite the three as the President spoke, ¡°Felix here has informed me that Caitlyn is known to him as one of his military Sub-Commanders, which would be equivalent to our 04¡¯s or Major rank. You, Anton, are somewhat of an enigma. We have information about you and your current whereabouts. Still, we also have indirect information about your disappearance from Fargo, North Dakota, and your reappearance in Minot,¡± The President explained as a monitor showed Caitlyn and Anton suddenly appearing in the street in front of his father¡¯s house.
¡°It looks like the neighbor''s camera was working just fine,¡± Anton Commented.
¡°It does appear so. Where exactly are you from, Anton?¡± President Cruiger asked.
¡°I¡¯m from Minot originally, though I met Felix a bit ago¡¡±
Anton¡¯s attention was drawn to the hanger doors, where he noticed a disturbance.
¡°Anton?¡± President Cruiger asked.
Anton ignored the President and focused on the shimmer, which no one else seemed to notice. Anton wasn¡¯t sure what he was looking at, but it definitely didn¡¯t belong. He reached out with his other senses. He couldn¡¯t hear anything, and the scents he¡¯d noticed upon arriving hadn¡¯t changed. Whatever it was, it didn¡¯t seem to have a physical presence, nor was anyone else reacting to it. If he didn¡¯t know better, it almost looked like something invisible was pushing against a translucent barrier that only he could see. Could it be someone or something in an alternate dimension that he was able to notice because of his unique abilities?
While Anton thought about the origin of the moving shimmer, it made its way closer to the President, Felix, and Mrs. Ellison. Anton watched as the shimmer seemed to stretch around an object that looked a lot like the barrel of a gun that was pointing at the back of the President¡¯s head when he acted. In less than a half second, Anton had moved and was diving across the table to put himself between the President and the weapon.
As Anton flew across the table, he saw Caitlyn reacting in slow motion as she moved toward Felix. Anton placed his hand over the barrel of the gun, which caused a man-sized person to appear behind the President. Later, he¡¯d check his notifications and learn that his natural immunity to magic had negated the magic the individual was using to cross dimensions. Anton turned the gun to the side just a bit while he kept his body in front of the barrel as the assassin became completely visible and pulled the trigger.
The bullet exploded through his hand and into his body as he held onto the gun and reached out with his other hand to grab the attacker with his left hand. He didn¡¯t want to show all of his abilities, so he chose to hold the attacker immobile for the long seconds it took the Secret Service to react. While he stood still, holding the cloaked person in front of him, Secret Service Agents crashed into the President while Caitlyn crashed into Felix. A Secret Service Agent near Mrs. Ellison covered her with his body by putting himself between where the President had been sitting and Mrs. Ellison to thwart any secondary attacks from the President¡¯s attacker, which proved unnecessary.
Anton had just enough time to notice the President on the ground at his feet with Secret Service lying before him as the cloaked figure¡¯s head exploded, and he felt two bullets strike his head. Anton could have survived the first shot; he was sure of it. It had been a smaller caliber weapon that his Damage Resistance and hit points could have withstood. The second shot, however, had been from directly behind him and was most likely a 50-caliber bullet. He knew this because he saw the mess the bullet made of his body and the body of the attacker as he automatically assumed his Specter Form when the bullet killed his body, and he was left looking down on it. The bullet had traveled through his head and the chest of the attacker. The force of the attack had flung both of them away from the President, who was wedged under the table with Secret Service Agents.
Anton watched as his body disintegrated, and Caitlynn helped Felix to his feet as the Secret Service did the same for the President and Mrs. Ellison. Anton activated Manifest.
A shot rang out, which did not affect his incorporeal body. Anton ignored what was going on in the physical world and bent down to look at the dead attacker. Anton activated Spectral Hand so he could lift the hood away from the mess that was the attacker''s head and take a look. While he couldn¡¯t tell what the individual had looked like before the first sniper put a bullet through his head. The .50 caliber sniper round had made a huge hole in the assassin''s chest. Anton looked at the mess that was what was left of the attacker''s head. His eyes were drawn to the one thing that identified the individual as nonhuman. The pointed ears on each side of what was left of its skull
The one thing that sucked about his Manifest ability was his inability to hear or communicate with others in the material world. He did have Telepathy, though. Anton turned to Caitlyn and pointed to his head and then to her head. Caitlynn nodded. Anton activated Telepathy,
¡°Caitlynn, could you please inform the President that I¡¯m going to reappear? I¡¯d really appreciate it if the Secret Service wouldn¡¯t shoot me again,¡± Anton sent.
¡°On it,¡± Caitlynn sent back.
Anton watched as Caitlyn told the President what was going on and then waved at Anton. The President looked like he yelled out a command Anton couldn¡¯t hear and gave Anton a thumbs up as Caitlyn sent through their telepathic link, ¡°You¡¯re good to go.¡±
Anton, with Manifest still active, floated over by Caitlyn and deactivated Manifest and Specter. As his body reformed, Anton watched as everyone around him watched with interest. One second, he was semi-translucent; the next, he was solid. Anton looked around slowly until he met the eyes of the sniper with the 50-caliber weapon and winked before he turned back to the President, ¡°Have to admit that was a nice bit of shooting by your snipers, Mr. President. I didn¡¯t think normal weapons could hurt me anymore, but it would seem that a .50 caliber bullet to the back of the skull could still give me a splitting headache.
Caitlyn sighed,
Felix laughed
The other expressions he saw from those who had heard him were a little harder to interpret.
Chapter 38, Establishing a Working Relationship
The Agents and military secured the hangar quickly. As Agents came over to the President, he stood and said, ¡°We¡¯re going to move this conversation to a more secure location; follow along, please.¡±
The Secret Service surrounded the group and led them out to the back of the hangar, where The Beast was waiting with a few SUVs. The President, Mrs. Ellison, and Felix went into the first car while Caitlyn and he were placed in the SUV directly behind them. The vehicles pulled away, made their way off the Air Force Base, and made their way onto 495 westbound. Ten minutes later, they turned north onto Highway 1. When they came to the Pentagon and White House turnoff at Highway 395, the front of the convoy turned north while their vehicle and two others took the offramp that would lead into the Pentagon.
¡°Where are we going?¡± Anton asked.
¡°To the Pentagon, where we are going to ask you a few questions.¡± The guard in the back seat with them said as he casually drew his weapon and pointed it at Anton
¡°That is a terrible idea,¡± Caitlyn said.
¡°No one asked you. Now sit there and shut up before you become someone we also need to take a closer look at.¡±
¡°Yep, that was a bad idea,¡± Anton said as he activated Specter and vanished from the backseat of the vehicle.
Immediately, he reached out and touched the focused energy of the Secret Service member and activated Possession. The Agent''s will was almost nonexistent compared to Anton''s. Anton slipped into the Agent¡¯s body, which now held a gun pointed at Caitlyn.
Caitlyn, responding to a question Anton hadn¡¯t heard, asked, ¡°How am I supposed to know where he went? If your President has talked with Felix, then you have been warned about Anton¡¯s capabilities. If you haven¡¯t been warned, well, it sucks to be you.¡±
¡°Sucks to us,¡± The other Secret Service member said as he pulled out a taser and shot the prongs into Caitlyn¡¯s chest.
Anton sighed at the Possessed body he wore and said, ¡°That was a very bad idea.¡± Anton and the Agent watched Caitlyn, who was not affected by the Taser in any way, pull the prongs from her chest and fling them at the Agent who had shot her with the Taser.
¡°Caitlyn, I¡¯m controlling this idiot. Here, take his gun,¡± Anton said as he handed the gun to Caitlyn, deactivated Possession, and targeted the driver with Possession. Again, he easily took over the mind of the body he was trying to possess. Once in control, Anton veered the car to the side of the road and stopped the SUV. Anton took a pair of handcuffs the driver had on his belt and locked his wrists to the steering wheel as the other Secret Service member in the passenger seat beside him asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡±
¡°Locking myself to the steering wheel. What does it look like I¡¯m doing?¡± Anton said.
The Agent in the passenger seat looked at him like he was speaking nonsense, which he was. Anton ended his Possession of the Driver and took Possession of the Agent in the Passenger seat. A quick look showed Anton that Caitlyn had the Agent''s firearm aimed at him while the Agent with the Taser was currently electrocuting himself and would continue to do so because his finger had locked on the trigger.
Before she could do anything stupid, Anton called back, ¡°Caitlyn, it¡¯s Anton. Don¡¯t shoot these idiots. Also, I¡¯m going to pass you another two guns, so don¡¯t shoot this guy either.¡±
¡°What? Anton? What are you doing?¡±
¡°It¡¯s a new skill, Something I picked up when the SYSTEM Reset. We¡¯ll talk later. Right now, I want to remove these idiot''s ability to hurt us, so hold on.¡±
Anton passed both guns into the back seat. The Agent Caitlyn was covering shifted.
¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that if I were you,¡± Anton said as he passed the guns back to Caitlyn, ¡°Sub-Commander Sheppard can¡¯t miss you from this distance, and she knows she will not hurt me if she shoots. The only people that will be injured or killed will be the Agent I¡¯m controlling and you, so just sit there if you would please.¡±
Anton watched as the Agent settled back into his seat. He turned around and handcuffed himself to the steering wheel with the driver. Next, he released Possessions and then Specter so he could reappear beside Caitlyn. The extra guns he had passed back were added to his inventory, which made the guard who wasn¡¯t acting like he was a bug on a bug zapper¡¯s eyes widen. One moment, the weapons were there; the next, they were gone.
Anton smiled at the agent and then reached over and pulled one of the taser prongs from the second Agent''s chest. While not immune to electricity like Caityln seemed to be, his willpower and endurance were high enough that the taser did not affect him. Anton held onto it while he touched his holstered weapon and added it to his inventory before he could recover. Then he reached over, pulled the taser from his right hand, and added it to his inventory as well.
The Agent under Caitlyn¡¯s gun spoke up, ¡°There are twelve agents surrounding this vehicle. Drop your weapon and come with us quietly.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve got this, Caitlyn,¡± Anton said before Caitlyn could respond. Anton looked at the Agent and then continued, ¡°I thought you all were college-educated, NOT a question. I do not have any weapons, and in a moment, neither will your fellow Agents.¡±
Before the Agent could give a warning through his communication device, Anton acted. Anton kicked the door open with his full strength, which broke the door off of the SUV. Anton wasn¡¯t the Flash, not even close. What he could do was move up to 228 feet per second and make up to 17 attacks in a single 10-second turn if necessary. His first attack was to kick out the door with the strength to lift a ton. Next, he moved to an Agent, disarmed him, and stored the weapon in his inventory. Placing items into his inventory didn¡¯t count as an attack, which allowed him to disarm and confiscate the weapons of each of the twelve Secret Service Agents around the SUV. When he was done, he was back in his seat, sitting next to Caitlyn, and the Agents were either on the ground unconscious or had a broken arm and were bringing their other arm to support the broken limb. He hadn¡¯t been a blur, but he¡¯d moved faster than any of them could have reacted.
From his sitting position next to Caitlyn, Anton could hear multiple cries of pain and shock from outside the vehicle as the Agent across from Caitlyn looked over at Anton with a look of shock on his face, ¡°What are you?¡±
Anton ignored the question, ¡°Get a message to POTUS. I will be appearing inside the vehicle he is riding in momentarily. I fully expect to see Caitlyn at the White House. When we arrive there. If I do not,¡± Anton reached over to the frame of the bulletproof vehicle and squeezed. When he pulled his hand back, there was a hand-sized crushed area in the frame. Then, before the Agent could respond, Anton used his Anti-Mage ability to destroy the area where the crushed metal had been. The metal evaporated.
Anton continued, ¡°If Caitlyn is not brought to Felix¡¯s side, I will begin asking questions of everyone I just disarmed. I will be far less gentle than I have been thus far. Now, I¡¯m off to sit down with the President.¡±
Anton activated Specter and flew after the President¡¯s vehicle. At 70 miles per hour, they were only about half a mile ahead of him when he caught up to ¡°The Beast¡± or ¡°Cadillac One.¡± There was a driver and Agent in the forward passenger seat. In the back, the President and Mrs. Ellison sat facing forward. Felix and another agent sat with their backs to the driver and passenger up front.
Anton targeted the Agent and activated Possession. Again, there was almost no resistance as he slid into the Agent''s body and looked out of his eyes.
¡°Say again, Threat imminent,¡± Anton heard in the Agent¡¯s earpiece. Anton noticed that the Agent''s gun was in his right hand and pointed at the floorboard as he looked up and met the President¡¯s eyes.
¡°Clay, what¡¯s going on?¡± The President asked.
The question was obviously aimed at the Agent Anton had possessed. Anton holstered the weapon and pulled the earpiece from his ear, ¡°Clay isn¡¯t here right now,¡± Anton said.
¡°Clay, what are you talking about? You¡¯re sitting right there,¡± The President said.
¡°Clay¡¯s body is here, yes, but I¡¯ve got control of it at this moment, Mr. President.
¡°Anton?¡± Felix asked.
¡°One and the same. Did you tell this idiot what you knew about me, or is he completely in the dark?¡±
¡°Idiot? I¡¯ll have you know¡¡± The President started to say.
In a fluid motion, Anton pulled the Agent¡¯s weapon and pointed it at the President¡¯s head, ¡°Shut up.¡±
¡°What are you going to do with that gun? Shoot me. You need me.¡±
Anton holstered the gun as he said, ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t but you will make things easier.¡±
Anton deactivated his Possession of the Agent, moved over, and Possessed the President.
¡°What just happened? Where did my weapon go?¡± Agent Clay asked.
Anton, in the President¡¯s body, looked at Clay. ¡°Clay, are you okay? Your weapon is in your holster. With everything that¡¯s going on, send word that I want to head to the Presidential Emergency Operation Center. I also want to bring Mrs. Ellison and Felix along, as well as Felix¡¯s Sub-Commander Caitlyn, when she arrives.¡±
¡°Yes, Mr. President,¡± Agent Clay said as he tried to make sense of what had just happened.
Mrs. Ellison looked at the Agent and then the President before she asked, ¡°What just happened?¡±
Felix looked at the Agent, then at The President, and smiled before he said, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry about it, Angelica; the President will get it all sorted out once we get back to the White House.
The President smiled, ¡°Yes, we will. We should also be able to talk privately in the Operation Center.¡±
When they arrived at the White House, armed personnel approached the ¡°The Beast.¡± Anton, in the President¡¯s Body, was ushered out first, followed by Mrs. Ellison and Felix. They were led to an elevator that descended for quite a bit and opened into the Presidential Emergency Operations Center. Anton allowed himself to be led into one of the meeting rooms just off from the operational side, which was manned by military personnel and looked at the agent who was escorting them. ¡°I¡¯d like a few moments alone with Mrs. Ellison and Felix here. Also, make sure Sub-Commander Sheppard is brought down as soon as she arrives. Rescind my previous order to take her to the Pentagon.¡±
That Agent responded with a crisp, ¡°Yes, Sir,¡± and left the meeting room. As he did so, Anton reached into his pockets and pulled out his keys, a beeper, and anything else he was carrying, which he placed on the desk. Next, he patted himself down, put a pen and handkerchief down on the table with his other things, and then pushed them all into a drawer on the table. The President looked at Felix, ¡°Felix, if you¡¯d be so kind as to sit in this seat, I¡¯ll sit at the opposite end of the table.
As Felix moved to sit down, Mrs. Ellison asked, ¡°What is going on?¡±
¡°It¡¯ll all be made clear in a moment,¡± President Cruiger said as he walked over and locked the doors into the meeting room before he took a seat. He quickly checked the seat and the table for emergency buttons on this side of the table but didn¡¯t find any. They were all over where Felix remained quiet and waited. A moment later, Anton released his Possession of The President, moved over to the door nearest to the President, and deactivated Specter.
¡°What!¡± Mrs. Ellison shrieked as President Cruiger turned to look where she was looking.
¡°Where am I? How did I get here?¡± President Cruiger asked.
¡°You are in your Presidential Emergency Operations Center under the White House,¡± Anton said as the President reached for his pocket and then looked around quickly, ¡°I¡¯ve removed everything from your pockets,¡±
¡°You removed the items from his pockets?¡± Mrs. Ellison asked.
¡°I did,¡± Anton answered before turning his attention back to President Cruiger.
¡°Mr. President, Why have you tried to make an enemy of me, especially after an assassination attempt on your life?¡±
¡°You are one man; you can be controlled, either personally or through your family¡±
¡°Excuse me?¡± Anton said.
¡°You heard me, Son. You will do what I say when I say. You will answer all of our questions, or you will¡.
¡°You know what, I was prepared to help out; maybe see what I could do to help my fellow Americans prepare for what¡¯s about to happen¡¡±
Anton was cut off when a new SYSTEM Message filled his vision.
SYSTEM Message!
Magical Density has reached 1%
¡°What was that?¡± President Cruiger and Mrs. Ellison said in unison.
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
Felix looked at Anton and then at the President, ¡°I don¡¯t think you should have threatened his family.¡±
¡°Yeah, that was a bad idea,¡± Anton agreed.
¡°It won¡¯t matter; once you were halfway here, I contacted the military; they¡¯re picking up your family as we speak,¡± President Cruiger said.
Anton pulled the phone out of his inventory that his father had given him and tossed it to Felix, ¡°Hold onto that until I get back,¡± Anton said and then went and retrieved the President''s phone from the drawer next to Felix before he walked over to the President. He quickly turned the phone¡¯s camera toward the President¡¯s head and was delighted to see that he had set it up for a Face ID. Anton quickly opened up the passcode and face ID settings and changed them. His face could now unlock the phone, and the passcode was his. Then he sent ¡°911 GTG¡± by text to his father''s number.
¡°You can¡¯t take my phone!¡± the President cried indignantly
Anton held the phone in his palm so everyone in the room could see it and then put it in his inventory, which caused it to vanish. ¡°I just did. Now, I¡¯m going to go check on my family. Felix, please explain to The President why making an enemy of someone you can¡¯t kill or control would be a very bad idea. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve had time to ponder that topic.¡±
Felix nodded to Anton as he activated Specter and vanished before the President could respond. In a moment, he was traveling at his maximum speed back toward Minot. His Psychic Energy was still quite high, but he would have to meditate or rest after he made it back. Could he mediate while possessing someone? Would using meditation replace the mana and Psychic Energy he drew from them? It wouldn¡¯t do anything for their hit points, but he didn¡¯t drain those first anyway. If he could utilize their Psychic Energy, then Mana, and then mediate to recover it¡That would be so broken. Also, good luck finding him to arrest him. Anton smiled as he made his way westbound.
Anton hadn¡¯t checked in on his sister Amelia in Fargo, but he probably should have. If she did what she¡¯d done previously, she¡¯d fly her Cessna home. He could stop by her house first, though. She lived in a little housing development on the northeast side of Fargo, less than half a mile from the hangar where she parked her plane.
Anton looked down and saw a town below. He altered his course and decided this would be a perfect opportunity to take a break. It was dark now, but any building would do. He found a bank, saw the bathroom within, and appeared in the men¡¯s bathroom inside a closed stall. He pulled out the President¡¯s phone and sent a text to his Father, ¡°Status? Amelia?¡±
Anton lifted his feet off the ground and sat cross-legged on the toilet, just in case. Then he activated Battle Mediation and began recovering 41 mana every 10 seconds. His wisdom and willpower were almost high enough to regenerate seven points of his Psychic Energy every 10 seconds or 42 per minute when he wasn¡¯t actively using his Psychic Skills. Unfortunately, he had been using them quite a bit lately. Still, of his 1,250 Psychic Energy, he¡¯d had over 813 left when he sat down. At 42 points per turn, he could recover 420 Psychic Energy, in 10 turns, or just over a minute and 40 seconds. Which was precisely how long it took his Dad to reply. Anton checked the messages on the phone and noted that his father had sent ¡°Unwanted Company, Amelia here¡±
Anton sent back, ¡°ETA 2 hours,¡± put the phone back in his inventory, activated Specter, and sped off to the west.
As he sped west, Anton willed himself to go faster. He focused on where he wanted to be and how he was going to get there faster.
Planar Shift Activated
Anton was in a parallel dimension in his Specter Form. He couldn¡¯t activate Planar Shift here, could he?
SYSTEM Message.
Note: Utilization of Planar Shift to move between known locations is significantly less taxing¡ªpsychic Energy Cost per use, 10.
A portal didn¡¯t open in front of Anton, nor did he skip to another Dimension like he usually did when he activated Planar Shift. Instead, he was instantly moved to the street outside his father¡¯s house as he watched various law Enforcement Agencies prepare to enter the house. Wow, that President really was stupid.
Anton looked over to a military vehicle where someone with a silver eagle on his shoulder was calling out commands. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, the individual was a Colonel in the Air Force. Why the Air Force was directing civilian law enforcement was beyond him, and he didn¡¯t care. It wasn¡¯t this Colonel¡¯s fault that the President was a dipshit¡ªstill, an example needed to be made. Maybe not a permanent example, but this could be fun.
Anton watched as the teams prepared to move into the house and waited for someone to approach the Colonel. When a lower-ranking airman walked up to hand the Colonel a piece of paper, Anton Possessed her.
¡°What is it Airman Bennett?¡± The Colonel asked as Anton handed him the piece of paper Airman Bennett had been holding.
¡°Colonel, I am Anton. The President probably contacted you and told you to expect me¡¡±
¡°What is this, Airman Bennett? Is this some kind of joke?¡± The Colonel asked.
Anton raised his voice, ¡°In a moment, the Colonel is going to shoot himself in the foot and have no memory of doing so. Anyone who so much as steps foot on my father''s property will receive a similar lesson.¡±
The Colonel started to turn red as his anger began to boil over, which was perfect. Anton released Airman Bennett and Possessed The Colonel. Anton drew the Colonel''s Gun, aimed at his left foot, and pulled the trigger. Then he called out, ¡°Medic!¡± before he released him from Possession and returned to Possessing Airman Bennett so he could hear what was said.
Anton watched as the small group of people exploded. It was actually quite funny. The individuals who had been about to enter the house reacted to the gunshot and came to investigate and secure the area while the Colonel looked at the gun in his hand and asked dumbfoundedly, ¡°Who shot me?¡±
A medic who had been close by walked up and gingerly took the gun from the Colonel''s hand, ¡°You shot yourself, Sir. Please sit back.¡±
The team leader, who had been about to enter the house, asked Anton, ¡°What happened, Airman?¡±
Anton recognized the two bars on the team leader''s Uniform, ¡°Captain, The Colonel was possessed by Anton and shot himself in the foot as I told him he would.
¡°Excuse me, Airman; You told him he would?¡±
¡°Well, yeah. I¡¯m Anton. I¡¯m in possession of this Airman.¡±
¡°Airman cut the shit, this is an emergency; well, go over your sense of humor later. What happened to the Colonel?¡±
Anton considered how to proceed:¡± Captain, do you have anyone who can speak American Sign Language?¡±
¡°Yes, I can.¡± The Captain replied.
¡°Good, that will make this easy.
Anton deactivated Possession and Manifested in front of the Captain as he signed ¡°Don¡¯t Shoot.¡±
The Captain brought his gun to bear on Anton and paused. He called something over his shoulder, and two of the people with him kept their weapons trained on Anton as the Captain let his weapon hang on his strap and signed back, ¡°Why Not?¡±
Airman Bennett looked around confusedly. as Anton signed, ¡°For one, I¡¯m completely incorporeal,¡± Anton said as he stuck his hand through the vehicle door he was standing next to.
¡°I don¡¯t believe you?¡± The Captain signed.
¡°You don¡¯t have to believe me, but to move things along, try to grab my arm,¡± Anton signed and then stuck out his arm.
The Captain tried to grab his arm and was unable to. When he realized what Anton had done, he looked back at him and signed, ¡°What did you do to the Colonel?¡±
¡°I removed a problem from the equation,¡± Anton signed.
¡°And you also possessed Airman Bennett here,¡± The Captain asked.
¡°I did,¡± Anton Signed back.
¡°I have orders to escort your family to the Base and put them on an aircraft,¡± The Captain said.
¡°Not going to happen until I¡¯ve had time to talk with the President in person.¡±
¡°That is unacceptable,¡± The Captain said.
Anton watched as the Colonel¡¯s eyes grew pale. The medic had given him something to relieve the pain, and he was now looking at Anton and the Captain.
Anton watched as the Colonel yelled something at the Captain, Probably telling him to apprehend him. The Captain looked back with an expression that clearly said, How the fuck do you expect me to do that?
Anton caught the Captain''s attention and signed, ¡°Did that idiot just tell you to arrest or apprehend me?¡±
¡°Yes,¡±
¡°Is he that fucking stupid?¡±
¡°He may not have seen my hands pass through your arm, but otherwise, yes,¡± the Captain said with a shrug.
Anton thought for a second and then signed, ¡°Who¡¯s in charge?¡±
¡°He is.¡±
¡°Perfect, watch this,¡± Anton signed
Anton discontinued Manifest and possessed the Colonel''s body again. While he could feel an ache in the foot he shot, the painkiller had dulled it. Anton looked over at the Captain, ¡°My apologies Captain, my foot really hurts. We need to get back to the base. Leave watchers to let us know if the family moves while we head back to base. I need to talk to the General directly.¡±
The Captain looked at the Colonel questioningly and then said, ¡°Yes, Sir, as he detailed two members of his team to take up positions on each side of the house so they could see the whole house. Then he went to talk to the local authorities and the rest of the military, which all started packing up and leaving. In less than 15 minutes, the only personnel still there were the Ambulance Driver, the Medic, The Colonel controlled by Anton, and the two soldiers who were keeping an eye on the House.
The Medic helped the Colonel into the back of an Ambulance. Once underway, Anton relaxed and dropped the Colonel''s body into a state of Mediation. There was no time like the present to see if he could use Meditation or Battle Meditation while possessing someone else.
As Anton dropped into Meditation, there was a moment when the Colonel¡¯s mentality struggled to re-establish control, but Anton shut that down with little effort. So, he could use Meditation, but if the creature he possessed had a strong mentality, it might be able to break free if he relaxed control. That could be a problem with powerful enemies..
Anton¡¯s skill in Meditation was relatively high at level 51. That could allow him to replenish the Colonel¡¯s Psychic Energy and Mana quickly, though the downside of being primarily unaware of his surroundings while he used Mediation still sucked. On the positive side, meditation, unlike battle meditation, allowed him to improve his healing rate.
Anton knew the trip back to the Base would take about 10 minutes so he limited his Meditation to 10 minutes during the trip. When he ended the meditation, Anton used his senses to check the Colonel''s foot and found that it had been fully healed, even the damage to the bones. It looked like while he was meditating, he could channel some of his natural healing from his ability Immortal into the body he possessed. He didn¡¯t have a healing power, exactly, but it looked like he could supercharge someone else¡¯s healing ability if he possessed them. That could come in really handy.
The medic noticed that the Colonel was moving his foot and looked down at the undamaged foot, ¡°What the hell?¡± the medic called out.
¡°What?¡± Anton said as he brought the Colonel¡¯s body out of its meditative state.
¡°Your foot, it¡¯s fully healed!¡± the medic exclaimed. ¡°I have to get someone.¡±
¡°Freeze, Airman. You¡¯ll do no such thing.
¡°But, Sir,¡±
¡°My foot, my call, Airman,¡±
¡°Yes, Sir,¡±
¡°Just drop me off at Headquarters, please.
The driver changed their destination, and a few moments later, they pulled up to the Headquarters building. Anton stepped out of the ambulance, minus one shoe, and made his way into the building where a two-star General stood waiting for him
¡°Colonel, I thought I gave you precise orders to get that family back to this base. I do not see the family,¡± The General declared.
¡°What¡¯s up, General? Let me see if this works,¡± Anton said as he took the President¡¯s phone out of his Inventory. The phone appeared in his hand.
The General saw the phone appear out of nowhere, ¡°What?¡± The General stammered.
¡°Just a moment, General,¡± Anton said as he dialed the number of the phone Felix was currently holding and set the President¡¯s phone to the speaker so the General could hear the call.
¡°Yes?¡± Felix¡¯s voice called over the phone
¡°Felix, this is Anton, in a Colonel¡¯s body back here in Minot. The Colonel was sent to grab my family by the General, who is also standing right next to me. Is the President there with you?¡±
¡°Yes, he is, As are quite a few others,¡±
The General looked like he was about to say something, but Anton cut him off, ¡°Mr. President, rescind the order before the Colonel, who I¡¯m talking through, has another accident?¡±
Anton heard the President ask Felix to ask what accident before Felix conveyed the question.
¡°It seems that the Colonel shot his foot with his firearm,¡± Anton explained.
¡°Are you saying the Colonel shot himself,¡± Felix asked.
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°How is he now?¡± The President asked
¡°Well, his foot is fully healed; I took care of that when I was testing something else out. His boot, on the other hand, is toast.¡±
¡°I take it this is your way of not so subtly implying that you can get to anyone anywhere?¡± the president asked, his voice coming through the phone loud and clear.
¡°Before I answer that, I want to hear you rescind the order to the General here.
¡°It doesn¡¯t work like that,¡± The President said.
¡°I¡¯m sure the General still has a phone. It¡¯s probably been encrypted, and he can receive a call. If you want my help, my family is off-limits. If you want me to significantly reduce your ability to respond to the impending crisis, refuse.¡±
¡°Are you threatening us, Anton?¡± The President asked heatedly.
¡°Mr. President. Here is what I am going to do if I don¡¯t have your word. I¡¯m going to invite Felix and Caitlyn to come to Minot and hang out with my family and me for the foreseeable future. The message we all saw from the SYSTEM indicates that the Magical Density of this world is increasing. As that happens, electronics may or may not continue to work. Who knows, maybe the SYSTEM modified itself so technological items work with magic, but I wouldn¡¯t bet on it. Besides, whatever goes on with technology, one thing is for sure. As the Magical Density increases, magic is going to do some weird things, which include creating or summoning monsters everywhere.¡±
¡°Why should I believe anything you¡¯re telling us?¡± The President asked.
¡°Well, you did just have approximately 3.5 billion people appear on the planet out of nowhere. Additionally, I was just there in Washington, D.C., and I made it back to Minot in just under 20 minutes without using an aircraft. Additionally, I am currently possessing a Colonel, who I possessed and then shot in the foot with his personal sidearm. But before we digress, let me continue with what I¡¯m going to do. I am going to keep my family safe. Anyone that tries to take or harm them is going to find out just how bad it is to piss off a being that can remain incorporeal, possess whoever they want, and also summon every weapon he¡¯s picked up out of thin air,¡± Anton said as his P90 appeared in his hands pointed at the General, ¡°General. Would you please stop reaching for your weapon? The only person you¡¯d kill if you shoot me would be the Colonel. You cannot hurt me while I¡¯m in this body, and if you were to shoot my body with your handgun, I guarantee I will survive.¡±
Anton stored the P90 in his inventory when the General relaxed his posture and turned his attention back to the phone call, ¡°Well, Mr. President?¡±
¡°Is it true you are immortal?¡±
¡°Felix at least filled you in on that then. Yes, as far as I can determine, I am immortal. Not even nuking me at close-range works.¡±
The General cleared his throat, ¡°Colonel, I mean, Anton, What do you consider close range?¡±
¡°About 20 feet, maybe less,¡± Anton replied honestly.
The General was so shocked by the statement he went quiet. Anton waited a moment to see if the General had anything else to add to the conversation and then continued, ¡°Now, back to my plan if the order isn¡¯t rescinded. I¡¯m going to stay with my parents, and anyone that bothers us is going to have a lot of bad days. The Magical Density will increase, monsters will start spawning, and the world will have some very bad days without my help. After everything has completely fallen apart, again, I will try to help the survivors, and we¡¯ll rebuild.¡± ¡°And the other option,¡± The President asked.
¡°That¡¯s simple. I will work with the smartest people you have so we can prepare this country and the world, if they¡¯ll listen, for what is probably going to happen. Additionally, I help with any of the truly awful monster spawns. Since I am immortal, it should go without saying that I¡¯m the perfect candidate for suicide missions. What is your answer, Mr. President?¡±
As Anton asked the question, The general''s phone buzzed. He pulled it out and turned the phone so Anton could see the message.
¡°Very good, Mr. President. I think we can work together so long as we¡¯re honest with each other. Speaking of honesty, we were interrupted before I could inform you that the would-be assassin at Andrews was an Elf, probably from the Planet Minerva.
¡°Minerva,¡± The General asked.
¡°The Planet Minerva?¡± The President asked.
¡°I¡¯ll be back in Washington D.C. in a moment, Mr. President; we need to talk,¡± Anton said as he hung up the phone. Anton turned to the General, ¡°The Colonel will have no memory of anything that has happened during any moment I controlled his body when I released him. I¡¯ll be releasing him now.¡±
Anton released the Colonel and returned to his Father¡¯s home. He only stayed for a few minutes, which was enough time for him to let his dad know what had happened. Once he was sure everything was, Anton activated Specter and used Planar Shift to appear in the Presidential Emergency Operations Center under the White House. When he didn¡¯t see the President, he moved up into the White House and found the President in the Oval Office with a group of people standing or sitting around the room. Anton Manifested first to let them know he was there and then deactivated Specter to appear in the room where his manifestation had been standing.
Felix looked over, ¡°You seem to be getting around a lot quicker than before, Anton?¡±
¡°A new take on a previous skill, but yes, I can get to any location I¡¯ve previously been in short order.
Just then, the clock on the wall showed ¡°03:00,¡± and The SYSTEM released a notification that flooded the world.
SYSTEM Message!
Magical Density has reached 2%
Chapter 39, Back to Where this All Started
Anton looked around the Oval Office as everyone reviewed the Notification they¡¯d just received. He then double-checked the first notification and the time stamps provided by each. Anton looked at the clock again. It was just after 3:00 in the morning. Magical Density had increased to 1% approximately 4 hours ago. Now it was 2%. If it kept growing at the same rate, it would be 3% around 7 a.m., which meant it would be 5% by 3 p.m.
Magic hadn¡¯t been added slowly last time; it had just happened. The SYSTEM had also been considerate enough to explain the rules. This time, magic wasn¡¯t being added all at once. Suppose Magical Density grew by 1% every four hours. In 32 hours, it would be at 10%. 360 hours after that, it would reach 100%. In just over 16 days, Earth would go from a world that didn¡¯t have magic to one that did.
Anton was brought out of his thoughts when the President asked, ¡°Anton, what does this message mean?¡±
¡°Just what it said, Mr. President. Magic is leaking back into this world, maybe the Universe. I¡¯m not sure if this is a local phenomenon or if it¡¯s Universal. Anyway, magic is being added to this world.¡±
¡°What does that mean exactly,¡± One of the civilians in the Office, probably the Secretary of Defense, asked.
Anton cleared his throat and looked around the room. ¡°When this happened to me before The SYSTEM reset, Magic was added back to the world pretty much all at once. Also, the Earth increased in size by a factor of 10. It doesn¡¯t look like that happened this time, even with the population increase. The SYSTEM made the Earth into an Alternate Dungeon World. You know what? None of that matters. What matters is that in every version of the SYSTEM I¡¯ve experienced, Weapons of Mass Destruction didn¡¯t work. I also didn¡¯t see too much in the way of high technology, but I¡¯m not really sure how it was affected.¡±
¡°And why is the SYSTEM so important,¡± The President asked.
Anton smiled, ¡°Because once you unlock it, you can do cool stuff like store items in a dimensional pocket that only you have access to, like this,¡± Anton said as he held out his hand face up and had the President¡¯s phone appear in it. Anton turned it to see his face, unlocked it, and set the pin code to 1111 before he put it on the President''s desk, ¡°Thanks for letting me use your phone. The current pin is one, one, one, one. You might want to reset it to your Face ID.¡±
The President gave Anton a cold look as he picked up the phone and reset it quickly.
Anton turned back to everyone in the room while the President fixed his phone, ¡°Hopefully, the SYSTEM will let us know what¡¯s coming, but I would suggest that you ground all air traffic and try to get as many people who were out on boats back to shore as soon as possible. If you have some Doomsday bunker that you plan to send everyone to in case of a global killer event, you might want to activate that too.¡±
The President looked up from his phone, ¡°You make it sound like this is a global killer event.¡±
¡°Mr. President, I have personally been nuked, killed, and attacked by various monsters and even vampires. Yes, real vampires. Now you tell me, if all of that is going to be unleashed on the world, what would kind of event would you classify that as?¡±
Someone spoke up from the other side of the room. Anton had no idea who she was, though. ¡°Maybe we should wait. We don¡¯t want to start a panic.¡±
¡°You know what, I¡¯ve given you about as much information as I can,¡± Anton said before anyone else could reply. If we¡¯re lucky, we won¡¯t see 5% Magical Saturation before 3 p.m. local. If we¡¯re unlucky, it¡¯ll be sooner. I figure the SYSTEM is going to do something when we hit 5% or 10%, so I think I¡¯m going to go and check on something before we get that far.¡±
¡°Wait!¡± The President called. Out.
Anton froze and waited for the President to continue.
¡°What is Minerva?¡±
Anton looked around the room and asked, ¡°Is anyone from NASA in the room?¡±
¡°No, but I¡¯m fully briefed,¡± The person that Anton thought was the Secretary of Defense said.
¡°Very well. Have you been briefed on all stellar bodies within this solar system?¡±
¡°What are you talking about?¡± the man started to ask, then paused before he said, ¡°Oh.¡±
The President and a few others looked from Anton to the Secretary of Defense before the President asked, ¡°Charles, what does ¡®Oh¡¯ mean?¡±
Anton watched Charles look around the room and weigh what he could say before Anton interrupted his train of thought, ¡°Mr. President, there is a 10th Planet, if you all count Pluto as a planet, on the opposite side of the Sun from Earth, in the same orbit as Earth.¡±
The President looked at Anton as if he were speaking gibberish, and then he turned to Charles, ¡°Is that true?¡±
¡°Well, Sir, yes, sir, but.¡±
¡°But what? How do I, the President, not know about another planet¡¡±
¡°It was need-to-know and a condition of¡¡±
¡°Something you will no longer need to worry about slaves,¡± a feminine voice called out from air in front of the President.
Anton looked around but couldn¡¯t see anything. If they were using some scrying magic, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to detect it. Nor should they be able to detect him. It was interesting that they could speak through it, though.
A moment later, Anton saw two individuals teleport behind the President¡¯s back and with their backs to the window. Both wore black armor and appeared to be thin and lithe. Anton thought they might be elves, but something nagged at him about the two. He was about to Analyze them when one stepped toward the Agent on the wall behind the President to his left, and the other moved to the Agent on the wall to the President''s right.
Before either intruder had taken a step, Anton hit each with a Mind Bolt. Each Mind Bolt cost 10 Psychic Energy and inflicted a base of 8 points of damage plus the modifier he received for his willpower attribute bonus, which was 674. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was added or if the modifier was used as a percentage-based modifier. While the SYSTEM couldn¡¯t show him what he did to the intruders, he knew what his Personal Status said his skill was supposed to do.
What he didn¡¯t expect was for two heads to explode. If he had a chance, he would need to find a psychic attack skill that only stunned the target, especially if those idiots over on Minerva were weaker than him.
¡°Garder!¡±
That call had come from an individual who was watching the room
The President looked to his left and right while the Secret Service Agents drew their weapons to cover to the bodies that had appeared beside them while they moved into flanking positions behind the President.
¡°Sorry, that was me,¡± Anton said.
¡°Who is speaking? I do not see anyone speaking.¡± The feminine voice called out angrily.
¡°Well, I¡¯m right in front of the President¡¯s desk. If you can¡¯t see me, I guess your scrying spell is a bit pathetic, isn¡¯t it?¡± Anton called out to the room
¡°Anton, What are you doing?¡± The President asked quietly
Felix, who was sitting on one of the couches behind Anton, added, ¡°I¡¯d like to know that as well.¡±
Anton held a finger to his lips.
¡°Anton? Well, Anton,¡± the female said as she spits out his name, ¡°I was going to do this the easy way: Kill the leader, use the people in that room, and move from there, but I think it will be much easier to kill all of you. Since you¡¯ve seen magic before, let me show you something for the first and last time.¡±
A moment later, a baseball-sized orb of an orange and red pulsing light appeared directly in front of Anton, less than a foot away from his head. Before anything could happen, Anton reached out and waved his hand through the ball, which caused it to vanish.
¡°What was that?¡± The President asked.
¡°Probably a spell of some sort that was meant to explode,¡± Anton said thoughtfully.
¡°You mean like a fireball,¡± Charles said.
Anton smiled, ¡°Exactly like a fireball, probably more like a Delayed Blast Fireball, but I¡¯m getting sidetracked. Mr. President, get everyone out of this room. She¡¯s probably going to try again.¡±
The President didn¡¯t hesitate, ¡°Everyone, out of the room, We¡¯ll meet¡¡±
Anton cut off the President, ¡°MOVE OUT!" Then he looked at the President and put a finger to his lips.
The President nodded, ¡°You heard the man, move out!¡±
Anton walked over to one of the bodies and checked it. He didn¡¯t think he was dealing with elves, but he needed to be sure. Also, he was waiting to see if anything else was going on. He was pretty sure whoever it was still had their eye on the room. That their little present hadn¡¯t worked should be pretty obvious. If they were tracking the President, he should have a few moments to check the bodies. If the scrying magic were stationary, well, they¡¯d soon see someone rifling through their assassin''s things.
No sooner had Anton started going through the body of the first Assassin when a portal opened up directly beneath it. Anton had a split second to dodge away and not fall through, but he saw that the hole opened into another lighted area with a floor that looked somewhat familiar. Anton fell with the body and lightly landed on his feet as he took in the surroundings.
He was in a 50 x 50-foot room with a grey orb at its center. Standing next to the grey orb was a feminine-looking person wearing something that looked like a cross between a jumpsuit and a full-dress uniform for the military, minus all the ribbons and metals. Two other individuals were standing with her who looked to be wearing something very similar to the female except that it appeared to be a thicker, possibly better-armored set of clothing.
The woman smiled, ¡°Anton, I presume.¡±
Anton smiled back as he said, ¡°Yes.¡±
While the female had pointed ears, her pallid complexion and blood-red irises didn¡¯t match any elf Anton had ever heard of. She more resembled what Anton would have thought of as an undead or vampire, but not exactly like he¡¯d run into in the Labyrinth.
¡°It would seem that you are my prisoner.¡±
¡°It would seem that way to you, I¡¯m sure,¡± Anton replied. ¡°Before we continue, might I have your name?¡±
¡°Slaves do not speak¡.¡±
Anton flashed forward and struck with a double palm strike. It was a simple move. Both hands struck out at the waist level and targeted the floating ribs of the target. It was usually meant to push your opponent away. Because Anton had to move more than 5 feet, there was momentum behind his strike. That momentum transferred to his target, which ended up being very bad for the soldier.
The soldier he¡¯d attacked had tried to block it and failed. Anton¡¯s palms connected, and the soldier was flung into the wall 20 feet behind him with a loud ¡°CRACK!¡± before he slumped to the ground. Anton was pretty sure he was dead but didn¡¯t wait to find out.
The second soldier had pulled a very wicked-looking short blade from a sheath on his back and was already swinging at Anton¡¯s head. Anton quickly sidestepped the strike and chopped at the wrist of the hand, holding the sword with the heel of his left hand. Simultaneously, he struck the neck of the second soldier with the webbing between his thumb and the pointer finger of his right hand. There was another loud crack as Anton broke the soldier''s neck. Unlike his first strike, he didn¡¯t put the full force of this strength behind the strike and instead tried for an effect, crushing the target''s throat.
The attack worked. The soldier dropped his sword, reached for his neck and throat, and dropped to the ground.
The female looked at her two guards. ¡°You are powerful,¡± she said as she pointed her hand toward Anton, and the red gem embedded in the ring flared. Now that you¡¯re my slave, we can begin.¡±
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Anton looked around as if confused. Did she just cast a spell to enslave him? Not having the SYSTEM tell him what had been used against him was beginning to be annoying. Anton smiled, ¡°Yeah, NOT your slave lady¡¡± Anton was interrupted as both the female and he looked at the second guard, who had begun thrashing before he finally went still. Anton stepped away from the female until the soldier¡¯s head was directly below him, pulled one of his pistols from his inventory, and fired two rounds into the soldier''s head.
The look of shock that crossed the female''s face was priceless as Anton returned the pistol to his inventory and commented, ¡°Doesn¡¯t it suck when someone you thought was dead stood back up.¡±
¡°Why?¡± the female asked.
Anton shrugged and put the pistol back in his inventory. He said, ¡°I believe I covered that already. Besides, it¡¯s not like he was going to get back up anytime soon, anyway.¡±
¡°If you cannot be controlled, then die,¡± she said as she raised her left hand, and a different ring¡¯s gem, black this time, flared.¡± A globe of darkness surrounded Anton for a moment, though none of it touched him.
Anton ignored the sphere of darkness and stepped forward through it, which brought him up to the gray orb. Anton reached out and touched it.
Welcome
You have established contact with Portal Node 10. Would you like to add this Node to your local Network? Yes or No?
Anton was a bit confused. If he were in Antarctica, this would be the Pillar 10 Portal Node. Of course, if the Pillars had been removed, then the SYSTEM would have had to update their structure. That it had already done so was impressive. Also, last time, there was a message that stated that this node could only be used with local nodes. There was no such message this time.
¡°Excuse me, am I boring you?¡± the female alien called out to Anton from a few feet away where she stood watching him. He¡¯d been so focused on the orb that he¡¯d disregarded her as she¡¯d stepped away from him when he approached the node from whatever she¡¯d cast at him.
Anton decided to stick with a flippant attitude and answered honestly, ¡°Well, yeah.¡±
Anton watched as the woman¡¯s complexion became darker, flushed maybe, but he couldn¡¯t be sure until she brought herself under control, pulled a weapon from her belt, and fired. It at him. Anton wasn¡¯t quite sure what kind of weapon it was, but it punched a hole clean through his chest. He didn¡¯t die, though. He leaned his weight forward and allowed the node sphere to hold him up while his body healed.
The female watched Anton and raised the weapon to finish the job. Before she could pull the trigger, Anton activated Specter. Like everyone else he¡¯d seen from this dimension, she also had the white opalescent core of energy within her semi-translucent body. Anton reached out and touched it as he activated Possession. This time, there was a bit of resistance, but he was able to overcome it with only a little bit of effort. That was interesting. Maybe she had an inherent resistance to possession or mind alterations. It didn¡¯t matter now. He thought with a chuckle.
What was he going to do now? She was using items, so the first thing he needed to do was remove all of them and make sure she didn¡¯t have any hidden on or in her body. Anton removed all of her clothing and then felt her body for jewelry or piercings. She had three rings on her fingers, which he removed and placed on her clothing. She also had simple earrings that he quickly removed and set down by the rings. Next, he used her hands to feel all over her body for anything that didn¡¯t feel normal, like a skin patch or cover that had been placed over something. He also made sure to push on the skin to see if anything had been embedded in her skin in areas that were historically not deadly to humans. Like human females, she had breasts, so he made sure to check directly under her breasts as well as along her thighs, buttocks, and groin. If he was being honest, her body didn¡¯t appear to be very different from human females.
He didn¡¯t go through her things; he could do that later. Anton picked everything up and stored it all in his inventory. He didn¡¯t want to risk letting her go and watching her flee through the node. He had an idea where she would flee to since it seemed that the node was no longer limited to the local area. This female and her four soldiers had come from somewhere.
Before he left, he wanted to check something, though. Anton walked her naked body out of the Node room and back to the room he¡¯d found the pillar in so long ago. If this was Antarctica, it should be right where it was before. If this wasn¡¯t and others were here, well, he had nothing to be embarrassed about or worried about. She seemed to be the boss after all.
No one else was present in the facility as he made his way through the hallway and into the room with the transparent floor. When he stepped into the room, he knew he was in the same room because he could clearly see the shaft below the transparent floor with one change. The Pillar that had once been in this room was gone, and the clear floor extended over the area the pillar had once occupied to ensure that the whole floor was covered.
Anton walked down the only other hallway in the room and quickly came to the chamber where their submersible had surfaced when he¡¯d first found this facility so long ago. He noticed that the body he was possessing was beginning to feel a bit cold. Anton pulled some sweats and a sweatshirt out of his inventory but left the female barefoot. His inventory even let him pull the clothes out of his inventory so they were on her body without him having to put them on. The wardrobe function of his inventory was turning out to be very useful.
Anton walked back to and through the former pillar chamber before making his way back to the Node Chamber. He touched the node and focused on the White House Oval Office. He¡¯d only been gone for 10 minutes or so, but it was still empty. Anton had the node open a portal and set it to stay open for 2 minutes before closing. Next, he went over to each of the dead soldiers, the two he¡¯d killed in the Oval Office and the two he¡¯d killed here. Anton touched each and willed them into his inventory. Once all four were stored, he stood and walked over to the Portal.
He stepped through the portal and waited until it closed before he called out, ¡°President Cruiger, This is Anton. I found the leader of the aliens that attacked us earlier. Do you have a secured holding cell we can stash this woman in?¡±
A moment later, two Marines and two Secret Service Agents burst into the room from the two doors, weapons drawn, ¡°Freeze, DO NOT MOVE!¡±
Anton allowed the agents to restrain the body he controlled before he said, ¡°This is Anton. I am currently in control of this Alien. I am not sure how powerful she is. Get her into a cell, please.¡±
When none of the Agents or Marines responded, Anton sighed, ¡°Very well. I am about to release this alien. Be ready for her behavior to change. Anton ended his Possession but remained in his Specter Form while he kept an eye on what she was up to. Immediately, the alien started trying to free her arms from the restraints around her wrists as she looked around to get her bearings. Her demeanor changed to one of a frantic trapped animal when she saw what she was wearing. When she hadn¡¯t calmed down for a couple of minutes, she was dragged from the Oval Office.
Instead of following the female, Anton dropped through the ground to the Presidential Emergency Operations Command. He found the President, Mrs. Ellisson, Felix, Caitlyn, and a few others had been in the Oval Office in one of the meeting rooms. Most of the aides that had been in the Oval Office were not present. Anton noted that one of the monitors in the room had a picture of the empty Oval Office on it.
Anton activated Manifest and waved at the President. Anton pointed at the two Agents near the President and then made a thumbs-up and thumbs-down gesture. The President understood what he was asking and said something to the Agent off to his right. Both agents gave a thumbs-up with their left hands before the president gave Anton a thumbs-up. Anton deactivated Manifest and then deactivated Specter.
¡°You¡¯re back,¡± The President called back.
¡°I am back, and I brought a present.¡± Anton agreed.
¡°We saw. Who was she?¡± The President asked.
¡°I have no idea who she is. I know that she¡¯s probably not from this planet and has pointed ears like an elf. I also have the bodies of the two intruders that were in the Oval Office, as well as two more I had to neutralize in the Antarctica Facility.¡±
¡°Antarctica Facility? What?
Anton spent the next 10 minutes describing the facility and the node that operated a portal device there. He also suggested that the President might want to set up a permanent presence there, which caused the President to ask, ¡°How do I get people there?¡±
¡°Well, Mr. President, when we first discovered the facility in my timeline, we reached it via submersible. I can, however, return to the facility and open a portal that your people could step through. Then, I can train a few of your personnel to utilize a node to maintain communication, open a portal, and trade out personnel as needed.¡±
¡°Charles, I¡¯d like a team ready to go as soon as possible,¡± President Cruiger said.
Anton cleared his throat, ¡°The team needs to be at a location I can easily find. If I¡¯ve never been there before, it¡¯ll be hard to transfer them. What we could do as a workaround is get me someone who knows where whoever you are going to send is. I¡¯ll get them to the facility, and that person can bring the personnel in. Also, the location is under about a mile of ice, so it¡¯s doubtful that anyone will be able to stay in contact at all times, they¡¯ll have to open a portal to make contact.¡±
¡°Can anyone use this node?¡± Charles asked.
¡°I don¡¯t see why not.¡±
¡°Very well, let me make a call, and I¡¯ll have someone from the Pentagon here in about 15 minutes.¡±
Anton turned to the President, ¡°I have another question for you. I have four alien bodies in my inventory. Do you have a place I can drop them off?¡±
¡°You¡¯re carrying four alien bodies right now?¡± The President asked.
¡°I am.¡± Anton agreed.
¡°Charles?¡±
¡°Yes, Mr. President.¡±
¡°Make sure whoever you bring here has a location the bodies can be sent to. I¡¯m thinking somewhere in Nevada.¡±
¡°Yes, Mr. President,¡± Charles said as he pulled out his cell phone and made a call.
While they waited, Anton moved over and spoke with Caitlyn to see if anything had happened while he¡¯d been gone. When she responded in the negative and seemed to take her cues from Felix, Anton moved over to a wall and just kept an eye on the room.
After 10 minutes, an Admiral and another soldier walked into the Oval Office. The President turned to Anton and nodded. It only took a moment for Anton to Planar Shift down to the Node in the Antarctic and open a portal into the White House, which shocked everyone present. Anton waited patiently for a moment, but when no one moved, he called out, ¡°Come on, we don¡¯t have all day.¡±
A moment later, The Admiral and the Soldier stepped through the portal. Anton closed the portal, smiled, and said, ¡°Welcome to the Antarctic.¡±
¡°What is this place?¡± The Admiral asked.
¡°I believe it''s a travel chamber for a node network. I¡¯m not really sure, but this is where the alien that was captured and the others that attacked the Oval Office came from,¡± Anton explained.
¡°So, we need to secure this location?¡± the other man asked.
The Admiral spoke up, ¡°This is Commander Blake; he will be providing a location to drop the bodies off that you have?¡± The Admiral asked, ¡°He will also be bringing in a team or two to secure this facility.¡±
¡°Great, let¡¯s get started then. This grey orb controls the portal device that allowed me to bring you here. It can also allow you to look in on any place on Earth if you wish without their knowledge,¡± Anton said as he brought up and displayed the meeting room the President was in. He moved the point of view around as the three of them listened to the various information that was being fed to the President and his team.
¡°How do I use it,¡± Commander Blake asked.
Anton removed his hand from the Node, which caused the image to vanish, ¡°Simply put your hand on the node and follow the prompts. You can answer any of the prompts that appear in your vision by thinking or speaking your answers.¡±
Commander Blake stepped up and put his hand on the Node. A few moments later an image of the Lincoln Monument appeared, then shifted to a beach and finally to a ready room where six men stood in black combat kits. Commander Blake looked to Anton and asked, ¡°How do I make a portal?¡±
¡°Just concentrate on creating a way to get there. Think of it like creating a door. The image should then solidify into a portal that opens to the location,¡± Anton said.
Commander Blake did as Anton instructed, which caused all 6 men in the room to spread out and bring their weapons up toward the portal.
¡°Stand Down. Code Phrase is Phoenix.¡±
¡°Code phrase noted, the leader of the six said as their weapons were aimed at the ground.
Commander Blake spoke again, ¡°It¡¯s Blake. Grab your shit and step through; I have the Admiral and one friendly; now Move!¡±
Once the team was through, the Admiral turned to the team leader and asked, ¡°One, where¡¯s team two?¡±
¡°Team two is at the alternate prep site, ¡°One said after looking at Anton.
¡°Moving Portal to Team Two¡¯s location,¡± Commander Blake said as a new image popped into existence and shifted until a second team was visible.
Once the second team was in the facility, the Admiral instructed them to search and secure the facility while team one secured the Nde Chamber. While the Admiral gave instructions to the teams, Commander Blake opened a third portal to an empty room that looked like a laboratory. Commander Blake looked at Anton, ¡°If you¡¯d put the dead aliens on the floor, someone will get to them shortly.¡±
Anton stuck his hand through the portal and willed the bodies to appear on the floor of the lab, where he piled them. They were pretty messy, so he wasn¡¯t too careful about how he dropped them off. However, they were naked when they appeared. Anton made sure to leave all of their equipment and weapons in his inventory. Once all four bodies were dropped off, he pulled his hand back through the portal, ¡°That¡¯s it.¡±
Commander Blake closed the portal as the Admiral walked over to Anton. ¡°A moment, please.¡±
¡°Anton, Admiral, the name is Anton.¡±
¡°Very well, Anton, just a quick clarification. While this Node can be utilized to open portals, are you saying it can be viewed anywhere on the planet?¡±
¡°I¡¯m pretty sure it has a much further range than that. But, to answer your question, yes. You can also use it like a map if you wish,¡± Anton explained.
¡°Like a map?¡± The Admiral asked.
¡°I¡¯ll show you,¡± Anton said as he stepped up to the Node and placed his hand on it as Commander Blake lifted his off. The Virtual Vertical Screen appeared again with an image of the president''s meeting room. Anton focused on bringing the view vertical while looking down. The view on the Virtual display zoomed up through the ceiling of the Oval Office until they were looking at an image of Washington, D.C., then the East Coast, and finally the whole United States.
¡°Wow!¡± Commander Blake exclaimed.
Anton smiled, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t need to tell you this, but do not open a portal if you use the node like this. The change in pressure will suck you right out of this room unless there is some seal on the portal. I have never tried it, so I don¡¯t know.
The Admiral smiled, ¡°So we can use this to check on other places around the globe?¡±
¡°You can, though it¡¯s a lot easier to pull up places you¡¯ve been,¡± Anton explained.
¡°Is there anything else you can tell us?¡±
¡°Not at the moment. I figure you¡¯re going to be busy here for a while. Me, I think I¡¯m going to check in with the President,¡± Anton said.
¡°If you would let the President know that I¡¯ll make a full report within the hour,¡± The Admiral asked.
¡°I can do that,¡± Adam agreed.
¡°Do you need me to open a Portal for you?¡± Commander Blake asked.
¡°No, I can get there on my own. I wanted to remind you that I found the Alien female and two of her guards in this room. If they came here from somewhere else, they either portaled or teleported in. Whatever Defensive measures you put in place should be geared toward dealing with people who can appear anywhere in this room, maybe even the whole facility,¡± Anton explained.
Commander Blake nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll definitely consider that.¡±
Anton nodded, activated Specter, and used Planar Shift to return to the White House. When he appeared, the President was once again in the Oval Office with everyone else. Anton passed on the Admiral¡¯s message to the President and walked over to Felix, who was talking with Mrs. Ellison. Just as he reached the group, a new notification appeared in his vision.
SYSTEM Message!
Magical Density has reached 3%
Anton looked at the clock. 5:58 a.m. It hadn¡¯t even been three hours since the last message. The Magical Density increase was accelerating. That couldn¡¯t be good. Anton felt like he was being watched, and he looked around the Oval Office to find everyone looking at him, then at the President, and then back to him.
Anton said the only thing that came to his mind, ¡°Well, Shit!¡±
Chapter 40, Some People Have all the Luck
Caitlyn had been watching over Felix since Anton brought them back together. Whatever had happened, wherever she was, she knew who Felix was and what type of leader he was. President Cruiger didn¡¯t seem to be too bad; he¡¯d just tried to control someone who, as far as she could tell, couldn¡¯t be controlled. She was also surprised by the training and ability of the Marines and Secret Service Agents she¡¯d encountered. They had all been competent and focused on trying to keep the President safe. As for the other people in the room. Politicians, one and all. She didn¡¯t consider any of them a threat, at least not physically. If they had a weapon she hadn¡¯t seen, they might be an issue, but as far as she could tell, they were mostly harmless.
Everyone, that is, except for Mrs. Ellison. She carried herself as a politician, and from what she¡¯d overheard, she seemed to be like Felix, a leader from another version of Earth. Even so, there was something about her that didn¡¯t sit well with Caitlyn. Something that she couldn¡¯t pin down, but her gut told her not to trust the woman. So, she¡¯d stuck next to Felix and, for the most part, ignored Anton when he¡¯d tried to start up a conversation because she didn¡¯t want Mrs. Ellison picking up that she didn¡¯t trust her.
When the latest SYSTEM Message appeared right after Anton returned, there was an uproar in the room as various people tried to talk at the same time. Caitlynn watched as Anton recommended that the President begin preparing the nation and maybe even letting others around the world know what they thought was going to happen; when Anton was asked why, his response was classic.
Anton looked at the President steadily as he said, ¡°If monsters start appearing all over the world, there will be panic. Additionally, the world is going to have a food shortage, and millions, if not billions, will die. That doesn¡¯t include those who will try to take advantage of the situation for personal power and gain. People are most likely going to die as it is. You should do everything in your power to help prevent that because the more humans that survive, the better for the overall survival of everyone else on this planet.¡±
Caitlyn wasn¡¯t too sure about Anton¡¯s claim, but she could agree that if monsters started appearing all over the place, having more people to fight them was better than not having enough. She watched as Felix participated in the conversation in the most unobtrusive way while Mrs. Ellison neither offered nor shot down any ideas.
The group moved from the Oval Office into the subbasement, where the primary command center for the White House was on the surface. The leading group moved into the first meeting room while aids and additional personnel came and went at a rapid pace. Felix had her coordinate with the people from her Earth who had checked in and made sure that they were working hand in hand with the personnel from the Earth.
While Caitlyn coordinated with the people under Felix¡¯s command, she also watched Mrs. Ellison, who was making calls to her personnel and speaking in a language she didn¡¯t immediately recognize. She hadn¡¯t done anything that seemed suspect, but Caitlyn had a bad feeling every time she saw the woman.
As for Anton, the President had him coordinate with the Secretary of Defense and the Navy to reach some of the submarines that were out of accessible communication range. Most were in the Pacific near the poles. Caitlyn wasn¡¯t sure how his new quick travel ability of his worked, but she knew his flight speed was estimated at 1,400 miles per hour, which meant he would be out of pocket for a little while.
Just after 7 a.m., Anton reappeared, and the Admiral stepped through a portal that had just appeared. The President saw the Admiral and addressed him first, ¡°Admiral, what have you discovered?¡±
¡°Mr. President, we have moved a contingent of Navy Intelligence and support personnel to the facility to ensure the area''s security. Once they were trained, the intelligence personnel began utilizing what is most likely an exploration function of the Node device to check on our friends and allies around the globe, without their knowledge, of course.¡±
¡°And,¡± The President asked.
¡°And it doesn¡¯t look good, Sir. I brought some of the intelligence personnel to the facility and had them use the device Anton showed us to look in on our primary adversaries.¡±
¡°How bad is it?¡±
The Admiral took a breath before he spoke to settle himself and then began, ¡°As you know, Sir, we estimate the population of the Earth increased by at least 3.5 billion people in the space of a few minutes. For the United States, Canada, Alaska, and remote areas of the former USSR and China, the increase, while noticeable, was well within each area¡¯s ability to tolerate. Congested areas like eastern China, Japan, and Europe are not fairing so well. Additionally, there is a definite difference between the people who appeared and the people indigenous to this Earth. Felix and Mrs. Ellison appear to be only two representatives of at least nine different origins we¡¯ve been able to identify.¡±
¡°What is happening over there,¡± The Secretary of Defense asked.
¡°It¡¯s Anarchy everywhere over there. One of the reasons our allies haven¡¯t reached out is that they were overrun in the first hour. Sir, no one believed the initial reports and requests for help, and now those lines are dead.¡±
¡°But you were able to check on what¡¯s going on?¡±
¡°Yes, Sir. It¡¯s not good. There is a group in China that appears to be descendants of the Mongols. They have been able to organize and take over the local militaries as well as overthrow any governments in the local area.¡±
¡°How is that possible? It hasn¡¯t been a full day yet?¡± The President asked.
¡°There are a lot of them, and they were spread out throughout Southeast Asia, India, Thailand, and India. We even believe some of the Mongol types appeared in Japan and the Philippines as well. The only thing that is slowing them down is the additional people that have appeared and the crowding. It has only been one day, and they¡¯re asserting their dominance. We expect to see an escalation of unrest over the next 48 hours as food and water in the area become scarce.¡±
Caitlyn listened as the Admiral gave a quick overview of the various nation-states and the issues they were having. It sounded like the other side of the world was being hit a lot harder than the United States and Canada. Most of the people from her world who had called in were being transported to the middle of the United States, predominantly Nebraska, but also into South Dakota and Kansas to spread out the impact and reduce potential shortages. She¡¯d been trying to keep an eye on where Mrs. Ellison was putting her people, but one of Mrs. Ellison¡¯s aides had handled those details.
As the clock on the wall indicated that it was 8:00 a.m., another Notification appeared in her vision.
SYSTEM Message!
Magical Density has reached 4%
It had been just over two hours since the last notification. Had the rate at which Magical Density accelerated increased again? Just then, the power in the White House flickered.
¡°That shouldn¡¯t happen,¡± The Secretary of Defense said.
¡°Anton, didn¡¯t you say something about the return of magic having a deleterious effect on electrical equipment?¡± The President asked.
¡°It does, and I did,¡± Anton said. ¡°Also, it¡¯s not localized; when I popped back into this area, I looked down on the East Coast and saw lights flickering up and down the coast. I don¡¯t know if the electricity will ultimately fail at 5%, but I would definitely put out a warning and try to prepare as many as you can.¡±
¡°Have you been able to reach all of the Submarines?¡± The Navy Admiral asked.
¡°There are only two left. I should be able to get to them, no problem.¡±
¡°Please, Anton, and thank you,¡± The President said. As for everyone else, I need to address the nation in five minutes. Let''s make it happen.¡±
Caitlyn was led out of the Oval Office and into a meeting room just down the hall, which held a monitor. Five minutes later, the President addressed the nation. Caitlyn watched as the President explained the upcoming possible emergency, the steps being taken, and why he was grounding all non-essential aircraft flights. He ended the broadcast and then went to work coordinating with the local government. It was pretty interesting to watch a President, someone from her past, make an address in real-time to the United States.
The President ended his address to the nation just after 8:30 a.m. Everyone in the room went back to work, taking phone calls, passing on information, and coordinating their efforts. For the next 30 minutes, things proceeded ¡®normally,¡¯ if normally was meant to be rapid-fire phone calls, texts, and snippets of information followed by answers that were only snippets of information. At 9:01 a.m., everything changed.
***
Brandon J Parker had been at work for one hour when the world went crazy. He didn¡¯t think about the fact that he worked only two blocks from the White House along New York Ave NW. Nor did he worry about the Treasury Building being just down the street. He came to CVS, oversaw the self-checkouts, answered questions, and restocked the shelves as needed.
The messages that had started appearing in his vision at around 9 p.m. last night had him worried. Still, since everyone else was seeing them, he figured it was some ultra-secret government program someone accidentally tested on the public. Seriously, there was a conspiracy theory for everything. Then again, maybe there was some SYSTEM that could access his brain. Regardless, he still woke up at 6 a.m., reviewed the latest SYSTEM Message, showered, dressed, and then walked from his apartment at The Apartments at City Center, just down H street, three blocks away. He had a job to do.
At 8:01, the SYSTEM message stated that the magic density had increased to 4%, which Brandon ignored. An hour later, the Magical Density increased to 5%. Fifteen minutes after that, Everyone¡¯s reality changed forever. There was a loud pop in the middle of the street outside the store. Brandon looked through the glass window and saw a large group of darkly clad people who had just appeared at the intersection. Some had what looked like ranged handheld weapons, but most were armed with swords. Swords? Some of the people in cars honked. The group ignored the vehicles near them and spread out in all directions from the intersection as they began moving toward the nearby buildings, including the CVS store Brandon worked in.
Brandon moved out of sight of the entrance and watched as six of the at least 50 unknown individuals moved out of the intersection. Brandon wasn¡¯t too worried about himself. He¡¯d served in the military for eight years and pursued hand-to-hand and martial arts training as a way to keep himself fit. Like everyone else, he¡¯d known that a lot of people had suddenly appeared on the planet. That¡¯s why he was at work. Most of the newcomers in Washington D.C. had been routed out west near the river where space was available. The local news had said they were trying to move people even further west to get them out of the metro because they were taxing local resources.
Brandon watched as the six men entered his store and split up as they headed toward the back wall of the store. Brandon shadowed one of the men as he made his way toward the hallway with the bathrooms and the office. He followed the man unobtrusively and grabbed a mop and bucket, which he rolled in front of him and toward the same hallway. If the man wasn¡¯t up to no good, Brandon was taking a mop bucket back to the closet in the hallway. If the man was up to no good, at least the mop could be used as a makeshift weapon.
The man walked into the hallway, looked through the glass window into the office and breakroom for the employees, and then turned into the men¡¯s bathroom. Brandon walked past the two bathrooms and opened the mop closet. He rolled the bucket in and then disengaged the mop head from the mop handle and held it out of sight in the closet as the man exited the men¡¯s bathroom, pushed open the female bathroom, and checked it quickly. Brandon was sure the man had noticed him since he wasn¡¯t trying to hide. His assumption was verified when the man reached into the light jacket he was wearing and turned toward Brandon.
Without a smile or any other signal Brandon could determine, the man drew a short blade and launched himself at Brandon. Luckily, one of the martial arts Brandon had picked up and continued to practice was Jujutsu. His attacker¡¯s strike was hard but sloppy, and Brandon countered by side-stepping the attack as he countered with the mop handle. With a thrust and a clockwise twist, Brandon forced his opponent''s elbow to twist and bend. His opponent tried to toss the knife to his other hand to continue the attack, which left Brandon with no choice but to break the locked arm by applying pressure with the mop handle. The lower arm snapped, and his attacker''s elbow was dislocated as he dropped the short sword.
With five other criminals in the store, Brandon wasted no time and jammed the end of the mop handle into this opponent''s throat, whacked him across the temple, and, with his final attack, brought the stick down on the base of his attacker''s neck and back. None of which should have been a killing blow but should stun and incapacitate him for a bit. His opponent dropped to the ground, unconscious. Brandon reached over and picked up his attacker''s short sword as two more men stepped into the hallway, each holding a similar but bloodied sword. Brandon had seen a couple of customers in the store, including Mrs. Evans and a random homeless guy.
¡°What do we have here, a would-be hero,¡± the man on the left said with contempt.
¡°He must have some skill if he took out Clark,¡± The second said.
Brandon held the staff in his right hand and the short sword in his left as he moved the sword to get a feel for its weight.
The man on the left looked amused, ¡°I do believe he thinks he has a chance.¡±
¡°The score is one to one. We¡¯ll have to take a half for this kill,¡± the man on the right said as they both rushed forward.
Brandon didn¡¯t like using blades primarily because it was hard not to do permanent damage to an opponent. He used the Mop Handle and the short blade to parry the two attacks as he pivoted through them and made it to the edge of the hallway, where he saw Mrs. Evans''s head lying on the floor a foot from her body in a growing pool of blood. At that moment, his mind became hyper-focused as he went to that place within himself. There was no wrong or right anymore. There was him and the Enemy, and those enemies were going to die now. Brandon dropped the mop handle. There was no longer any reason to worry about NOT permanently harming these monsters.
Brandon took a moment to locate the other three robbers. They were not close enough to be a threat. The attacker on Brandon''s left swung high and overhead while the one on his right made a thrusting attack. While the counter was not easy, he had training and was moving quicker than the two who were attacking him.
Brandon spun and pivoted to his left. This move allowed him to dodge the downward slash and also use the first attacker''s downward slash to block the thrust from the second man. Brandon came around the left side of the two attackers and thrust his blade across the back of the attacker next to him, into the armpit, and through the heart of the second attacker. The first attacker was turning and trying to follow his movement.
The second attacker, already dead, staggered and threw off the balance of the first attacker, which caused him to stagger with his blade still pointing to the ground. Brandon immediately followed up on his first strike. His training taught him to disengage and prepare, but the setup was too perfect. Instead of disengaging, Brandon withdrew the thrust and stepped forward as the first attacker spun to keep his eyes on Brandon. Brandon transferred the first blade to his left hand as he reached forward and yanked the sword out of the second attacker''s hand as he crashed to the ground.
Brandon stepped past the second attacker and turned with both blades, ready for the first attacker. His attacker didn¡¯t hesitate and leaped at Brandon over the dead man between them, which was a mistake. Without a thought, Brandon allowed the training he¡¯d received to guide him. He parried the first attack with the blade in his left hand as he sidestepped the leap and decapitated the man with the sword in his right hand, which he quickly followed with a kick to his upper body to cause it to fall away from him so the blood spurting from his neck didn¡¯t get all over him.
Brandon¡¯s training saved his life again when, instead of standing there and looking at what he¡¯d done in shock, he dove for cover so he could assess the situation. A bullet crashed into the wall behind him, followed by a gunshot from the far side of the store. Brandon bolted down the hallway and into the office toward his locker. Unlike most people who counted on the government and the police to keep them safe, Brandon had the training to keep himself safe and had taken the time to get a concealed carry license. When he¡¯d taken this job, he¡¯d verified that he could bring a weapon into the store as long as it had its own special storage container and it was stored in his locker while he was working.
Brandon reached his locker, grabbed the case out of it, and opened it with his key. He pulled out his locked-and-loaded Glock 45X just as the next attacker rushed into the doorway. Brandon dived for cover as he rolled sideways, aimed, and fired. Anyone will tell you that firing while flying through the air is stupid. There¡¯s no time to check your target background. Your aim is probably going to be off, and you¡¯ll need to recover when you hit the ground. If he was being honest, it was a stupid move. While it was an idiotic thing to do, luck was on his side as he dodged the shot that had been aimed at him while his opponent dodged into the path of the bullet and took a round right through his forehead, killing him instantly.
Brandon slammed into the ground and slid a foot before he scrambled behind the boss¡¯s desk and listened. The desk he was behind didn¡¯t have a bottom, and he was able to see the open door with the dead attacker lying half in and half out of the door. He couldn¡¯t see anyone moving in the hallway, but he could hear movement, so one or both of the final attackers had come to deal with him.
If he were in the hallway, he¡¯d be watching for movement through the glass window, which, while askew, still gave a good view of the whole room on the side with the desk he was behind. In fact, the only dead spot was on the opposite side of the door along the wall adjacent to the hallway. That meant that when they came into the room, they¡¯d have to clear that side if they knew what they were doing or possibly get shot in the back. That gave Brandon a chance.
Brandon aimed under the desk and waited. He heard words in a language he didn¡¯t understand as two bodies stepped into the room; one turned toward the blind spot, and the other turned toward the desk he was hiding behind. He knew this because of the direction the feet were pointing. The person closest to him was facing his direction, while the one behind him was facing the other direction. Brandon calmed his breathing and waited for the perfect shot. When one foot from each target lined up, he fired. His round went through the front of the left ankle of the attacker facing his direction and the back of the 2nd attacker''s left ankle as he was turning to face the desk.
The first attacker was able to reach out and stabilize himself on the doorway while the man who was turning fell to the ground as the ankle he was pivoting on shattered and could no longer support his weight. When that attacker hit the ground, Brandon put a round through his forehead, and just as the first shot rang out from the attacker who was still standing, Brandon targeted the only good ankle of his final attacker and put a round through it as well.
Brandon vaulted off the ground as a shot rang out from his last attacker as he fell to the ground. His last attacker was trying to catch himself as he fell while also bringing the gun in line to fire under the desk. It was too bad for him that Brandon was now above him and moving toward him. As Brandon''s feet came to rest on the desk, he calmly brought his gun in line with the final attacker and put a round through his forehead just as his eyes glanced up.
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A flashing gold star appeared in his vision, which Brandon ignored. He needed to figure out what was going on right now. Brandon reloaded his weapon and then picked up the guns from the three dead men in the office. The firearms looked familiar, but they were just different enough that he wouldn¡¯t feel comfortable using them, so he picked them up and threw them into his locker. Otherwise, there was nothing else on the bodies.
Staying low, Brandon moved into the hallway and then to where the two bodies of his attackers in the store lay. They only had short swords, which he picked up and brought back to his locker. Finally, he moved to his first attacker, who was still unconscious. This man had a dagger on a sheath at his waist, which Brandon picked up and added to his own. He drew the dagger, which flared brightly and actually hurt to hold. It felt like it was burning and cold at the same time.
Before Brandon could think about what to do next, he heard the bell that meant someone had entered the store, followed by a call in a language he couldn¡¯t understand. Whatever was going on, intel about who had done this would be bad for him, so he gripped the dagger, which seemed to make the pain worse, and plunged it up through the jaw of his unconscious attacker through his tongue and the roof of his mouth into his brain. A quick twist, he drew the blade out. Suddenly, the pain was gone. Brandon quickly wiped both sides of the blade on the dead man¡¯s jacket and moved toward the exit at the back of the store.
There was an alley directly behind the store, and across the alley was the bottom entrance to a parking garage. Brandon disabled the alarm, opened the door, and made his way outside. He kept moving as he looked around, crossed to the parking garage, and climbed over the low wall next to a white SUV. Brandon kept near the wall as he made his way south along the wall. When he was 10 feet long, he stepped away from the wall and behind the rear tire of a Nissan Rogue with a tinted window, which he looked through back toward where he¡¯d entered the garage.
Another soldier jumped over the wall and crouched as he looked around and under the cars. Brandon didn¡¯t move while the man looked around. A moment later, the soldier hopped back over the wall and ran back into the store. Brandon made his way to the stairway to the upper levels of the parking garage and moved up to the second level. He quietly made his way East to the other side of the garage and took a different stairway back down to ground level.
Brandon moved into the Church of Epiphany, a shortcut he¡¯d used to get to and from work when it was raining. He entered another parking garage and continued on to 13th St NW. As he looked around, Brandon realized that whatever was happening a block away had not reached this far yet. He moved up to the alley that ran along the back of Macy''s and continued east.
Fifteen minutes later, he stepped into his apartment, barricaded the door, and took stock of the situation. Brandon tried to turn on the news but the internet was out. He went over to his alarm clock and turned on his radio.
¡°Residents are encouraged to stay home. The Mayor of Washington D.C. has declared Martial Law while the attack from unknown entities on the White House, The Pentagon, and other government facilities is underway. Multiple deaths and injuries have been reported. If you are in the vicinity of a government installation, remove yourself from that location.¡±
Brandon turned the radio down but kept it on in case the information was updated. He walked into his bedroom and pulled out his military gear. He changed into his BDUs and grabbed his go bag, which contained enough food for two weeks and a kit to sanitize water if necessary. He also removed the silencer for his Glock from its hidden storage place and attached it to his weapon. He might need it later.
He made sure he had everything ready to go if he needed to bail while he listened to the announcers as they went over some of what they¡¯d learned about the SYSTEM. It seemed that when the Magical Density had reached 5%, a new functionality had been unlocked or primed. Unconfirmed reports were coming in that the SYSTEM became fully available when an action of note to the SYSTEM was registered. The most common of which seemed to be killing another creature, though unsubstantiated reports of individuals unlocking the SYSTEM while just doing their jobs had also been reported.
Brandon took special note when the report mentioned a gold star noted in the vision of those who had claimed to have unlocked a class. The announcer had been informed that Individuals should try to focus on the star in their vision and think or say ¡°open.¡±
Brandon was taken aback for a second. What, his life was a video game character with attributes and classes and such? How the hell could this be real? Then again, he had seen people teleported into the middle of a street, which, as far as he knew, wasn¡¯t possible. So, what did he have to lose? Brandon focused his attention on the gold star and thought, ¡°Open.¡±
Congratulations!
You have Unlocked the SYSTEM
XP Earned: 63,000 (10,500 x 6) for Combat with 6 level 6 soldiers.
Congratulations! New Title Gained.
Luck of the Draw ¨C Dexterity and Agility increased by 3. Luck increased by 5. Additionally, the Efficiency of Dexterity and Agility is increased by 50%
NOTE: This is the first time you have unlocked the SYSTEM during this Reincarnation Cycle. Please review the following information carefully.
Initial Ability ¡°Complex Soul¡± is automatically granted to all sentient members of the primary species present on the current planetary body that unlock the SYSTEM.
Complex Soul ¨C A combination of the Animae, Will, and memories of a being. Complex souls persist after death and may enter the higher and lower planes as well as enter the cycle of reincarnation. Memories of one''s previous incarnations are not automatically forgotten upon reincarnation.
All beings that participate in the Reincarnation Cycle obtain the Ability ¡°Complex Soul¡± automatically. Additional ability may be earned if warranted. Additional abilities are determined when the SYSTEM is unlocked. When unlocked, all actions prior to unlocking the SYSTEM since entering the Reincarnation Cycle are tallied and help determine new Abilities, if any, are earned. All earned Titles, Perks, Skills, Significant Actions, as well as any XP earned before unlocking the SYSTEM help0 determine the rank of a new random Ability.
NOTE: You may only have one ability of each Rank.
Additionally, during each Reincarnation Cycle, a being will be given one opportunity to earn and swap out an old ability with a new ability that has been randomly selected. If no previous ability of the same rank is present, the Ability is added automatically.
As can be deduced, abilities will be unlocked and available during the individual''s lifespan and at the beginning of the next reincarnation. This will make unlocking the SYSTEM progressively easier as one participates in the Reincarnation Cycle. As individuals are reincarnated, the odds of obtaining high-rank abilities increase. In rare instances, significant actions can unlock the SYSTEM and provide the individual with access to high-rank Abilities. These are the exceptions, not the rule.
There are 10 Ability Ranks, they are as follows: Common, Scarce, Rare, Advanced, Master, Epic, Legendary, Mythical, Unique, Divine.
Calculating Rank of Initial Ability.
Six SYSTEM active combatants with a level 600% higher than yourself were defeated.
Multiple types of attack noted.
New Title ¡°Luck of the Draw¡± Gained.
You have earned the Divine-ranked Abilit, ¡°Divine Luck.¡±
Divine Luck ¨C The SYSTEM has determined that you are lucky. You are so lucky, in fact, that this ability may only be possessed by one being. Unless or Until this ability is swapped out, no other being in the SYSTEM may receive this Ability. You are Unique, your luck, Divine.
Luck Attribute +100
Efficiency bonus of all attributes except Luck +100%
Efficiency Bonus of Luck +1,000%
Ability Cost: 55,000 XP
Class Section
A single class can have multiple rarities, which improve Attribute Bonuses per level and offer unique skills unavailable to individuals with a lower rarity. Additional class rarity can be increased, but doing so will often weaken those who increase the rarity of their class.
The class rarity available when unlocking the SYSTEM is based on the same metric by which abilities are randomly chosen. Please note that classes do have a maximum Rarity. For instance, a Fighter will only ever have a rarity of Basic, Scarce, or Rare. In contrast, a Soldier can increase in Rarity. In addition to Basic, Scarce, and Rare, Soldiers may also be Advanced or Master rarity.
Below, you will find a list of Classes and the Rarity for which you have qualified.
You may choose only one.
Available Classes are listed in Alphabetical order with Rarity qualified for and maximum rarity given.
Brandon was surprised at how long the list of classes was, but his attention was drawn to classes he recognized from Role-Playing and Video Games. While the list was long, his attention was drawn to the following list, which he summarized for further review.
Acrobat ¨C Rare/Rare
Adept ¨C Rare/Master
Assassin ¨C Master/Master
Barbarian ¨C Rare/Master
Bureaucrat ¨C Rare/Master
Cleric - Rare/Master
Demi-God ¨C Divine/Divine
Diplomat ¨C Rare/Master
Doctor ¨C Rare/Master
Druid ¨C Rare/Master
Fighter ¨C Rare/Rare
Entertainer ¨C Rare/Master
Healer ¨C Rare/Master
Hunter ¨C Master/Master
Mage ¨C Rare/Legendary
Marine - Master/Master
Merchant ¨C Rare/Rare
Monk ¨C Master/Master
Paladin- Rare/Epic
Pilot (Vehicle Specific) ¨C Rare/Master
Ranger ¨C Master/Master
Research Scientist ¨C Rare/Master
Researcher ¨C Rare/Master
Rogue ¨C Master/Master
Scout ¨C Rare/Rare
Scientist ¨C Rare/Master
Soldier ¨C Master/Master
Sorcerer ¨C Rare/Legendary
Spy ¨C Master/Master
Tech ¨C Rare/Mythic
You may focus on any class to learn more information.
Brandon zeroed in on the Demi-God Class. It was the only Class that listed its rank as Divine with a maximum rank of Divine. It also looked like whatever metric the SYSTEM used, his actions made the SYSTEM recommend more physical classes for him. While he could pick a magic-using class, they would start at a lower rarity, unlike every physical or stealth-based class offered.
Brandon focused on the Class Demi-God and pulled up its information.
Demi-God
Prerequisite ¨C At least one Divine Ranked Ability
Demi-Gods are those beings noted by action or deed to have performed a unique or unheard-of display of physical or mental prowess prior to unlocking the SYSTEM. While Demi-God is a class, you will be required to choose another Class as the Principal Class to indicate what type of Demi-God you wish to be. Do you want to focus on Magic, maybe Smithing or even Healing?
Once a Principal Class is chosen, The Demi-God will gain the benefits of the Demi-God class and must pay the increased experience to level. The Demi-God will receive attributes and resource levels for the Class Demi-God and receive the special perks and skills of the Principal Class they have chosen.
Finally, skills, perks, or abilities not of Divine Rank will not be able to discern the Demi-God aspect of your Principal Class. To all non-divine attempts to discern the class of a Demi-God (Fighter), Only Fighter would be discerned.
Demi-Gods receive 200 attributes per level.
Demi-Gods must decide when accepting this class how they wish for 400 points to be allocated between their Hit Points, Stamina, Mana, and Psychic Energy at each level. For reference, Basic rarity classes receive 15 resource pool points to be distributed between the four categories.
Demi-Gods also receive 50 Spell Points to distribute between Spell Points and Psychic Ability Points at each level. Like Hit Points, Stamina, Mana, and Psychic Energy, this distribution is determined upon accepting this class and cannot be changed once decided.
Demi-Gods receive specialized Skills and Perks upon reaching the appropriate levels of their Principal Class.
Demi-gods require the next level multiplied by 10,000 to reach the next level. 10,000 XP to reach level 1. 20,000 XP (30,000 XP Total) to reach level 2, and so on
Would you like to choose Demi-God as your 1st Class, Yes or No?
That was a no-brainer; Brandon chose ¡°Yes.¡±
Please choose another class to be the Principal Demi-God Class.
Brandon looked over the previous list. He was leaning toward one of the Soldier classes or maybe even a Monk, which might be very powerful with as many attributes as he would earn. Of course, he could choose the Hunter class or even the Rogue Class, but what he really wanted was an Assassin Sorcerer hybrid of some sort. He wanted to take advantage of his military background and be able to use magic. If this was really happening, why wouldn¡¯t he want to be able to cast spells?
Immediately, the list in his mind scrolled up through the various classes he¡¯d skipped until one of the classes on the list was highlighted, ¡°Magcarius.¡± Brandon focused on the word and pulled up the class''s description.
Magcarius
The Magcarius is a hybrid combination of an Assassin and Mage. This class offers the benefits of being stealthy and learning how to utilize magic to strike from stealth or cover without giving away your position. The class also provides benefits and skills that empower hand-to-hand combat and quick melee weapons against vital areas of their target. Ranged weapons are usually discounted for long-range magical attacks.
Typical Resource allocation for an Epic Ranked Magcarius are
Hit Points: 15/Level
Stamina: 15/Level
Mana: 20/Level
Psychic Energy: 0/Level
Spell Points: 6/Level
Psionic Ability Slots: 0/Level
As the Principal Class for a Demi-God, this choice will allow you to allocate the 400 points resource pool points you earn each level as you wish. You will also need to decide how 50 points are allocated between Spell Points and Psionic Ability Slots.
NOTE: The Magcarius is a magic assassin hybrid, not a Psionic assassin hybrid. While you can choose to gain Psionic Ability Slots and learn psionic powers, there is no inherent class skill or perk that will empower those Psionic Abilities.
The following skills are automatically gained at level 1 proficiency: Stealth, Melee Weapons: Short Blades, Tracking, Dark Magic, Earth Magic, and Death Magic.
Would you like to choose Magcarius as your Demi-God Principal Class, Yes or No?
Brandon chose ¡°Yes.¡±
Brandon didn¡¯t feel any different and was about to be severely disappointed when the door to his apartment exploded inward. Brandon would think about what happened next over the next few days and come to realize that Divine Luck was an outstanding ability to have.
Without a thought, the dagger Brandon had taken off one of his attackers at CVS was in his hand and then flying toward the man in a flowing black robe who was walking through his smashed-in front door as Brandon dove for cover through the doorway to his bedroom. There was a THUNK and then a thud followed by a male yelp of surprise. While he listened, he moved to the door jam, brought his Glock up, and aimed toward the doorway into his apartment. A quick glance showed that the man who had stepped through the door jam was on his back. His upper body was in the hallway, with his feet resting inside his apartment.
Another one of the attackers was barely visible as Brandon aimed the Glock and lined up where he thought the person¡¯s head would have to be if he leaned back to look into the apartment. A moment later, the attacker leaned back and brought his arm up with a stick; no, a wand when Brandon fired. The man¡¯s head exploded and sprayed brain matter all over the wall across the hallway behind him.
Brandon tried to remain as silent as he could as he moved out of the bedroom and up to the wall. The door opened toward him, allowing him to move up and behind the door so he couldn¡¯t be seen from the hallway. Breathing very slowly, he waited. He heard movement from the hallway as someone dived into his room and came up behind his couch, aiming one of their weird-looking firearms at the door to his room.
Brandon was in the attacker''s blind spot as he dove into the room and came up against the back of his couch. He even took his time to aim and then pulled the trigger just as the attacker caught Brandon¡¯s movement out of the corner of his eye and shifted to look toward him. Brandon saw the man¡¯s eyes go wide as a bullet entered through his temple and exited the other side of his skull near his ear.
A notification popped into Brandon¡¯s vision.
Congratulations! You have defeated two Level 10 soldiers. Total XP Earned: 115,500 XP
Congratulations! You have defeated 1 Level 12 Mage. Total XP Earned: 35,100 XP
Congratulations! You have earned Levels 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.
Please designate Resource pool and Skill Point allotments per level. When finished, you have 1,000 attributes to distribute.
Brandon had 1,000 attributes to distribute in addition to designating his resource pools and Spell Points. First things first, though. Brandon went over to the man he¡¯d killed with the knife and withdrew it from his eye socket.
Congratulations! You have discovered the Mage Killer. While this dagger does not provide any bonuses to attack or damage, it is impervious to magic. The perfect weapon for killing mages, no matter what level they are.
Base Damage: 1 ¨C 4
Durability: 21 of 21
Soul Bound to Brandon J. Parker.
That had been an extremely lucky throw into and through the right eye into the brain. It was immune to magic, and it was also fortunate because Brandon was pretty sure the guy in the robes had been a mage of some sort. He put the dagger out of his mind for now and quickly searched the bodies. Every time he picked up and moved something into a pile inside his apartment, a small square appeared on the bottom left of his vision.
Once he was done moving everything, he concentrated on the square. An Inventory Panel expanded into his vision. Anton picked up one of the attacker''s guns, and it disappeared. Immediately, an image of the weapon appeared in the inventory.
Okay then, he had an inventory. He¡¯d figure that out in a moment. He put everything he found into the inventory. He went back into his bedroom, grabbed his go bag, which he also added to his inventory, and made his way down to the basement laundry room, where he stepped into the mop closet and closed the door behind him. It was a very small room, but it should give him a little bit of privacy to review what he¡¯d just learned.
Chapter 41, What Does it Mean?
Brandon focused on the flashing icon in his vision, and a new message appeared.
Before distributing Attributes, please establish resource pool allocation. You earn 400 points per level as a Demi-God Magcarius. The Magcarius Class normally determines this allocation. Demi-Gods, however, may choose how their resource pools progress.
Resource Pools
Hit Points: 0
Stamina: 0
Mana: 0
Psychic Energy: 0
0 of 400 Allocated.
Brandon considered how to proceed. The easy answer was to put 100 points into each category. The reason was simple. If a Common ranked class was only getting 15 points per level to distribute, they probably put 5 points into the three primary resource pools for that class. As for how he¡¯d distribute the points, he did have that note about his class not being psionic. He thought about it for a minute. Then he decided to put 120 points per level into his Hit Points, Stamina, and Mana, and 40 points per level into his Psychic Energy so he would be able to utilize psionic abilities if he learned any. He made his allocations.
Hit Points: 120
Stamina: 120
Mana: 120
Psychic Energy: 40
400 of 400 Allocated
Is this Correct, Yes or No?
Brandon Chose ¡°Yes.¡±
You earn 50 Spell Points per level, which may be allocated between Spell Points and Psionic Ability Points. Spell Points are used to learn spells. Psionic Ability Points are used in much the same way to learn Psionic Abilities permanently.
Please allocate your 50 spell points.
Spell Points: 0
Psionic Ability Points: 0
0 of 50 Spell Points Allocated
Again, Brandon realized he had an extreme advantage. He did want to be able to utilize Psionic Abilities if he could learn any, so he decided on a 35 / 15 split.
Spell Points: 35
Psionic Ability Points: 15
50 of 50 Spell Points Allocated
Are you sure you wish to allocate your Spell Points as listed? Yes or No?
Brandon chose ¡°Yes.¡±
Base Resource Pool and Spell Point allocation set.
Class Levels 1 through 5 ¡ applied.
You now have 1,000 free attributes. You may choose to have these applied automatically as you level, or you may allocate your attributes manually as you level.
NOTE: Individuals with Common or Basic classes receive 4 attributes per level to distribute. As a Demi-God, you receive 200 per level to distribute between the following eleven attributes: Strength, Agility, Dexterity, Endurance, Constitution, Perception, Intelligence, Wisdom, Willpower, Charisma, and Luck.
Brandon thought about what the attributes represented, and then he reread the message. Standard classes only had four attribute points per level to distribute each level. He was earning 200. He couldn¡¯t just divide 200 by 11. That was 18, with the remainder of 2 points. He could put 18 into every attribute except Luck and put the last 20 points there. Since whatever had just happened to him seemed to like the word luck, that sounded like a great idea.
Brandon set his attributes to be automatically distributed each time he leveled: 20 to Luck and 18 to every other attribute. He was asked to confirm his choice. When he did, the world went dark.
Brandon came to crumpled on the floor. How long had he been out? He picked himself up off the floor and pulled his phone out of his pocket. He activated it and saw that it was now 10:30 a.m. A moment later a new Message popped into his vision.
SYSTEM Message!
Magical Density has reached 8%
8%?
Magical Density had increased twice while he was unconscious? That meant the rate of saturation was increasing. At this rate, whatever Magical Density was, it would be 100% in less than a day. Brandon¡¯s thoughts were interrupted when his eyes registered something odd. His hand seemed bigger than his phone and he also felt taller. He was 5 foot 10 inches, but now things have appeared a little off. The BDUs he was wearing seemed a little small on him. Luckily, his BDUs were loose, so they still fit. So he was taller and he might have grown an inch or two.
He brought his attention back to his messages and opened them again. The messages continued as if he hadn¡¯t just dropped unconscious.
Attributes allocation complete
As a Magcarius, you receive the following spells at 1st Level:
Cloak of Darkness
Magical Sphere: Dark
Spell Level: 1
Mana Cost: 1 per turn
Upon Activation, the Cloak of Darkness surrounds the individual in darkness, making it significantly more challenging to see in dark environments. +50% +1% per Spell Level to Stealth, Camouflage, Hide, and similar-based skills and abilities when in dark or poorly illuminated areas.
If used in brightly lit areas, this spell has the opposite effect.
Earth¡¯s Embrace
Magical Sphere: Earth
Spell level: 1
Mana Cost: 10 per Hit Point healed.
Maximum per use, Spell Level.
You are able to draw upon the magical nature of the Earth to Heal yourself and others with your touch. You may heal up to your Spell Level per activation. This spell does not have a cool-down.
Death¡¯s Vision
Magical Sphere: Death
Spell Level: 1
Mana Cost: 1 per turn.
Once cast, your eyes are shrouded in shadows. You still see normally, but automatically detect any living or undead creature within range. Your Range of Vision is 20 Feet +5 feet per spell Level.
This spell will automatically pierce all but divine-ranked magic that attempts to obfuscate another living or undead creature from your sight.
The spells were interesting. Not very powerful, but interesting and useful. Brandon continued reading his notifications and messages.
There are two ways to improve a spell''s level. The first is to use the spell. The second is to invest Spell Points into the spell. For a quick comparison, the SYSTEM will share the spell cost and required uses of a spell to level through level 5 for all individuals new to The SYSTEM.
Spell Levels, unlike skill Levels, will not deteriorate over time.
Spell Level / Spell Point Total Cost.
Level 1 / 1
Level 2 / 3
Level 3 / 6
Level 4 / 10
Level 5 / 15
Spell Level / Cumulative uses.
Level 1 / 10
Level 2 / 40
Level 3 / 100
Level 4 / 200
Level 5 / 350
Brandon read the following message, which explained how earned Skill levels deteriorated if a skill wasn¡¯t used. Once he read that the benefit of utilizing skill points and spell points became apparent. A skill, once improved with skill points, wouldn¡¯t be forgotten. Spell Points, on the other hand, allowed someone to invest in spells and increase their power quickly, though they would still increase with use. While he read, he wondered if he had a character sheet or something like that. Brandon went back to his messages.
At Level 3, all attacks from Stealth using HTH, Short Blades, or spells from the Dark, Earth, and Death Spheres of Magic inflict triple damage. This is increased from the standard double damage.
At Level 5, a New skill was gained: Move Silently.
All adjustments have been added.
Your Personal Status is as follows.
Name: Brandon J Parker
Race: Human
Age: 27
Weight: 210
Birthday: June 16th, 2011
Classes:
1st Class: (Divine): Demi-God (Magcarius) / Level 5
Total XP: 178,600
Attributes
Strength 200, 100 100% efficiency. (+190)
Agility 258, 103 150% efficiency. (+248)
Dexterity 258, 103 150% efficiency. (+248)
Endurance 196, 98 100% efficiency. (+186)
Constitution 196, 98 100% efficiency. (+186)
The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.
Perception 200, 100 100% efficiency. (+190)
Intelligence 196, 98 100% efficiency. (+186)
Wisdom 196, 98 100% efficiency. (+186)
Willpower 196, 98, 100% efficiency. (+186)
Charisma 196, 98, 100% efficiency. (+186)
Luck 2365, 215, 1000% efficiency. (+2,355)
Chaos 0, 100%, 0 (-10)
Order 0, 100%, 0 (-10)
Skill Slots: 270
Spell Slots: 236
Psionic Slots: 193
Primary Stats
Carrying Capacity: 2,000 lbs / 953 kgs
Physical Damage Resistance (PDR): 2
Hit Points: 886
Health Regeneration: 5 per hour
Stamina: 2,560
Stamina Regeneration: 20 per Turn (10 seconds)
Mana: 2,560
Mana Regeneration: 20 per Turn (10 seconds)
Psychic Energy (PE): 312
PE Regeneration: 2 per Turn (10 seconds)
Movement
Running Speed: 143 MPH/ 210 FPS
Standing high Jump: 20 Inches.
Note. Falling Damage is not mitigated by maximum jumping Distance.
Flying Speed: N/A
Base Attack
Unarmed Attack: 97 (2 Base + 95 Damage)
(Attacks from Stealth, Damage x3)
Short Sword: 99 (4 Base + 95 Damage)
(Attacks from Stealth, Damage x3)
Standard Critical Damage Maximum Damage x2
Abilities:
Complex Soul
Divine Luck
Perks
Basic Map (SYSTEM Granted)
Personal Storage (SYSTEM Granted)
Titles:
Luck of the Draw
Skills
Perk Granted Skills
Basic Map / Level: 1
Personal Storage / Level 1
Other Skills:
Dodge / Level 1
Long Blades / Level 1
Long Range Firearms / Level 1
Martial Art (Jujutsu) / Level 2
Move Silently / 1
Short Blades (Purchased Skill) / Level 2
Short Range Firearms / Level 1
Stealth / Level 1
Two-Weapon Fighting Style / Level 2
Spells
Dark Magic
Earth¡¯s Embrace
Death¡¯s Vision
Treasure
On Person
Copper: 48
Silver: 40
Credits: 0
Gold: 0
Platinum: 0
SYSTEM Bank
Copper: 0
Silver: 0
Credits: 0
Gold: 0
Platinum: 0
So, he did have a character sheet of a sort. He also had a Basic Map. As soon as he had the thought, a map appeared in his vision of everything within 100 feet. Currently, the mop closet he was in showed himself and seemed to be fully detailed. Outside, the door to the closet showed the halls, stairways, and doors he knew about but was fogged out like the fogs of war effect in a lot of video games.
He also had the Personal Storage, or inventory he¡¯d already discovered, and he had treasure? Where were the copper and silver listed? Brandon pulled up the information about his Personal Storage, and sure enough, there were two stacks of coins listed. He pulled one of each out of his storage into his hand and looked at them. Once he had a feel for the weight of the coins, he willed them back into his Personal Storage, and they vanished.
SYSTEM Message!
Magical Density has reached 9%
Brandon checked the clock, 10:45 a.m. It had only been about 15 minutes since the last notification, 20 minutes before that. If the rate of increase continued to follow the pattern, there would be another increase in 10 minutes.
It was time to stop thinking and start working on the problem.
First, a group of hostiles had invaded the capital near the White House and killed predominately innocent people; He¡¯d witnessed that.
Second, If the messages were to be believed, he would be at least 50 times more powerful than anyone with a basic class. Until he tested his strength, he wouldn¡¯t know for sure.
Third, he needed to use this new power to do something, but he wasn¡¯t sure what. Going to the ground wouldn''t help, especially if the White House was under attack.
He knew what he had to do. Before he could do that though, he needed to improve his chances. It looked like he could increase some of the skills he had with the skill points, and he could also increase what his spells could do with his spell points, so he¡¯d start there.
Brandon raised the levels of Basic Map, Personal Storage, Dodge, Jujustsu, Short Blades, Short Range Firearms, and Two Weapon Fighting Style to 5 for 15 Skill Points each. The last two skills he raised were Stealth and Move Silently, which he increased to level 10. Each skill cost 55 Skill Points. That left him with 55 Skill Points he could use on any new skills he learned. For the only three spells he had, he had enough Spell Points to increase Cloak of Shadows, Earth¡¯s Embrace, and Death¡¯s Vision to level 10
Brandon quickly scanned the effect of each level increase, but it wasn¡¯t much. His Basic Map had increased from a 100-foot radius to a 150-foot radius, and his Personal Storage could hold up to 7 cubic feet of material. His combat-related skills increased by 1% in effectiveness per level. Since he didn¡¯t know what that represented, he didn¡¯t know if his high attributes or the higher percentage was going to be more significant. As for the spells. He could now use Earth¡¯s Embrace to heal 10 hit points for 100 mana. Considering he had 886 hit points, it wasn¡¯t that much, but for someone with lower attributes, it might make a difference.
Before he knew it, 10 minutes had passed, and another SYSTEM Message arrived, this time stating that the power in the building had failed.
SYSTEM Message!
Magical Density has reached 10%
Magical Density has reached the minimum Threshold required for random magical manifestations. Technological devices and infrastructure that are not naturally shielded or magically reinforced may have issues working in a highly magical environment. The more complex the device, the less likely it will work as Magical Density increases. At 100% Magical Density saturation, non-magically reinforced microcircuitry will cease to function.
Random Magical Manifestations can include, but are not limited to:
Randomly appearing items, people, and monsters.
Gateways and portals to alternate dimensions and universes.
Manifestations of pure magical energy from any sphere of magic.
To unlock the SYSTEM, you must either kill a system-registered combatant or earn enough experience to reach Level 1 for the classes for which you may qualify. Required XP is based on the Rarity of the class, which is as follows:
Common / Basic: 1,000 XP
Scarce: 2,000 XP
Rare: 3,000 XP
Advance: 4,000 XP
Master: 5,000 XP
There are higher rarity classes, but they are only available if the SYSTEM is unlocked through combat.
The notifications in Brandon¡¯s vision ceased as the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, and he felt like something wasn¡¯t quite right. He opened the door to the mop closet and looked into the Laundry room as he saw water flow from the basin against the wall out into a blob of water that shimmered and then moved toward him.
Brandon wasn¡¯t sure what it was, but he was pretty sure it looked like a water elemental. Brandon activated Death¡¯s Vision for the first time and noticed that the blob of water had an inner globe of radiant light, almost like a life force that he could now see. If this was true for all creatures that were alive, he could understand how he¡¯d be able to see someone who was hiding or invisible. They¡¯d shine in his vision.
Still, this was a creature made of water, and he didn¡¯t have very many ways to damage something made of water that he could think of. Brandon stepped from the mop closet and moved into the laundry room to give himself some maneuvering ability. As he moved toward the Water Elemental, it froze, and the water started quivering. If he didn¡¯t know better, it looked like it was having a fear-related reaction to him. There was also a new icon flashing in the corner of his vision. Since the Elemental wasn¡¯t moving, Brandon focused on it and modified the window that popped up so it only covered half his vision, which allowed him to keep an eye on the Elemental.
Combat Log
You have initiated an Aura Attack.
Current Aura Strength: 22.06
Elemental Aural Defense: -4.9
Brandon focused on the term Aura Attack, and a small window popped up over the log.
Note: The auras of creatures and magical items, if present, interact constantly. When two auras conflict, they clash. Typically, a stronger aura will prevail, but this is not always true. A typical result is that a creature will feel intimidated or have the desire to flee something with a more assertive aura. If an aura something is facing is significantly greater than its aura, that creature may be immobilized by fear. In rare instances, an Aura can be utilized as a weapon and leave physical damage up to and including death. The difference between the auras determines the effect of one aura on another. The scale is logarithmic, not linear. A single point of difference may be significant.
Brandon closed the small window and focused back on the Combat Log.
Water Elemental immobilized
Brandon closed the Combat log and looked at the Water Elemental that was quivering in front of him. He wasn¡¯t doing anything, but it was frozen in place. So, what to do now? Well, he couldn¡¯t just leave it alone. It could attack someone else. Brandon walked up to the water elemental, targeted the brightest concentration of life that he could see with Death¡¯s Vision, and struck with a flat-palmed strike. The result was immediate and unexpected. The water elemental exploded.
Brandon opened the Combat Log again.
Palm Strike initiated against target.
Damage Inflicted to Target: 9 (Initial damage of 97 Reduced by 90% due to the nature of the target)
Focused Strike has unlocked the Psionic Ability Aura Strike.
Additional Damage: 22
Target Hit Points Reduced to -25
Target has died.
100 XP and 1 Copper earned.
Brandon closed the Combat Log and looked down at the mess all over the floor. He also watched as the water elemental''s life force, or aura, disappeared. That was interesting. The water spread out across the floor as a new gold star symbol appeared in his vision, which he focused on and opened.
Congratulations!
You have unlocked the Psionic Ability Aura Strike
Aura Strike
Aura Strike allows you to harness your Aura to inflict damage on any one creature utilizing your aura. Damage is physical but leaves no marks on the target as their hit points are reduced.
Range: Aura Strength in Feet + Aura Strike Level
Maximum Damage: Aura Strength + Aura Strike Level.
Psychic Energy Cost: Equal to Damage sought up to Maximum Damage.
Brandon closed the notification and pulled up his Personal Status. Could he increase the Aura Strikes level right now? He had 193 Psychic Ability Slots. Yes, he could increase his Psionic Ability to level 10 for 55 points, which would allow him to attack up to 32 feet from himself with a thought. That could come in handy. Brandon spent the points and accepted the choice.
Brandon double-checked his Psychic Energy. He only had 312 and regenerated 12 per minute. He could utilize this attack form 9 times before he would have to rest for a full day to restore all the Psychic Energy he used. But it was another attack form that didn¡¯t leave a trace. That could be handy.
Now, though, he needed to help the White House. If he was a Demi-God, through some stupidly lucky roll of some cosmic dice, there was no way he was going to let some dimension-hoping alien invaders take over his country. He was going to put this new power he¡¯d unlocked to good use.
Brandon kept the spell Death¡¯s Vision active and then activated Cloak of Shadows. Each spell had a mana upkeep of 1 per turn. He regenerated 20 mana per turn. He could maintain both spells and still regenerate 18 points of mana per turn. Brandon looked around the room and then leaped across the puddle on the floor to the door to the stairway. Utilizing all his training, he moved quickly and quietly upstairs.
Brandon listened at the closed door. He could hear muffled sounds outside the door but nothing that seemed to close. The door he stood at was on the east side of the building, with I Street about 30 feet to the North. There was a parking lot on the north side of the street. The noise could be coming from there. Brandon slowly opened the door and watched as the shadows that surrounded him also seemed to reach for the door, as if they were trying to flow into every nook and cranny. At night, that would come in handy; right now, not so much, though he was in the shadow of the apartment to the west, so the shadows might help him slip out.
As he stepped out of the building, he realized that he needn¡¯t have worried; anyone he could see was either running or driving east or north, which was the exact opposite direction he needed to go. The noise was coming from the parking lot as people entered their vehicles and drove east away from downtown Washington, D.C.
Without thinking about it, Brandon moved from shadow to shadow while staying off the main roads. Time seemed to slow as he moved past people who seemed to be walking in slow motion. Cars also appeared to be doing less than 5 miles per hour. Brandon moved from shadow to shadow and ended up in the garage, looking at the back door to CVS in 10 seconds. He¡¯d counted the steps one day, and the distance was approximately 2,000 feet. He was fast, very fast. He also wasn¡¯t winded in the slightest.
Brandon quickly checked his Personal Status and saw that he¡¯d used ten stamina to move at what the Event Log considered normal movement. His Stamina was also full again. There was a note next to the movement information, which he focused on.
Movement
You may move at up to one-half your normal movement at no Stamina Cost.
You may move at one-half your normal movement rate up to your normal movement rate for 10 stamina per turn.
You may increase your movement rate to 125% for 10 additional Stamina per turn: 20 Stamina per Turn.
You may increase your movement rate to 150% for another 10 Stamina per turn: 30 Stamina per Turn.
You may increase your movement rate to 175% for another 20 Stamina per turn: 50 Stamina per Turn.
You may increase your movement rate to 200% for another 20 Stamina per turn: 70 Stamina per Turn.
You may Sprint, increase your movement rate to 300% for another 100 Stamina: 170 Stamina per Turn.
Brandon closed the note. Effectively, he could move at up to 125% of his normal movement rate and not worry about it. Better yet, with a Stamina of 2,560, he could Sprint at three times his normal movement rate for 15 turns or 2 minutes and 30 seconds, after which he¡¯d almost be out of Stamina. If he were only generating 120 stamina per minute, it would be over 30 minutes before his Stamina fully recovered. Brandon opened his Personal Status again and checked his movement speed.
143 Miles Per Hour!
210 Feet Per Second
What?
If he wanted to Sprint, he could travel 429 Miles Per Hour or more than the length of two football fields in a second. If he used sprinting sparingly, He could sprint and then move up to his average speed and recover the 170 Stamina in about two and a half minutes. That brought up the question of why he would need to move up to 2100 feet in one 10-second Turn. If he sprinted, that would be 6,300 feet in a 10-second period, which was 1,020 feet more than 1 mile.
Now that he¡¯d stopped moving for a moment, though, the sound of gunfire and screams brought his attention back to his current location. Brandon hopped the parking garage wall, moved to the rear entrance of CVS, and pulled the door open. There was a bit of a crunch when the door gave way. He¡¯d seen his attributes but hadn¡¯t understood what it meant to have a strength 20 times what other people started with, if a 10 in strength was near what was considered average. He¡¯d pulled the door off the hinges without straining.
Brandon stayed out of view as he moved to the front of the store in a flash. He came to a stop at the side of one of the glass windows and looked out. 14th Street Northwest, which ran North-South, appeared to be empty; he watched and waited for a full minute before he exited through the open front door and dashed across the street and into a covered ally. He made his way to a fire escape that led up to the roof and quickly climbed it. As he came to the lip of the roof, he saw two men about 200 feet west of his position on the east side of the building looking down the road that ran in front of the Treasury Building.
As he watched from the top of the fire escape, the man on the south side of the building must have taken a sniper shot to the head because his head exploded. Interesting. So, there was at least one sniper on the Treasury building across the street, which was good to know. Brandon turned slightly sideways so that the American flag patch was visible as he made his way up to the second invader. He didn¡¯t know if the Sniper would be able to see him, but if he could, he¡¯d like the sniper to realize he was a friendly, or at least not hostile.
While he could have rushed forward, he decided to take it nice and slow after seeing the other man¡¯s head explode. He wasn¡¯t sure if the bullet would hurt him, but he didn¡¯t want to find out. He also decided that this would be the perfect time to practice his Stealth and Move Silently skills.
Brandon was able to sneak right up behind the person looking down through a grill in the side of the building. Once Brandon had made it halfway down the roof, he started using a cover to keep himself out of sight of anyone on the Treasury roof as he made his way forward. His Stealth skill must be working because the invader didn¡¯t look back in his direction once. That¡¯s when Brandon had a funny feeling and glanced back behind himself to make sure no one was sneaking up on him. He didn¡¯t see anything.
Brandon turned back to the invader and moved until he was within striking distance. He was within three feet, just around the corner of one of the air conditioner handlers. Brandon glanced around the corner slowly. The invader was crouched down, frozen and trembling. Was his aura doing that again? If so, that was awesome and scary. He¡¯d never be able to have a conversation with anyone until he could shut off his Aura. It''s something he¡¯d have to look into sooner rather than later.
As for the Invader, It looked like he had been looking through a grill in the wall on the street below. Brandon moved up behind the man and put him in a headlock as he stood and looked down on the street and across to the Treasury building.
His high Perception allowed him to see where three snipers were placed on top of the Treasury Building. Two were placed on the corners of the building and appeared to be watching the streets below, while the third had the barrel pointed in Brandon¡¯s direction. Brandon pointed at the sniper who was locked in on him and then at the patch on his shoulder before he lifted his prisoner by his uniform and tossed him out over the edge of the building, where he fell to the road below.
Brandon saw a flash from the sniper rifle. Honestly, he hadn¡¯t expected that. He was about to dodge but realized that the round wasn¡¯t aimed at him. It was definitely aimed close to him but not at him. Brandon dropped into a crouch and turned to look where the sniper had been aiming just in time to see the round slam into the chest of something Brandon could only describe as a Black Yeti or a Sasquatch, which was rushing toward him.
The sniper round struck the creature but didn¡¯t seem to faze it as it kept rushing toward him. When it was about 20 feet away, its legs locked, and it lost control of its body. Brandon¡¯s Aura must have affected it once it came within range. Unfortunately, the rules concerning momentum are universal, and the body continued toward Brandon.
The other thing that sucks about momentum and physics is even if you are able to move and catch an object that is traveling at you at what feels like 10 miles per hour, which he did. If you¡¯re not planted or braced, well, you travel with the object. The force of the attack and the angle pushed Brandon back into and through the wall.
His first thought as he crashed through the wall was, ¡°That it didn¡¯t hurt as badly as it should have. His second thought was, Where did this big guy come from? Which was quickly followed by, Oh Shit! I can¡¯t fly! When he found himself tumbling through the air toward the pavement below.
Chapter 42, Invasion
Brandon tumbled through the concrete into the air with the bigfoot-type creature wrapped around his body. The wall of the building he¡¯d been on had looked like concrete but had given way when they slammed through it. In fact, as he thought about it, the wall had crumbled as he¡¯d come into contact with it like it was tissue paper. Was that an effect of his Aura, his Physical Damage Resistance, or both?
Even as those thoughts crossed his mind, Brandon realized it was taking a really long time to fall toward the ground and realized that everything had slowed down, or his perception was perceiving the world as slowed down. He wasn¡¯t sure. He could still move normally, though, and did. He pushed the bigfoot-type creature off of him and turned so that his feet were on the creature as it fell beneath him in one smooth movement. With his feet planted on the creature''s back, he rode the beast headfirst toward the ground.
Everything was still moving slowly as the creature''s head touched the pavement in the middle of the street, and Brandon stepped off the creature and onto the ground like Bugs Bunny stepping off of a plane that had just run out of gas right before it crashed. He wasn¡¯t jarred at all as he stepped to the ground and moved toward the entrance to the Treasury Building.
No one near him had time to react as he passed through and around military, police, and others fighting the invaders. Everyone he passed paused for a moment as his Aura washed over them. He didn¡¯t have time to study the effect, but it was helpful. His Aura caused everyone who came into contact with it to stagger, which allowed him to pass through the chaotic combat without interruption until he was inside the Treasury Building.
Once inside, he activated his Basic Map. He¡¯d never been in the building before, but the map showed the hallways and everyone in that he could see. Brandon moved away from everyone and found a place that was out of sight to pause and consider a few things.
The first thing he needed to do was get his Aura under control. He didn¡¯t need it staggering his allies at the wrong moment. He thought about condensing or turning off his aura so he wouldn¡¯t affect others. When he thought he was successful He slowly moved toward the entrance he¡¯d just entered. When he realized his Aura was still affecting others, he backed off and tried again.
It only took him a few moments to figure out how to extend and retract his Aura. Brandon practiced until he could fully retract or extend his Aura at will. His high willpower, wisdom, and intelligence must have helped him because he didn¡¯t have to practice for more than a minute before he had a good feeling about how to control his aura and either extend aura out completely or retract it with a thought.
Once he felt comfortable, Brandon kept his aura retracted and made his way back to the east side of the Treasury. No one froze up as he looked out on the small group of invaders that were left after the ones he¡¯d frozen had been killed and left to lay in the street. There were more coming in from the North and the South, but right now, there was a lull in the tide of attackers.
Brandon turned from the East Entrance to the Treasury Building and headed west through the building, down a long hall to the West Entrance that was opposite the East Entrance to the White House. As he moved closer, Brandon could see men and women defending the entrance from the invaders that were trying to make their way inside.
Brandon was still at least 50 feet away from the entrance, when he saw a mass of invaders moving toward the White House and overwhelming guards there. A moment later, he heard an explosion. Someone was either using grenades, mortars, or rockets. It was quickly becoming a clusterfuck outside.
Brandon moved up to a column that was about 30 feet from the entrance when he received a Combat Message as everyone within 30 feet of the entrance dropped to the ground unconscious.
Level 10 Spell ¡°Sleep¡± has been successfully resisted.
Brandon looked around frantically for the individual who had cast the spell. Most people casting spells had darts of energy flying from them toward their targets. Some even seemed to throw balls of fire or ice. He looked around quickly, but didn¡¯t see anyone that looked like they¡¯d just cast a spell. A moment later, a black rectangular panel of darkness opened 20 feet behind the defenders keeping the invaders out of the building in the hallway 10 feet in front of where he was positioned.
Two men with the not-quite-right firearms he had seen on the invaders stepped through, followed by someone in a black robe with gold trimmings. Both men began to scan the area as the third man in robes stepped through the portal, and it closed. The two men with guns took up a defensive position, but held their fire as the man in robes turned toward the wall and began to cast a spell. Brandon flashed forward in a single motion and struck the robed man at the base of his skull along the back of his neck.
There was a crack as his brainstem was severed from his skull, and the head and body fell forward and slid toward the West Entrance. The two guards, with both of their backs to Brandon, automatically moved their weapons to track the mage as he slid away from them. They quickly realized their mistake, but it was already too late. Brandon pivoted to the right and chopped down on the back of the invader''s neck with the heel of his left hand as he summoned his Glock from his inventory and came around in front of the now-dead invader, aimed and fired. His aim was accurate, and the shot he fired from his silenced Glock went through the forehead of the other invader. In less than 3 seconds, the three men that had portaled into the building were dead.
That isn¡¯t to say that Brandon''s actions went unnoticed. One of the American Soldiers at the window outside the range of the Sleep spell had seen the soldiers appear and had brought up his pistol and fired. While Brandon was incredibly lucky, some abilities and skills could negate or overcome someone¡¯s natural luck. The soldier in question had one of those abilities. Brandon would never know the man who had shot him because he would die in the ensuing battle for Washington, D.C., later that day.
Whatever that skill or ability was, it bypassed his luck and incredible speed. As Brandon shot the last of the three invaders that had portaled into the hallway, a bullet struck him directly over his heart. His vision filled with his combat log.
Combat Log
Struck by Firearm round
Base damage: 1
Critical strike: x2
Total damage: 2
Physical Damage Resistance: 2
Net Damage: 0
End Combat Log
Brandon looked at the man that had shot him and their eyes locked. Then Brandon gave him a look that he hopped conveyed the very clear message, ¡°What the Fuck,¡± Man?¡± Simultaneously, he thought, I¡¯m bulletproof.
Of course, that wasn¡¯t the only person that fired at him. He caught a muzzle flash out of the corner of his vision from the other side of the hall and was turning and ducking as multiple bullets struck him before he was able to get behind the cover. Unlike the bullet from the handgun, the multiple bullets that hit him hurt. Not as much as he¡¯d expect bullets to hurt. But they did hurt.
The bullet hits hurt worse than a wasp sting but not as bad as the one time he broke his left leg when he was a teenager. He found himself dodging a stream of bullets. As he dodged, Brandon moved away from the entrance and down a side hall until he found a shadowed corner and took up refuge there.
Brandon felt the shadows wrap around him from his Cloak of Shadows spell and help conceal him in the shadow. He quickly ran his hands over his body as he looked for wounds that were still bleeding. His hands came away damp with blood. Even so, he didn¡¯t seem to be bleeding too badly. He cast Earth¡¯s Embrace and then pulled up his Combat Log. Brandon switched the information to a summary mode and read the results.
Combat Log (Summary)
144 bullets Dodged.
Hit by 16 bullets
Base Damage: 5
Damage after PDR reduction: 2
Total Damage: 32 (16 x 2) Hit Points
Earth¡¯s Embrace: 10 Hit Points Healed
Current Hit Points: 1,387 of 1,409
Brandon paused. The last time he checked, he hadn¡¯t had 1,409 hit points. Then he remembered that he¡¯d set his class to level and distribute his attributes automatically. He quickly opened his Personal Status and saw that he was now Level 8. The invaders he was fighting were giving out a lot of XP. Then he realized that his physical damage resistance had gone up by another point, which indicated that his Physical Damage Resistance was tied his class level or attributes. As he considered his PDR, an information Note appeared.
Physical Damage Resistance (PDR): Equal to one-tenth the Natural Defense of a creature.
Natural Defense: Equal to the Natural Armor of a creature plus their Constitution Attribute Bonus
Brandon read the notes and realized that as his Constitution increased, his Physical Damage Resistance would also increase. The other thing he realized was that he was not immune to all bullets. While the pistol that he¡¯d been hit by hadn¡¯t done anything, the bullets from the submachine gun or assault rifle that had fired at him had affected him. So, if he was going to move back out into the combat area, he needed to keep moving and watch for attacks from both sides, especially from higher caliber weapons.
Brandon quickly checked his notifications and found the Leveling messages. There were no new abilities, skills, or spells. He closed his notifications and returned his attention to the hallway. Brandon moved so he could look down the corridor to the west. No one had come after him. He considered extending his aura, but that would leave his fellow Americans vulnerable, so he decided to embrace his new high attributes and rely on his Perception and Luck to make his way to the White House. If he could take out a couple more of those magic users, that might out his allies.
Brandon moved. He was down the hall and through the door and running north along the White House fence. At Pennsylvania Avenue NW, he turned west and made his way to the west side of the White House. He passed the West Entrance, which was across from the Eisenhower Executive Office building, and continued down to East Street NW before he turned east. He could have followed the rounded fence along the south side of the White House but decided to use the main roads. Halfway back to East Executive Avenue NW, the end of the turn registered, and his Stamina replenished.
He need not have worried about anyone on his side being affected by his Aura, they were all dead. While the Treasury Building had been able to hold off anyone trying to make their way inside, Brandon had realized as he ran around the White House that more than a couple thousand soldiers had focused on the White House and were currently breaking into the building. The few that were attacking the surrounding buildings were keeping those within the building occupied.
Brandon didn¡¯t have anything that could take on a bunch of soldiers at once. Besides, they were tied up trying to make their way into the White House. What caught his attention was a man standing on a floating rug 30 feet off the ground who seemed to be directing everyone below him. He was issuing orders in a language he couldn¡¯t understand while others talked into comm devices or glowing crystals they were carrying. Magical Comm devices?
Without hesitation, he hoped the south fence and moved north over the south lawn through where the soldiers were regrouping on the lawn. When he first jumped the fence he passed through an area where a few soldiers were moving through the wounded. They were applying bandages or casting spells to heal the more severely injured. Brandon ignored them as he moved toward the leader of these soldiers on the South Lawn, where he stood on the floating rug. As he moved into position, just below and behind the leader, Brandon focused his mind and struck with the full force of his Aura Strike.
Brandon¡¯s initial plan was to stun the leader and cause him to fall to the ground, where he could take care of him quickly. As he moved into position, Brandon watched as the leader began to gesture and speak in what Brandon was starting to recognize as the casting of a spell. Brandon struck with Aura Strike. His Aura Strike had increased with his level. He was now able to invest 34 points of psychic energy into the attack.
Spell backlash was not something Brandon had witnessed yet. Of course, he¡¯d read about it in the role-playing games he¡¯d played, and he¡¯d also seen the idea explored in some of the fantasy fiction he read, but he¡¯d never thought of it as something he¡¯d have to worry about. So, when he¡¯d decided to utilize his Aura Strike to attack the spell-casting leader while he was casting a spell, he wasn¡¯t expecting all that much to happen. He hoped to knock him unconscious. That didn¡¯t happen. Instead, the spell didn¡¯t just fail; it failed spectacularly.
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***
One thing that none of the Earthlings had figured out yet was that the level of spell that could be cast was directly related to the current magical density of the immediate area. If the mages had been able to utilize their full spell grimoire, the takeover of Washington D.C., and possibly the world, would have already been over. At least, their leaders thought so. Unfortunately, the displaced forces that had resorted to the doctrine of ¡°Might Makes Right¡± were about to discover that nothing was guaranteed when the SYSTEM was in flux. More specifically, there was always a possibility that someone more powerful could pop up when least expected.
Master Mage Verlyn led the invading forces trying to secure the White House. He stood on his flying carpet and watched as his troops took positions around the building, trying to whittle down the defenders, who were proving to be very proficient at defending their leader. The Supreme Commander was inside, attempting to subdue the leader of this country while he ensured that no one escaped. Though he hadn¡¯t been in contact with her since the Go Code had been transmitted.
Their plan had gone off without a problem. When the Magical Density had reached 10%, their mages were once again able to cast teleport or open portals through which their troops could step. While they could have tried to take over the Middle East, an area much closer to their origin point on their Earth, they¡¯d appeared on this side of the world. The Supreme Commander had felt that the United States would be an easier target. If they could subdue the leaders and take the Capital, spreading through the continent and then the world wouldn¡¯t be an issue.
High Mage Verlyn had teleported in with the first wave and been present when the defensive forces proved to be a little stronger than they¡¯d first thought. Their enemy''s firearms had proved uncommonly effective, and many of his soldiers had been killed before they were able to establish their enclosure and prevent it from being reinforced. The Treasury to the east was a bit of a problem, but he¡¯d just sent one of his best teams to end that standoff. He expected to hear back from them shortly.
The high mage felt his defensive spells deflect another shot just before he heard the gunshot from the roof. He couldn¡¯t see the sniper nest, but he knew it was up there. Unfortunately for the idiot up there who thought he was safe on the roof, the message stating that the Magical Density had just reached 15% had been issued by The SYSTEM. That was going to be very bad for them because, as an Air Master, he could now cast a spell that most mages wouldn¡¯t be able to learn until they reached level 20. He checked his mana. He was a little lower than he¡¯d like to be, so he¡¯d need to drink a mana potion once he was done casting. Of his 1,330 mana, he¡¯d already spent 210 of it on small things, and this spell was going to require 400. While he had earned the ability to cast Summon Major Air Elemental at level 15, it still had the base cost of 20 per level because it was still treated as a level 20 spell for everything except the level requirement to cast it.
High Mage Verlyn was not quite correct in his assumption. If he¡¯d waited until the Magical Density had reached 20%, the magic required to open the portal to another dimension and bring the Air Elemental onto the Material Plane would have been spread out and shouldered by the magic saturated throughout the world. Instead, his body became a funnel for the magic required to stabilize and reach through the dimensional boundary. Funnel wasn¡¯t quite the right word for the role the High Mage played in the process. It would be better to think of him as a fuse that magic had to pass through.
The process was quite painful and would have failed if not for his high willpower. High, in this case, was a relative term, as his effective willpower was only 83. Eighty-three points in willpower gave Verlyn a 73% chance to maintain the flow of energy required. His focus on air magic improved his chances by another 25%, which allowed for a 97% chance of success if magic had worked normally. With the Magical Density 5% below what was required, his chance was reduced by 25%, which returned him to an overall chance of 73%. To maintain the flow of energy while he concentrated on opening the portal, he had to endure the pain and focus entirely on not allowing the energy to divert anywhere but its intended purpose.
High Mage Verlyn was doing quite well on his casting and was just about to complete it when he was attacked. His mind wasn¡¯t weak, nor was he undefended against an Aura attack. One of his defenses doubled his natural Aura Defense and raised it from a 9 to an 18. Unfortunately for the High Mage, the attack that struck had an Aura Strength of 34, which was 16 points more than his defense. At 10 points of Aura Strength, individuals could be frozen in place or intimidated to run away. Unfortunately for High Mage Verlyn, the attack broke his concentration as he channeled the final 20 points of mana into his spell.The fuse that was High Mage Verlyn vaporized.
***
Brandon was engulfed in a wave of magical energy, which, at its epicenter, caused 400 points of damage in a 1-foot radius, 200 points out to 2 feet, and 100 points out to 4 feet. 30 feet below the floating mage, Brandon was engulfed in an energy wave that did 25 points of damage to him and everyone around him. In the blink of an eye, the mage and floating rug were gone, and everyone with 64 feet of mage was dead. Those out to 128 feet were a little more lucky. Some died, some didn¡¯t, but they were all blown away from the center.
Brandon was flash-blind and blinked his eyes rapidly as he tried to clear them. After a moment, he realized it was going to take him a bit longer to get his vision back, as the only thing he could see was a flashing gold star overlaying the white background that was his vision.
He continued to blink his eyes as he reviewed the Notifications and was pleasantly surprised to find that they were all level messages for levels 9 through 16. Brandon heard small arms fire and felt pressure against his skin, but nothing hurt him. He quickly pulled up his Physical Damage Resistance and saw that it had increased to 6. That was good news. That meant that guns like the one that hurt him in the Treasury building wouldn¡¯t hurt him anymore. When he had more time, he¡¯d need to look over his Combat Log and find out exactly what had happened to earn him eight levels. Right now, though, he had to move.
With his vision nullified, Brandon pulled up his Basic Map. He needed to retreat until he could see again because he was sure someone probably had a weapon or spell that could hurt him. If he stood still long enough, they¡¯d be able to use them on him.
Using his Basic Map, Brandon headed southeast toward the entrance to the South Lawn, out of the White House grounds, and then south through the parking lot to East Street Northwest. His hearing and sense of touch were more than adequate to give him a feeling of what was near him. This feeling translated to information displayed on his Basic Map, which he used to navigate around people and objects in the street.
Once he was on East Street Northwest, he continued west until the street merged with Virginia Avenue Northwest, followed it for a block, and merged with East Street Northwest again. Wait what? His map clearly showed that two streets that ran east to west had the same label. Both roads were one block apart, which was weird.
While his thoughts were occupied with the obviously insane naming of the city streets in Washington D.C, he continued west on the North version of East Street Northwest until it merged with Interstate 66. He didn¡¯t go very far past the merge point. Instead, he made his way down under the overpass and moved up under it where he was sure some shadows would be. Once in place, he slowly moved south to the opposite end of the road and allowed his Cloak of Shadows to do its best to hide him while he cast Earth¡¯s Embrace to heal the damage he¡¯d taken. After he cast the spell twice to heal 20 points of damage, he felt a lot better, and his eyesight had almost returned to normal.
He looked around, made sure he was in a relatively secure location, and noticed that he felt a little odd. He moved his hands over his body to see if he could figure out why he felt odd and realized he was naked. The explosion had vaporized his BDU¡¯s. He opened his inventory, sorted through the items he had stored, and pulled out his second set of BDUs that had been in his go kit. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t have another set of boots, so he had to make do with the pair of tennis shoes that were in the go bag. At least they were black.
Putting on the uniform was simple; he put the items into his wardrobe slots in his Inventory, and they appeared on him. That function of his inventory was going to make this new magical world awesome. However, he¡¯d need to pick up some more clothes to make sure he didn¡¯t run out, especially since it now appeared that his body was much more durable than his clothing.
Brandon double-checked his surroundings again and then opened his Combat Log. The mage¡¯s death had garnered him 406,250 XP. It also seemed that because he caused the explosion, the additional 196 people that had been killed had earned him another 588,000 XP, even though none of those killed by the explosion were above level 3.
Brandon opened his Personal Status and noted that his Attributes had been automatically distributed. All of his attributes were above 500, with Agility, Dexterity, and Luck being his highest attributes. That was probably why he¡¯d been able to navigate so easily using his Basic Map. His reflexes had become truly superhuman.
When he was done reviewing the changes, he opened his Notifications, minimized the leveling notifications, and then stopped. He brought the leveling notification for Level 10 back to the forefront.
Congratulations! You have reached level 10. At Levels 10, 20, 30, and 40 in your first class, you unlock the ability to add another class; this is called multiclassing. If you decide to multiclass, all XP from that point forward will be divided between all of your classes. While you have unlocked the ability to learn a new class, you are not required to do so now. You may save class slots for later use.
Additionally, you have unlocked the following perk-based spell, ¡°Invisibility.¡± The spell invisibility is cast just like any other spell. It requires somatic and verbal components as well as an installment of mana, which provides it with a duration. This perk-based spell is only available to very specialized classes. It does not require somatic or verbal components to activate.
While this invisibility is a perk, it is leveled as a spell. As such, Spell Points can be allocated to increase its level.
Invisibility.
You make yourself invisible to visible light. You will remain invisible until you take any action that interacts with your environment; this includes attacking another creature or individual. You may talk softly using no more than three words per combat turn. As this spell is leveled, other features are unlocked.
Mana per Turn: 10
Level 5: Reduce Mana Cost by 1. Invisibility now includes heat-based senses
Level 10: Reduce Mana cost by 1; Invisibility now includes sound-based senses. You may now speak in short sentences without breaking your invisibilty
Level 15: Reduce Mana cost by 1; Invisibility now mitigates air movement. Senses that rely on pressure changes can no longer detect the invisible individual.
Level 20: Reduce Mana cost by 1; Invisibility may now be chained. Attacks or actions that would typically break invisibility may now be ignored. Spend mana equal to the current upkeep cost each time you would break invisibility. You may now speak softly without breaking your invisibility.
Level 25 and Above: Reduce Mana cost by 1 every 5 levels to a minimum of 1 point of mana per combat turn or attack.
Level 30: Spells that automatically detect Invisibility no longer detect you. Instead, Spell Levels are compared, as is each spell''s dedicated attribute in a Contest of Wills. Should you win, you will remain invisible. Should you lose, you will become visible to the caster of the Detect Invisibility spell.
NOTE: Divine-level detection spells will still automatically pierce your invisibility.
Level 40: Abilities and Spells that detect souls no longer detect you.
Level 50: Attacks by you no longer break your invisibility.
Level 60: Invisibility now affects Divine level detection spells. Like the change at Level 30, Divine level detection spells do not automatically detect you. A Contest of Wills is required.
Brandon finished reading the notification and decided that he needed that spell to be at least level 20. He looked at his Spell Slots and then dedicated 210 of his remaining 560 Spell Points. Then he checked his current Mana Regeneration. At 60 per Turn, he could more than support the 6 mana per turn. He activated Invisibility and deactivated Cloak of Shadows. Once invisible, he moved from where he had been to the underpass west of his position and settled in under a different underpass.
Another Notification about Magical Density appeared in his vision. 20% now. It seemed to be increasing by 1% every 5 minutes or so. To him that didn¡¯t matter. Now that he was invisible, it was time to get back to work. He pulled up his Personal Status and double-checked a couple of things. He was currently regenerating 60 stamina and Mana per combat turn. Mana would fuel his Invisibility and allow him to make multiple attacks each Combat Turn. That wasn¡¯t what was going to limit him, though. His current Stamina was 7,840. He could make up to 19 attacks if he went all out. If he wanted to pace himself, though, he could make two attacks per turn without tiring himself.
Taking both his mana and stamina into account, he could attack twice every 10 seconds without breaking his invisibility. Granted, he could still be detected by spells dedicated to doing so, but if he kept moving, he should be able to make a dent in the invading forces before he was forced to retreat. Now that he had that figured out, Brandon decided that it was time to teach these invaders a lesson that they never forget.
Ten seconds later, Brandon entered the White House grounds and looked for his first target. Men and women were still trying to clean up the mess of the leader¡¯s explosion. One person was standing in the middle of the blast area, looking around. It looked like he was looking for something, but Brandon couldn¡¯t figure out what it could be. Alone, in the middle of a crowd? It looked like he had his first target.
Brandon moved up behind the man and snapped the heel of his hand into his neck. There was a crack as he snapped his target''s neck. Brandon was already 600 feet away before the body of the dead man fell to the ground. From behind a tree, he looked back as someone rushed up to check on the dead man.
Brandon pulled up and reviewed his Combat Log.
Combat Log
Unarmed Attack Successful
Damage: 588 (Base 2 + STR Attribute Bonus 586)
Target Hit Points reduced to ¨C 568
Target has died.
XP Earned: 6,750
Treasure: 5 Copper
He was side-tracked by the mention of Treasure. Brandon quickly pulled up the information concerning his treasure.
Copper: 641
Silver: 103
Credits: 0
Gold: 36
Platinum: 0
It was good to know he was earning some treasure as he took out the trash. He guessed it was time to get to it then. Brandon moved and attacked, moved and attacked. He decided not to go after any more healers, at least not the ones that weren¡¯t attacking anyone. He also left the wounded alone. Enough enemies were trying to enter the White House that going after the injured could wait. Besides, killing helpless foes just felt wrong. He¡¯d do it, of course, but only as a last option.
He made sure that everyone he attacked was at least 100 feet from each other as he moved around the White House killing any soldiers that were firing or casting spells at its Defenders. Brandon moved over toward the Treasury Building to the east of the White House and then onto the North Law before he had his first problem. He¡¯d been lucky that he was constantly moving when a rifle round, probably a sniper rifle round, slammed into his back. He glanced back and saw a healer casting spells on multiple individuals who were bringing their weapons up and pointing them in his direction. It looked like three people could now see him. He changed course and attacked all four.
Unfortunately for the healer or magic user, Brandon saw his ability to allow them to see him while he was invisible as a big No-No. Brandon killed the three soldiers with very clinical strikes and then snapped the caster''s neck before they could respond. Brandon picked up the caster¡¯s body and moved it to a safe location from which he could recover it later. If he¡¯d been casting a spell that allowed him to Detect Invisibility, maybe he had something that would allow him to learn the spell. Brandon hid the body behind the bushes over by the Treasury Building.
Pausing for about a minute, Brandon looked out from the bushes and looked over to the White House. He was sure that there were thousands of invaders attacking the Capital of his home. This attack would end. It might take him a while to make that happen, but it would end.
Chapter 43, Proportional Response, Definitely NOT!
Just over four hours earlier, Anton watched the President¡¯s address and then went to find the last two submarines. It wasn¡¯t all that hard with the use of Node in the Antarctic and the help of the intelligence officers the Admiral had placed down there. Anton had tracked down the last two submarines, given them the Admiral¡¯s orders, and returned to the White House as the Notification appeared that Magical Density had increased to 5% at 9:01 a.m.
For the next two hours, the White House became a den of organized chaos. The President asked Anton to relay messages to people all over the United States who couldn¡¯t be reached. There weren¡¯t many, but a few had been either camping or on vacation with their phones off. Having someone appear out of nowhere and tell them to ¡°Call the God Damn President Now!¡± seemed to have the desired effect.
The Magical Density reached 6% at 9:45 a.m., 7% at 10:10 a.m., 8% at 10:30 a.m., 9% at 10:45 a.m., and 10% at 10:55 a.m. None of the Notifications seemed to make any difference until the Magical Density reached 10% while Caitlyn, Felix, and he were having a conversation about the acceleration of the rate Magical Density was increasing in the meeting room under the White House.
¡°It¡¯s accelerating,¡± Caitlyn said.
¡°We can see that,¡± Felix agreed
¡°Yes, it is,¡± Anton agreed also.
¡°So, what does that mean?¡± Caitlyn asked.
¡°No Idea,¡± Anton answered honestly, ¡°but I would think that as the Magical Density increases, what magic can do will also increase.¡±
¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Felix asked.
¡°If there¡¯s more magic present, more things can be done. Maybe the spells will be more powerful. Maybe more powerful spells will become available. Maybe more powerful magical creatures will appear. I don¡¯t honestly know.¡± Anton said.
Their conversation was interrupted when Anton noticed that the President was looking at something behind Anton. Anton glanced over his shoulder. The only thing behind him was the wall and a couch where Mrs. Ellison had been sitting quietly with one of her aids. When he glanced back this time, her hands and fingers were moving in a very specific pattern as words that he couldn¡¯t understand fell from her lips.
Anton turned in time to see her hold her hand out, palm up, toward him. She uttered a final syllable, and a glowing silver Mobius Strip expanded toward Caitlyn, Felix, and himself as Warning Notification scrolled through his vision.
Warning! Temporal Diversification Commencing.
216,000 to 1 Temporal Stasis Field Enabled.
Temporal Magic Resistance 80%
216,000 to 1 reduced to 43,200 to 1
Temporal Diversification has ended.
Anton was immune to magic. What did Mrs. Ellison think she was doing? This wasn¡¯t going to affect him¡.
Anton¡¯s thoughts were interrupted when, in the blink of an eye, everything around him changed. One moment, he was in one of the meeting rooms in the basement of the White House, on the outskirts of the various conversations that were taking place. The next moment, the room was dark and empty.
Before anything else could go wrong, Anton activated Specter as he dropped into what he thought of as his parallel dimension, where something odd appeared beside him. Two somethings. Beside him were two shadowy outlines, one of Felix, the other of Caitlyn. Both were frozen in place like statues at the moment the Mobius Strip had hit them. He could see the pearlescent white light that represented their souls glowing within the shadowy image.
What to do? Since he liked Caityln more, he went over and tried to touch Felix. His hand passed through Felix¡¯s body like it wasn¡¯t there. When his hand brushed up against the pearlescent octahedron that represented Felix¡¯s soul, his hand stopped against what felt like a solid wall. Anton activated Analyze
Temporal Stasis Field
Temporal Stasis Field. Creatures affected by this spell are removed from the flow of time for a set amount of time. They are placed in stasis and reappear after a set amount of time has passed.
Maximum Duration: 2,160,000 Seconds (25 Days)
Magical Density substandard where spell cast.
This casting was only 10% effective.
Modified Maximum Duration 216,000 seconds (2 days, 12 Hours)
Time Remaining 172,770 seconds (1.99 Days.)
Anton withdrew his hand and quickly checked on Caitlyn. She was also in a Stasis Field that was going to last another 1.99 days. With an effective intelligence of 236 and a Wisdom of 192, his mind processed what had happened. She¡¯d used a Time Grenade on him. That was insidious. If you can¡¯t handle something, what better way to allow yourself to prepare for it? Cast a spell that removes what you can¡¯t handle from the timeline, and then come back and take care of it when the stasis field drops. Using time this way also had no chance of causing a paradox or pissing off any being that might want to prevent time travel to change the past. This didn¡¯t change the past. It just paused the now for whoever was hit by the spell.
Which meant¡If she¡¯d seen him as a threat and wanted to remove him from the equation¡Shit!
Anton ghosted up through the ceiling of the building and looked down on the White House from one thousand feet above. The first thing he noticed was that it was nighttime with no trace of the sunset, so it was sometime after 9 p.m. The second thing he noticed was that an army of people surrounded the White House and the surrounding streets.
Anton quickly scouted out the area within two blocks of the White House and considered what he saw. A lot of U.S. Military and invaders were sprawled out everywhere, dead. He looked closer and saw that the fighting had stopped, for the most part, near the White House.
As he flew back and forth as a Specter, he noticed that the soldiers, who didn¡¯t look like members of the U.S. Military, had fortified the White House grounds and taken up defensive positions around the fence. Some soldiers were collecting bodies and moving them to a pile where items were removed before they were taken to a pile. Invader bodies from the pile were then thrown into a box that looked like a narrow coffin that could only hold one body. U.S. Soldiers were left where they lay in the piles that had been created.
Anton moved closer to the box the invaders were being thrown into, he realized it must be some portal or extradimensional storage. As he moved closer to the pile of bodies, he realized that a giant circle had been burnt down to the soil where the lawn had been. Just North of the pile, Mrs. Ellison stood talking to a group of soldiers who were sending off other soldiers to convey her orders. As he moved into position beside Mrs. Ellison, he noticed two things.
The first thing he noticed was that there was another individual in stasis near the President. The second thing he noticed was that the U.S. President was hanging on a cross behind Mrs. Ellison, crucified. Since there wasn¡¯t any trace of the President¡¯s soul in the body, Anton was sure he was dead.
Anton went from someone who was interested in what was happening to someone who was filled with red-hot rage in an instant and was going to make these fuckers pay. If these assholes wanted to intimidate by leaving messages, well then, he would do so in kind.
Anton looked around until he saw one of the commando-looking men who was walking from the south gate toward Mrs. Ellison, obviously ready to report. Anton intercepted him, reached out, touched the octahedron of his soul, and activated Possess.
Anton shuffled his feet as he became used to controlling the body and stopped in front of Mrs. Ellison. She looked at him warily as it seemed that she had picked up that something was odd about the man in front of her. Anton had his host body smile as he looked at Mrs. Ellison and said, ¡°Hello, Mrs. Ellison,¡± in English.
Mrs. Ellison looked at him confusedly for a moment before she realized he¡¯d spoken in English and said, ¡°What, Who?¡±
Anton patted the combat vest of the body he was in as he said, ¡°Oh, me? This isn¡¯t my body. You tried to get rid of me with a temporal loop spell but failed to consider that some of us are not so easily brushed aside,¡± Anton said as he released the body from possession.
Anton watched as the man he¡¯d just released mouthed a question, Mrs. Ellison mouthed a question, and the others around the commando he¡¯d just left drew their guns and pointed them at his previous host. His previous host started to raise his hands in supplication when the grenades hanging in the front of his combat vest exploded.
Each grenade had sat in a loose fishnet pocket in the combat vest, which was designed to hold the safety lever in place in case the safety pin ever came free. That had worked in Anton¡¯s favor this time. When he¡¯d patted his chest, he willed the safety pin and safety lever into his Personal Storage just before he released the body and returned to ¡°his¡± dimension in his Specter form.
Seven seconds later, BOOM!
Anton watched as the soldier wearing the vest was obliterated, as were the four other soldiers standing beside him. They weren¡¯t as mangled as the guy at ground zero, but they were shredded nonetheless. Mrs. Ellison, on the other hand, must have had protective spells in place because the only thing the explosion did was push her back toward the cross where the U.S. President hung.
Anton was disappointed. She¡¯d lived through the explosion. Okay then, It was time to see just how powerful this bitch was. Anton reached out, touched her soul node, and activated Possess. He was immediately aware that this woman''s mentality was much more powerful than anyone else he had possessed thus far. Even so, his Will pushed her will aside as if it wasn¡¯t there.
Anton looked out of Mrs. Ellison¡¯s eyes as soldiers rushed over and forcibly escorted her into the White House and down into one of the secure basement offices.
¡°Supreme Commander! Supreme Commander!¡± one of the soldiers beside Anton called out as if from a long way away. Anton realized her hearing must have been damaged by being so close to the grenades when they went off. Even so, he could still hear what was being said, so he made the body he was controlling motion for the soldier to go on.
¡°Are you all right, Ma¡¯am?¡± The soldier asked.
Anton glared at the soldier.
The soldier audibly gulped and then began speaking rapidly.
¡°No offense meant, Supreme Commander,¡± The soldier said hesitantly before he continued in a more authoritative voice, ¡°This building and those surrounding it, out to two blocks, have been cleared. Preliminary numbers indicate that we lost approximately 4,000 soldiers during the attack. Most were from the man you placed in stasis two hours ago. The three individuals who were placed in Stasis in the other office should still be in stasis for the next 48 hours. Once we¡¯ve secured the area, we¡¯ll begin enclosing their locations with cages. As soon as your Stasis Spell drops, we¡¯ll have them.¡±
¡°Very good,¡± Anton said as the Supreme Commander, ¡°And the traitor outside?¡±
¡°We will investigate the incident thoroughly,¡± the soldier answered.
¡°Very well, post guards and leave me,¡±
The guards only hesitated for a moment before they filed out of the room and left Anton alone inside the Supreme Commander''s body. Once he was alone, he had time to think. If what that soldier had said was true, that meant that Mrs. Ellison was able to cast time-based spells. That also meant that this piece of shit he was riding was incredibly dangerous. Before he took on the rest of the army, he was going to have to take care of her because Time-based magic was one of the magics that could still affect him. He didn¡¯t need that complication. First things first, he needed to declaw this bitch.
Anton removed all of her jewelry and transferred it to his Personal Storage. This included both nipple rings and another piercing she had in a sensitive area. While he could place things into his inventory, for some reason, neither his Analyze nor Identify Psychic Skills worked while he was using possession. He didn¡¯t understand why, but that was okay. Anything this woman was wearing could potentially be a problem so it would probably be best to place them in his Personal Storage until he had time to properly look them over.
The question then became how to kill this woman who could probably cast a spell to travel through time or timestop her enemies so she could change what was happening. He could try to do something while in her body, like teleport her into space while he controlled her. But, then she wouldn¡¯t know what was happening to her until she was already dead and gone. That would not be a satisfactory income for him. Then he had an idea.
There was a scene from Man on Fire when Denzel Washington went medieval on one of the men who had kidnapped his charge. Brian Lumley also had a similar scene in his book Necroscope: The Lost Years Volume 1. Or was it Volume 2? It didn¡¯t matter. He thought about inserting a bomb inside her and then decided that was a bit of overkill and might not work if something came loose.
Maybe a booby-trap¡ªsomething she was wearing, turn it into a suicide vest, without her knowing that she was wearing it? The word booby-trap resonated in his mind and gave him an idea. He patted his/her chest to make sure. Yes, she was wearing a bra. Booby-trap indeed, he thought with an evil chuckle.
Anton pulled some C4 and the detonators from his Inventory. He¡¯d picked up this C4 a long time ago and this would be a really good use for it. 132 grams of C4, or 4.6 ounces, was almost equivalent to one stick of dynamite. Anton created a thin strand of C4, which he placed along the underwire of her bra, and connected the detonator, which was attached to the back of the bra where someone wearing it might not notice it right away.
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Anton made sure everything was connected and then connected the detonator before he put the bra back on and then shifted it a bit until it was comfortable and he couldn¡¯t feel the detonator against his skin. Next, he set the signaler for the detonator out of sight on a chair at the opposite end of the table where he was going to sit Mrs. Ellison down before he left her body. He walked back to her seat, sat down, and wrote out a note in common. When he was done, he placed the note directly in front of where she would find herself when he released her and double-checked it.
READ ME!!!
Do NOT Move or Cast a spell!
He was pretty sure she¡¯d disregard the message and try to cast a spell at him, probably another Stasis bubble or some temporal escape spell. Unfortunately, the bomb she was wearing would be on a double trigger once he activated it. It could be detonated remotely, or the Deadman¡¯s switch would activate it. The Deadman switch he¡¯d added to this detonator was simple. The Detonator was transmitting a signal. If the bomb moved out of range of the detonator after it was activated, it would explode 10 seconds later if the connection wasn¡¯t reestablished.
Now that everything was ready, Anton released Mrs. Ellison from Possession. Anton remained as a Specter and kept his eyes on Mrs. Ellison as he moved over to the side of the table with the detonator. He activated Spectral Hand. He made sure to keep his hand out of her line of sight under the table and activated the detonator. Mrs. Ellison''s eyes fell onto the note in front of her, which she appeared to be reading. A moment later, she looked up and around quickly.
Anton watched as she tried to figure out what had happened. She looked around and searched for the bomb. She also checked her fingers, nipples, and even put her hand between her legs, as she searched for the items he¡¯d removed from her body. He¡¯d been right; they were probably magical in nature, which he¡¯d have to check once he had a moment. She carefully reached down and checked under her chair and even looked under the table before she froze. Anton shifted his point of view to the detonator and saw her looking right at it. Of course, she¡¯d know what a detonator was.
Anton activated Manifest beside the detonator and locked eyes with Mrs. Ellison under the table before he waved at her. If he were a betting man, he would have won that bet. She sat up and cast another Mobius strip at him. The spell passed through his Manifested image harmlessly as he wagged a finger at her in admonishment. Anton watched as she moved her mouth, probably saying something profound, and then began casting a spell.
As Anton reached out with his Spectral Hand and touched the detonator, a second, Mrs. Ellison appeared out of nowhere and tried to grab for the detonator. She lost the race, and Anton transferred the detonator to his personal storage. Mrs. Ellison altered her target and grabbed onto his solid hand, which had manifested physically. Anton realized that he couldn¡¯t disengage his arm while it was being held by someone else and braced for what he knew was coming. Without the detonator present, his improvised suicide vest was going to go off.
Mrs. Ellison was blown in half, shredding his right forearm and hand, which automatically ended Spectral Hand. Losing a limb was old hat for him. It hurt, but not as much as someone might expect. He also noticed that while he was in his Specter form, he wasn¡¯t bleeding. So, he waited for his forearm and hand to reform and heal as he watched the Octahedron of Mrs. Ellison''s Soul reshape into a semblance of what she¡¯d looked like and then fade to nothing. The energy that was her soul didn¡¯t move in any direction, but Anton could swear that it moved further away from him, like there was an axis that he couldn¡¯t see. A moment later, her soul was gone.
Anton thought about the spell she must have used to try to get to the detonator. It must have been based on time. It had looked like the spell had allowed her to reappear within the same moment, or in this case, Combat Turn. The C4 had done precisely what it was supposed to. It had cut her in half just below her breast. Unfortunately, she¡¯d been holding onto his hand at the same level, and the blast had caught his arm. One good thing that had come from his arm being hurt. He now knew it could be, which meant that whatever he was trying to do with Spectral Hand could be blocked if someone reacted quickly enough. So now he knew to be more careful.
Anton brought his thoughts back to the spell. The spell she¡¯d cast had allowed her to move sideways in time and appear somewhere else within range at the exact moment she cast the spell. Technically, she wouldn¡¯t cause a paradox as long as she didn¡¯t affect herself in that moment. Luckily, the C4 didn¡¯t go off until 10 seconds after the detonator disappeared into his Personal Storage. Because she had time-traveled to get the detonator and then moved into the future when compared to her old timeline before she exploded, nothing that she¡¯d tried to do had changed the outcome of the Deadman switch activating.
His thoughts were interrupted again as notifications scrolled through his line of sight.
Congratulations. You have Killed a level 40 Master Mage
You have earned 102,500 XP
You have earned 40 Gold
You have Completed a Hidden Quest, Leader of Many
You have destroyed the leader of an integrated Army during the SYSTEM Transition. 100,000 Bonus X.P. Awarded.
As his vision cleared, he watched men and women rush into the meeting room and begin scanning for threats. Anton watched for a moment before he floated up through the ceiling. If he wanted to end all of these assholes and give the U.S. Military a chance against them, he needed to remove their ability to continue fighting, which meant he needed to find their weapons and ammo and remove them.
Anton started in the White House and then made his way to the East Wing, where he found what he was looking for. One of the basement rooms was set up as the de facto armory. There was only one guard in the room, which was locked from the inside.
While the soldiers outside the room were rushing around looking for whoever had killed their Commander, Anton watched one of the soldiers in charge assign two guards to the door into the Armory. Once he was sure no one else was being sent this way, Anton ghosted into the Armory.
It was almost unfair how easy the next part went. Anton used Possess on the single guard in the room and then began transferring weapons, armor, and ammo into his Personal Storage. Right after he possessed the guard, he checked his Personal Storage and was pleasantly surprised with the changes to his Personal Storage and Maggen¡¯s Exceptional Storage skills.
Before the SYSTEM change, the storage locations had a weight limit. Not anymore. Before, he could only store up to 30 cubic feet in his Personal Storage dimensional location and an additional 30 cubic feet with the same weight limit in his Maggen¡¯s Exceptional Storage dimensional location. That had been increased quite a bit.
For both storage locations, the weight limit had been removed. The cubic area that he could store increased with each skill level. At skill level 46, each storage location was a 93.5 cube, or approximately 817,400 cubic feet, twice. That was plenty of room to hold everything he was looking at in their armory.
So Anton walked around the Armory inside the guard he¡¯d possessed and moved items he touched into his Personal Storage. There were a lot of individual items, which did slow him down a bit, but luckily, ammunition and cases with multiple items in them only counted as one item.
Psychic energy-wise, the body he was in was doing a fine job of meeting the upkeep cost. Storing items in his Personal Storage while possessing someone else required him to spend one point of his Psychic Energy each time he did so. Since he wasn¡¯t using his body''s stamina to take actions, he was limited to one action per combat turn or six per minute. Luckily, it didn¡¯t sound like anyone was heading down to check on the Armory while they were going crazy in the conference room where the Commander had exploded.
After 10 minutes, he transferred 30 weapons and 30 ammo cases. 10 minutes after that, he¡¯d also moved 30 sets of battle armor and 30 cases of explosives into his Personal Storage. That had cost him 120 Psychic Energy. Anton activated Battle Meditation and started regenerating 20 Psychic Energies per combat turn. In one minute, his Psychic Energy was full again.
Anton continued like this for the next two hours. Every 20 minutes, he transferred 120 items into his Personal Storage and then took a one-minute break. After two and a half hours, he¡¯d moved more than 840 items out of the room. He hadn¡¯t picked up everything, though. There were some rations and copies of communications gear and even more ammo and weapons he could pick up.
But he didn¡¯t. Instead, he made sure to grab at least four of every different technological item he saw, if there were four, and decided that two and a half hours was long enough. Anton used Battle Meditation one more time and then pulled out a brick of C4 and a timed detonator. He set the detonator for 10 minutes and placed it under a pile of equipment and ammunition before he walked out of the room.
He didn¡¯t rush or hurry; he had every right to walk around, and he did so. It was a simple thing for him to walk upstairs and over to the East gate. Then he walked across the street to the Treasury Building. While the White House behind him was abuzz with people running all over the place, the area before him was pretty quiet. He walked into and through the Treasury building until he was looking out the East Entrance onto an empty street. One block away, he could see that 14th Street Northwest had been barricaded, and soldiers were shooting at anything that moved further east.
There were still many soldiers along the barricade. Where the hell had they all come from? Anton knew the answer to the question before he asked it. These bastards had killed the President of the United States. Now, it was time for him to sow some chaos. Anton walked toward the barricade until he was about 10 feet from the person in charge, who looked over at him.
¡°Adept Caver, what are you doing out here?¡± the soldier before him called out.
Anton walked over, holding his ear as if he couldn¡¯t hear what the man had said, just as the C4 exploded in the White House behind him. He¡¯d only set one brick of C4, and it had been below ground, but there had been other munitions there. While the Treasury building was between him and the explosion, it was loud enough to make his ears ring, which worked in Anton¡¯s favor. The soldier he was walking up to looked up over the Treasury building as Anton had the body he possessed pull two grenades from his combat vest and activate them simultaneously. Granted, there was a steep stamina cost for performing multiple actions above what a body normally could, but it wasn¡¯t like this soldier was going to need to worry about a low stamina condition ever again.
The soldier in front of him looked back down to see the grenades falling from Caver¡¯s hands and tried to react. Anton didn¡¯t stick around and released the body from Possession and watched as the two grenades went off at Caver¡¯s feet. Caver died, as did the soldier right in front of him. Others nearby were also hurt. As Anton looked on in satisfaction, he couldn¡¯t help but think, Stage one of Bring the Chaos, complete. Commencing Stage 2.
Anton moved north, pulled a grenade from his Personal Storage, and used Spectral Hand to place the grenade at the feet of a different soldier before he moved on to the next soldier and repeated the process. After his first attack with Caver, Anton didn¡¯t stick around to watch what happened when the grenades went off. He placed the grenade, ended Spectral Hand, and moved to his next target one after another. No one could detect him, and he made sure that each target was at least 150 feet apart. Anton worked his way counterclockwise around the makeshift barricade surrounding the White House that the invaders had created.
Once he was sure he¡¯d drawn their attention to a possible attack outside the White House, he shifted his attention to the Pentagon, where he found that the entire area looked like it had been bombed repeatedly. The Pentagon, if it could even be called that anymore, was a smoldering ruin. It looked like bombs had created craters all over and around the Pentagon. As far as he could tell, no one was moving in the area.
Anton changed course and flew toward Andrews to the southeast, where he could see flashes on the horizon. In a straight line, the Pentagon was just over 10 miles from Andrews AFB. As he flew southeast, he increased his altitude until he was just under the clouds, where he realized what was going on. He just happened to be at the right level and the right angle to see a portal open into Node room in Antarctica.
That¡¯s not what surprised him. Through the portal, he saw a makeshift slide that had been rolled up to the edge of the portal where soldiers, like the ones he had just killed, were tilting a bomb on a curved table up to about 75 degrees so it could be slid down and through the portal toward the ground below. Once the bomb was through the portal, it vanished, and 20 seconds later, he saw another bomb appear in the sky a little farther away, though, this time, the portal didn¡¯t open toward him. The invaders had found a bomb supply and were using the Node in Antarctica to drop bombs on Washington¡ªthose bastards.
Anton activated the Planar Shift and appeared in the Node room. None of the personnel the Admiral had brought to Antarctica were in the room. Anton did a quick recon of the barracks area of the base and found the personnel. The men had been taken to a room with a pillar and been shot. They were all lying on the ground as a group of soldiers tried to penetrate the transparent floor, most likely trying to drop the bodies down the shaft. The few women that had been captured were being used as entertainment in the barracks.
When he made his way back to the Node room, he sat and watched as the individuals came into the room, stood next to the adjustable slide that moved from parallel to the ground to about a 75-degree angle, which slid the bomb that had been put on the slide through the portal. That wasn¡¯t the interesting part. The interesting part was how they placed the bombs on the sled. Instead of loading them from a stockpile in the room, which he¡¯d planned on blowing up to shut them down, people were coming in a line and pulling the bombs from their inventory.
There were a total of 10 loaders. After five bomb drops, a portal opens to a new location where five people on the other side of the portal swapped with five people on this side. Through the portal, Anton could see rows and rows of bombs, which gave him an idea. There was a skill he¡¯d picked up, but he hadn¡¯t found an opportunity to use it; then he reread it and sighed.
Snatch
At your current skill level, you may choose 1 item or 1 stack of identical items that weigh no more than a pound. Alternatively, you can select one coin type and will receive up to 100 coins of that type, +10 coins per skill level. If credits are chosen, a contest of wills will determine what percentage of credits you will receive from the target. The minimum amount that will be transferred is 100 credits + 10 credits per skill level or all credits if the target has less than this minimum.
He was currently only level 1 with the skill. Even if he¡¯d been level 100, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to pick up one of the bombs they were dropping, so he¡¯d go with plan B. What was Plan B? He possessed the first person in line after they dropped their bomb, waited for the portal to open to the munitions supply, and stepped through, where he promptly ended the possession.
He watched where they were getting their bombs from, then went to the back of the room out of sight and used Spectral Hand to pull twenty 500-pound bombs into his Maggen¡¯s Exceptional Storage. Then he pulled out a brick of C4, placed it behind one of the 500-pound bombs he hadn¡¯t picked up and waited.
The loaders had cycled through a few times and even traded out with others when Anton made his way back and waited by the first person in line. When the portal appeared, Anton passed through it, moved over to the person controlling the Node, and possessed him. He¡¯d noticed that while the loaders swapped out, the controller took his hand off the Node to get a drink or take a bite of something. So, when he possessed the individual, the portal to the munitions dump remained open.
Anton continued chewing the sandwich in his host''s hand as he stepped over to the portal and peeked through, like he was curious about what was going on in the munitions storage area. While he did that, he summoned the remote detonator for the C4 he¡¯d placed into his hand and activated it. Less than a second later, the C4 pack blew, which caused the four 500-pound bombs next to it to explode and ignited a chain reaction that ignited over one hundred 500-pound bombs in the storage bunker.
Anton was pretty sure that the number of bombs stored in that bunker was well above the safety limit for that bunker because the soldiers had moved them inside and hadn¡¯t even closed the outer door, which he¡¯d noticed while he was there.
Anton¡¯s thoughts were shattered when the body he inhabited was vaporized along with everyone directly in front of the portal. Those off to the side were a little lucky for only about a second longer. The heat and shockwave flooded through the portal and filled the room. Everyone in the room not killed by the initial blast was battered, pulped, and burnt to cinder. The facility withstood the damage just fine, which he¡¯d expected.
With the room filled with smoke and heat, Anton thought it was the perfect time to use Battle Meditation to recover his resource pools. Two minutes later, he floated through the portal and went vertical to see what kind of damage he¡¯d done to the munitions area and try to get an idea of where it was. The walls and ceiling of the storage area he¡¯d been in were gone, and there was a crater that spread out to other bunkers around it. Those that were still sealed had weathered the explosion. Those that had been opened and emptied had lost their doors or had them mangled so bad they would never close again.
Anton ignored everyone running around on the ground and flew to the outline of the city off to the east of the bunker he¡¯d just risen above. He made his way over to the edge of town until he could make out a city limits sign that read ¡°Chambersburg, PA.¡± So, if his memory served right, he was somewhere northwest of Washington.
Anton made his way back to the bunker through the portal and back into the facility in Antarctica. He went and checked the edges of the blast area where soldiers that were still alive had gathered and were waiting for the heat to dissipate before they made their way back into the Node room. Anton was glad to see there were only 20 or so. The three females that had survived being entertained were locked in the barracks room, chained to the wall there.
All of the men in front of him were looking down the hall, trying to figure out what was going on, and talking amongst themselves when Anton appeared 50 feet behind them and activated a skill he hadn¡¯t used since Minnesota. He activated Psychic Scream and watched all 20 men and women fall to the ground with blood leaking from the nose, mouth, eyes and ears; Dead.
Anton checked his Combat Log. No one had taken less than 680 points of damage. Some had taken more. Since that Skill was based on his Willpower, which was now sitting at 714, and based the damage done on the difference between his and their willpower, that meant that not one of them had a willpower higher than 34.
As he looked at the mess at the end of the hallway, where he could feel the heat radiating from still, a stray thought crossed his mind: Maybe he should have started with Psychic Scream?
Chapter 44, Rampage
Now that he had a moment, Anton pulled up his personal status and went over his basic information.
Level 27? Nice!
Anton closed the rest of the notifications for now. He had the women to rescue and a Node to shut down. Lucky for him, he hadn¡¯t been in the middle of going through his notifications because three men who hadn¡¯t been in the area affected by his Spectral Scream rushed into the hallway. As they raised their weapons to fire and released another Spectral Scream, which killed them instantly. It wasn¡¯t fair. But, it was effective.
Anton made his way to the room where the women were being held and looked in. One of the women seemed to be holding up better than the other three, but all looked like they¡¯d seen better days. Before they could speak, Anton spoke, ¡°My name is Anton. I¡¯m here to free you. Also, we¡¯re in kind of a time crunch, so let''s keep quiet and keep the questions to a minimum.¡±
What he¡¯d said was technically accurate, but they didn¡¯t need to keep quiet; he just wanted them to. If everything went right, they¡¯d be back with their fellow military personnel and out of here soon. Anton stepped up next to the woman who seemed to be handling the situation better than the other two when he noticed that she was handcuffed to the bed she sat on, as were the other two.
¡°Okay, ladies, if you¡¯ve been watching the messages that have been appearing for the last day, you know that magic is back in the world, really. I¡¯m going to dissolve the handcuffs holding you, and we¡¯re going to get out of here. Try not to be too surprised when they disintegrate, okay?¡±
Anton walked up to the first woman and touched the handcuffs as he let his Anti-Mage ability destroy the handcuffs. He could only destroy one pound of physical material per willpower point per hour. That meant that he could destroy 759 pounds of physical material in 60 minutes, which was about 12 pounds per minute, 6 pounds per 30 seconds, or 2 pounds per 10 seconds, which happened to be exactly how long it took him to destroy one pair of handcuffs; 10 seconds.
Once the handcuffs were destroyed, Anton looked at the ladies and pulled three oversized T-shirts and three sets of sweats from his inventory and placed them on the ground. ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t have bras, panties, or shoes in my inventory. This will have to do for now. While you get dressed, think about the safest place you can go in the world. I¡¯ll be in the hallway grabbing the gear of the soldiers that were here. We are on the clock, so please hurry.¡±
Anton left the three women and went back out into the hallway. He quickly picked up all the weapons and ammunition from the corpses but left their clothes. A few minutes later, the women came out into the hallway and gasped as they looked at the bodies lying everywhere.
¡°You killed them all?¡± the first woman asked.
¡°Yeah, these bastards are part of a force that killed the President and attacked Washington, D.C. When this is done, I¡¯m going to have killed a lot more than just these asshole. Well, truthfully, I already have, but there will be more,¡± Anton said with a hint of anger in his voice.
¡°Good,¡± The first woman said.
Anton nodded as he asked, ¡°Where do you three think you¡¯ll be safe?¡±
¡°Send us back to NORAD; that¡¯s where we came from. I expect you¡¯ll send us through the portal thing in the other room.¡±
¡°That¡¯s the plan, then I¡¯m going to take it out of commission?¡±
¡°Why?¡±
¡°Because the forces attacking us understand magic and how to use magic in their tactics. If I leave this here and they send another force, what just happened will happen again. I¡¯m not going to let that happen,¡± Anton said.
¡°Very well. How long until you think they¡¯ll send someone to check on the forces you just killed?¡±
¡°Anytime now, so let¡¯s get moving,¡± Anton said as he led the women into the Node room.
Once they were all in the room Anton placed his hand on the Node. He quickly pulled up the holographic targeting display, which he used as a scrying device so the women could see what he was looking at. He zoomed in on Colorado Springs, down to the south west and into Cheyenne Mountain.
¡°We were told to come and go near the entrance just on the inside of the vault door that sealed the mountain,¡± one of the women who hadn¡¯t spoken before said.
Anton considered that and followed the road into the tunnel until he came to the vault door, shifted the image through, and found a group of guards and other people waiting. ¡°Right here?¡±
¡°That¡¯ll do. I¡¯m Lieutenant Marshall, by the way,¡± The first woman said, ¡°The other women are Staff Seargent Jacobs and Airmen Cody. If you ever make it to Norad, look me up. I¡¯ll introduce you to the brass.¡±
¡°Will do, Lieutenant Marshall; now, if the three of you are ready, let''s get you home.¡±
Anton opened a portal, and Lieutenant Marshall Called out, ¡°Stargate!¡±
¡°SG One or Atlantis?¡± someone called out through the portal
¡°Universe, of course.¡± Lieutenant Marshall said.
Anton had to check and make sure that his mouth was closed. Had they just used the Stargate franchise as a sign countersign? They had.
Lieutenant Marshall nodded and led the three women through the portal. As Anton was about to shut it down, he heard someone call out, "Wait," but he didn¡¯t wait. Anton deactivated the portal. Someone over there would think that they could control this location without understanding how under classed they all were, at least until they picked a class and earned some levels.
Next, Anton needed to take the Portal Node offline. If people wanted to rule the world, they needed to do so without utilizing this technology that had been left behind. So, how could he limit access to the node? Well, he could open a portal to space and fill the area with a vacuum, but a mage or someone immune to a vacuum could overcome that pretty quickly. Plus, the atmosphere would be escaping the planet. How about opening a portal near the Sun? It was probably too hot, as he wouldn¡¯t ever be able to get close to the Node again. Okay, at least until he somehow upgraded again, but still. Lava? Nope, it would be a pain to clean out afterward. How about water¡under pressure? That might work, but he¡¯d have to be able to access the node if he needed to. Also, anyone who could deal with high pressure and not breathing would be able to gain access once they could counter the current. But someone just teleporting in wouldn¡¯t be expecting that, at least at first.
Anton liked the idea. Water under pressure would keep anyone who teleported into the facility from getting close. While he was worried about this foreign military, he was also concerned about the Elves on the Planet on the far side of the Sun. He was pretty sure the elves on the Planet Minerva would have issues if they teleported in. Before he started, though, he did a couple of other things.
First, he checked in on his family. They all looked to be safe and sound in Minot in his father¡¯s bunker. They¡¯d keep for a bit. Next, he used the node to look over Washington D.C. The city, for the most part, was untouched, though he could see fires here and there. Foreign soldiers still surrounded the White House, but they seemed to be staying within the barrier they¡¯d set up. Andrews was a bombed mess, as was the Pentagon. The Naval base just south of the White House was intact, and the military personnel there seemed to have their shit together, for now at least.
Another thing he noticed. Now that he could see around town, he saw that bridges near the White House across the Potomac River had been destroyed, which cut the people on the west side of the river off from the east side unless they went nine miles to the north or seven miles to the south. What assholes.
Once he¡¯d taken a look at Washington D.C., Anton shifted the exit point of the portal closer to the southern tip of South America and searched. He had taken scuba lessons and remembered that for every 33 feet (10 meters) he went down, the pressure would increase by 14.7 psi or one bar. So, if he were 1,000 feet below sea level, he would feel 30.3 bars or atmospheric pressures. Water under that pressure should fill this place up and prevent anyone from surviving for a little while. It wouldn¡¯t be instantly fatal, which is how he wanted it, just in case he had to deactivate the portal at some point.
If he remembered right, the entrance into the docking port was more than 1,000 feet underwater. If that were true, all he needed to do was create an opening that allowed the air to escape so the water from the docking area could flood the facility. Well, it would flood the Pillar chamber, this chamber, and every chamber below this level. If there were any chambers above this chamber, they¡¯d probably be fine. Luckily, he had a device that could very easily create a doorway to allow the air out. Granted, it usually had some form of barrier to prevent that from happening, but Anton was sure he could turn that off.
Anton found a place just off the south coast of Isla Hermite at the southernmost tip of South America. He focused on finding an area where the sea floor was about 100 feet below the surface. The only real requirement was that the place where the portal opened needed to be under less pressure than the facility''s underwater dock. The bigger the difference in pressure, the better.
Once he found a place he summoned a portal and rotated it so that it was parallel to the sandy ocean floor. Anton placed the portal one inch above the seabed with the exit pointed up. The portal opened into darkness. The barrier that separated his target location held the ocean back and kept the atmosphere from the room he was in from venting through the portal, for now.
If he wanted to, he could walk over and stick his hand through the portal into the ocean, but he thought better of it. It was still the middle of the night over North and South America; the light from this room would draw any sea life in short order. With magic in play and monsters spawning, there was no need to bring any extra attention to the portal until he was finished.
Anton quickly looked through the controls until he found the setting that would deactivate the safety barrier that prevented gas or liquid from passing through. While he fiddled with his User Interface (UI), Anton felt a change in pressure as his ears popped. Someone had just appeared in the facility. The slight change in pressure had alerted him to that fact. Anton quickly rotated the portal in the Node room horizontally, moved it up against the roof, and then shifted its position so that it was directly above the Node. Once in place, Anton deactivated the barrier that separated the ocean from the room he was standing in. Immediately, he was hit by rushing wind as it tried to go up and through the portal. He knew the human body could withstand up to 100 atmospheres of pressure, possibly more, and there was no way this little stunt would create that much pressure. However, each atmosphere of pressure was placed at 14.7 pounds per square inch, which meant that the water rushing in through the portal was doing so at just over 30 atmospheric pressures. That meant the air it was pushing ahead of the water was pushing the air in front of it at that same pressure, which meant that the winds were trying to lift him upward were moving at just over 400 miles per hour.
Anton had been expecting something like this. He made sure that the portal would remain open indefinitely with a thought and released his grip on the node. The wind lifted him into the air and up through the open portal above him. The air was moving quickly enough that it kept the ocean from forcing the air to collapse for the moment it took him to activate Specter.
Anton stopped his upward movement as the last stream of air shot past him and was replaced by water from the facility. He descended back to the bottom of the ocean bed, where he floated off to the side of the opening and looked down into the cavern. He knew he couldn¡¯t pass through the portal while in his Specter form, but he could sit here and watch what happened.
Anton didn¡¯t have to wait long. The ocean flooded up and out of the subsurface docking area, filling it and then the pillar room before rushing down the hallway into the node room. Some of the water was being drawn up through the ceiling, while some rushed down another hallway to fill the rest of the facility. It was a lot of water moving very quickly. Dead bodies had already floated up through the portal and were being drawn away by the current.
A moment later, more military personnel, these alive, in military uniforms of the invaders, tumbled into the Node room and up through the portal into the ceiling. They must have tried to stay in one of the hallways, realized they couldn¡¯t breathe, and followed the current to try to find a safe harbor. Unfortunately for them, the current entered this room, where the hole in the ceiling created an inverted whirlpool that was sucking everything up and through it.
This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.
Anton watched as the soldiers were propelled up to the surface. Six living soldiers had shot up through the portal. The stream was fast enough to draw sand from the seabed upward and fill the water with sand. Nobody was going to be able to see anything down her from the surface in a little while.
Anton shot up until he floated above the surface, where he saw the six soldiers flailing. One of them was shouting as he discarded his weapons and clothes so he could float more easily. Man, it was going to suck to be them. The water was only 100 feet deep at this point, and they couldn¡¯t be more than a half mile offshore, but it was dark, and the shoreline didn¡¯t have any lights on it. Not that he cared, but they¡¯d probably make it unless they swam away from shore. One could only hope otherwise he¡¯d have to track them down later.
Anton ignored them and activated Planar Shift. He appeared in the Node room again. It was most definitely underwater. Anton floated over to the Node and activated Spectral Reach. He felt the tug of the current trying to pull his hand upward, but with the rest of him anchored in another dimension, he was fine. He reached out and touched the Node.
Anton pulled up the menu, made sure he could access it if needed, and then deactivated Spectral Reach. Next, he quickly searched the facility, looking for any survivors or places where the air had pocketed. On the sublevel below, there were plenty of areas where people could survive if they made it to them, but no living beings were present. Also, there was no floor above the Node level, which had been completely flooded. Anton searched for a good hour before he sat down, used Battle Meditation to replenish his Psychic Energy, and then used Planar Shift to get back to Washington, DC. He could get back here if he needed to, and once things settled down he¡¯d close the portal and drain the facility
Anton appeared floating about fifty feet above the Treasury Building next to the White House. He looked around and noticed the barrier the invaders had set up had retreated to 15th Street Northwest on the West side, 17th Street Northwest on the East side, H Street on the North side, and Constitution Avenue on the South side. The East side of the East Wing of the White House was still burning, and smoke filled the area from the explosion he¡¯d caused. That isn¡¯t to say the invaders hadn¡¯t been busy.
On the south lawn was a new, much smaller ammo supply area. There was also a Command and Control tent set up on the north side of the lawn. Anton pulled up his Basic Map and checked to see if there was a distance-measuring tool. There was! He checked the distance between the ammo and the Command tent. It was just over 420 feet. It also looked like magic had been used to force the ground into a ridge that acted as a barrier between the two areas, just in case the ammo exploded. That was fine; Anton wasn¡¯t going to use the ammo in the ammo dump, at first, at least.
Anton moved into the Command tent and watched. A few individuals were sleeping on cots in one corner, while a few others took reports and sent people back out. Anton picked the closest soldier to the person who seemed to be in charge and possessed him. For the next four hours, Anton lay on the bed. He pretended to be asleep while he listened to the individuals making their reports and the orders Major Fulbar gave over the radio and to the individuals who walked into the tent. Once conversation around 2 a.m. Some day he was going to find a way to hear while he was in his Specter form.
¡°Sir, what do you want us to do about the monster that the Supreme Commander trapped before she died?¡±
¡°She trapped four. One is out and about already, two are in the basement of the building, and we have the one we trapped later here on the South Lawn. Which one are you asking about,¡± Major Fulbar asked.
¡°The last one, Sir,¡± He killed, with little or no effort, over 1,000 of our men and women, Sir!¡±
¡°Actually, the number is relatively higher than that. He hit a few convoys of troops making their way here as well. That¡¯s why he¡¯d disappeared for a bit in the late afternoon. We were lucky to get him when he returned,¡± Major Fulbar said.
Anton stopped listening and released the body he¡¯d been possessing. He quickly moved over to the location of the temporarily locked individual and looked at it. The silhouette that seemed to be half in and half out of the Real world couldn¡¯t be touched there, but the pearlescent energy, which was his life force and soul, that Anton could see and touch in the dimension. Anton reached out and touched the Soul.
***
Unknown to Anton, Brandon was the trapped soul. Brandon had the Ability Divine Luck and a Class that was God tier. A class that should never have been offered to a mortal until they were ready to forgo their mortal shell and ascend or take on a divine role.
Recent changes to the Multiverse had caused the SYSTEM to overlook the error that had been made in Brandon¡¯s case. Eventually, the SYSTEM would have noticed and rectified the error. In ages past, the SYSTEM would have removed the class and forced Brandon to choose another. The being that had melded with the SYSTEM hated for things to be given and then taken away or ¡®nerfed¡¯ as he called it. Of course, the SYSTEM probably wouldn¡¯t have detected the error for some time, except for two things that happened.
The first, a being classified by the SYSTEM as divine, was put in stasis. Such events were always reviewed. Second, Anton had interacted with that stasis bubble. The SYSTEM had been keeping an eye on Anton for a while now, and this new ability to affect souls in Stasis drew the SYSTEM¡¯s attention.
None of this was known to either Brandon or Anton as Anton reached out and touched a soul in stasis. Nor could the SYSTEM know how Luck, or Fate, would change the paths of both Anton and Brandon in that instant.
***
Anton felt a wrenching sensation as the temporal spell attempted to pull him into its effect. His innate resistance to temporal magic resisted the pull, but he was still affected by 20% of it. The last thing Anton saw was a flash of light across his vision.
The next moment, Anton shook himself free and opened his eyes to find himself standing on the grass on the South Lawn of the White House. Directly in front of him, 20 men stood with weapons aimed at him. He had time to notice a flashing notification icon in the bottom right of his vision before they opened fire.
Luckily, 20 bullets hitting him, even if a couple of the shots had been critical hits to his head, couldn¡¯t do enough damage to kill him with his Physical Damage Resistance and 1,261 Hit Points. Anton took the hits as he activated Specter and shot straight up 1,000 feet.
First things first, it had been nighttime when he¡¯d touched the soul while in his Specter form; it was now midday. Was it still the 1st of June, or had more time passed than he thought? Before he figured that out though, he wanted to take a look at his Notifications
Warning! You have touched a Soul in Stasis
Warning! The soul you have touched belongs to a creature classified as Divine Tier
ERROR! Divine beings cannot be mortal
ERROR! Divine classes cannot be held by mortals
ERROR!
ERROR!
ERROR!
ERROR! Interaction of Divine Luck with Anti-Mage has occurred.
Divine Class status on Mortal Elevated to SYSTEM Review.
The SYSTEM is Reviewing the Error.
SYSTEM Review concluded.
Brandon J. Parker has accepted a Divine Class. Brandon J Parker has accepted all prerequisites.
Mortal designation Revoked
Divine designation Assigned.
The designation of Brandon J Parker is no longer compatible with Prime Universe 013.
Brandon J Parker has been transferred.
Anthony Nicholas Thomson will replace Brandon J Parker as the subject of Stasis Bubble as adjusted for innate resistance to magic.
Vampiric-Psuedo Specter Noted
Contact maintained during initiation of Divine being
Anti-Mage does not alter Divine investiture.
ERROR! Permission not given for Divine Investiture.
ERROR! Syphon has been activated.
Ability Divine Luck has been absorbed and added to Anthony Nicholas Thomson.
Title Gained: Hijacker of Divinity ¨C You have acquired something of a divine nature from another entity that has left a trace of that divinity upon you. +25 to all base attributes. +10% Efficiency to all attributes.
Note: Divine Creatures you encounter will know that carry a trace of divinity within you
Anton read over the information he¡¯d just viewed a second time and then a third. Well, crap. That Brandon guy had been a defacto Demi-God. Letting him lose on the assholes looking for him right now would have been nice. Of course, he didn¡¯t have much to worry about himself. The damage they¡¯d done had already healed. Of course, his clothes weren¡¯t doing great, but that was to be expected.
There was one more notifications he needed to look over that at least weren¡¯t red.
Class Perk Gained: Cold Immunity ¨C Psuedo Undead are not affected or harmed by Cold-based attacks or environmental conditions. Immunity to Cold increased by 100%.
Anton closed his interface and looked at the soldiers searching the grounds for him. It definitely wasn¡¯t fair that he could sit in an adjacent dimension and look over the information concerning his classes and such without worrying about those assholes, but you know what? That was okay. Besides, it was time to go on a rampage of bits. A lot of good people died. The first thing, though, was that he needed to know what time it was. He quickly flew over to what was the name of that naval base south of here again.
It took Anton less than a minute to make it to the front gate of the Naval base, which was actually a joint base: Joint Base Anacosita-Bolling. Inside the entrance, which was manned by quite a few people, he found a clock with the date on the wall. It was now the 2nd of June and 13:39 or 1:39 p.m. If his math was correct, Felix and Caitlyn should be coming out of their stasis bubbles at 9:01 p.m. today, just over 7 hours from now, which meant he needed to clear out that invading force. He only had seven hours. Could he get all of them or at least make them flee? He wasn¡¯t sure but it would be fun to try.,
Anton took to the sky and headed back toward the White House.
***
Staff Seargent Jessica Clark watched from her vantage point at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. She¡¯d been on the roof of this building for the last two days watching those assholes that had attacked the White House. She¡¯d seen something two days ago that had blown her mind.
A man, at least she thought it was a man, had run around killing the soldiers systemically and without remorse. One person had died every second for the 15 minutes she¡¯d been able to keep eyes on the man who blurred from position to position. He¡¯d disappeared for a while and then returned when people had ventured back out onto the South Lawn an hour later when a woman had done something; he¡¯d froze and then vanished.
An hour ago, a different man had appeared where the first man had disappeared and immediately vanished again. She had an infrared camera on the area as well. She¡¯d quickly checked it, and yes, he¡¯d vanished from it as well. It was now just after 19:00. This had started just before 14:00 and hadn¡¯t stopped for the last 5 hours. It also looked like those on the outskirts of their perimeter might bolt soon. She¡¯d been worried about using any radios because they could give away her position, but she had to call this in.
¡°Recon One, Eagle Command, Over¡±
A moment later, she received a reply, ¡°Eagle Command, Recon One, Go ahead, over.¡±
¡°Recon 1, Eagle Command, Possible Fire sale event commencing soon. Recommend sending some buyers, Over.¡±
There was a pause for about 30 seconds before a response came back: ¡°Eagle Command, Recon One, Buyers wish to participate. Is it a Full buffet or single platter over?¡±
She had to admit, that was a cute way of asking if they should try to cover all exits or concentrate their firepower. With what she was seeing, when they decided to flee, they¡¯d be moving in all directions. She responded, ¡°Recon One, Eagle Command, Full Buffet, over.¡±
¡°Eagle Command, Recon One, maintain mission, personnel on the way for buffet, Over and out.¡±
Staff Sergeant Clark smiled, and now it was time to watch the show.
For the next hour, people all around the White House kept killing each other. In some cases, it was sad. In others, it was like watching a scene from one of those Deadpool movies from years back. Around 8 p.m., the soldiers who were still left fled. Unfortunately for them, The United States military didn¡¯t take kindly to people that they had helped who attacked and killed The President and a lot of good Americans. They didn¡¯t behavior like that so much that Staff Sergeant Clark would later learn that not one soldier who wore the black military uniform of the invader lived longer than a week after.
Staff Sergeant Clark watched them flee for fifteen minutes before she felt like someone was watching her. She slowly turned to see a man sitting in a chair on the roof behind her¡ªthe same man who had appeared and then disappeared earlier that day. ¡°Hey there, I saw you when I flew over earlier. Could you let your bosses know that the White House is clear, except for two friendlies who will be showing up just after 21:00?¡±
Staff Sergent Clark began to draw her weapon very slowly¡ and then shook her head as she found herself sitting in a chair across from the man. He looked at her, then pointed to the weapons more than 30 feet away, all of her weapons, including the knife she had strapped to the underwire of her bra.
¡°As I was saying, could you let your people know that the White House is clear? I am not going to lie; slaughtering that many people takes a lot out of a person.¡±
¡°Who are you?¡±
¡°Oh? Sorry. I¡¯m Anton. I was working with the President earlier today until that she bitch put me in a literal time-out. Felix and Caitlyn, two people who were also helping the President, were also caught in the Stasis field and will be appearing in just over 40 minutes.¡±
¡°What are you going to do now?¡± Staff Sergent Clark asked.
¡°Well, I¡¯m going to go rest and recover some of my energy. Then I¡¯m going to go and wait for my friends. And then I¡¯ll find you again or go talk to the people at the base south of here so Felix can get in touch with his people. A lot has happened in the last two and a half days. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s going to want to catch up with his people. Your stuff is all over there by the weapons. There¡¯s no one on the roof, and your teams are killing most of the invaders who fled.¡±
¡°What are you?¡± she asked.
He ignored the question, ¡°I¡¯m going to head out now. Good luck and be safe. Also, watch for monsters; yes, they are real monsters. With the Magical Density at 100% now, monsters will begin to spawn. If I might suggest, contact your headquarters and then meet up with one of your teams. Word of warning: magic allows people and monsters to fly now.¡±
With that, the crazy man¡¯s image seemed to flicker, and then he sped off through the air toward the White House before he vanished from sight as he crossed over the South Lawn of the White House. How was she going to explain this to Command? She stood, walked over to her equipment, and made sure her guns were locked and loaded before she picked up her radio and made the call.
Chapter 45, XP Farm?
Anton still had 10 minutes before Felix and Caitlyn reappeared, so he took his time flying back to the White House and reviewed his Personal Status and the gains he¡¯d made over the last six hours. After a brief check, he¡¯d confirmed that he had killed 970 invaders in total. That number included the people at the bomb depot and the soldiers in the Node Facility. It looked like killing people unlocked Slayer Titles.
Congratulations! You have Earned the Title Human Slayer I for killing 100 humans. Your Natural Aura will automatically fill humans with a sense of apprehension when within your presence.
1,000 XP Granted
+5% to all Intimidation Challenges
+1 to any damage you cause to a human
Congratulations! You have Earned the Title Human Slayer II for killing 300 humans. Your natural aura will automatically cause humans to become hesitant in your presence
3,000 XP granted
+10% to all Intimidation Challenges
+2 to any damage you cause to a human
Congratulations! You have Earned the Title Human Slayer III for killing 600 humans. Your natural aura will automatically cause humans to become nervous in your presence
6,000 XP granted
+15% to all Intimidation Challenges
+3 to any damage you cause to a human
Title Correction Required
Congratulations! Your Goblin Slayer III Title has been upgraded to Goblin Slayer VIII for killing 3,600 goblins. Your natural aura will automatically cause humans to become frightened in your presence
36,000 XP granted.
+40% to all Intimidation Challenges.
+8 to any damage you cause to Goblins.
Clarification:
Slayer Titles bonuses are race-specific. Variants and Sub-races that are at least 50% of a genetic match are affected by the Slayer Title.
Slayer Titles only range from levels 1 through level 10.
In addition to the Title Human Slayer III and the change to his Goblin Slayer Title, he¡¯d also earned four more Class levels and reached level 32.
It looked like the SYSTEM was supplementing the change to XP for spawned creatures by giving XP with the Slayer titles. That bonus XP was capped, though. Was the SYSTEM also going to add more quest awards to make up for the lost XP for spawned creatures? Right now, he was receiving half a creature earned XP plus the Slayer Title, but eventually, that was going to change. Yes, he was double dipping, but he was sure it wasn¡¯t going to last.
Anton thought back to his conversation with Staff Sergeant Clark. At she had been reasonable after he¡¯d disarmed her. He¡¯d had to possess the Staff Sergent to keep her from bringing her weapon to bear, but overall, he thought their conversation had gone well. He¡¯d noticed her on the roof when he first flew back to the White House. She¡¯d been hidden well, but while he was in his Specter form, the souls of those around him glowed brightly. She¡¯d been impossible to miss sitting up on that roof all alone as he flew over.
Anton had ignored Staff Sergeant Clark while he handled the invaders. He¡¯d decided that the time for politeness was at an end and gone medieval on their asses. The look on Major Fulbar¡¯s face when the female recruit he¡¯d possessed walked right up to the Major and handed him an active grenade, and then he smiled sweetly just before he left her body; yeah, that was going to be a good memory or give him nightmares. Since he didn¡¯t feel bad about it in the slightest, he was pretty sure it would remain a good memory that he could share with a good friend over a drink. He could admit it was kind of fucked up, but he was practically undead, so a little dark humor should be expected from him by anyone that might consider him their friend or ally even.
Anton checked the XP gain per invader by level. It seemed that the SYSTEM adjusted XP based on his rarity and those he killed, so he wasn¡¯t getting as much XP as he¡¯d like. In addition to that adjustment, he also had to earn more XP than those with a basic class for each level, which meant that it was even more challenging for him to level.
Anton pulled up the information, sorted it, and looked over the awards for Basic Rarity soldiers. Level 1 earned 63 XP, Level 2 ¨C 71 XP, and Level 3 ¨C 83 XP. He found a level 10 individual who would earn 3,438 XP. Mrs. Ellison had been considered a Master Rarity caster at level 40. He¡¯d earned 102,500 XP for killing that piece of shit.
Anton played with the interface and tried to figure out what his XP award would have been if their rarity had been the same as his. It only took a moment. A level 1 rarity opponent would earn him 500 XP. Level 2, 1,500 XP, and Level 3, 3,000 XP. It looked like the difference in rarity divided the total XP award as the SYSTEM assumed that monsters that were at a lower rarity would be easier to kill. If he¡¯d faced a Mythical version of Miss Ellison, her death would have earned him 410,000 XP. Considering that it required 264,000 XP for Anton to increase from level 32 to level 33, that would have easily earned him a level and most of his next one.
Things would be much simpler if XP awards were standard across the board. That¡¯s when a notification, more like a tooltip, popped up.
SYSTEM Reintegration Update
XP awards for sentient creatures not spawned by the SYSTEM are significantly higher than XP awards for spawned monsters and creatures.
XP Awards are as follows:
Creatures Not Spawned by the SYSTEM earn (1/2 Total Earned XP as adjusted by difference in rarity.)
Spawned Creatures earn (Level x 100 XP). The difference in Rarity does not adjust the XP award.
Examples suited to your specific class Follow:
A non-spawned level 10 creature of equal rarity will earn you 27,500 XP.
A non-spawned level 10 creature of basic rarity will earn you 3,438 XP.
A spawned level 10 creature will earn you 1,000 XP and is not adjusted due to rarity.
After the Reintegration Phase has passed, all XP Awards will be adjusted to (Level x 100 XP).
XP awards will not be adjusted due to variations in rarity.
Anton checked his Personal Status. If he killed a Level 1 creature that wasn¡¯t SYSTEM spawned, he¡¯d earn 31 XP. If he killed a level 1 SYSTEM Spawned monster, no matter the rarity, he earned 100 XP. In his case, he would actually get more XP to kill spawned low-level basic monsters. Since almost everything he¡¯d encountered to this point was either Basic or Scarce, except for Mrs. Ellison, it looked like low-level spawned creatures would earn him more XP.
Anton reviewed a few more levels and noticed that the differences continued to grow. To Anton, it felt like the SYSTEM was trying to incentivize population control, specifically the population of all the universes that had been mashed together during the SYSTEM Reset. Anton could live with that. His Immortal ability ensured that no one would be able to collect on his XP.
Anton closed his Status screens and entered the White House. He ghosted down to the meeting room and deactivated Specter when he found the room Felix and Caitlyn were in. The building was empty, so Anton closed the doors, moved a chair over into the corner of the room, and waited. His natural regeneration rates would replenish all of the Psychic Energy he¡¯d use in the two minutes he had left to wait.
At 9:02 p.m., Felix and Caitlyn popped into existence.
¡°What the fuck, where is everyone?¡± Felix asked as he looked around.
Caitlyn, on the other hand, drew her weapon and pointed it toward Anton before she recognized him and pointed the gun toward the ground.
Felix, noting Anton¡¯s presence, directed his next question toward him, ¡°What happened?¡±
¡°Well, you know, Mrs. Ellison. Turns out she was the Supreme Commander of a group of assholes that attacked Washington D.C. when the Magical Density reached 5%.¡±
Anton went on to explain what had happened to said assholes. The state of the Node Facility in Antarctica and the state of affairs across the world had been around the globe. When he was done bringing both of them up to speed, Felix asked, ¡°What do we do now?¡±
Anton shrugged, ¡°I was kind of hoping you¡¯d had your people coordinated like Mrs. Ellison had, without the backstabbing intent, of course.¡±
¡°Only a hundred or so had called in when we were put in that Stasis bubble almost three days ago. They were being shipped to Dover Air Force base, about 90 miles east of Washington D.C.,¡± Felix said.
¡°That puts them over by Delaware Bay, really close to the ocean,¡± Anton mussed.
¡°Two miles inland, I looked over maps of the area before we sent them there, ¡° Caitlyn offered.
¡°Well, I can¡¯t use the portal to get you over there,¡± Anton said, ¡°I could take each of you there individually, but I¡¯ll need to head over to Dover to see what¡¯s going on. Alternatively, I can take you to my dad¡¯s up in Minot. It will probably be a bit safer. Then I can go check on your people. The big thing, and here¡¯s the doozy, The SYSTEM is actively encouraging people to kill each other right now,¡± Anton said.
¡°What?¡± Felix and Caitlyn asked simultaneously.
¡°If you check your notifications, the announcement should be there. Basically, what it says is if you kill any creatures that were not spawned, read anyone that was mashed together from all those other universes into this universe, you automatically earn one-half of the XP they earned to reach the level they currently have. If you kill spawned monsters, they¡¯re only worth 100 XP per level.
¡°Why?¡± Felix asked.
¡°No idea, but we should get moving. Minot or wait here while I scout out Dover?
¡°Let¡¯s go with plan C,¡± Caitlyn said.
¡°What¡¯s plan C?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Take Felix to Minot, then go check out Dover and come back to get me after. I¡¯m pretty sure I can hold the fort here until you get back,¡± Caitlyn said. ¡°I can act as the liaison between Felix and our personnel that made it there. If they¡¯re still there, of course.¡±
¡°Felix?¡± Anton said as he looked at him.
¡°Sounds good to me,¡± Felix said.
¡°Okay then,¡± Anton said as he stood and walked over to Felix, ¡°I just need to touch you, and we¡¯ll get going.¡±
Anton put his hand on Felix¡¯s shoulder and utilized Planar Shift to travel to his father¡¯s basement right outside the secret door to the bunker. Felix looked at Anton and was about to ask a question when Anton put his finger on his lips, indicating that they should remain quiet. A moment later, the secret door cracked open, and his father waved both of them inside. Once the airlocks outdoors closed and they¡¯d made their way into the bunker and closed the second door, Anton¡¯s dad asked, ¡°Who is this, and why¡¯d you bring him here?¡±
¡°Dad, this is Felix, Felix. This is my Dad. I needed a safe place for him to stay. I¡¯ll let him fill you in on what¡¯s happened over the last three days. I have to get back to Washington,¡± Anton said before he activated Planar Shift and reappeared in front of Caitylyn.
¡°That was quick?¡±
¡°That¡¯s what she said, oh wait, that is what you said,¡± Anton said.
¡°Ha ha, NOT very funny,¡± Caitlyn said admonishingly.
¡°Yeah, that was bad. Anyway, Felix is with my family. He should be fine there. Here are a few things, just in case it takes me a little bit to get back,¡± Anton said as he pulled out weapons, equipment, food, and water for Caitlyn. When he was done, he continued, ¡°There is ammo and equipment outside the building on the South Lawn, that way,¡± Anton said as he pointed south, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t head out there if you don¡¯t have to, though. With the military moving into the area I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want to get sniped.¡±
¡°How long will you be gone?¡± Caitlyn asked.
¡°It¡¯s 90 miles to the base from here. I also have to find it,¡± Anton thought about it. Five minutes to travel 100 miles, five minutes to find the base, five minutes to search and five minutes to get back, that would be 20 minutes if he was lucky. If he was unlucky, a bit longer. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be gone longer than an hour, hopefully half that,¡± Anton said.
¡°I can stay put for that long. I¡¯ll either be in this room or somewhere on this floor. I am going to scout it out and at least set some noise traps so I can hear if anyone approaches,¡± Caitlyn explained.
Anton nodded and said, ¡°That sounds good. I¡¯m going to head out now,¡± before he activated Specter and headed East.
Well, that sucked. There was no direct road to Dover from Washington DC, No direct highway anyway. That wasn¡¯t a problem for Anton. He just increased his altitude to about 1,000 feet and headed east. Five minutes later, he found himself above Milford, Delaware. A quick flight around the city didn¡¯t show anything that looked like an Air Force Base. This was going to take a bit longer than he thought
***
Caitlyn did what any good military person would. She scouted her immediate surroundings. First, she located the entry points to the area she was in: One stairway on the east side of the building and one on the west. Next, she found some dead computer monitors and used the butt of her pistol to smash the glass of the monitors near each entrance so that anyone walking over the area would definitely make some noise. Caitlyn set up the east side first and then the West. Of course, setting up a trap to alert her if anyone entered the area wouldn¡¯t do a damn thing to alert her that someone was already in the area directly behind her; that is what her often overlooked second ability, Minor Intuition was for.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
As she finished breaking the 2nd monitor, she had an uncanny feeling that she was being watched and felt a pulse of danger that felt like it was coming from behind her. Caitlyn dropped the monitor and turned. She caught sight of a man in one of the invader''s uniforms sneaking toward her with a very menacing dagger in his hand. Before her attacker could react, she willed herself to move and shoot. Her hand glowed golden briefly before she pulled the trigger, and the bullet left her gun.
Caitlyn hadn¡¯t had time to think or react. She just wanted her attacker dead, and her ability Celestial Spark responded. Unknown to Caitlyn, the SYSTEM had changed her ability during the integration; it had placed some restrictions on her ability. Caitlyn could now only safely infuse her celestial spark into her attacks by an amount of mana equal to her Willpower rating. Unfortunately, she only had a rating of 7. She could push more energy into her attack, but there was a 10% +1% per point of mana above her willpower rating that she invested into a single attack, that she would receive an energy backlash. As the holder of the Celestial Spark, she couldn¡¯t be damaged by the backlash, but she could definitely knock herself unconscious, which she did.
Celestial Spark (SYSTEM Edit) - Celestials are beings of the Proper or Absolute. Also sometimes referred to as the Divine. The ability Celestial Spark indicates that you hold a portion of this divinity within you. You are 100% resistant to Putrescent and Anti, or Null, magic-based attacks. Additionally, you may utilize mana to channel your spark and augment your attacks on a one-for-one basis. One point of mana for one point of celestial damage. The maximum amount of mana that may be added to an attack safely is equal to your Willpower. Additional energy may be added, which increases the chance that energy backlash will occur by 10% + 1% per point of mana added above your willpower rating. The possibility of any attack modified by Celestial Spark hitting is increased by 100% and is incredibly hard to dodge, often resulting in automatic critical strikes.
As Caitlyn fell to the floor unconscious, the last thing she saw was the head of her attacker exploding as soon as the bullet entered his skull through his left eye. When she checked her Combat Log later, she discovered that she¡¯d added all 75 points of her mana pool and succeeded in critically hitting her target. The level 10 fighter only had 52 hit points to begin with. Hitting her attacker with 158 points of celestial damage was instantly fatal.
Thirty-six minutes later, Caitlyn woke up on the floor outside the meeting room she¡¯d come out of stasis in. The area was still dark except for the emergency lighting, which would probably only last as long as the underground diesel generators had fuel. As she looked around she realized Anton had not returned yet. She had a mild headache, so she slowly stood up and moved back into the meeting room, sat in a corner, and waited. Once her head felt a little better, she opened her Notifications.
Congratulations, you have defeated a Level 10 Human Soldier. 27,000 XP earned.
You have Earned Levels 6, 7, and 8
You have received 12 attribute points to distribute.
Caitlyn had seen the same messages Anton had,
XP Awards are as follows:
Creatures Not Spawned by the SYSTEM earn (1/2 Total Earned XP as adjusted by difference in rarity.)
Spawned Creatures earn (Level x 100 XP). The difference in Rarity does not adjust the XP award.
Now she understood what it meant. If that soldier had been spawned and level 10, she¡¯d have only received 1,000 XP. Instead, she¡¯d received enough XP to earn three levels. Unfortunately, Caitlyn wasn¡¯t the only one to realize this, nor was she the only one to kill a fellow human that night.
***
Across the world, the Notifications the SYSTEM had sent out caused chaos. Men and women launched themselves at each other under the cover of darkness across the Americas while the fighting on the Asian and African continents was also vicious and extreme. Some generals in the various armies decided that the best way to use their troops was to kill anyone who had not originally been from this Earth. That¡¯s how it started. In some countries XP farming turned into a free-for-all situation. Everyone was killing anyone else to earn XP and level, regardless of their affiliation. Some groups stuck together, at least until targets became sparse, and then the members of those groups would turn on each other also.
***
Anton wasn¡¯t happy. Instead of taking him only 30 minutes to find Dover Air Force Base, it had taken him almost an hour. The base ended up being north of Milford, Delaware. That wasn¡¯t the only reason he wasn¡¯t happy. Instead of the Air Force personnel working with Felix¡¯s personnel¡ªhe hoped they were Felix¡¯s men and women¡ªthe U.S. Military was attacking them as they defended themselves in a hangar at the northwest end of the runway tarmac.
A barricade of vehicles sat on the runway tarmac just southeast of the hangar, acting as a blockade. U.S. Military Personnel used the vehicles as cover while they fired their weapons at personnel in the hangar. Luckily, Felix¡¯s people were keeping their heads down. They also had a couple of healers who were fixing up anyone who was hit by a stray bullet. A few dead lay on the ground, obviously killed by bullets that had struck them in the head.
Anton really wished that there was something else going on that would keep the U.S. military personnel occupied and maybe convince them that they had to work together to survive. Just then, he felt a shiver run up his spine and tickle his temples.
The funny thing about wishes is that sometimes they are granted. The granter of said wishes, in this case, was the SYSTEM. After the reorganization and changes that had been made to it, The SYSTEM was nothing, if not respondent. Anton¡¯s new base Luck attribute was 273. The ability Divine Luck that he¡¯d ¡°acquired,¡± for lack of a better word, increased his effective Luck to 3,576. The SYSTEM analyzed Anton¡¯s desire, then the wish he¡¯d voiced in his mind and checked Anton''s Luck and Karmic Luck. If the SYSTEM could smile, it was doing so as it said in its best Jim Carrey imitation, ¡°Well, really.¡±
Anton¡¯s Karmic Luck was still 517,343, which could automatically influence any action under the right conditions. The SYSTEM noted the attributes and the desire and responded. The only evidence that what happened next was not entirely random was a single Notification that appeared in Anton¡¯s vision.
Karmic Luck Consumed 100,000
Anton watched as the battle unfolded. It looked like Felix¡¯s people were holding their own, but the U.S. Military kept getting reinforcements. Eventually, it would reach a tipping point, and then Felix¡¯s people would be overrun. That would have happened if a glowing sphere of brown energy hadn¡¯t risen out of the ground between the two groups and begun spinning. As it spun, tendrils of brown energy reached out and dug into the runway tarmac, like a plow and shot the concrete out and away from the hole it was digging in the tarmac. This continued until there was a hole in the tarmac 50 feet across.
The magical anomaly of rotating energy was at least 50 feet from the hanger. The military personnel on the runway weren¡¯t so lucky. The anomaly was really close to two of the vehicles acting as a barricade. As the energy began to spin out from the center, magical tendrils reached the vehicles and broke them down into confetti in a matter of seconds. That added tiny shards of metal to a ball of spinning brown energy and allowed the energy to dig the hole even faster.
Anton floated over and reached out to touch the area the energy passed through from the safety of his adjacent dimension. Nothing happened. It didn¡¯t seem like whatever was happening to the Material Plane affected anything where he was. Also, he wasn¡¯t sure being on that side would do him any good anyway; he couldn¡¯t normally sense magic, though he did have a Psychic skill for detecting magic that he kept forgetting to use. Maybe that could be helpful. Right now, though, he was just going to back off and watch what happened.
Anton floated back up until he was about 100 feet above the wall of energy. He watched as a few of the US military personnel shot their guns at the ball of energy, their bullets completely ineffective.
The swirling ball of energy spun faster and faster until it began to sink into the ground slowly. As it did so, its downward velocity increased until it had disappeared entirely from sight. When the swirling mass of energy was gone, all that remained was a hole that led into the ground.
Anton looked down into the hole and wondered what was going on. That is, until a new Notification appeared in his vision.
SYSTEM Event
More than 48 Hours have passed since the Magic Density of Earth reached 100%. Magical Ley Lines have been established, and random manifestations of magic are occurring all over the globe. This is not one of those Random Events.
Congratulations! You have discovered an Earth-based Ley Line Node. Accelerated Monster Spawning will occur for 24 hours once every 7 days. Monsters will start spawning at level 1 and may increase up to level 10 during the day, depending on the spawned monster''s destruction.
Ley Line Node: Earth-Based
Starting Monster Level: 1
Maximum Monster Level: 10
Duration: 24 hours every 7 days.
Time until Monster Spawning begins: 00:00:10
Anton read the Notification and smiled as he watched the timer count down the last 10 seconds. The timer hit zero, and a single ground beetle the size of a boxer came out of the hole and moved toward the closest person it could detect. Two more followed a second later. Four the next second. Eight more the second after that. Finally, sixteen more were added in the next second, with a steady sixteen per second.
Anton watched as the US military personnel switched targets and began attacking the beetles. The beetles weren¡¯t fast, but they kept coming. Anton dropped back to the ground between the two forces off to the side of the new hole in the ground and deactivated Specter. The beetles had been spreading from the hole but had primarily been going toward the US military personnel and the hangar where Felix¡¯s people had engaged them. Anton used Identify on the nearest beetle to him.
Giant Ground Beetle
Level: 1
HP: 4
Primary Attack: (Bite)
Base Damage: 1
Special Attack: None
Anton pulled up his Personal Status and scrolled down to his Physical Damage Resistance. Yep, it was five. These creatures'' bites only did one point of damage, and he could ignore up to five. Well, then, that changed a couple of things. Of course, getting hit in the side of the head by a sniper round also changed his plans immediately, which was precisely what happened. Anton took a hit to the side of his head and was knocked prone. It wasn¡¯t that the hit had hurt all that much. He hadn¡¯t been grounded correctly, nor had he expected to get hit from the angle he did.
Anton¡¯s physical resistance mitigated most of the damage, but 7 points made it through. While he was strong, getting hit by a 50-caliber bullet traveling at more than 2,700 feet per second, which was at least twice the speed of sound¡Yeah, even his superhuman strength couldn¡¯t hold him in place.
As Anton was knocked to the ground, the beetles swarmed him, and he learned that he¡¯d been right; his Physical Damage Resistance could withstand the damage the beetles were doing. His clothes, however, were not damage-resistant. Luckily, it was his default outfit that was always reformed when he was healed or remade, so the clothes didn¡¯t stay shredded for long.
Anton took the time to begin identifying the beetles that were trying to bite off his arms and legs, as well as the ones going for his head. Most were level 1, but then he started seeing level 2, level 3, and level 4 beetles. It looked like the longer these beetles kept spawning, the higher their level would grow. When he identified a level 5 beetle, he knew it was time to get to work. Identify let him know that Level 5 beetles had 38 hit points but still only did one point of damage with their bite. The critical multiplier was only double damage, which meant that, at most, he¡¯d take only two points of damage. None of that mattered at the moment. Right now, he has a sniper to neutralize.
Anton activated Specter and headed southeast along the runway toward the tower. As he drew closer, the sniper¡¯s life force shone like a beacon in the night from the top of the Air Traffic Control Tower. There were many ways he could handle this. The simple solution was usually the best. Since it looked like the military might need everyone it could get its hands on, he wasn¡¯t going to kill this guy. What he was going to do was disarm him.
Anton possessed the sniper, placed all of his weapons into his Personal Storage, and then left the body. He quickly went back down to the other end of the runway, where the swarm of beetles coming out of the Earth Node was constantly growing. If sixteen beetles were coming out of the hole every second, that was 160 every 10 seconds. That meant that at least 480 beetles had come out of that whole in the last 30 seconds. It had only been 30 seconds?
As Anton flew back into position between the hanger and the US military, he saw that the Beetles had spread out primarily in two directions. The beetles were moving in all directions, but if there was no prey visible, the progress in those directions was much slower. Anton landed between the two forces a little way back from the beetles and deactivated Specter. Immediately, the beetles began skittering and moving in his direction. Anton targeted the center of the mass over the hole and activated Spectral Scream.
Anton¡¯s Spectral Scream created a wave of death from where he stood across the opening and all the way to the few beetles that had skittered almost 100 feet toward the edge of the runway. Not a single Beetle survived the Psychic Attack.
Anton¡¯s vision was flooded with messages. He modified the output and changed it to display the total killed by level, XP, and Treasure.
Giant Ground Beetle, Level 1, 144 Killed, 14,400 XP earned, 144 Copper.
Giant Ground Beetle, Level 2, 128 Killed, 25,600 XP earned, 256 Copper.
Giant Ground Beetle, Level 3, 80 Killed 24,000 XP earned, 160 Copper.
Giant Ground Beetle, Level 4, 32 Killed 12,800 XP earned, 128 Copper.
Giant Ground Beetle, Level 5, 16 Killed 8,000 XP earned. 80 Copper.
Two more Slayer titles quickly followed the kill notifications
Congratulations! You have Earned the Title Ground Beetle Slayer I for killing 100 Ground Beetles.
1,000 XP Granted
+1 to any damage you cause to Ground Beetles.
Congratulations! You have Earned the Title Ground Beetle Slayer II for killing 300 Ground Beetles.
3,000 XP Granted
+2 to any damage you cause to Ground Beetles.
Anton closed the Notifications and smiled as he activated Specter. He¡¯d found a damn loot cave. Sure, it was only dishing out copper, but 768 copper for 100 Psychic Energy, which he could recover in under 40 seconds¡yeah, that was a nice exchange rate.
Anton needed to use Battle Mediation to recover his Psychic Energy. Then he was going to go get Caitlyn and let her have some fun. But before he could activate Battle Mediation, he decided to do some scouting. Anton moved over to and through the hangar nearby. He checked the layout, the rooms, and the people within. He also scouted the area so he could teleport back into the hangar with Caitlyn when he returned.
While he scouted around, he noticed that more U.S. Military soldiers had moved in to surround the beetles after he killed the number that he did. Anton smiled; that would allow them to keep the beetles contained. As he watched, a few of the soldiers stepped forward with Batons. Their attacks did next to nothing against the beetles. The melee attackers stepped back, and the gunfire resumed.
Anton was satisfied with the way the U.S. Military and Felix¡¯s people prevented the beetles from spreading. If they could keep that up while he was gone, they should be able to keep the beetles contained to the runway. Anton moved back to the tower and activated Manifest next to the sniper. Once he was sure the sniper could see him, Anton used American Sign Language to ask Can you understand me The Sniper responded in kind, Yes, who are you?
Anton: The guy you shot in the head, or did you forget already?
Sniper: I remember. Do you have my weapons?
Anton: I do. I will give them back under one condition: No more shooting at the humans in the hangar¡or me or the woman I bring back with me.
Sniper: I wasn¡¯t shooting at the hanger anyway. That¡¯s a fuel cell. As for you, what was I supposed to do? You suddenly appeared closer to our forces, and I had a clear shot that wouldn¡¯t hit the fuel cell.
Anton: Fair enough. Just don¡¯t do again or next time you won¡¯t just lose your weapons for a little while. Now, if you didn¡¯t see the messages¡
Sniper: I saw them.
Anton: Okay then. Support your people. Also, watch in all directions. If monsters are spawning here, they¡¯re probably spawning in other places as well.
The sniper simply nodded. Anton held his gaze for a moment and then activated Spectral Reach. He pulled out the weapons he¡¯d taken from the sniper and put them back on the roof of the tower next to him. Next, he pulled out the ammo he¡¯d taken, as well as a little extra ammo for the rifle and pistol from his stock.
The sniper looked at what Anton put down and then asked in sign, Why the extra ammo?
Anton: You¡¯ll need it; the beetles are coming out of the hole at a rate of about 16 per second. I have to leave for a bit, you¡¯ll probably need it while I¡¯m gone.
Before the sniper could respond, Anton deactivated Manifest and disappeared from his view. Next, he moved to a nearby roof and sat down to meditate while in Spectral Form. Of his 1,865 Psychic Energy, he only had 412 remaining. With Battle Mediation, he could only regenerate 20 every 10 seconds, so it would be just over 12 minutes before he¡¯d be fully recovered. Since it cost 1,100 Psychic Energy to Planar Shift with someone, he was going to rest for a bit so he could go get Caitlyn.
Twelve minutes passed in a flash. He opened his eyes, made sure that the¡
The U.S. Military on the Runway were still there¡ They¡¯d fled. Since he couldn¡¯t hear what was going on in the material world while in his specter form, he couldn¡¯t hear the gunfire move away from the runway. Anton flashed over to the hanger and saw that they were still holding the beetles back, but not all the beetles were headed this way.
Anton saw the U.S. Military forces now. They¡¯d pulled back from their forward position and fortified themselves behind some barricades near a few key buildings. Beetles were attacking them there, but they were also bypassing them, making their way further west and off the base to the east.
The U.S. military should have held their position on the runway. Whoever had decided to pull them back was an idiot. Well, it wasn¡¯t something he could worry about now. Anton made sure that there was a clear place in the hangar with Felix¡¯s troops that he could bring Caitlyn back to and activated the Planar shift.
Anton appeared in the meeting room under the White House, looked around the basement, and found a newly dead body on the floor. Caitlyn was back in the meeting room, sitting in a chair with her eyes closed.
Anton deactivated Specter while on the opposite side of the room. Caitlyn opened her eyes, saw Anton, and smiled, ¡°30 minutes, my ass,¡± Caitlyn said.
¡°If your ass is on the table, I¡¯ll take that bet next time,¡± Anton snarked back.
¡°If my ass is on the table, your ass better be on top of that ass,¡± Caitlyn responded without hesitating.
Anton snickered, ¡°Not backing down an inch¡shit.¡±
¡°When you know you¡¯ve lost, you know you¡¯ve lost, point to me. What took so long?¡± Caitlyn asked.
Anton walked over and started putting everything she hadn¡¯t picked up back into his inventory. He explained, ¡°I found Dover. Conditions have started to deteriorate as people now know it¡¯s worth more XP to kill other people. However, while I was in the area, an Earth Node opened up and started spewing out beetles. It will continue to do so for the next 23 hours and start up every seven days thereafter.
¡°The U.S. military had the node surrounded but backed off, allowing the giant beetles to expand outward. Your forces are holding their own because the beetles are pretty easy to kill. I was thinking about popping us over to the hangar. That should allow both of us to farm XP for the rest of the day. After a bit, I could probably fetch Felix, too. It looks like the SYSTEM created a literal XP Farm,¡± Anton explained.
¡°If you''re sure it¡¯s not a trap, I¡¯m in,¡± Caitlyn said.
¡°I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s not a trap of some kind, but if it is, I can¡¯t figure out how,¡° Anton said as he finished picking up all of their gear, moved over to Caitlyn, and put his hand on her shoulder, ¡°Ready?¡± he asked.
¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Caitlyn said as she nodded.
A moment later, Anton activated Planar Shift, and they both vanished.
Chapter 46, Blindspots
After Caitlyn and Anton arrived back in the Hangar at Dover Air Force Base, Anton found one of the people who seemed to be in charge. A few moments later, Caitlyn was in charge. After that, things moved quickly. Anton was introduced to Felix¡¯s personnel. As they were walking through the hangar, combat could be heard right outside the building. Caitlyn grew a bit excited when they rounded a corner. She caught sight of a man of Latino heritage.
¡°Pavo!¡°
¡°Commander Sheppard, where have you been?¡±
¡°Around. Anton, this is Pavo. Pavo, here is our Supply Specialist. He keeps track of all of her weapons, ammo, food, and water. Pavo, this is Anton.¡±
Pavo stuck out his hand, ¡°Anton, is it? Any friend of the Commander and all that.¡±
Anton shook his hand, ¡°So what can you provide right now?¡±
Pavo smiled and then waved his hand. A pedestal rose out of the ground in front of him, reaching up to his waist. A hand holding a bronze orb sat on top of the pedestal. Anton looked at the pedestal and then back at Pavo, ¡°And?¡±
¡°And¡it¡¯s a Military Supply Node,¡± Pavo declared happily
¡°And what does a Military Supply Node do? No, better question: How did you get access to it?¡± Anton asked.
¡°I was offered the class Military Supply Specialist. The class gives me access to this Military Supply Node, which is ranked. Bronze is the lowest rank, while diamond is the highest rank, as far as I can tell. As for what it does, A Military Supply Node allows anyone I permit to touch it and purchase military items, which include food and water which can be deposited anywhere within 100 feet of the pedestal or into your Personal Storage. The only downside is that the Military Supply Node only accepts SYSTEM credits.¡±
¡°Do you get some of the profits from the sales you make?¡± Anton asked
¡°Not exactly. I receive credit toward my next purchase, but I can only use it on items the Military Supply Node sells, or I can use that ¡®Credit¡¯ to increase my Military Supply Node rank.¡±
¡°What¡¯s the difference in rank do for you?¡±
¡°Right now, I¡¯m limited to 100,000 credits per day. Once I earn, or come up with 100,000 credits, I can invest that money to increase my Node rank to silver, which will increase what can be purchased to one million credits each day,¡± Pavo explained.
¡°What has been purchased so far?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Not much,¡± Pavo sighed.
¡°What? Why?¡± Caitlyn asked.
¡°One Credit equals 100 copper pieces, One silver equals one Credit, and 100 silver equals one Gold. One clip of ammo for a weapon ranges in price, but right now, it¡¯s between one and five credits per bullet, plus another three to five credits for the clip. Ammo boxes, that¡¯s 1,000 rounds of ammo, for 9mm rounds cost 5,000 credits.¡±
¡°5,000 credits? How are you paying for that?¡± Anton asked.
¡°We¡¯re not. We¡¯re only earning one to ten copper per kill. Granted, we can sell the carcasses for anywhere between 10 and 1,000 copper, depending on the level of the creature. Each level brings the payout up by about 100 more copper. Still, the cost to kill them with weapons outweighs what we¡¯re earning.¡±
¡°Then you stop using firearms. Get some melee weapons. Spears, halberds, swords, you know, pointy sticks!¡± Anton said as he placed his hand on the Military Supply Node. He looked through the options available until he found the one he was looking for and directed his wishes into the node.
Would you like to deposit 200,000 credits to be used by Pavo for purchases, Yes or No?
Anton chose ¡°Yes¡± and then looked up to Pavo with a smile, ¡°I just deposited 200,000 credits into your supply account. 100,000 so you can upgrade and another 100,000 to make sure you keep everyone fed and equipped for the next 23 hours while the Earth Node is active. I would suggest that you purchase melee weapons for everyone first and then worry about providing firearms. In fact, Here¡¯s something that should hold you over for a while,¡± Anton said as he removed his hand from the Military Supply Node and walked over to a corner of the hangar nearby.
Anton quickly pulled out all the invader guns and ammunition that he¡¯d picked up off the dead bodies near the White House. He made sure to stack the weapons on one side and the ammunition on the other. He kept all of the American weapons and ammo, though. Those items he¡¯d save for friends and family, as they¡¯d be easier for them to learn to use
¡°What is all of this?¡± Pavo asked as others came up and looked at the piles of weapons and ammo.
¡°The firearms are off of the dirtbags that attacked Washington D.C. and killed the President of the United States. I may have killed a few. However, a lot of weapons and ammo were picked up after they were already dead.
Pavo looked at the weapons, equipment, and ammo Anton was laying on the ground. He then went over to his Military Supply Node and placed his hand on it. He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them and looked at Anton. ¡°Where did you get that many credits?¡±
¡°Don¡¯t you worry about that,¡± Anton said with a smile. Then he walked back over to the node and placed his hand back on the Military Supply Node next to Pavo¡¯s hand. Anton did a quick search for melee weapons. Then, he focused on longswords. Once he settled on that category, more options became available. He looked for nonmagical high-end swords. After only a few moments, he found something that looked like it would work.
Monofilament Edged Longsword, Weight: 4 lbs., Base Damage 7, 1,000 Credits
Anton bought ten, which he deposited into his Personal Storage. He summoned one from his inventory without its scabbard. He quickly tested its weight and then drew his thumb across the sharp end of the blade, which immediately drew blood. If his Physical Damage Resistance hadn¡¯t been as high as it was, he probably would have cut that thumb off.
Anton put his thumb in his mouth for a couple of seconds to wait for it to stop bleeding and then pulled out his thumb, ¡°Damn, that was sharp,¡± Anton said.
¡°How much did that cost?¡± Caitlyn asked.
¡°Just 1,000 credits. Here, take this one,¡± Anton said as he put the weapon in his hand back into his Personal Storage and pulled out a different one, which was still in its scabbard. Anton held it out, which Caitlyn accepted with a smile.
¡°Thanks, Anton, I¡¯ll pay you back.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t sweat it. I¡¯m going to leave you for a bit and go get Felix and bring him back here after I rest and recover the energy that I spent bringing you here.¡±
¡°Sound¡¯s good. I¡¯m going to work with Pavo to get our people equipped and set this place up.¡±
Anton waved and then activated Specter followed by Planar Shift. A moment later, he appeared back in Minot. He made sure the bathroom was clear and deactivated Specter in the bathroom. Anton called out, ¡°I¡¯m back,¡± as he stepped out of the bathroom into the living room.
¡°That was quick?¡± Anton¡¯s Dad asked from the couch.
¡°Yes, it was,¡± Felix said from a chair near his father''s.
Anton nodded, ¡°Yeah, Caitlyn is helping them get set up. One of your people already has a class with a Military Supply Node as part of it. I put some money in that for your people so they can get equipped to take out the giant Ground Beetles without wasting ammunition.¡±
¡°Giant Ground Beetles?¡± Felix asked.
Anton spent the next couple of minutes explaining the Earth Node that had popped up and the waves of Giant Ground Beetles flooding the area while he regained Psychic Energy.
¡°So, what you¡¯re saying is that there is a source of low-level monsters near my people feeding them XP? And it will do so for just over 23 hours and then repeat that cycle every 7 days?¡± Felix asked.
¡°Yep,¡± Anton said.
¡°And what makes you think that the Earth Node is there only to feed humans?¡±
Anton paused for a minute and thought about it before he said, ¡°You''re right; those monsters will feed the local area, which should draw stronger monsters. We should get back.¡±
¡°You better come back and get me,¡± Amelia, Anton¡¯s 23-year-old sister, said. Before Anton could respond, she continued, ¡°I can help the guy Pavo you described. I don¡¯t plan to fight bugs up close and personnel. If you¡¯re saying that magic is back in the world, I want to be a caster, preferably a healer. Where better to get a chance at that than where people are fighting and getting hurt?¡±
Anton looked to his mom and dad, who looked at each other before his dad offered, ¡°Come back and get her when you get the chance. If she can become a healer of some sort, that can only help all of us.¡±
¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be back for you,¡± Anton said, then looked at Felix. ¡°You ready?¡±
¡°Yep, let¡¯s go, Felix affirmed.¡±
Anton reached out, grabbed Felix¡¯s shoulder, and activated Planar Shift. They both appeared in the hangar near a desk Pavo had set up where he sat with his Military Supply Node. Anton had only been gone for 10 minutes, but things changed dramatically in that 10 minutes. There was now a queue to get access to the store while a couple of people ran back to the supply of weapons that Anton had left, reloaded weapons, and then made their way back to the barricade that had been set up to repel the beetles.
For the people at the various barricades, one person would kill a beetle, the next would step forward, put the beetle in their personnel storage, and take the place of the person who killed the beetle. Then, that person would step back and wait while the next beetle was killed. When the next beetle died, they¡¯d swap again. Across the barricade, two people would take turns killing, collecting, waiting, and then repeating.
There was a third person behind the two up front with a firearm ready to step in and help when necessary. That usually happened when one of the larger beetles showed up. The people he¡¯d seen running to the weapon and ammo pile were resupplying the people with the firearms.
As Anton watched, Felix walked over to talk with Caitlyn, who was calling out commands:
¡°Close that gap!¡±
¡°Jerrick, stop picking your nose with that sword. You use it to kill beetles, so do not gently tap them and hope they¡¯ll move away.
¡°Sarah, watch where you are shooting; you almost hit Bently¡¯s leg when you shot that bug''s head. Seriously, that was a good shot; just watch your background.¡±
Anton watched in awe as Caitlyn went into full military instructor mode, which kept everyone focused on killing beetles. After 10 minutes, everyone was swapped out. The people fighting up front were replaced by the people shooting guns and retrieving ammo.
Caitlyn called out, ¡°Remember, when you¡¯re the one grabbing weapons and armor, sell the carcasses you¡¯ve picked up. First full rotation in 20 minutes. At that time, you can hit access the Military Supply Node and grab something to eat and drink. We¡¯ll do this every 30 minutes. Remember, we have to keep this up for another 23 hours. Do not get distracted.¡±
Anton caught Felix¡¯s eyes, gave him a thumbs up, and activated Planar Shift. The 10 minutes he¡¯d been in the Hangar had given him more than enough time to recharge his Psychic Energy.
Anton appeared back in Minot, where his sister was waiting in the living room with his mother and father.
¡°How long will you be gone?¡± his Mom asked.
¡°At least a day unless you want me to come back and get someone else,¡± Anton asked.
¡°No, we should be fine here. Help your sister become a healer if you can,¡± Anton¡¯s dad said as he turned to Amelia and gave her a hug, ¡°I love you, be careful.¡±
¡°Love you two, Dad,¡± Amelia said as she hugged her Dad and then her mom, ¡°Besides, someone has to keep Anthony from going off the deep end. Right now, he can Teleport; pretty soon, he¡¯ll think he¡¯s Harry Potter, or who was that mage in the Forgotten Realms Universe, Elminster? Yeah, he¡¯ll think he¡¯s some powerful wizard.¡±
Anton shook his head, ¡°Actually, that¡¯s the one thing I could never be, but more about that later. You ready to go?¡±
Amelia stepped away from her mother and over to Anton, ¡°I¡¯m Ready.¡±
Anton smiled, put his hand on Amelia¡¯s shoulder, and activated Planar Shift.
They appeared right where he¡¯d expected. It cost him 100 Psychic Energy to Planar Shift to Minot and 1,100 Psychic Energy to Planar Shift with his sister back to Dover Air Force Base. That left him with 665 Psychic Energy. He could use Meditation or Battle Meditation to recover quicker, but at a recovery rate of 180 Psychic Energy each minute, he¡¯d be back to his maximum Psychic Energy in about 6 minutes.
Anton was brought out of his thoughts as Caitlyn walked up, and Amelia disengaged from his hand that was holding her shoulder. ¡°Hello again, Amelia; if you come with me, I¡¯ll assign you someone so you can help out.¡±
¡°Do I get to learn how to fight with magic?¡± Amelia asked.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
¡°If that is what you want, sure. Has Anton explained anything of this new reality to you?¡± Caitlyn asked.
¡°Not really.¡±
¡°Okay, let me introduce you to Pavo. He can explain about Experience, leveling, and class choices¡¡± Caitlyn said as she led Amelia away from Anton. While the two women walked off, Felix came over.
¡°So, what are your plans now?¡± Felix asked.
¡°Your people seem to have this hangar locked down. I was thinking about checking on the U.S. Military personnel on the other side of the base,¡± Anton said.
¡°Not sure what you expect to find. Gunfire from the other side of the flightline line seems to have dropped off. There have been a few small explosions. My people think grenades.¡±
¡°What are the beetles doing?¡± Anton asked.
¡°A lot are coming out of the hole in this direction, but just as many are moving off across the runway to the northeast, climbing the fence and making their way off this base,¡± Felix said.
¡°Do the beetles seem to be coming out at the same rate they started at, or have they slowed down?¡±
My people outside seem to think that there is an upper limit because every once in a while, the beetles will pause coming out of the hole, or fewer will appear, but we have no idea what that upper limit is,¡± Felix explained.
¡°Alright then, I¡¯m going to go over there and meditate for a little while to recover. Then I¡¯m going to check the base.¡±
¡°We¡¯ll be here Until we can claim this area¡¡±Felix started to say and then froze.
¡°What the hell?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
SYSTEM Message: Felix has claimed this domain, which includes this building and a 500-foot-diameter sphere centered on it.
Monster Spawning will not occur in this domain.
Resource Regeneration occurs at the standard rate while within this Domain.
¡°Well, that¡¯s interesting,¡± Felix said.
¡°What?¡± Anton asked.
¡°The SYSTEM just asked if I wanted to claim this hanger as my domain, so I did.¡±
¡°Did it cost you anything?¡± Felix asked.
¡°Not that I can see, though I have a new tab in my Status. Wait, I can make changes to the Domain, though there are costs for each change. Wow, I can set a tax rate for any purchases made in my domain¡¡±
Anton smiled, ¡°It looks like you have some things to figure out. I¡¯d ask Pavo if he¡¯s upgraded his Military Supply Node yet. If he hasn¡¯t, I¡¯d definitely get that tax rate set before he does,¡± Anton offered.
Felix¡¯s eyes went wide as he realized what Anton had just said. He turned and rushed off toward Pavo.
Anton smiled, activated Specter, and rose through the ceiling of the hanger so he could look down and see what was going on. It was now just after midnight. The Giant Ground Beetles were still coming out of the hole in the ground at the Earth Node in the runway. Now that Anton could see both Felix¡¯s people and the source of the Ground Beetles, he noticed that whenever a beetle died, a new one would appear. When none died near the hangar, some beetles would still spawn, but only three to five a second. The Beetles Spawn rate had slowed down considerably.
Anton could see that most of the spawning beetles were heading toward the hangar. The ones heading east had already torn through the fence surrounding the base, and the ones that headed south had disappeared into the buildings that made up the base.
The first thing he needed to do was recover his Psychic Energy, so he closed his eyes and activated Battle Meditation. It would take just over 10 minutes for him to regain the 1,213 Psychic Energy he¡¯d used, which would be 1,223 by the time 10 minutes had passed. Sure, he could have stayed in the physical plane and regenerated twice as fast, but within this dimension, it was a lot less likely that anyone would disturb him. That¡¯s why the SYSTEM announcement that broke his concentration surprised him so thoroughly.
SYSTEM Announcement
Hail and Rejoice!
The Gods have returned to the 13th Universe.
New Faith-based classes, Titles, and Perks, are once again available.
Note: Not all divine roles have been filled at this time, though the ranks of the divine grow by the second.
Gods? Anton wondered what that would look like in this new magical world. Anton put this new information out of his mind for now and refocused on replenishing his Psychic Energy as he reactivated Battle Mediation.
***
Mr. Johnson, that¡¯s the name on the ID cards he carried anyway, looked down from the Air Traffic Control tower at Dover AFB. He cleaned his bloodied dagger on the uniform of the sniper he¡¯d just killed and looked down the runway toward the hole where the beetles were spawning. Damn, beetles. Killing them was nothing like killing these soldiers, nor did they give anywhere near the same experience points.
Mr. Johnson had been stuck at his damn base ever since the power had gone out. Then the damn beetles appeared. Though, if he was being honest, he was finally having some fun. The soldiers killed the beetles, and then he hunted and killed the soldiers who were stupid enough to go out on their own. That¡¯s how he¡¯d made it to level 15 so fast.
He¡¯d thought about joining up with the military personnel, but then one of the idiots had tried to kill him, him? What about ¡°C.I.A. Operative¡± gave any of these weekend warrior soldiers a chance against him? A Special Operator might not have had a chance if he¡¯d been able to get the drop on him, but he hadn¡¯t. Mr. Johnson had made sure that little shit of a cook understood precisely how badly he¡¯d fucked up right before his blade pierced the moron¡¯s brain. That was also when he found out that killing beetles was a waste of time. The XP from killing the cook had allowed him to choose the assassin class he¡¯d picked, after which he had immediately increased to level 4.
Mr. Johnson had received access to two ¡®spells¡¯ which he¡¯d been very leery of trusting, but they did seem to work. The first spell, Mark, was a target marking spell. For five mana, he could cast Mark on any target he could see within 1,000 feet if the target failed a resistance check. He didn¡¯t understand the mechanics of those checks, but if that check failed for the target, the spell worked, and from that point on, for the next hour, an icon appeared in his internal map, letting him know where his target was as long as they stayed within 1,000 feet.
His second spell was Invisibility. It made him invisible to normal vision and allowed him to sneak up and dispatch multiple sweep teams that had been protecting the base. The General in charge of this base had been an idiot. Instead of working to get his people more powerful by any means necessary, he¡¯d had them turtled up in their buildings waiting for backup. For some of the armed groups that had worked when the beetles attacked. For others, they had been forced to flee if they could. Some hadn¡¯t made it out and had been overwhelmed by the Beetles. Sure, the beetles were easy kills individually, but if three or four ganged up on a person, they tore through them in short order.
The few groups that had survived soon ran out of ammo and were overwhelmed. A couple of locations, like this Air Traffic Control tower and the paint barn hanger at the end of the runway, had been holding the beetles off while others tried to flee. Well, not this tower so much now, but it had been a pretty defensible area until he made his way inside.
It had been kind of anticlimactic to kill the five people guarding the stairs, the General and his aid in the control room, and finally, this sniper. Mr. Johnson stored the sniper''s weapons in his inventory and then rolled the sniper''s body off the roof. The beetles were already making their way into the tower, so those bodies would soon be taken care of. There was no reason to leave any evidence of what he¡¯d done, just in case.
Mr. Johnson threw the repelling rope the sniper had already set up off the other side of the tower and cast Invisibility before he repelled back down to the ground. Now, it was time to make his way to the Paint Barn Hangar at the north end of the Runway.
He still didn¡¯t trust his spell completely, so he followed his training and stayed low as he moved from cover to cover. It was slow going, but he was able to make his way north along the runway at a steady rate. When he was more than halfway to his goal, new notifications concerning the Gods returning to the Universe populated his vision. He moved to cover as quickly and quietly as he could and reviewed the information that he¡¯d just received.
Mr. Johnson, just to be smartass, because he didn¡¯t believe in God or gods of any kind, whispered, ¡°I dedicate the blood and death I¡¯ve produced this night to any good of death, destruction, or assassination.¡± Not expecting an answer of any kind, Mr. Johnson was about to move out when everything around him froze. The insects stopped chittering, the wind stopped blowing, and the shadow of a flag he could see in the distance stopped flapping as it froze in place.
A raven-haired beautiful woman appeared before him. She wore a black dress with a pair of black daggers, each with a single ring of silver in their handle at her waist. With dark red eyes, she looked down on Mr. Johnson with a gaze that he knew saw right through him.
¡°Jacob Landcaster, I am the reincarnation of the Goddess of Violent Death Keres. I see that you do not believe fully. This will change in time,¡± The Goddess said as she floated close to him and touched his head. He tried to flinch away but found that, like everything else, his body was also frozen. The only thing that he could move was his eyes.
Jacob felt a pain pierce his skull for a moment before a Notification filled his vision.
You have received the Divine Blessing, ¡°The Kiss of Keres.¡± Once per day, you may initiate an attack that will leave your victim in excruciating pain as they target takes 100 points of damage. Should the target survive the attack, the cooldown for the use of this attack resets. Should the target die, the target is consumed by shadows and automatically dedicated to Keres.
The Goddess Keres smiled as she pulled her hand back and looked down the runway and then up at a point above the runway. A hint of a smile crossed her face as she turned back to Jacob: ¡°I see that you had intended to treat those in the hangar you are headed toward with the same equanimity that you have treated others thus far this evening. While I am a Goddess, and you carry my blessing, I am not allowed to control you, but I can offer you some advice. Do not. Instead, pledge your service to the one in charge and be sure not to cross the Specter. If you do, I will see you much sooner than you would like to.¡±
Before Jacob could respond, the Goddess vanished. Immediately, the sounds of the world returned, and he could move again. What in the actual fuck was that? Jacob thought as he opened his Personal Status and found that the Blessing of Keres had been added to his Status. As he looked over the information, he thought of the various ways that he could use that particular attack. It would make him one of the deadliest assassins the world had ever seen, especially if he used it during a sneak attack, which normally tripled his damage. He knew it was a fatal attack because, with 137 hit points, he couldn¡¯t survive if a similar attack hit him.
Jacob recast invisibility before he left the safety of the building and stepped out into the night to the next building. There were beetles still headed his way from the hole in the runway, but they ignored him for the most part. If one came too close, he used his dagger to kill it before moving on again. As he came to the last building before he had to make his way across a field of open ground and past the fuel tanks, his luck must have been working overtime as a group of five Military personnel left cover off to his left and rushed across the field toward the tanks. They were obviously trying to remain out of the Line of Sight from the Hangar and trying to dodge the Beetles. Unfortunately, they weren¡¯t so lucky. A few beetles noticed them and turned in their direction. Jacob watched from the cover because he was sure that the group was going to have to deal with more than the three beetles following them.
***
Anton finished his Battle Meditation above the Runway and looked down. He could see Felix¡¯s people holding the Beetles back from the hangar and noticed that a grouping of life force had appeared near one of the fuel tanks, which had to be at least 1,500 feet from the hangar. Anton floated over to take a better look and found five military personnel fighting off a swarm of beetles. He also noticed that a large grouping of beetles had altered their courses and was moving toward the group of five.
One of the drawbacks of Anton¡¯s ability to see the soul essence of someone from the alternate dimension he watched from while in his Specter Form was that he couldn¡¯t see through physical objects. If his Line of Sight was blocked, he couldn¡¯t see someone hiding around a corner. Any noise such a person might make, or the breathing they might be doing, was also impossible to detect because sounds didn¡¯t carry across the dimensional boundary. It was one of the reasons he usually flew around a building when he was scouting it out. So, him not seeing the sixth person wasn¡¯t just a matter of luck as that individual was doing his utmost to stay out of sight from the Hangar, which was the direction Anton was moving toward the five military person from.
Anton moved closer and kept an eye on the group of five and noticed that a large grouping of beetles was heading in their direction from the Earth Node. Anton decided to help them out as the more people that survived to help Felix, Caitlyn, his sister, and company, the better. Anton landed with his back to the building behind him and deactivated Specter. He looked toward the stream of beetles that was now only 100 feet from the fuel tank and the military party that was still fighting the three beetles attacking them.
Anton looked at them and called out loudly, ¡°Finish up those beetles and fall back to the building behind me!¡±
The five military personnel continued to fight but noticed him and kept a wary eye in his direction. That was fine. Hopefully, his little display of power would convince them to come with him to the hangar. Anton opened his mouth, focused, and let loose a Spectral Scream that reached just over 900 feet. A wave of psychic energy blasted forth from his open mouth and killed every beetle it washed over.
In a moment, more than 55 beetles dropped to the ground, dead. Anton turned to look at the soldiers to make sure they¡¯d taken care of the beetles near them when he noticed that one of the soldiers looking at him squinted before her eyes started to go wide in shock.
At the exact moment, the hair on the back of Anton¡¯s neck stood on end, and he felt something was bearing down on him. Before he could react, a dagger plunged into his back. A pain unlike any he had ever felt before exploded from the point of impact and lit every nerve in his body on fire. Even so, he was quickly able to compartmentalize the pain and pull up his Combat Log.
Combat Log
The ¡®Kiss of Keres¡± has been bestowed unto you.
Base Damage: 4
Bonus Damage: +9
Kiss of Keres: +100 / Divine Effect: Excruciating Pain
Critical Strike Multiplier: x3
Total Damage: 339 (113 x 3)
1,275 of 1,614 Hit Points remaining
As Anton looked over the information, the pain he felt from the blow continued to fill his body. Unfortunately for his attacker, Anton was no stranger to pain. As the dagger was withdrawn from his back, Anton swiftly turned and grabbed the wrist of the hand holding the dagger. He activated the disintegration effect of his Anti-Mage ability. He could have snapped the wrist with a squeeze but wasn¡¯t really thinking when he instinctively pushed the ability into the wrist of the hand holding the dagger.
The assassin only had time to utter a single word, ¡°What?¡± before his body withered before Anton¡¯s eyes. Anton had never tried to use that ability on living creatures before, mainly because it was implied in the text that it could only be used on inanimate matter. It seemed that it had worked, though. In the same moment that his attacker became a desiccated corpse, Anton¡¯s Hit Points were reduced by 137. The only thing holding the corpse upright, Anton¡¯s hand on the wrist of the corpse.
***
Jacob Landcaster looked out onto a plain of darkness where the Goddess Keres stood before him and shook her head, ¡°You chose poorly.¡±
Before Jacob could respond, the scene shifted. A huge hole opened below him, and he began to fall. As he fell, he thought he heard the goddess say, ¡°What a waste. Also, pay attention.¡±
Pay attention, why would he have to pay attention, ¡°Jacob thought.
The tunnel above him closed, and he began to fall faster. He felt that the rate at which he was falling was increasing the farther he fell. Suddenly, the tunnel opened into a red smoke-filled sky. Below him was a landscape of a primordial rocky plain with lava pools and lava rivers scattered throughout. He could see figures moving about as the ground grew closer and closer until, finally, he could make out their form. Demons and Devils of all shapes and sizes filled this place.
At the velocity he was traveling, it was but a moment before he slammed into the ground and flattened like a pancake, which hurt, a lot. He thought he should have died, but no, he spread out like an amoeba, the stretching sensation only adding to his pain as it felt like every part of himself was pulled from every other part of himself.
After the pain and shock had worn off, his body slowly pulled itself together and solidified itself back into a form similar to what he was used to.
¡°Stuck the landing, I see,¡± a voice called from beside him.
¡°What? Who?¡±
¡°Not to worry. Someone will be along to fetch, brand, and then explain the rules to you.¡±
¡°What rules? Where am I,¡± Jacob asked.
¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious You¡¯re in hell. Or, at least what the SYSTEM considers Hell.¡±
Just then, a Notification appeared in his vision.
You Have Died!
Your Spirit Lives On!
Your actions have been measured and weighed.
Servant of Keres,
Welcome to Hell!
¡
¡
¡
External Link Detected.
Anthony Nicholas Thomson, This is not yours to witness.
External Link Severed.
Chapter 47, Conviction
Well, shit. Somehow, he¡¯d linked to that Jacob fella¡¯s spirit as the Goddess Keres had cast it out. Wait, he¡¯d been cast out, yet he was still considered her servant. What was up with that? As the message had said, though, that was not a path he could take, maybe because he was immortal. Perhaps he could die somehow? Whatever, he had more important things to consider.
Anton activated another Psychic Skill he hadn¡¯t used in a while, Mental Refuge, and dropped into his Mindspace so he could take the time to review what had just happened properly. His Point of View accelerated as the world outside of his Mindspace slowed to a crawl. With an effective Willpower of 939, he could accelerate the time in his Mindspace by 929 times. That was almost 16 minutes for every second that passed outside of his mind. That should be plenty of time.
Anton pulled up the text for his Anti-Mage ability and focused on it until he found the section he was looking for.
You may break down physical matter given enough time and will for any item or structure produced by Spheres of Magic to which you are immune. Items and Structures created by spheres of magic that may affect you may not be broken down in this matter.
NOTE: Attempting to break down structures created by the Proper Sphere of Magic will cause an extremely volatile reaction.
You may break down one pound of physical material per hour, equal to your willpower attribute. This ability may be utilized on any object you are touching or up to a range of 1 inch per point of willpower. Only the portion of an object or structure within range may be affected in this way.
Living and Undead creatures and plants may not be affected by this ability.
¡°¡may not be affected¡¡±
¡°¡may¡¡±
May not be affected? It sure as shit had looked like living creatures could be affected.
Next, he pulled up his Combat Log to see what had happened
Combat Log
You have unlocked the Anti-Mage Ability Perk, Annihilate Life
>>>>><<<<<
Annihilate Life:
You may annihilate the life force of any being you touch. You do so by sacrificing your life for theirs. For every point of health you expend, one point of your target''s health is annihilated. There is no resistance test against this attack, though Resistance and immunities do affect this ability. Resistance increases the cost. For instance, if someone with a 25% resistance to Anti, Null, or just magic in general with 10 hit points were attacked by you, you would need to sacrifice 13 points of your health to overcome your target''s resistance.
Note: Annihilate Life may only be used against a single target once. Once attacked, individuals become immune to this form of attack. Simply, if the attack does not kill the target, it vaccinates the target against further attacks.
Complications: Use of this attack type can have unforeseen consequences.
Note: the link formed between yourself and Jacob Landcaster at the time of his death is one such complication and has been analyzed and reviewed. Such Links after death no longer occur. This specific complication has been rectified.
>>>>><<<<<
Annihilate Life Initiated.
137 Hit Points Removed.
137 Hit Points Annihilated from Target.
Divine Blessing of Keres Noted
Divine Blessing of Keres cannot be annihilated
Do you wish to accept the Divine Blessing of Keres, Yes or No?
Anton looked at the question, realized it was the blessing of one of these new Gods, and hesitated. He had no idea who this Keres was. He didn¡¯t recognize the name. No way was he going to tie himself down to a deity he didn¡¯t know the history of.
Anton chose ¡°No.¡±
As if whispering in the wind, the hint of a woman''s voice said, ¡°Acceptance is not necessary to garner my favor; enjoy this gift.¡±
Anton looked around quickly. He was in his Mindspace. Where had that voice come from? Anton shifted his perception to check around his body in the real world. The image of the outside world showed that the five military personnel remained frozen as the body of the person who had attacked him disintegrated and appeared to flow into his hand and then into his body. As the body disappeared, a dark sigil in the shape of a dagger flowed over and onto the back of his right hand, flashed, and disappeared.
SYSTEM Message
While you have declined to accept the blessing of the Goddess Keres willingly, The Goddess has decided to Mark you regardless.
The Goddess Keres has marked you.
New Classes are now available.
Strength, Agility, and Perception gain +5 attributes
Critical Strikes now inflict Triple Damage.
When killing others, you may dedicate those kills to the Goddess Keres.
Dedicating your kills to the Goddess generates Divine Influence for your Patron and Conviction for yourself. Also, Mana Regeneration by 6 per minute (1 per combat turn) for 10 minutes for each dedication.
Anton paused and looked around. Still, no one had appeared in his Mindspace, so he said, ¡°Yeah, well, don¡¯t expect me to dedicate anything to you. Mana does NOTHING for me.¡±
A moment later, Anton¡¯s Mindspace shuttered, and a new notification appeared.
The Mark of Keres has been altered.
When killing others, you may dedicate those kills to the Goddess Keres.
Dedicating your kills to the Goddess generates Divine Influence for your Patron and Conviction for yourself. Also, Psychic Energy Regeneration is increased by 6 per minute (1 per combat turn) for 10 minutes for each dedication.
Anton smiled. Now, that might actually make it worthwhile for him to dedicate his kills to Keres. Maybe he could find more information about her at some point. For now, he needed to get back to the real world. Anton deactivated Mental Refuge.
Anton looked over to see the five soldiers as two of them finished killing their last beetle.
¡°What the hell?¡±
¡°Where did the man that attacked you go?¡±
¡°What did you do to kill all those beetles.¡±
The other three soldiers asked simultaneously. Anton ignored the questions. ¡°I killed the beetles. Follow me if you want to live.¡±
Anton walked past them and headed away from the runway. As he led them west and then north along the outside of the base fence, they ran into a few beetles. The route he was taking was a bit circuitous, but it should be far enough away from the Earth Node that the soldiers in the Hangar should draw the beetles attention first. The only beetles he should run into this far out would be those that had already made it off base.
With a quick strike from his longsword, whatever beetle had found them died. Anton also tested to see how, or if, the Mark of Keres worked. After his third kill, he realized that he had to declare out loud that the things he killed were for the Goddess Keres before he killed them so that he could get the Psychic Energy regeneration.
When they finally made it to the opposite side of the hangar just after 1 a.m.. Anton had the soldiers remain behind cover as he made his way to the fence. That¡¯s when he saw his sister running ammo over to one of the guards watching the fence line. He quickly checked to make sure that there were no beetles nearby, then called out, which startled the two guards Amelia was bringing supplies.
¡°Amelia, it¡¯s Anton; tell those guys not to shoot; I¡¯m bringing friends.
¡°Anton?¡± Amelia called out.
¡°Yep!¡±
A few moments later, Amelia called out, ¡°Okay, bring them in.¡±
Anton walked the military personnel into the Hangar and told Caitlyn what he¡¯d been up to. The soldiers were debriefed, then separated, and added to various defense groups so Felix¡¯s people could keep an eye on them.
Caitlyn looked at Anton closely before she squinted, ¡°You feel different?¡±
Anton looked at her, made a motion like he was checking the area between them, and then said, ¡°I could swear I¡¯m not touching you.¡±
¡°Ha, Ha, NOT funny. Seriously, you feel different,¡± Caitlyn said.
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¡°Well, I was marked by a Goddess just a little while ago,¡± Anton said.
¡°Marked by a Goddess? Marked how?¡±
¡°Well, this prick tried to kill me, so I killed him first, then the Goddess tried to bless me, and this symbol of a dagger moved onto the back of my right hand,¡± Anton said as he rubbed the back of his right hand with his left hand as he lifted it to show her.
¡°Really, let me see?¡± Caitlyn said excitedly.
¡°Well, okay, it¡¯s not really a big deal¡Holy Shit!¡±
Caitlyn reached over and grabbed his hand in her left hand. As she turned his hand over to see the back of his hand, a black dagger flashed into existence. Before Anton could do anything, Caitlyn vanished, and the air popped as it rushed in to fill the void she created as she disappeared.
Everyone around Anton, exclaimed as Felix rushed over, ¡°Where did she go?¡±
¡°No idea.¡±
¡°No notifications or messages either?¡± Felix asked.
¡°Nope, None.¡±
***
Caitlyn appeared on a plain of black sand under a red sky. She immediately noticed that her skin was glowing faintly, generating a circle of light around herself.
¡°Caitlyn Sheppard,¡±
Caitlyn turned toward the feminine voice and looked upon a six-foot-tall raven-haired woman with red eyes. She wore simple leathers with two daggers at her waist that had a single circle of silver at the tip of the hilt, which was otherwise black as the darkest night. Caitlyn also knew intuitively that she stood in the presence of a Divine being.
Unknown to Caitlyn, the Celestial Spark within her contained what, for lack of a better definition, was a genetic memory that it imparted onto her. Caitlyn dropped to a knee and bowed her head. Caitlyn knew that the Goddess¡¯s gaze focused on her, and then a light laugh escaped her lips.
¡°Rise, child. I knew you were competent, but I had not delved so deep to know that you also carried a Celestial Spark.¡±
Caitlyn rose to her feet and raised her gaze. ¡°May I ask how you would prefer to be addressed?¡±
The woman smiled at Caitlyn and then said, ¡°I am Keres, The Goddess of Violent Death, Patron to Assassins, Soldiers, and anyone else that causes violent deaths.¡±
Caitlyn paused as she thought about what to ask next before she said, ¡°I mean no disrespect, but doesn¡¯t it make you an Evil Goddess?¡±
Keres laughed, ¡°You would think so, wouldn¡¯t you? To answer your question, my domain includes good, neutral, and evil individuals, though a lot fewer good people will be drawn to the domain I oversee.¡±
¡°And why am I here?¡± Caitlyn asked. She still wasn¡¯t sure what she was doing before a Goddess of all things.
¡°You carry a Celestial Spark, yet you have no patron. You are a Soldier and have caused violent deaths, have you not? When you touched my Mark, I noticed and brought you here.¡±
¡°To what end?¡± Caitlynn asked.
¡°The Gods have returned. The mortal realm is but one front of our divine conflict. As holder of a Celestial Spark, you have a chance to make the most from a Divine Patron.¡±
¡°And you would be that Divine Patron?¡±
¡°My domain and your current path do seem to be compatible, yes,¡± The Goddess said.
¡°Then, why ask, why not just compel me to serve you? I can feel your power from here. You could just make me, couldn¡¯t you?
¡°Yes and No. In this place, I could force you to do whatever I wanted, true. This is my Personal Domain, and as such, I do have complete control here, but The SYSTEM governs all, and outside of this domain, you are your own master, and the gods are prevented from taking direct control in mortal realms. To influence the mortal realm, we must use agents of our will; that is where you and others like you come in.
¡°But you are a Goddess. By definition, you should be all-powerful?¡± Caitlyn declared, as much as asked.
¡°I am a Goddess now. This was not always so. Someday, should you gain enough power, you, too, can take on the mantle of a Goddess.
¡°Even me?¡±
¡°Especially you,¡± Keres said as she pointed at Caitlyn, ¡°Those born with the Celestial or Infernal Spark each have a spark of divinity within them.
¡°Wait! Isn¡¯t being divine by definition to be good, or at least neutral?¡± Caitlynn asked.
¡°No. To be Divine is to be above the average level of mortals. Celestial and Infernal are but two types of beings that are above the mortals. There are other classifications as well, but the ones you will run into on Earth in the near future will be of the celestial and infernal variety.¡±
Caitlyn looked thoughtful for a moment and then asked, ¡°And serving you looks like what, exactly?¡±
The Goddess paused for a moment as she pondered how to continue, ¡°I sacrificed much of my initial Divine Influence to mark your friend Anton. Each of us was given a certain amount before we assumed the mantles of the various gods of this universe. We can earn more through our followers, those who dedicate their actions, and those they convert to our cause or slay in our name. As we gain more divine influence, we can mark or bless more mortals who serve us. Blessing someone is, of course, cheaper than marking someone. Additionally, those who carry the Celestial or Infernal Spark and volunteer to follow us cost no divine influence to bless and even generate Divine Influence naturally.¡±
¡°I can see that this could be very good for you, but this sounds a lot like a master-and-slave type of relationship. I¡¯m not really into those,¡± Caitlyn said.
¡°The comparison is not without merit, except that other than withdrawing my support or sending my other followers after someone that displeases me, there isn¡¯t much I can do to those that serve me personally. My followers help me increase my divine influence, which increases my power as a goddess, and for that assistance, I can assist them in return.
¡°Assist them how,¡± Caitlyn said.
¡°In your case, as one with a Celestial Spark, if you were to choose to join me, our link would be much stronger. A perk I would gift you would allow you to communicate with me directly. As a newly remolded Universe that is just now integrating magic, I will be able to answer any questions you might have since the SYSTEM is not providing as much information to the mortal planes as it used to. If the denizens of the SYSTEM wish to learn something, they must do the research themselves. As Gods, we¡¯ve had a little more time to learn some of the fundamentals of the changes that have been made.¡±
¡°I¡¯m sure you''re not going to be available all the time to answer inane questions, especially if you have more than one follower, so what other benefits could I get from agreeing to be a follower of yours?¡± Caitlynn asked.
¡°Well, as I told you, my divine influence increases as those who dedicate themselves to the Gods gain a new attribute: Conviction. It is also thought of as faith, but those with an infernal origin didn¡¯t like that designation, so the SYSTEM relabeled it as Conviction. Anyway, As a follower¡¯s conviction in their God or Goddess grows, they gain access to new skills, spells, perks, talents, classes, and even abilities. When these become available, they are hard-locked by the SYSTEM, but what is not hard-locked is the fact that those with a Celestial Spark or Infernal Spark that have tied themselves to a God or Goddess generate Conviction daily.¡±
¡°Why is that important?¡±
¡°Let¡¯s use you as an example. Let¡¯s say that your friend Anton, who I have marked, does nothing for the next 100 days to bring glory to my name. Anton would not earn any Conviction. You, on the other hand. If you decide to sleep 16 hours each day, hang out for the next 8 hours, and repeat that for 100 straight days, you will still gain 100 points of Conviction because you will generate at least one point of Conviction daily.¡±
¡°And this conviction allows me to unlock new spells, skills, and such?¡±
¡°Yes, though there is another aspect to Conviction specific to those with a Celestial Spark. Conviction will allow you to evolve your ability and maybe even your classes. I''m not really sure about it if I¡¯m being honest. The SYSTEM is stingy with some things, and even Gods need to learn things after encountering them for the first time. Before I continue, do you have any other questions?¡±
Caitlyn considered everything she¡¯d been told, but one thing about this goddess called her attention, which she had to know: ¡°You said that you are a goddess that embraces Good, Neutral, and Evil. Does that mean that you will have both Celestials and Infernals as followers?¡±
The Goddess Keres clapped her hands excitedly as she laughed delightedly. Caitlynn found it hard to believe that the being in front of her was a Goddess with such a childish display. Then again, that very display of genuine emotion nudged her toward claiming the Goddess Keres as her Patron. That she could act so human with such power was definitely a mark in her favor.
Caitlyn was drawn from her musings as the Goddess answered her question, ¡°This is why I like you, Caitlyn. You are not afraid to ask questions, even when confronting someone so far above your current power level. To answer your question, I am one of the few Gods that has access to both. There are infernal creatures that revel in Violent Death and propagate that state. While few revel in only violent death and instead add depravity, corruption, and perversion into the act, some focus purely on killing. Those can be drawn to my service. All that other stuff does not fall into my domain, and there are other Gods and Goddesses that are a better fit. So, to clarify, those of infernal origin or with an Infernal Spark may come to serve me in the future, but at this moment, if I were to gain a follower, you would be the first?¡±
¡°The First you say,¡± Caitlyn said thoughtfully, ¡°I accept.¡±
Congratulations! You have gained two new titles: Antecedent and Leap of Faith.
Antecedent ¨C You are the first being to choose to follow one of the new Gods willingly within a reconstituted Universe of the Multiverses outside of the Trial of Transcendence.
All Attributes +10
Conviction generation increased by +1 per day.
All Conviction attribute modifiers from Skills, Spells, Perks, Titles, Abilities, and Classes are doubled.
Leap of Faith ¨C You are the first being to choose to follow a God within the 13th Universe. All Attributes +10
The ability, Minor Intuition, has evolved into Major Intuition.
Major Intuition - Your chance to notice and be able to react to upcoming events is increased to 50%
Ability Celestial Spark has evolved to Celestial Ember.
Celestial Ember - Celestials are beings of the Proper or Absolute. Also sometimes referred to as the Divine. The ability Celestial Ember indicates that the divinity within you now radiates with celestial energy.
You are 100% resistant to Putrescent and Anti, or Null, magic-based attacks.
You may utilize mana to channel your spark and augment your attacks on a 1-for-1 basis¡ªone point of mana for one point of celestial damage. The maximum amount of mana that may be added to an attack safely is equal to your Willpower. Additional energy may be added, which increases the chance that energy backlash will occur by 1% per point of mana added above your Willpower trait.
The possibility of any attack modified by Celestial Ember hitting is increased by 100% and is incredibly hard to dodge, often resulting in automatic critical strikes.
A new attribute has been unlocked: Conviction ¨C as a celestial, the existence of the Divine is not unknown to you. You know that the divine exists. This knowledge allows you to generate Conviction for yourself, which in turn generates Divine Influence for your Patron.
Conviction consists of two types: Permanent and Temporary.
Permanent Conviction is gained by performing profound deeds for your God or killing monsters and others in their name. What deeds will award conviction for your God are different for each deity.
Temporary Conviction is a term assigned to Conviction that is utilized to take Profound Actions. The level of Conviction does not change. Instead, the available Conviction is reduced by an amount that is added to Temporary Conviction. Temporary Conviction is converted back into Conviction at a rate of 10 per day per Conviction level, or 10, whichever is more.
Example: An individual with 1,000 Convictions temporarily spends that conviction to call down a blessing from their God or Goddess. For this example, we will estimate that the Profound Action required 1,000 Conviction. The available Conviction of the individual is reduced by 1,000 while their Temporary Conviction is increased to 1,000. Each day, 10 Temporary Conviction will be subtracted from their Temporary Conviction and added back to their Conviction. Any new Conviction earned is added as normal.
NOTE: Conviction can be permanently sacrificed to fuel truly unique Profound Actions.
Each God¡¯s requirements differ. As a Celestial Ember, you will naturally generate 1 Conviction per Conviction Level daily in addition to any Conviction earned performing actions dedicated to your God.
The level of Conviction an individual has attained is derived from their Conviction and any Temporary Conviction they have. Conviction that has been permanently sacrificed is not counted. A beings Conviction Level increases by one for every 1,000 Conviction, per level, cumulative. 1,000 Conviction to reach level 1, 3,000 Conviction to reach level 2, and so on.
Finally, as a Celestial Ember, the divinity within you has changed you permanently. At will, you may summon a pair of wings that are physically part of you. This change is permanent. What type of wings and how they manifest is determined primarily by your alignment and the alignment of your Patron, although other factors may influence this.
You have learned a new Spell, Commune.
Commune ¨C Once per day, you may spend 10 mana to speak to your Patron for one minute per level of the spell Commune. You may contact your Patron from any point on the Material Plane or any Plane or Dimension that is not sealed by another Divine or the SYSTEM. This spell is granted at Spell Level 1.
Caitlyn was interrupted from reviewing her prompts when Keres said, ¡°Decisive! I like it!. A little Godly guidance: You were the first by less than 3 seconds. Good Job! Now, I have better things to do, and you have a Hangar to get back to. Besides, this next part is boring. Just know that when you return, less than 10 seconds will have passed. Remember, the more followers I have, the more powerful I become and the more I am able to grant to you. Contact me if you have any questions. Good Luck¡±
Caitlyn was about to ask a question when pain struck every part of her body, and she passed out. When she came to it, she was floating in an empty area. There was just enough light that she could see off into the distance. With no reference points, she was unable to tell if that distance was 50 feet or 50 miles. A moment later, a number appeared before her.
3
2
1
Caitlyn felt disoriented as she reappeared in the Hangar. Multiple individuals turned toward her and were in the process of bringing their weapons to bear. Off to the side, she saw Anton smiling.
Felix raised his hand in an apparent sign to hold as he called out, ¡°Hold!¡±
Anton walked up to her, ¡°Damn, Sheppard, you¡¯re looking good. Did you go off for a spa treatment?¡±
¡°Something like that. Let me check something,¡± Caitlyn said as she stepped over to an empty area of the floor and turned back to Anton, ¡°Supposedly, I received an upgrade of sorts; I just need to see if they work or not?¡±
¡°They work? What are you talking about?¡± Anton asked.
Caitlyn focused her attention on her body until she detected a new but familiar sensation between her shoulder blades called out to her. With a nudge from her will, two wings came into existence on her back. Her wings contained glossy black feathers that reminded her of raven feathers, except that the structure and size of the feathers were larger than any hawk feather she''d ever come across. In addition, the light surrounding her dimmed as a smoky haze of shadows enveloped her. Since she was standing in the middle of the room, she was still quite visible, but she was sure if she¡¯d been outside at night, others would have a hard time noticing her.
¡°You have wings,¡± Felix said
¡°I have wings,¡± Caitlyn said as a large grin which soon shifted in to a huge smile.
Chapter 48, Tactical Adjustment Required
Anton looked at Caitlyn and smiled, ¡°So you accepted the Goddess''s blessing, huh?¡±
¡°Goddess¡¯s Blessing?¡± Felix asked,
Caitlyn smiled, ¡°Yes, I did. Just so you know, you missed out on two very powerful titles by not accepting her blessing?¡±
¡°I did?¡± Anton asked, a bit of curiosity evident in his voice.
¡°Yep, Ascendent and Leap of Faith. Each increased my base attributes by 10.¡±
¡°Those are good bonuses,¡± Anton agreed, ¡°You deserve them, though,¡± Anton continued with a smile.
Anton was interrupted when a soldier asked Caitlyn about accepting God¡¯s blessing and how hard it was. Anton half-listened as he stepped back. He noticed that everyone was listening to Caitlyn and paying attention to everything she said, including those on the perimeter, keeping the beetles from getting into the Hangar.
¡°Caityln, your Charisma is overpowering everyone''s attention. Cut it out. Also, we have beetles to kill!¡± Anton called out to shock everyone into action as he pulled two monofilament longswords from his inventory and moved outside to help the soldiers push back the wave of beetles that were trying to overpower the lines.
Caitlyn joined Anton a moment later. Anton watched as Caitlyn went to work. She¡¯d called out, ¡°In the name of Keres,¡± and then killed a beetle before moving on. One thing he noticed was that the wings on her back winked in and out of existence as needed while she danced from beetle to beetle. As he watched, Anton realized that Caitlyn was making four attacks for every single attack anyone else made except himself.
Within a minute, the soldiers once again had the surge of beetles under control. Even so, Caitlyn went around the hangar to the east while Anton headed west to make sure no one was having any problems with holding the beetles off. As Anton came around to the back of the Hangar to meet up with Caitlyn again, A sigil that resembled the dagger sigil on the back of his hand floated above Caitlyn¡¯s head.
¡°How did you get the Sigil,¡± Anton asked.
¡°I invested some of the Conviction I just earned to create it. It¡¯s just a basic Sigil that appears above me. Its purpose is to let everyone and everything know I¡¯m dedicating my actions to the Goddess Keres. It¡¯s only temporary, though. I had to expend 10 Conviction temporarily; the sigil will last for one full minute per level of my conviction. While it¡¯s active, I don¡¯t need to call out every time I kill something. Why aren¡¯t you dedicating your kills to the Goddess?
¡°She marked me against my will. I¡¯m not really sure if dedicating my kills or actions to her is going to be worth it,¡±
¡°I get that,¡± Caitlyn said as they took a break from killing beetles. Anton pulled out a canteen of water and shared it with Caitlyn before she continued, ¡°One of the other things she blessed me with is the ability to talk to her once per day. I can ask questions and get some answers about how things work.¡±
¡°Really?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Really.¡±
¡°Well, the next time you talk to her, make sure to ask her how we¡¯re supposed to purchase new skills and spells from the SYSTEM. Pavo¡¯s Military Supply Node doesn¡¯t have a huge selection. Mostly just equipment that military personnel might need. We need a merchant that has access to more items,¡± Anton said.
¡°We need to keep these beetles from overrunning the Hangar for the next 20 hours. That should give you plenty of time to think of any questions you might want me to ask the Goddess, ¡± Caitlynn said.
¡°Time to get to work then. One thing first, though. Remember, if you received a skill or spell that¡¯s letting you ask the Goddess questions, you can use your skill or spell points to boost that spell if that will help you in any way.¡±
¡°Hey! That¡¯s right,¡± Caitlyn said excitedly, ¡°Every level of my spell, Commune, lets me speak with the goddess for one minute a day.¡±
¡°And you¡¯re level one right now?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Caitlyn agreed, ¡°I also have 23 Spell Points right now.¡±
¡°If you remember from the messages we received a while ago. You can earn spell points with each level you earn, which you can use to level a spell automatically, or you can use the spell to earn spell points for that specific spell, which level the spell for you. Each spell level requires an equal number of spell points: 1 at level 1, 3 at level 2, and level 5 would require 15 spell points.¡±
¡°Five minutes sounds like enough time to have a conversation with the Goddess,¡± Caitlyn said as her eyes defocused for a moment. She then refocused on Anton, ¡°Done! Commune is now Spell Level 5.
¡°Not really sure how the Earned Spell Points work, but they go up and down with use or lack of use. Now, though, Commune can go no lower than Spell Level 5,¡± Anton said.
¡°That¡¯s good, I guess. We better get back inside and let Felix know what¡¯s going on. He might have some questions I need to ask as well.
¡°Sounds like a good idea. You go do that. I¡¯m going to see if there are any other survivors nearby.¡±
Caitlyn nodded and headed inside as Anton activated Specter and began going through the nearby area in an expanding circle. Right off base to the northwest, there was a trailer park. Anton didn¡¯t detect any life signs there. He continued northeast toward Dover. Just over a half mile away, he found another housing development area. He saw the telltale signs of the beetles moving through the area, but something else drew his attention. He was in his Alternate Dimension as a Specter. Off in the distance, he could see a bright glow coming from the ground, which seemed to have just as many auras of weak souls coming from it as the Earth Node.
Anton rose into the sky to the low, hanging clouds about a mile up and looked around. Off to the Northwest and Northeast, he saw two large groupings of soul energies. From this far away, he couldn¡¯t tell what type of creatures they were. He could tell that there were a lot of them, though.
Anton floated north away from the hangar until the two sources of auras were directly east and west of him again. This time, he saw four groupings of souls¡ªthe Earth Node and beetles to the South, the group to the east heading toward the inlet. The large group to the west was still spreading out, but the center of it looked to be in the southeast part of Dayton, and it seemed that whatever was being spawned was chasing large concentrations of people that were fleeing through the city to the Northwest. The newest group he detected was north of his position. The last grouping was different. Whatever they were, they were airborne and fast.
Anton shifted his position to the east to see what was making its way toward the inlet. He found another 20-foot hole in the ground where a blue light glowed. The creatures spawning from this node were flooding out of the ground and heading toward the inlet. The creatures were about the same size as the beetles but looked more amphibian. He followed them over to the water line, where they dropped off into the water and didn¡¯t resurface.
He backtracked to the blue node and used Spectral Reach to touch the glowing blue light at the bottom of the hole in the ground. He had a good idea of what it was; he just wanted to be sure.
Congratulations! You have found a Water Node!
Anton deactivated Spectral Reach and headed toward the group of auras off to the west. As he drew closer, Anton noticed that small fires were lit everywhere, and he could see the small pearlescent orbs rushing to and fro as they chased humans north into the city of Dayton. It looked like the fire had been spreading for a bit now. At the center of the auras, he could see a bright red hole sitting in the ground that was spawning these salamander-type creatures that were lighting everything on fire. Not because the creatures were on fire, though. Anton watched as the human fought back. Whenever one of the boxer-sized lizards was cut or shot, their blood would ignite as soon as it came into contact with the air. The Salamanders that were at least thirty feet away survived the blast just fine. Anything within that range vanished with the flash.
Buildings in a three-block area were on fire as others ran from the never-ending swarm of spawning salamanders that were a fiery death trap. Pretty sure of what he¡¯d find, he moved down to the hole, lowered himself, and used Spectral Reach to touch the Node.
Congratulations! You have found a Fire Node!
An Earth Node by the Hangar, a Water Node to the Northeast, A Fire Node to the Northwest of the Earth Node. Was that an Air Node Northeast of his current position? There was only one way to find out.
Anton deactivated Spectral Reach and rose into the night sky. It wasn¡¯t hard to find the Air Node. The swarm of birds, which looked like sleeker and meaner versions of a pigeon, were spawning vertically out of a hole in a farm field. Once airborne, they spread out in all directions and seemed to be focusing on anything moving near their node.
Anton quickly verified that the node in the ground was an Air Node. Once that was verified, he rose to the clouds and looked back down on the city and base below. There were four nodes, one for each of Earth, Air, Water, and Fre. Interestingly enough, the creatures being spawned didn¡¯t seem to be going toward the node of their opposite element.
As Anton looked down, he realized that the Earth Node was at the bottom, or southmost point of a diamond. Air was at the top, or North. Water was to the East and Fire to the west. Anton pulled up his basic map and, with a thought, input the points of the nodes into the map. His Basic Mapping skill had reached skill level 29 and now had a range of almost two miles now. All of his running around had leveled his mapping skill in the background.
Anton quickly looked through his skill list and noticed that a couple of other skills had also increased to level 29: Dodge, Firearms, Language: Common, and Two-Way Fighting Style. Some of his other skills hadn¡¯t, though. One skill he figured would be as high as his Long Blades skill was Firearms, but it hadn¡¯t risen above level 29. Long Blades was level 38. Anton wondered what was happening and then remembered he¡¯d turned off the notifications for skill leveling. He quickly looked through the archived notifications until he found a SYSTEM Message which explained what was going on.
SYSTEM Message
Skill Progression Update.
Due to unforeseen consequences that have been thoroughly tested and analyzed, Skill Level gain and loss have been adjusted going forward. Current Skill Points and Skill Levels earned or lost prior to this announcement will not be adjusted.
Skills now have a maximum level of 100.
Skill levels can be increased through use to a certain point or by investing Skill Points into the skill.
Skill use will allow you to earn up to 435 Skill Points, which equates to level skill level 29. No more than 435 Skill Points may be earned in his way. Permanent Skill Points are still earned by increasing your Class level as usual and may be invested into any skill to grant permanent skill levels.
Skill Level is determined by adding Earned Skill points and Permanent Skill Points.
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Earned Skill Points may be lost when skills are not utilized within the time limit given below. Earned Skill Points for skills that are not used frequently will be reduced by 1 Earned Skill Point for each time frame listed.
ONLY Earned Skill Points are lost due to lack of skill use. Permanent Skill Points are a class investment and represent a choice to invest in specific skills permanently and may not be lost due to lack of use. Permanent Skill Points can be sacrificed or forcibly removed, however.
Earned Skill Point loss due to lack of use Chart.
The following chart includes Earned Skill Points all the way up to level 100 to account for any Earned Skill points that exceed 435 at the time of this message. Eventually Earned Skill Points will only encompass levels 1 -29.
Level 90 ¨C 100, 1 skill point each day not used.
Level 80 ¨C 89, 1 skill point each week not used.
Level 60 ¨C 79, 1 skill point each month not used.
Level 40 - 59, 1 skill point every three months not used.
Level 20 - 39, 1 skill point every six months not used.
Level 2 ¨C 19, 1 skill point every year not used.
Level 1, no skill may be reduced below 1 Earned Skill Point once gained unless the skill point is forcibly removed.
NOTE: Some Abilities may accelerate Earned Skill Point gain or loss.
Anton reviewed the information and closed the SYSTEM Message. So, the SYSTEM had adjusted how high someone could level their skills by using them and required them to spend Permanent Skill Points that were only earned by leveling their class. It was not really something he needed to worry about at the moment, but it was something to keep in mind going forward.
Anton used his Basic Map to move until he was at the center of the diamond and looked down. There was a large building just north of the tree line. Anton checked the front of the building on the north side and found a sign with ¡°Midnight Athletics¡± on it. The place looked a little run-down, but otherwise, the building seemed to be mostly intact.
Anton moved back to the center point of the diamond, or square, that the four Nodes he¡¯d found made. That center point was just inside the tree line south of the building. There was a circle of black stone or metal that sat about a half foot off the ground. The circle-shaped platform consisted of three circles, one within the other. The two outer circles were only about one foot across and acted as steps up onto the center circular platform that was about 30 feet across. At the center of the platform, a rectangular piece of the same material as the platform stood vertically. It looked like an oversized ¡°door¡± that was 10 feet high and five feet across. As Anton floated around it, he estimated that it was about six inches thick. Both sides of the ¡°door¡± appeared to be the same material as the pedestal.
Anton circled the ¡°door¡± and then landed as he deactivated Specter. As he rematerialized on the material plane, a tooltip appeared in the air before him. This was different because it wasn¡¯t a notification. This message box appeared as if it would be visible to anyone nearby. As he watched, words in common scrolled slowly down the window.
Elemental Anchors Set.
Universal Connections are available to seven Universes at this time.
As the first person to stumble upon this Universal Gate, you may assist the SYSTEM in randomly determining which Universe this Universal Gate connects to. Failure to choose will result in a random selection being made by the SYSTEM when the Universal Gate becomes active for the first time. Note: Once linked, the destination of this Universal Gate may not be changed.
Please select a number between one and seven.
Anton decided to help the SYSTEM out and called out, ¡°Four.¡± It was the middle number between one and seven. What could go wrong?
This Universal Gate will linked to a Companion Universal Gate in Universe 7.
Universal Gate will become active when the Elemental Node Periodic Stabilization Event is Complete.
The Universal Gate will remain linked to its Companion Universal Gate until the next Stabilization Event.
Gate locations are locked until destroyed. They cannot usually be moved. If a Universal Gate is moved, the link to the companion Universal Gate is permanently destroyed.
When active, a plane of energy, a portal, appears above the vertical surface of the stone. Travel to Universe 7 is accomplished by stepping into the portal. Travelers will arrive on the opposite side of the vertical ¡°door¡± through a second portal that appears above the opposite side of the vertical rectangle.
Travelers from Universe 7 will arrive from this second portal.
Anton looked at the Universal Gate for a few more minutes to see if anything changed. When nothing did, he activated Specter and rose into the sky. Now that he knew this Gate was here, he also noticed that none of the summoned creatures were coming within 1,000 feet of the platform or dais.
Granted, they all seemed to be busy swarming the local population, well, except for the creatures spawning from the Water Node, which were heading away from the Universal Gate and toward the inlet. The creatures spawning at the Air Node to the north were heading west into a housing area, while the salamander-type creatures had appeared in the middle of a commercial district but seemed to be mainly moving north and west. The beetles from the Earth Node that could head north toward the Universal gate were beelining toward the hanger Felix, Caitlyn, and Amelia were defending. Of course, it was only 500 feet or so from their spawn point.
Anton checked the clock on the map, and it showed that it was just after 2 a.m. If all four nodes continued spawning, it would be another 19 hours before the Universal Gate opened. Could he try to save the people of Dayton, Ohio, or should he focus on the base? Better yet, it looked like this was going to be a primary place that people were going to come to. Should he try to claim a domain in the area? Still, he should probably see what he could do to help people before worrying about the Universal Gate. The Fire Node was the node that had the most people around it. It''s time to see what he could do about that and maybe earn some experience and money.
Anton moved over the Fire Node and looked down. The area looked like a construction zone where a large building had been torn down and never rebuilt. The Fire Node was in a 20-foot-diameter hole on the southwest corner of Blue Hen Boulevard and South Bay Road. Unlike the Earth node, the salamanders spawning in the hole spread out in all directions and then headed north and west toward the housing district on the west side of the South Dupont highway.
Anton moved in that direction until he started to see the brighter soul energy of humans. He found it interesting that the pearlescent energy that formed the core of each entity that he saw varied in brightness. It was like comparing a 100-watt light bulb to a 60-watt bulb. It wasn¡¯t much of a difference, but he could definitely knew which was which. The only thing that sucked about his ability was that it didn¡¯t work when he was entirely in the Material plane. If he was Manifest, he could see their soul energy, but if Specter was deactivated, he only had his normal senses to rely on.
Anton landed next to a house on the west side of New Castle Avenue and the south side of East Water Street. Was it just him, or was there something about choosing a place named after water? He brought his focus back to his current situation as two of the salamander-type creatures moving down the street turned toward him. He was sure that he was both fast enough and fire-resistant enough to take on these creatures in close quarters. It was just a little bit of fire, after all.
Note to self: standard weapons against creatures that contain blood that ignite when exposed to air are a terrible idea. Anton was pretty sure of his sword skill and utilized his monofilament longswords to behead both salamanders at the same time. Unfortunately, the heads turned into fireballs that rolled down the street while the blood that geyser from the bodies turned them into mini flamethrowers. Anton was hit by the blood, which stuck and ignited him while both of his long blades heated up and rapidly vaporized. The heat was so intense that it didn¡¯t even turn the metal into liquid; it just disintegrated steel.
Later on, Anton would learn that while the swords were quite remarkable and the steel used in them was well sourced, they still had a melting point of around 2,800 degrees Fahrenheit. The blood, once ignited, turned into plasma, which had a temperature range of 10,000 to 14,500 degrees Fahrenheit. While it had looked incredibly cool for Anton to step between the two lizards, force them to try to bite him simultaneously, and then decapitate each, His luck, while high, couldn¡¯t prevent the flood of blood that exploded out and covered him from head to toe.
Why did these monsters affect him? It was simple, really, and was not magical. They were spawned monsters of an elemental nature. Their blood igniting into plasma was a byproduct of a chemical reaction created when it was exposed to air. So, the damage he received from the plasma was considered natural damage, and his ability, Anti-Mage, did not help him negate any of that damage. In the space of one second, Anton was covered by the flaming blood and reached temperatures approaching 14,000 Fahrenheit. Anton¡¯s swords, clothes, and even his body were reduced to ash by the time he was able to read his notifications as a Specter.
You have Died!
A quick check of his combat log let him know that he¡¯d taken approximately 28,000 points of damage in a single second. Okay, that would explain why everyone was running from these things or shooting them from afar. While he waited for 14 seconds for his body to reform, Anton moved to the roof of the nearby house and double-checked his Psychic Energy (PE) Regeneration rate. If he couldn¡¯t get close, he would have to use a ranged attack. Mind Bolt seemed perfect for this. Mind Bolt costs 10 PE per use. Currently, he was regenerating 30 PE every 10 seconds, so as long as he didn¡¯t attack with Mind Bolt more than twice per combat turn, he¡¯d regenerate 10 PE per Turn, or 60 PE each minute.
His Stamina could easily keep up with that attack rate since attacking these things physically was a hell-to-the-no! Could he keep ahead of these monsters was the question he was currently asking himself. His Personal Status indicated that he could move at roughly 268 miles per hour or approximately 393 feet per second, so 3,930 feet every combat turn. If he could move that fast, then yeah, he should be able to keep ahead of these things while he attacked from range.
Another thing he could try to do was use his Anti-Mage ability to destroy and disintegrate them, but the process was not instantaneous and could expose their blood to the air. That idea was not worth the risk. He¡¯d have to be relatively close, and if they exploded, he¡¯d die again. Why was dying while killing monsters a concern now? Well, it seemed that the SYSTEM was being kind of a dick.
When he¡¯d died, he''d received another Notification right after his Death message, which made going suicidal to kill creatures more powerful than himself an absolute last call because it was no longer worth it.
SYSTEM Message
The Ability Immortal has been reviewed and updated as follows.
All experience that would be gained with, or immediately after, the physical death of an individual with the Immortal Ability and any subsequent deaths caused by the immortal that occur while the Immortal¡¯s body is being reconstructed do not generate experience for the Immortal.
While this may seem like an unfair change, the SYSTEM would like to remind those with the Immortal ability that they do not lose XP or levels each time they die¡ªreceiving XP. At the same time, or immediately after their death before their reconstruction, was an obvious oversight and abuse of the ability.
The oversight has been rectified; adjustments have been instituted.
Anton sighed as he realized that as adjustments went, it was entirely fair. Also, it wasn¡¯t like he couldn¡¯t still take advantage of his Ability. Anton rematerialized on the roof and targeted one of the salamanders in the middle of the intersection as it tried to scurry across. Unlike his Spectral Scream, this Psychic Skill was controlled and precise. The salamander died as the Mind Bolt hit and caused blood to leak from its eyes and ears. Anton assumed blood was bleeding from its eyes and ears because sparks of fire that engulfed his target appeared there first. A moment later, the salamander flashed out of existence. When the flash cleared, the three other nearby salamanders had also gone. It looked like their natural fire resistance couldn¡¯t stand up to the heat their blood generated either. Good to know.
A few of the Salamanders noticed him on the roof and turned toward him, but he was already moving west down East Water Street. When he was more than 400 feet away, he stopped, turned, and sent a mind bolt to the nearest salamander in the center of the street. Another Mind Bolt, another flash, and six Zerenders, the name the SYSTEM assigned the monsters, disappeared in a fiery flash.
Thus began the systematic destruction of the roads throughout the housing area of Dayton as Anton would target one Zerender and take out a small grouping before moving to another area. His range was only 415 feet with Mind Bolt, but that was far enough away that only a very limited amount of heat washed over him from each death.
As he ran from rooftop to rooftop, sometimes dropping into his Specter Form to move to the opposite side of large groupings, the people in the area continued to flee to the north and west. Anton wasn¡¯t sure if his efforts were going to help these people ultimately, but they definitely helped him. He was killing between two and twenty Zerenders that ranged from levels one through 10. Also, while rarity didn¡¯t seem to affect the amount of XP each generated, he was only receiving 100 XP per level. Killing the Zerenders offered better rewards. A level one Zerender offered two silver per kill. A level two offered four silver, and so on.
Anton didn¡¯t care why he was earning more money; the higher treasure turnout was going to be really nice for the soldiers in seven days when this cycle started over. Ammo was expensive, at least this way; if they could buy a bullet for a silver and kill one of the Zerender with only one bullet, they¡¯d make a net gain to buy more bullets or better weapons. If they could use magic to kill them from afar, that would be even better.
Anton put those thoughts out of his mind and went to work. He had 18 hours to go before the Nodes shut down their spawning cycle for six days. Mind Bolt, Move, Mind Bolt, and then Repeat the cycle. Hopefully his Stamina and Endurance would hold out through the whole monster spawning cycle.
Chapter 49, Youve Got that Right...
Caitlyn walked up to Amelia as she put her hand on one of the soldiers who had become a little careless. He¡¯d been bitten by one of the larger beetles,
¡°Is he going to make it?¡± Caitlyn Asked.
Amelia finished her incantation, and visible energy flowed from her hands into the soldier''s legs before she responded, ¡°He¡¯ll be fine as long as he remembers to keep an eye on the beetles in front of him.¡±
Caitlyn smiled, ¡°We¡¯re in the home stretch now¡ªonly 10 minutes until the 24-hour spawn cycle ends.¡±
¡°Any word from my brother?¡± Amelia asked.
¡°The spotters on the roof of the hangar swear that someone is off to the northwest, moving up and down the street. There are a lot of trees between us, though.¡±
¡°And the flashes that way they keep talking about?¡±
¡°No idea,¡± Caitlynn admitted.
¡°Why didn¡¯t you fly over and check it out?¡± Amelia asked.
¡°I was going to; then these dog-sized, fierce-looking pigeon things saw me and started chasing me. Raz, our sniper, was able to take the three that were chasing me out, but an invisible wind-type attack hit me. Somehow they made the wind sharp. I couldn¡¯t see the attacks to dodge them. When I briefed Felix, he made the call to stay put until their spawning stopped, so I¡¯ve been helping around the hangar and taking shifts just like everyone else. You are healing people now, though; how¡¯d that come about?¡±
Amelia looked at Caitlyn and smiled. ¡°I am now the first Priestess of Keres on Earth,¡± she said proudly.
¡°Really, I didn¡¯t notice; wait, let me check something,¡± Caitlyn said as she focused her gaze on Amelia. A moment later, Cailyn¡¯s gaze focused, ¡°You¡¯ve reached Conviction level 4 already?¡±
Amelia laughed. You''re already up to Conviction level 12. You know that you¡¯re getting 10 Conviction per level for every beetle you kill. While I killed a couple of beetles to be able to get my first class, most of my actions have been centered around healing others.¡±
Caitlyn fidgeted a bit before she made up her mind, ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to ask, how does someone become a Priest for the Goddess of Violent Death? I mean, don¡¯t get me wrong, I am now one of her Celestial servants, whatever that means. But how can you be a healer when our Goddesses whole schtick seems to revolve around Violent Deaths?¡±
Amelia smiled as a laugh escaped her lips, ¡°The purpose of Priests of Keres is simple by definition. We are to ensure that all subjects and sacrifices are at full health before they go into battle or are sacrificed.¡±
¡°That¡¯s kind of dark,¡± Caitlyn said thoughtfully, ¡°But it does kind of make sense and allows for our Goddess to have healers and priests. I guess that¡¯s kind of cool. What level have you made it to so far?¡±
Amelia smiled, ¡°I¡¯ve made it to level 10. I have the Commune spell you do, a Minor Healing spell, and now I have a Minor Antigen spell that reduces the effects of being poisoned. ¡°
¡°How powerful is your minor healing spell?¡± Caitlyn asked.
¡°Not bad,¡± Amelia said with a genuine smile, ¡°For ten mana, I can heal five hit points plus one hit point per spell level.¡±
¡°You¡¯ve been a Priest for the last 10 hours. Haven¡¯t you been healing pretty much the whole time nonstop? What level is your spell?¡±
¡°Well, I only have a mana pool of about 203. With a Mana regeneration of 12 per minute, I can cast Minor Healing once each minute and an extra time every 5 minutes without worrying about running my mana dry. I¡¯ve cast the spell almost 600 times. A few less, actually. Even so, I¡¯ve been able to reach spell level 6.
¡°Is that good?¡± Caitlyn asked.
¡°At level six, I can heal 11 hit points every time I use it. Seeing as most people that haven¡¯t leveled only have between one and six hit points, that¡¯s plenty to help the survivors and low-level people who are having issues finding something to do if they¡¯re not participating in the defense, which, honestly, most are. Most of my healing is done on those trying new skills when a beetle makes it through their defenses. Or, they¡¯re trying a new weapon, new attack type, or just trying to do too much, which leaves them open to attacks from the beetles,¡± Amelia said with a shrug.
¡°Sounds like they¡¯re keeping you busy then,¡± Caitlyn mused out loud.
¡°Speaking of keeping busy, do you think my brother is okay?¡±
¡°Anton? Anton¡¯s fine. You know he can¡¯t die, right?¡±
¡°What?¡± Amelia said, shocked, ¡°I thought he just had some magic or something.¡±
¡°Actually, it is kind of the reverse with him. If he hasn¡¯t told you, then I¡¯ll let him decide how much more he wants to tell you, but you should know, I¡¯ve seen him die, or at least been hit by something that should have killed him, and he reappears in under a minute, good as new, so don¡¯t you worry about Anton,¡± Caitlyn said as she patted Amelia on the shoulder.
¡°Okay, I guess. It looks like I need to be on the other side of the building again. Where do we meet up when the beetles stop spawning?¡± Amelia asked.
¡°When you¡¯re done healing and saving those you can, I¡¯ll be up on the second floor in the office with Felix. Head on up. If what Anton is fighting is on the same timer, we figure he will be back at that time as well.¡±
¡°Sounds good. See you in a few,¡± Amelia said as she hurried toward someone who looked to be in a lot of pain.
Caitlyn watched as Amelia healed one guy who looked to have almost lost a leg. As soon as Amelia was in front of him she healed him three times before Caitlyn felt Amelia draw on her Conviction. Amelia¡¯s hands and head glowed in an off-silver light. It was like she was surrounded by negative moonlight, but her features could still be seen. The glow intensified for a moment before the Sigil of Keres appeared above her head and flashed into the leg. There was a loud crack, followed by a grunt as the man went limp.
Amelia quickly checked her patient and then placed him in a more comfortable position as her sigil and glowing hands and head faded. Caitlyn was sure she¡¯d spent some of her conviction to call down healing that she couldn¡¯t do. She hadn¡¯t known that Conviction could be used that way. Of course, it could be a Priest''s specific thing. She¡¯d have to ask when she had time.
Caitlyn smiled and turned away from the scene. It was time to make a report to Felix.
***
Seventeen hours and fifty-five minutes Anton was still fighting these Salamander-type monsters. He was not too tired yet, but, man, this day was dragging. At the start there had been a lot of monsters running around. It had taken a little while to make their number manageable. He had to use Spectral Scream and a few bursts from his P90s to clear out the monsters to a point where he could keep them confined to the general area of the Fire Node. Now, the area around the Fire Node was just a patch of burnt dirt about one thousand feet in diameter.
Still, he had gained four more levels and 17,700 Silver. Also, he¡¯d made more money than he¡¯d have to spend credits to replace which was a good thing. Finally, after seeing Caitlyn use Sigil, he¡¯d kept his own sigil active and earned himself 86,438 Conviction. Other than summoning Sigils, he had not really thought about how to utilize conviction yet. When he made it back to the Hanger he¡¯d have to ask Caitlyn what else conviction could be used for.
First, though, he had to make sure no more monsters were going to spawn from the Fire Node. A moment later, a tooltip screen appeared in the air directly above the hole that led to the Fire Node.
Elemental Node Periodic Stabilization Event has Concluded.
The next Scheduled event will begin in
143 Hours, 59 Minutes, and 59 seconds
Anton waited a few minutes to make sure no more monsters came up out of the hole and allowed his resources to replenish. When he felt like he¡¯d waited long enough he knew he needed to check the Universal Gate. Anton activated Specter, quickly checked the whole to make sure it was empty, and then moved through the air to hover about one hundred feet above the Universal Gate. He looked south to the hangar where Felix and his people were and noticed that it still appeared to be intact.
As for the Universal Gate below him, it looked like it had activated as the vertical stone now had two panes of energy hovering just above the vertical surface. Anton moved to get a better look at one side and noted that it was filled with darkness, and stars appeared to be fading into the distance. He moved to look on the opposite side. It was also filled with darkness, but the stars were moving toward him.
Nothing had appeared in the area yet. Knowing that he needed to share the information about the Gate with someone, Anton headed to the hangar. A quick check of the building and perimeter allowed him to verify that the beetles around the building were gone. Anton ghosted through the hangar onto the second floor where Felix, Caitlyn, and now Amelia sat talking. Anton moved over to the door and deactivated Specter.
Caitlyn reacted instantly as she had her back to a wall and could see both the door he was in front of and the one on the opposite side of the room. She drew her gun, aimed, and Froze, ¡°Anton! You bastard!¡±
Anton smiled, ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve been busy improving over the last 18 hours, Caitlyn. That was fast. Not fast enough to keep up with me, but fast.¡±
¡°Well, I was able to improve the rarity of my soldier class to Rare, which increased my attributes per level.
¡°Wait, how did you do that?¡± Amelia asked as Felix looked at Caitlyn, clearly indicating that he was extremely interested in the answer as well.
Caitlyn shrugged, ¡°I spent some of the Conviction I earned to improve the rarity of my Soldier class. To increase my class rarity from Basic to Scarce cost, 10,000 Conviction. To increase the rarity by one more level to Rare rarity was another 20,000 Convictions.¡±
¡°Was that a temporary use, like Sigil, or did you have to sacrifice the Conviction points permanently?¡± Amelia asked.
¡°It was a temporary use, like Sigil. Also, It costs more to level a class higher that Rare Rarity,¡± Caitlyn explained.
¡°Did you keep your level when you did the switch, or did you lose a few levels during the increase?¡± Anton asked.
¡°I lost some levels,¡± Caitlyn admitted, ¡°I had earned level 28 when I improved the rarity of my class. Currently, I¡¯m level 16. As you know, though, you get more attributes, hit points, stamina, and mana with higher Rarity classes, so I saw a net gain of about ten points in each attribute. I¡¯m 12 levels lower than I was, and I¡¯m more powerful, ¡°Caitlyn said excitedly, ¡°I think the cost was worth the cost in Conviction.¡±
¡°How long will it take you to get the conviction you spent back?¡± Amelia asked.
¡°Well, as you know, we automatically earn ten Conviction per level of conviction we have per day. I¡¯m level eight, so I¡¯m earning a minimum of 80 conviction each day. During one of my breaks, I figured that it would be at least 400 days before my conviction has fully returned to me,¡± Caitlyn explained.
¡°But you can still earn more conviction on top of the temporary conviction that is returning to you each day,¡± Felix asked.
Amelia nodded, ¡°Yeah. I asked the Goddess about that, and she said to think of Conviction as the Goddess''s Investment in you or your investment in her. The SYSTEM has created a point system that allows the Gods and Goddesses to directly influence their followers and other mortals through the followers using Conviction. Certain tasks tie up some of those points for a while, but eventually, you will get them added back to your usable, or available, conviction. Sigil is a great example. For 10 points, you can create a Sigil above your head that will let everyone know which God¡¯s servants are on the battlefield.¡±
¡°I get it,¡± Anton said as he interrupted Amelia; a more pertinent question, Caitlyn: can you increase the rarity of your class above Rare?¡±
¡°Yes and No,¡± Caitlyn said, ¡°I can petition the Goddess to increase my class to the next rarity, which will require 30,000 Conviction from myself and also 30,000 divinity from the Goddess. I was told there are other ways to increase the rarity of all classes, but I would need to find those out for myself or spend Conviction to learn the specifics of that question. Additionally, the Goddess told me that I would need to complete a quest first.¡±
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
¡°So, anyone with a God can increase their class up to Rare with a little effort, but going further requires some serious commitment from the individual and the god?¡± Felix asked.
¡°Well, you can also use conviction to change classes or add a second class, but again, the Goddess said this could be accomplished without spending Conviction, ¡°Caitlyn said.
¡°Did she indicate how?¡± Anton asked.
¡°I did ask, but she said that some things were meant for the worthy to discover,¡± Caitlyn said.
¡°Okay. Well, I have other news. There were a total of four nodes. One for each element: Earth, Air, Water, and Fire. I spent the last eighteen hours keeping the fire node from wiping out the people over in the city of Dover.¡±
¡°You took on waves of fire-based creatures by yourself,¡± Amelia asked.
¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, I was fine. Anyway, that¡¯s not what I needed to talk to you all about. Directly north of the Earth Node, just past the grouping of buildings, you can see a Universal Gate on the other side of a small grouping of trees. It became active when the Elemental Node Periodic Stabilization Event ended.
¡°Universal Gate?¡± Felix asked.
¡°Yeah, a gate that connects this Universe to another Universe. The SYSTEM has designated this Universe as Universe 13. The connected Universe is number 7.¡±
¡°There¡¯s a portal to another Universe north of here?¡± Caitlynn asked.
¡°Yeah. Also, there were large pigeon-like monsters north of here that looked like they had air-based attacks, and some monsters made their way east into the inlet. I did not see what happened to those two sets of monsters, but I didn¡¯t see anyone attacking either set. The Zerenders, though. I took care of them,¡± Anton explained.
¡°I ran into the pigeon-like creatures; they¡¯re going to be a pain in the ass. So, we still have monsters relatively nearby?¡± Caitlynn asked.
¡°Yeah, but they seemed to be staying away from the Universal Gate. When I was checking things out, none of the flying monsters came within one thousand feet of the Gate.¡±
¡°Okay, I¡¯ll get some people over there to keep an eye on the area¡¡±
Caitlyn was cut off as a female airmen rushed up the stairs, ¡°Commander Sheppard! Commander Sheppard!
¡°Isabel, what is it?¡± Caitlyn asked.
¡°Sergent Perkins decided to investigate the whole in the runway, and he vanished!¡±
¡°What? Show me,¡± Caitlyn said as she stood and followed Isabel downstairs and out of the south side of the Hanger onto the runway. Anton, Amelia, and Felix stood and followed her out. As they came up to the hole in the ground, four men looked into it while another four stood a little farther away from it and scanned the surrounding area for threats.
¡°So, what happened,¡± Caitlyn asked.
¡°Seargent Perkins decided that he wanted to be the first to explore the Earth Node and maybe recover it for himself,¡± Isabel said as she pointed at an earthen ramp that led deeper into the hole.
¡°Let me check it out first,¡± Anton said as he walked over to the ramp and began walking down. At the bottom of the ramp, he found himself in a circular chamber, the Earth node sitting upon a natural stone pedestal beneath it. At his feet, he noticed scuffs in the ground that came to an end ten feet in front of him. In fact, the floor directly around the Earth Node was utterly devoid of any indication that anyone had been in this chamber.
¡°What do you see?¡± Caitlyn called down.
¡°It looks like Perkins made it this far but then disappeared. One second,¡± Anton stepped up to where the scuffs in the ground stopped. As he reached out with his right hand, a neon pink stream of energy reached up out of the ground and surrounded him, as notifications filled his vision.
WARNING!!!
You have attempted to approach a Regenerating Earth Node
Arcane Shield Present
SYSTEM Enforced Defense Activated.
Damage 100,000 Magical
Error: Target is not affected by magic damage.
Anton grinned as he stepped out of the energy field that enveloped him. Once he¡¯d moved one foot forward, the cocoon of neon pink energy vanished as quickly as it appeared.
Anton yelled out, ¡°Don¡¯t come down here; there¡¯s some defensive mechanism in play. I¡¯m pretty sure Perkins won¡¯t be coming back.¡±
¡°What makes you say that?¡± Caitlyn called down.
¡°The fact that the flash you just saw was supposed to do one hundred thousand points of damage to me,¡± Anton called out.
Anton''s Perception was 462, which allowed him to easily hear Felix mutter, ¡°Damn,¡± which was followed closely by Caitlyn muttering, ¡°Yeah, Perkins is dead; that much damage would vaporize anyone except Anton.¡±
There was a pause for a moment before Caitlyn called down, ¡°You¡¯re okay though, right?¡±
¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Anton called back, ¡°Just give me a second, and I¡¯ll head back up.¡±
¡°Okay,¡± Caitlyn called back.
Anton proceeded forward to the only stone pedestal in the room. On top sat an amber gem inside what looked like an orb of energy that surrounded a it. Anton realized that when he¡¯d touched the node before with Spectral Reach, he¡¯d never actually touched anything. The SYSTEM had just informed him of what the object was. Anton focused on the Pedestal and then the Gem as he activated Identify to look at both.
Congratulations!
You have discovered an Elemental Earth Ley Line Nexus.
Rarity: Rare
Elemental Earth Ley Line Nexus are locations where specific leyline are anchored to the Physical World. The location distributes mana of the variety present into the surrounding environment at a steady rate and acts as a stabilizing mechanism on a planetary scale.
Congratulations!
You have discovered an Earth Node Gem.
An Earth Node Gem is an Artifact that allows the mana from a specific leyline to be absorbed and funneled into a magically powered device or artifact. Earth Node Gems can contain an enormous amount of energy. The SYSTEM has deemed that such artifacts must be provided with a minimum amount of protection in low-level areas.
Two levels of protection have been deemed necessary for this location
Spawned monsters appropriate to Earth Element
Destructive Shell
Energy from this Elemental Earth Ley Line Nexus is absorbed by the Earth Node and utilized to power the Universal Gate. Removal of the Earth Node Gem could destabilize the Universal Gate¡¯s connection if active and is NOT recommended.
The information provided this time was different. Then again, he didn¡¯t use Identity last time. Anton considered whether he should leave well enough alone but he had no idea what was going to come through that portal. Besides acquiring the Earth Node Gem had to be a good thing, right?
Anton reached out and tried to touch the energy ribbon that surrounded the gem. As his hand moved toward the ribbon of energy, it split and moved away from his hand. The ribbon of energy did not want to touch him at all. Anton continued to move his right hand forward until he wrapped his fingers around the Earth Gem.
Would you like to Remove the Minor Artifact, Earth Node Gem, from its SYSTEM Designated location? Yes or No?
SYSTEM Designated location? What the hell was that? Anton chose ¡°Yes,¡± and an audible click occurred. The fluorescent pink barrier flashed and then disappeared as the Gem pushed his hand up off the pedestal. Anton grasped the
Gem as the ribbon of energy coming up from the pedestal receded into it and disappeared.
WARNING!
Earth Node has been deactivated.
Universal Gate stability reduced by 25%.
A moment later, Anton felt a tremor coming from the north and moving to the south like a minor earthquake. Anton activated Specter. He¡¯d planned to float up through the ground but found himself blinded by a bright, pearlescent light coming from his hand. The gem in his hand was brighter than anything he¡¯d come across before. The only thing that was shown as illumination when he was in this dimension was soul energy. Did that mean the gem he was holding a soul in it?
Regardless, the gem¡¯s brilliance overpowered his vision in this dimension, so Anton stored it in his Personal Storage. The change was instant, and it took a moment for Anton to be able to see normally again as his eyes adjusted. He tried blinking a few times to help as he willed himself to float up through the ceiling of the chamber until he was on the runway above the chamber.
He moved over until he was beside Caitlyn. She peered down into the hole, looking for him, and deactivated Specter.
¡°Anton!¡± Caitlyn and Amelia both called down into the hole.
¡°Yeah,¡± Anton replied at a normal level.
Caitlyn swung at him before she even knew what she was doing and connected with his chest. There was a loud ¡°THUNK¡± as he took 21 points of damage, only 17 after his Physical Damage Resistance kicked in
¡°Sorry, Sorry!¡± Caitlyn called out in shock as she looked at what she¡¯d done.
¡°You know, if you would have hit anyone that didn¡¯t have a few levels on them, you probably would have killed them, right? You¡¯re getting strong,¡± Anton pointed out.
¡°Good thing you can¡¯t die then. Also, you are an asshole!¡±
Anton laughed, ¡°Guilty as charged.¡±
¡°Do you need some healing?¡± Amelia asked.
¡°Nah, I¡¯ll be fine in 20 seconds or so,¡± Anton said as someone the hangar came running over.
¡°Commander Sheppard! Commander Sheppard!¡±
¡°What is it?¡± Caitlyn called to the man running their way.
¡°Our scouts say something weird is happening about a mile north of here!¡±
¡°At the Universal Gate?¡± Anton asked.
¡°I¡¯m not sure what that is¡¡± the soldier started to say when Caitlyn cut him off.
¡°We¡¯ll check it out,¡± Caitlyn said as she leaped up, and her wings appeared as she headed north.
Anton looked to Amelia, ¡°Get back to the hangar; prepare to defend it; I¡¯m going after Caitlyn,¡± Anton said as he activated Specter and launched after Caitylyn. As he drew up beside her, he activated Manifest so she would know where he was.
Anton noticed immediately that she wasn¡¯t very fast in this form, so it would take a few minutes to get there. As they drew closer, Anton activated the skill Eagle Eyes, which he hadn¡¯t used in a while, to see what he could see. It was only level 12, so his vision was only 120% better than normal.
As they left the Air Force Base, Anton noticed immediately what the issue was. The dais and flat marble slab had both increased in size. The dais was now at least 100 feet in diameter, and the vertical slab of stone was at least 50 feet high and 30 feet wide.
As for why the portal and platform have grown so much, Well, it was pretty obvious when someone who looked like a plate-armored giant knight who was about 35 feet tall and carried a two-handed sword that was as long as he was tall stepped through the portal and looked around. Additionally, this knight didn¡¯t give Anton the shiny good feeling of a good knight. No, this knight wore black armor with blood-red highlights in various claw-like patterns that gave it a sinister look.
What convinced him that this giant didn¡¯t want to play nice was the sigil that appeared to be floating above him. As Anton looked at it he activated Analyze.
Divine Sigil
God: Tartarus
Domain: Torture and Destruction.
Divine Sigils declare to everyone who sees them that the actions of the individual they look upon serve Patron of the Sigil.
Anton looked over at Caitlyn, who seemed to have frozen up as the Giant-Sized Knight came into view. He could imagine what she would be saying right now if he could hear her. Instead, he pointed to the ground below them and moved. Caitlyn altered course and followed him to the ground, where he deactivated Manifest and Specter
¡°Is that a fucking giant?¡± Caitlyn asked.
¡°It is. Here,¡± Anton said as he started drawing all of the 50 caliber sniper rifles and any extra guns he had, as well as a lot of ammunition from his inventory, and placing it on the ground. In front of him, ¡°Grab all of this and get everyone into a defensive position at the hangar. If I fail, I¡¯ll meet you back there if I can.
¡°You fail?¡± Caitlyn asked disbelievingly as she touched the equipment he¡¯d put down and began pulling the items into her Personal Storage.
¡°That¡¯s a giant. I don¡¯t know how much damage I¡¯ll have to do to kill it, and I¡¯m pretty sure¡
Another giant dressed much like the first one stepped through the portal.
¡°You were going to say you weren¡¯t sure he was alone, weren¡¯t you?¡± Caitlyn asked.
Anton nodded.
After Caitlyn finished picking up the equipment, she took to the air and turned to fly toward the hangar. The first giant pulled a a crossbow the size of a motorcycle from his storage, aimed at Caitlyn, and pulled the trigger.
Anton was fast. He had two full seconds to try to deflect the quarrel, which he did with Telekinesis. He failed. Either the quarrel, which was actually a fletched spear, was moving too fast, or it was too heavy, or both. Luckily, Caitlyn looked over her shoulder, saw the danger, and dodged it partially.
Instead of piercing her back and possibly taking out her heart, the spear entered her back on the left side and exited just below her left breast. It was not a minor wound. The force of the blow caused Caitlyn to tumble out of the air and hit the ground behind a small building, which placed her out of sight of Anton and the giants.
Anton was pretty sure Caitlyn had survived that blow and was relieved when his perception picked up Caitlyn calling out, ¡°I¡¯ll Live.¡±
Anton¡¯s gaze turned and fell on the first giant. As their eyes met, the second giant pulled a crossbow and fired it at him. While his telekinesis hadn¡¯t been powerful enough to do anything about the first quarrel, and he couldn¡¯t physically intervene because Caitlynn had been almost 100 feet off the ground, A quarrel or spear thrown at him was another matter altogether.
Anton activated his Sigil of Keres as his high perception, agility, and strength allowed him to sidestep the quarrel, pluck it out of the air, redirect its momentum, and add even more strength to the attack as he sent it back toward the giant that had shot it. Ultimately, it was a spear throw from someone who wanted to put that spear through the eye holes in his target¡¯s plate-armored helmet. Someone who had an effective luck attribute of 3,786.
A moment later, the quarrel pierced the helmet, his target''s eye, and exited the back of the helmet. Anton had thrown the giant quarrel with such force that it had exited the helmet even as it splintered. Parts of the Quarrel, skull, brains, and blood flew through the portal behind the giant. The angel was bad because he was shorter than the giant so anyone behind the giant would probably be spared any of the significant detritus his attack had created.
The first giant looked at his companion, stunned, as he toppled like a tree that had just been cut down. In that moment, Anton checked his Combat Log to gauge how powerful these giants were.
Combat Log Start
Quarrel caught.
Giant quarrel thrown at target.
Called Shot: Target¡¯s left eye
Target Hit!
Base Damage: 10
Bonus Damage: 224
Critical Strike Multiplier: 3
Total Damage: 702
Hit Points remaining: -158 of 544
Target has died.
Anton took his attention away from his Combat Log and looked at the first giant as he looked back at him. Anton smiled. These giants weren¡¯t weak, but they weren¡¯t all-powerful either. This could be fun.
As thoughts ran through his mind another giant stepped through the portal. The first giant ignored the newcomer, stored the giant crossbow, and raised his two-handed sword above his head as bellowed in Common, ¡°In the Name of Tartarus, All will die this day!¡±
In a louder voice that shook the air and was heard by everyone within a mile, Anton called back, ¡°You¡¯ve got that right Asshole!¡±
Chapter 50, Wants and Needs
Anton used Analyze on the Giant Humanoid.
Race: Nagian
Class Fighter
Level: Unknown
Level Analyze to learn more information
Anton was about 500 feet away when the Nagian Fighter burst toward him. Anton was sure that he¡¯d activated a skill or perk as he shot forward and crossed the almost 500 feet between them in a second as he brought his two-handed great sword down toward Anton¡¯s head.
Anton was neither surprised nor worried. Even with the sudden burst of speed, the Nagian was moving in slow motion to Anton. As the fighter rushed forward, Anton pulled one of the monofilament swords from his Inventory, positioned himself to the side of the downward swing, and placed the sword so that it would block the swing. He wanted to see if his strength could stand up to the giant or if that was going to be an issue.
Still, it seemed to take forever for the strike to come down. The good news was that his arm didn¡¯t move at all. He was able to keep the sword in its cross position and hold it steady as the Greatsword bore down on his longsword. The bad news was the great sword was the equivalent of a crossbeam of metal being brought down on a twig. The Nagian¡¯s strength ensured that it sheered through his longsword and neatly separated it into two pieces like he was slicing butter.
Once again, Anton was left without a weapon as his sword fell into two pieces. The Nagian continued his strike by redirecting the momentum of the swing. He redirected his swing and spun to bring the Greatsword to bear on Anton horizontally. It looked like he would try to cleave Anton in half horizontally at shoulder level. Again, to Anton, the Nagian was moving in slow motion, which gave Anton plenty of time to consider how to handle this. He wasn¡¯t sure if he could straight-up block the blade with his hand. There was a lot of momentum behind it, and it was sharp. His Physical Damage Resistance was six now, which he was sure was less damage than the sword would inflict.
However, he did have something that he hadn¡¯t tried before. His Anti-Mage ability allowed him to destroy physical matter in a small area around him. Could he focus that effect on the palm of his hand and destroy the sword as it was swung it at him? That should effectively break the sword in two. Also, if he could do that, such an attack would be devastating against armored opponents if he could make that part of an attack.
Anton planted his left foot behind his right and assumed a modified bow stance as he brought his right hand up and focused the nullification field of his ability directly in front of his palm. The Nagian, who must be thinking that Anton was crazy, didn¡¯t even pause his spin and swing as he adjusted his aim so the Greatsword would pass through Anton¡¯s hand, under his outstretched arm, and cleave him in two at chest level.
That never happened.
Instead, a portion of the Greatsword¡¯s blade directly above Anton¡¯s palm disintegrated as it tried to cut his hand in half. The section was only about a foot wide, but it caused the sword to be split into the upper blade, which, due to centrifugal force, was flying off to Anton¡¯s right as The hilt of the Greatsword the Nagian held passed by Anton¡¯s left shoulder.
Notifications appeared in Anton¡¯s vision but were immediately suppressed because he was in combat. Anton ignored them as he stepped up and utilized the same technique to put the nullification field in front of his fist. He punched the giant''s left leg as he continued his spin. Anton knew the attack was going to be devastating, but what happened next surprised him.
As Anton¡¯s fist came into contact with the armored leg, he didn¡¯t feel his attack connect with anything. Instead, it was as if he was using an eraser in the Microsoft Paint app when he was trying to clean up an image. As his hand came close to Nagian¡¯s leg, the armor evaporated, followed by the flesh and bone of the giant''s left leg just below the left kneecap. Even the blood that tried to spray down on his hand evaporated before it touched him.
The giant, unable to cope with the sudden loss of balance in the middle of his swing, spun as he crashed to the ground. Before he could react, Anton deactivated the nullification field as he moved up beside the giant''s head, which was now near the ground. Just before he struck, he called out, ¡°Now you die!¡± Just before he struck, a thought crossed his mind that he might be taking the villain part a little too seriously. Then again, it was a giant human asshole that needed to be taught a bit of humility. Maybe the lesson would go with him into his next life. Anton punched him as hard as he could through the top of his head.
Note to self: next time, leave the Nullification Field on. Anton shattered the metal helmet, the skull beneath it, and his hand. His goal to kill the Nagian succeeded. A quick check of his combat log indicated that he¡¯d inflicted a Critical Strike on the Nagian which had done 687 points of damage. Unfortunately, he¡¯d also inflicted 229 points of damage to his hand as his strength destroyed the bones in his hand, wrist, and forearm with that strike.
The third Nagian stepped over the dead Nagian with a giant arrow sticking through his head and ran toward Anton. A fourth and fifth Nagian came through the portal behind him. As a sixth Nagian was about to come through the portal, there was a ripple in the surface, followed by chunks of metal and flesh being thrown into the backs of the two that had just stepped through. The ground also trembled a bit.
Anton considered his options. He needed to close the gate. First, though, he needed to make sure Caitlyn was okay. In quick succession, he released four Mind Bolts. Before the first Nagian had tumbled to the ground, he¡¯d released the four attacks. Remarkably, the attacks did not kill any of the Giant Humanoids. The one closest to him had bloodshot eyes as well as blood leaking from his nose and ears, but he was already trying to get back to his feet.
Anton hit all four with one more Mind Bolt each. This time, he received the notification that they had died. He saw another Nagian beginning to step through the portal and beelined for the building Caitlyn had landed behind. As he came around the corner, he realized he needed not worry. Caitlyn had pulled the broken spear out of herself and was finishing what had to be a health potion. When she was finished, the bottle went into her inventory, and the wound in her shoulder began to heal as he watched visibly. She looked over at him and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine; what do you need?¡±
¡°Get back to the hanger. Stay low as you go. Also, they have about 600 hit points, so concentrated shooting should take them down. Of course, I don¡¯t know if that armor is going to stop the bullets or not. I¡¯m going to pull the other Elemental Nodes and try to deactivate the Gate. I don¡¯t think we need Giants invading our world, do you?
Caitlyn paused for a second as she digested everything he¡¯d said and then nodded, ¡°Be careful. I¡¯ll get everyone at the hangar ready. See you in a few.¡± With that, Caitlyn turned and began running toward the Hanger. It should only take her a minute or two to get to it. If she stayed on the ground, the giants shouldn¡¯t see where she¡¯d gone off to. As for him, he activated Specter and flew toward the Fire Node.
Anton landed above the chamber the Fire Node was in, deactivated Specter, and walked down the ramp to the pedestal. A ribbon of red energy extended out of it, holding a baseball-sized Ruby floating in it. The energy flared around him as he passed through the defensive barrier, which he ignored.
Like before, the ribbon of magical energy parted around his hand, and he was able to grab and withdraw the gem, which he immediately placed into his Personal Storage.
WARNING!
Fire Node has been deactivated.
Universal Gate stability reduced by 50%.
Anton heard the ground rumble as he activated Specter and shot off to the Northeast to grab the Air Node Gem. Unlike the last two, there were still creatures in the area, but most were above and outside the cave. Anton decided to move into the chamber and bypass the barrier before he deactivated Specter so the pigeon-like creatures wouldn¡¯t see him. He deactivated Specter without issue and withdrew the baseball-sized diamond that served as the Air Node Gem.
WARNING!
Air Node has been deactivated.
Universal Gate stability reduced by 75%.
As he placed the Air Node Gem in his Personal Storage and activated Specter, his surroundings began to tremble. Anton ignored the trembling all around him and sped off to the Southeast to retrieve the last gem.
Anton arrived at the last Leyline node. He noticed that in addition to the trembling in the ground and air all around him, the whole area was devoid of any monsters or life. They¡¯d all left the area. As he was pulling the baseball-sized sapphire from the pedestal, Anton mused that he was pretty sure it wasn¡¯t supposed to be this easy to retrieve four artifacts, but he would take the win if the SYSTEM were going to allow it. As the fourth gem was removed and the energy ribbon receded into the pedestal, the trembling stopped, and a loud snap was heard coming from the west.
WARNING!
Water Node has been deactivated.
Universal Gate stability reduced by 100%.
Universal Gate has been deactivated.
Anton activated Specter and headed southwest toward the hanger. As he came up through the ground, he saw six figures off to his west that were moving south through the field. He immediately recognized them as Nagian because they stood above most of the trees and sheds in the area. Luckily, he saw no more Nagian following the six he could see. In fact, he couldn¡¯t see the portal anymore. Had it shrunk back down to its original size? First things first, he needed to make sure those giants never made it to the hangar. Anton altered course and noticed that four of the giants wore the plate armor he¡¯d seen before, but one of them had a bow, and the other wore black robes. All six had the sigil of Tartarus floating above their heads.
It had only been about a minute since they¡¯d separated. Caitlyn was still over half a mile away from the hangar. Anton floated up behind Caitlyn, deactivating Specter. The mage and the archer type stopped and stepped to the side as the four continued to rush toward him. The Archer notched an arrow and aimed past Anton at Caitlyn while the mage appeared to be looking directly at him.
¡°Caitlyn, Dodge!¡± Anton called out at the exact moment her left wing materialized and flapped powerfully once. The thrust from her wing caused her to cartwheel off to the right. She landed easily as an arrow flew through where she¡¯d been a moment ago. She hadn¡¯t looked, and Anton was pretty sure she¡¯d dodged when he called out, before she could have heard him. He¡¯d have to ask her about that later.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
The mage finished casting his spell, and a seething black ball of energy the size of a bowling ball shot past the four soldiers in plate armor and vanished just before it reached Anton. Anton thought about ending the mage with a Mind Bolt but decided that it would be much more fun to let him cast a couple more spells. It was a bit cocky, sure, but this would be fun.
Anton caught sight of the Archer training his second shot on him and waited. As the archer let loose, Anton focused the nullification field in front of his palm and allowed the giant arrow to erase itself from existence. He moved his hand in front of the arrow before it could hit him.
Within moments, the four giant soldiers that had been rushing toward him were on him with their versions of long and short swords used in a choreographed two-weapon style. Instead of attacking at once, they went into an orchestrated pattern that was meant to create opens that another soldier would take advantage of so they could dispatch a foe quickly. Unfortunately for them, Anton¡¯s agility and endurance allowed him to make up to 19 attacks and dodge every combat turn. During the first turn of combat, Anton went full defensive to get a feel for their pattern.
It was apparent, as all four burned some of their stamina reserves, that they were struggling to make four attacks every combat turn. That was a total of 16 attacks, which Anton easily deflected or dodged with his 19 possible actions during the combat Turn. Anton could keep up this pace indefinitely. The four giants, however, couldn¡¯t.
As Anton analyzed their pattern of attack, he realized It wasn¡¯t a fair fight by any means. From his perspective, the attacks were forecasted and easily avoided. Each second, he could move up to 432 feet and take two actions, be they to attack, block, or dodge.
Each attack was deflected with a well-placed slap from his hand or dodged during that first Turn. The second turn was a little different. Anton focused the nullification field onto his hands and caused the blade of each sword to fall off, leaving the hilt of each sword in their hands. At the end of the second turn, Anton noticed that Caitlyn had slowed down and was watching him while she continued to dodge the archer. Anton also saw one of the snipers they had on their roof and signed, ¡°Leave the Mage for me,¡± in ALS toward him. The fact that he mentioned the mage was not without irony, as ten bolts of energy tracked and tried to strike Anton. They vanished just before they hit, but the irony wasn¡¯t lost on Anton that the mage had just tried to attack him again.
In the third combat turn, he ended them by focusing the nullification field above his hands. He forced each soldier down to the ground by removing one of their legs just below the knee and then moving over and erasing their neck out of existence with a palm thrust through their neck. He was five times as fast as each of the soldiers, and it showed as he¡¯d force one into a precarious position where they had all their weight on one leg that suddenly couldn¡¯t hold their weight anymore. Then, as they tried to lift themselves to recover, the connection between their brain and their body was severed permanently as their necks vanished. It wasn¡¯t very sportsman-like, or fair, but it was a brutally efficient way to take out 30-foot-tall men. He would have felt bad if their waist wasn¡¯t 15 feet off the ground, which made it incredibly hard for him to pull off a one-shot kill; damn giants!.
As he was finishing up with the last soldier near him, a gunshot rang out from the roof of the Hanger. Anton looked over to see the Giant Archer bow being held together by its string. Anton was pretty sure the sniper had put one of their 50-caliber rounds through the bow, which had caused it to snap. Anton smiled; that was a hell of a shot. As he had that thought, some motions a little way off to the archer''s right, caught his attention
Anton focused on the motion and noticed the mage waving his arms and making gestures toward himself. A moment later, a small marble-sized ball of fire left the man''s right hand and raced toward Anton. As the orb of fire flew toward Anton, it grew in size until it was approximately the size of a basketball. Anton stepped forward and held his hand out. As the ball raced toward Anton, he noticed that the mage had a huge grin on his face. The kind of grin that conveyed that someone didn¡¯t know what was about to hit him. Anton smiled back, well that thought was partially correct; the mage just misjudged what was about to happen.
Anton held out his right hand as the orb raced toward him until it vanished against the nullification field in front of his hand. The Archer dropped the remains of his bow, drew two swords from his belt, and rushed toward Anton while the smile on the mage¡¯s face turned to a look of shock.
While the Archer was rushing toward Anton, he looked at the Mage, held his right hand up to his right ear, and made a motion like he couldn¡¯t hear something that had been said. Simultaneously, he summoned a dagger from his Personal Storage into his left hand. He quickly flipped it so he could hold the dagger by its tip.
As the mage¡¯s expression turned angry, and he started to cast another spell, Anton waited while the archer closed the distance between the two of them. When the archer was 100 feet from Anton, he threw the dagger. It was his off-hand, so he didn¡¯t try for a called shot or anything too complicated; he just aimed center mass and let the dagger fly.
He didn¡¯t expect the dagger to kill the giant; he just wanted to see if he could hit something with his offhand, and if he did hit, what would happen?
He hit the Nagian directly where he¡¯d aimed, the center of his chest.
While he didn¡¯t expect to kill the giant, he wasn¡¯t expecting what happened next. The dagger struck the giant in the center of his chest with such force that the dagger and armor beneath the strike disintegrated as the force was transferred to the giant humanoid. The Giant was lifted off his feet and landed flat on his back.
Unfortunately for the giant archer, his legs were spread, which allowed Anton to see up under the Tasse, the series of overlapping metal plates that formed the skirt over the lower body. The archer''s armor on his arms and legs was leather of some sort. He was wearing a metal chest piece and tasse, but each of them had been treated to look like the armor he wore over his arms and legs.
At that moment, Anton knew what he needed to do. He was pretty sure his point, or points would be made, pun intended. In the space of five seconds, he summoned five daggers and sent them in between the legs of the fallen Nagian. A tasse was great for deflecting blows from the front, sides, and back. From underneath, though, it did nothing.
One dagger after another punctured the archer and pierced into his torso. The first and second daggers didn¡¯t kill the Nagian. The third dagger, however, must have hit his heart because his effort to sit up stopped, and he fell back onto the ground. Even so, Anton put two more daggers into the giant before another spell tried to affect him. This time, it was a lightning bolt that vanished just as it was about to touch him.
Anton looked over to the mage as he called out an invocation, which put up a sparking shimmer all around himself. It looked like he¡¯d placed a shield bubble of some sort around him. Obviously, intelligence wasn¡¯t one of the mage''s primary attributes. Anton ignored the mage as he walked up to the dead Archer. He really wanted those daggers back. No, he needed those daggers back. Okay, maybe he didn¡¯t need them, but damn it, he wasn¡¯t going to cut that giant apart just so he could fish out his daggers. Those thoughts gave him an idea. Could he pick and choose what he affected his nullification field?
Anton placed his hand on the giant flesh where his daggers had cut away the leathers he was wearing and willed his nullification field to expand and destroy only the flesh and blood of his target. Anton felt something click within his mind as a new functionality made itself available. As he extended his nullification field, he set it only to encompass the body in front of him and only to affect the flesh and blood. The suit of armor and the clothing deflated as the body within vanished.
In the space of a second, the archer''s armor, weapons, equipment, and especially Anton¡¯s daggers, were left on the ground. There was no hint of blood or other bodily fluids on any of the items or even the ground. The giant was gone.
Anton quickly transferred everything the archer left behind into his Personal Storage and looked to the Mage, who made another flourishing gesture that resulted in a skull wreathed in dark flames with red glowing eyes rushing toward Anton. Anton ignored the skull and began walking toward the mage. Anton checked his Psychic Energy and noticed that he was down to 470 of 2,143. He¡¯d spent 1,200 Psychic Energy to destroy Archer. What was that, one point of psychic energy per pound? He¡¯d never had to worry about spending psychic energy to control his nullification field before. Then again, he¡¯d never tried to control his nullification field before, either. Anton smiled. It was time to try to get some of that energy back.
Later, Anton learned from Caitlyn that what he did next baffled the snipers on top of the Hangar and Caitlyn. Anton casually walked up to the mage while he cast spell after spell at him, which he ignored. Then he grabbed him by the leg and held on as he activated Syphon and began draining him. The first attack only removed 8 points of energy from the Nagian¡¯s unused Psychic Energy pool. The mage tried to swipe Anton away, but no matter what he did, Anton either blocked, countered, or dodged around his legs while always making sure to remain in physical contact with him.
In the first minute, Anton drained 28 points of Psychic Energy and began converting the mages'' Mana into Psychic Energy. While Anton Syphoned off, the mage continuously tried to smack or swat him. He also cast a few spells, including more warding spells, which did nothing. Anton was a bit impressed by the mage¡¯s diversity, though. The mage had cast Fire, Earth, Air, Water, Death, and even a darkness-based spell. None of these affected him, but still, there were a lot of different types of spells. Once he finished siphoning off the mage''s psychic energy and started taking his mana, the mage¡¯s eyes went wide.
¡°What are you doing to me?¡±
¡°Refilling my energy, what did you think I was doing,¡± Anton taunted.
¡°Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!¡± The mage cried as he tried in vain to hit Anton.
At Skill level 8, converting this mage¡¯s mana into psychic energy was going to take a while, especially since he was doing so while the asshole was awake. Anton decided to speed things up a bit. He increased Syphon¡¯s skill level. Anton designated 173 Psychic Skill points to the Syphon, which increased his skill level to 20. The rate at which he fed on the mage''s energy almost tripled, and his psychic energy started to refill faster.
Ten minutes later, the mage''s mana was depleted. He knew this because the mage slumped to the ground unconscious. Right before he passed out, he¡¯d become frantic as he tried to stop Anton. He screamed and raged. Anton ignored him, which made the mage even angrier. When he was done, he checked his gains. The conversion rate hadn¡¯t been great to begin with. For every two mana he absorbed, he received one Psychic Energy. In total, he¡¯d only gained 562 Psychic Energy from the mage¡¯s mana.
When he started absorbing the mage¡¯s stamina, that conversion became even worse at five stamina for one psychic energy. Eight minutes later, the mage''s stamina was gone, and he¡¯d recovered another 173 psychic energy for the mage''s stamina. At this point, he started absorbing the mage¡¯s hit points, which had the worst conversion rate at ten hit points for one psychic energy. It only took him four and a half minutes to reduce the mage''s hit points to zero and recover 54 points of Psychic Energy. As he finished absorbing the last of the mage¡¯s hit points, the mage¡¯s body turned to smoke as Anton drew it into himself.
Anton looked at the robes and staff of the vanquished mage and wondered if there was a way to combine his nullification field with Syphon so that he could do this all at once. Granted, Syphon would work better on a living target, and there wouldn¡¯t be any hit points to convert from a corpse, but there was flesh and blood, and whatever psychic energy, mana, and stamina was still within the cells of the body after it was killed. As he finished that thought, a new notification appeared in his vision.
Would you like to Combine the Psychic Skills Syphon, Material Breakdown, and Organic Breakdown, Yes or No?
Material Breakdown?
Organic Breakdown?
When had he¡Anton pulled up his previous Notifications. It looked like both skills had been unlocked when he broke down the archer, he¡¯d just ignored the notification. Anton closed his notification and went back to the last Notification. Combine, huh? He needed more information. Anton thought, Define Combine.
Combine ¨C Powers (Defined as Skills, Spells, Titles, and Perks) may be combined.
NOTE: Abilities are not considered Powers in this context.
Restrictions:
- Only like Powers may be combined with like. A skill with another skill, A title with another title, etc¡
- Previously Combined Powers may be combined again, though doing so has a very strong probability of weakening the overall combined Power.
Cost:
100,000 Credits for each Power combined.
Results:
- The Powers chosen for Combining are lost.
- Original Skills are returned to Skill Level 0. Skills may be relearned.
- Original Titles are lost. Unique Titles may only ever be learned once, though all other Titles may be relearned. Note that all attribute bonuses are lost as well.
- Original Perks are lost. Class-specific perks may not be regained, though similar perks from other classes may be acquired. Note that all attribute bonuses are lost as well.
- One half, rounded down, of all invested Skill or Spell Points are returned to the SYSTEM User¡¯s Skill or Spell Point Pool, respectively.
- The rarity and effects of new Power are dependent on the Powers combined. Synergistic powers can create new and unique powers that may be of higher rarity and, therefore, more powerful than the powers sacrificed.
- The level of the Power to be combined may affect the outcome of the combination.
- When combining skills or spells, 1 skill or spell point must be spent. Titles and Perks are exempt from this requirement.
Anton finished reading the definition of Combine and smiled. He then pulled up his inventory and double-checked his credits. He had 14 million credits in the SYSTEM and another 1.9 million credits in the SYSTEM Bank, if it still existed. How much trouble could he get himself into? Sure, there were a few skills that he wouldn¡¯t touch, Specter being one of them. But, with skills like Syphon, Material Breakdown, and Organic Breakdown, he could see the benefit of combining them.
Anton was drawn out of his thoughts when Caitlyn stepped up and asked, ¡°Anton, what are you doing?¡±
Anton smiled as he answered her question, ¡°Caitlyn, did you know that you can combine our Powers?¡±
¡°What are powers?¡± Caitlyn asked.
¡°Everything except for Abilities. You know, Skills, Spells, Perks, and Titles,¡± Anton explained.
¡°Are you sure?¡± Caitlyn asked.
¡°Yep, I just received a Notification that defines what it is and what it does,¡± Anton said as he made the Notification visible to her.
Caitlyn leaned over, read the information provided by the SYSTEM, and then turned to look at Anton. After a moment, a huge smile filled her face as she said, ¡°Hot Damn, that could be useful!¡±
Chapter 51, SYSTEM Amendment
Would you like to Combine the Psychic Skills; Syphon, Material Breakdown, Organic Breakdown, Yes or No?
Anton looked at the Notification again and pulled up his skill list. He had no other skills that synergized with those three. Syphon was skill level 20, but Material Breakdown and Organic Breakdown were only skill level 1. There wasn¡¯t much of a chance of a new skill gaining any bonuses from the levels, but he needed something that worked a little faster and could also replenish his Psychic Energy so it wasn¡¯t like he had a lot of choices.
Anton chose ¡°Yes.¡±
Combine
Syphon ¨C Level 20
Material Breakdown ¨C Level 1
Organic Breakdown ¨C Level 1
Total Skills: 3
SYSTEM Assist activated
Cost: 300,000 Credits
Cost Paid.
¡
¡
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Hijacker of Divinity Title found; New Skill Adjusted
Pseudo Undead Perk found; New Skill Adjusted
Annihilate Life Perk found; New Skill Adjusted
Anti-Mage Ability found; New Skill Adjusted
SYSTEM Assist activated
Cost Adjustment: 1,000,000 Credits per Title applied.
Cost Adjustment: 1,000,000 Credits per Perk applied.
Cost Adjustment: 10,000,000 Credits per Ability applied.
Total Adjusted Cost: 13,300,000 Credits
Remaining Credits: 919,596 Credits
Skills Combined.
Calculating Results
New Skill Created!
You have discovered the Legendary Skill: Assimilation,
Assimilation
You may assimilate almost anything and Convert it to Psychic Energy, including mana.
Note that the Energies and Materials of the Higher Magical Sphere, Proper, are anathema to you. Should you try to assimilate such energies or materials, the results will be catastrophic.
Assimilation may be utilized in multiple ways.
First - You may assimilate anything within your Assimilation Field. Your Assimilation Field is a radius in inches equal to your Willpower Attribute centered on your physical body. The Rate of the breakdown is equal to one cubic foot equal to the cube root of your willpower plus one per skill level. Every cubic foot absorbed generates one Psychic Energy. You may filter out various materials as desired.
Second - You may absorb magical items within your Assimilation Field. The amount of Psychic Energy added is variable but follows these basic rules.
Basic or Common Rarity Magic Item: 10 PE
Scarce Rarity Magic Item: 20 PE
Rare Rarity Magic Items: 30 PE
Advanced Rarity Magic Items: 100 PE
Master Rarity Magic Items: 200 PE
Epic Rarity Magic Items: 1,000 PE
Legendary Items and Higher: Assimilation of Legendary or higher rarity Magic Items cannot be predicted.
Third - Upon Touch, you may absorb energy directly from any living target. Magical Defenses are useless against this attack. Technological defenses that prevent physical contact will thwart this attack: Thick metallic armor, Force fields, and the like. Simple clothing, such as shirts, underwear, and even thin Jackets, will not prevent this attack.
Upon a successful attack, you may remove a number of resources from your target equal to your skill level plus your willpower attribute bonus. Resources are removed in the following order: Psychic Energy, Mana, Stamina, and finally, Hit Points. Once Hit Points are reduced to zero, the target dies.
Fourth ¨C Your status as Pseudo-Undead can be leveraged against the Undead. You may attack any undead within your Assimilation Field. Unlike the assimilation of living targets, personal physical contact is not required to assimilate the undead.
You may remove a number of resources from your target equal to your skill level plus your willpower attribute bonus. Resources are removed in the following order: Psychic Energy, Mana, Stamina, and finally, Hit Points. Once Hit Points are reduced to zero, the undead''s link to the material realm is severed, and the creature is destroyed.
Fifth ¨C You may Assimilate Magical attacks, Shields, and Effects.
Note: This aspect of Assimilation will not work on the Higher Magic: Proper.
With a thought, you may assimilate any spell that enters your Assimilation field. You gain an amount of Psychic Energy equal to the Spell level of the Magic.
Sixth ¨C You may assimilate corpses. Corpses are defined as those beings that have died within one day. Corpses may be instantly assimilated and provide Psychic Energy equal to their physical weight. After the residual energies of the soul have fled, approximately one day has passed, and a corpse is treated as physical material for purposes of Assimilation; Psychic energy generated is based on cubic feet being assimilated instead of weight.
Anton wanted to try out his new skill. At skill level 1, he could only absorb up to 1,008 resource points every 10 seconds. The target''s willpower would reduce that, but it was a start. Most of that initial amount that he could assimilate came from his willpower attribute. Still, he wanted to improve it because this would be the staple of recovering his resource pool. Anton opened his skill tab and dedicated 518 Psychic Skill Points to his skill Assimilation.
You have increased Assimilation to Skill level 2
You have increased Assimilation to Skill level 3
~
You have increased Assimilation to Skill Level 31
Anton smiled. Now, he could try out his new skill. He targeted the dead Nagians around him. Anton reached out with his new skill and activated Assimilation. That¡¯s when he received his first shock. Nowhere in the new skill did it say he could only assimilate one thing, so he hadn¡¯t thought to target just one. He was sure he could have targeted only one; he just hadn¡¯t bothered. Instead, Anton assimilated all of the dead Nagians at the same time. Each of the giants weighed over 1,000 pounds. The Nagian with the Giant Arrow sticking through his head was back by the Universal Gate, so he was outside of his range but the four soldiers and the archer were within range.
Anton assimilated the five Nagians simultaneously. Energy flooded into. A lot of energy. 6,111 Psychic Energy, to be exact. The Mage had brought him back up to 1,287 of his 2,143 PE maximum. 6,111 points of Psychic Energy raised his Psychic Energy to 8,685, or 6,542 more Psychic Energy than he could hold.
Psychic Energy was not Magic. He was not immune to it. As the energy flooded into his body, the amount was far more than he was used to. It was 405% more energy than his mind was prepared to hold. Anton focused his incredible willpower on holding his mind together, but he knew that it would last a long time. He focused his will on holding it together. He had to get away. Caitlyn was far too close.
Anton moved
They were in the middle of a field about a half mile north of the hangar. A tree line off to the east looked like it might shield Caitlyn and the hangar. He could make it.
Anton did NOT, in fact, make it.
He thought about activating Specter but realized that if he shifted his focus, all the energy would be released. He decided to run. His maximum running speed was about 302 miles per hour. That was just around 441 feet per second. That was exactly how far away from Caitlyn he was able to get before his ability to hold onto the excess Psychic Energy failed. Even with his incredible Willpower, he could not hold onto a ball of energy that was four times more than he¡¯d ever held onto before. The energy slipped out of his control and detonated.
Later, Anton would learn that In the microsecond of his failure, the energy equivalent to a small nuclear bomb detonated at his location. Everything within eight feet was atomized. As the energy wave pulsed out, it burned Caitlyn for 34 points of energy damage. Luckily, she had over 200 hit points, so it didn¡¯t hurt her that much. The energy burst was followed by a pressure wave that knocked her away from the center of the explosion. As she tumbled away, she was able to cartwheel herself into the air, expand her wings, and ride the pressure wave up and away from the ground until she hovered over 1,000 feet from the center of the explosion.
The hangar, which was over a half mile away, had all of its windows shattered, but the people there were able to survive the pressure wave with little effort. Some of the personnel near the back or on the roof were affected when they were knocked off their feet and received minor cuts and bruises. Most of those inside the hangar survived the explosion without incident.
As Anton opened his eyes, he felt like he was waking up from a very long nap. He was sure he¡¯d been asleep for quite a while. He looked around and found himself floating above a giant hole in the ground. Anton immediately knew that he was in his Specter form. He was having a little bit of a problem reconciling his death and where he was now, though.
Anton ignored the Notifications populating his vision and scrolled them back. He backtracked until he found the Notification he was looking for, which had one right after it that explained what had happened.
You have Died!
Psychic Energy has reached zero.
Your Spiritual form has dispersed.
Spiritual Form has dispersed? How long had he been dispersed? Anton looked around. He was floating over a crater that was at least 500 feet in diameter. Luckily, his Psychic Energy regeneration was up to three per second without Battle Meditation, so he was able to extend his time as a Specter as he pulled up his internal clock and checked to see how long he¡¯d been dispersed. The Description of Specter said that he should only be dispersed for an hour, but he had a feeling he¡¯d been gone longer, especially since it looked like it was the middle of the day and he¡¯d been fighting the Giant Humans around the middle of the night.
Anton looked toward the Hangar and paused in shock. Where the hangar had been, buildings had been erected, and a wall had been raised that ran down the runway to the Southeast and Southwest. The Hangar was not visible behind the wall, and it was gone. He could see some buildings sitting on the other side of the wall now.
Anton pulled up his Personal Status and looked for the tab to his Domain. There wasn¡¯t one. He no longer controlled the domain of the Hangar. He looked through his notifications and discovered that Felix claimed it six days ago. Six days? He double-checked the time stamps of his notifications and noted that a day had passed between his death message and when Felix claimed the Hangar. That had been six days ago.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Seven days. Had he been gone seven days? How the hell had he been gone seven days? Anton dove into his notifications, looking for answers. He found what he was looking for in his Event Log.
Excess Psychic Energy assimilated.
Psychic Energy Containment failure is imminent.
Psychic Energy has escaped containment.
Physical Body has been annihilated.
Specter Form has been dispersed explosively.
Spectral Form has been Fractured.
NOTE: Normal Dispersion of Spectral Form is an estimate of how long it will take the Spectral Form to reform if Psychic Energy is reduced to zero normally.
Fractured Spectral Forms reforming from dispersion may take longer
Estimated time for Spectral Form to reform: 168 hours.
Anton read the Event log and then grimaced. It seemed that losing control of his Psychic Energy was a terrible thing for him. He could recover his Psychic Energy much faster with Assimilation. Still, he had to be careful because if he absorbed too much Psychic Energy, it could destabilize and explosively disperse him. Why hadn¡¯t his new skill automatically prevented him from doing that? He knew the answer, even as he asked himself the question. Because he¡¯d wanted to.
Well, at least he¡¯d taken down the Elemental Node Gems and closed the Universal Gate. Wait, the description had said the Node Gems were artifacts. Could he assimilate those gems? He¡¯d have to look into that, later. Right now, he needed to check on Caitlyn, Felix, and his Sister. Hopefully, the rest of his family was still fine in North Dakota.
Anton remained in his Specter form as he moved over to the small Fort where the hanger had once sat. As he floated over the new wall, he noticed that all of the structures seemed to be of Earthen construction. The hangar was gone and had been replaced with a small two-story structure that looked like a barracks of some sort.
As he looked around the small fort, he noticed three other buildings that looked about the same, one at each corner of the walled fort, which wasn¡¯t really that large. It was just a little over the three football fields long to the southeast and double that to the southwest. All the buildings within the walls of the fort looked to be made of concrete or stone. As he floated through the fort, he saw that the outer wall was also made of concrete and had a walkway along the top with various access points from inside the fort. There were soldiers all along the wall on all sides. At the center of each side of the fort was a set of iron doors that could easily fit a vehicle up to the size of a large truck through if needed.
The area this new fort occupied was much larger than he¡¯d thought when he first saw it from over a half mile away. The tarmac where the Earth Node had resided, as well as the hole, was gone. The whole area where the runway had been now consisted of plots for crops where plants were already sprouting. Out in the fields, he could see people walking up and down the fields casting spells.
The Fort walls stretched from where the hanger had sat southwest to the highway right outside the base, where they turned Southeast, then back to the Northeast, and finally back to the building where the hangar once stood. Anton checked his map and noted that the whole area was listed as the Domain under Felix''s control.
It wasn¡¯t a large area, but Anton could see that the area had enough buildings to house at least 1,000 people. He floated around the fort as he looked for the new headquarters building because the building that replaced the hanger wasn¡¯t it. Honestly, it was kind of hard to figure out which building acted as the central headquarters, which was probably a good thing from a tactical standpoint.
Eventually, he did notice a lot of foot traffic entering and leaving one building near the center of the fort at the crossroads point where the roads from each gate intersected. As he floated inside, he saw Pavo, the Supply Merchant, working on something in a corner while a line of people waited to access his Military Supply Node. As he¡¯d done many times before, Anton activated Manifest and stepped into Pavo¡¯s line of sight.
Pavo jumped and then started asking questions that Anton couldn¡¯t hear. Anton took that as tacit permission to appear and deactivated Manifest and Specter.
¡°¡Caitlyn has been looking for you. Not to mention your sister. Do you know how much she¡¯s been pestering me?¡±
¡°Pavo!¡± Anton said with a raised voice to get him to pause his tirade of statements and questions before he went on, ¡°I don¡¯t know if I ever told you, but while I¡¯m doing my ghost thing, I can¡¯t hear anything going on. If you can use Sign Language, we can talk, but I can¡¯t ¡°hear¡± anything anyone is saying unless I become physical.¡±
¡°Oh, sorry,¡± Pavo said.
¡°Not an issue. I was wondering where Felix is?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Oh? You haven¡¯t been a ghost the whole time and just watching us?¡± Pavo asked.
¡°Nope, I was, for lack of a better description, taking a nap. Felix?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Right, the new Headquarters is on the opposite corner of this intersection,¡± Pavo said.
¡°Also, how¡¯d you all get his fort up so quickly? It¡¯s only been seven days,¡± Anton asked.
¡°I¡¯ll let Felix fill you in,¡± Pavo said, ¡°We were all told to send you to him as soon as you made it back.¡±
¡°Okay, thanks. I better get going then,¡± Anton agreed.
Pavo nodded and pointed in the direction of the building he needed to walk to. Anton turned and walked out of the front of the building. Pavo¡¯s Supply Building was on the South corner of the intersection. There were no vehicles, but people were walking up and down the street. Anton mingled in with the local foot traffic, walked across the street, and stepped into the building. As he stepped through, he saw a woman sitting at a desk.
¡°Welcome to headquarters. Can I help you, sir?¡±
¡°I¡¯m looking for Felix or Caitlyn?¡± Anton replied as he noticed two guards that were looking at him from opposite corners of the waiting room.
¡°May I ask who¡¯s calling?¡±
¡°Just let him know that Anton is back,¡± Anton said as he looked back out onto the street and watched the people going about their day. Now that he had taken the time to look around, he noticed that there seemed to be electricity present, as well as smoke coming from another larger building down the street, which carried a hint of cooked bacon on the wind. Bacon?
¡°Anton?¡± Felix asked from the doorway beside the receptionist.
Anton turned and smiled, ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve been busy.¡±
¡°And it looked like you died again,¡± Felix said with a smile, ¡°Come on, we need to talk.¡±
Anton followed Felix down a very short hallway to a small office. Felix went to sit behind a small desk with a working computer on it. Felix gestured to the chair opposite him, and Anton sat down. Felix reached behind him, opened a miniature fridge, and pulled out two bottles of water. He tossed one to Anton and took a drink of his own. Anton opened his water and took a drink. He hadn¡¯t been thirsty, but the water hit the spot, and before he knew it, half of the bottle was gone.
¡°Looks like you were thirsty,¡± Felix pointed out.
¡°Yeah, I just put myself back together. Haven¡¯t eaten or drank anything since last week,¡± Anton agreed.
¡°Can I ask what happened?¡± Felix asked before he took another swig of his drink and sealed it before putting it back in the minifridge.
¡°Did Caitlyn let you know about combining powers?¡±
¡°Yeah.¡±
Anton shrugged self-deprecatingly, ¡°Well, the skill I created works really well. And it didn¡¯t come with a warning of what would happen when I used it.¡±
¡°A 500 foot crater?¡±
¡°Yeah, but hey, the bodies were gone before I exploded,¡± Anton said with a smile.
¡°Yeah, like that mattered.¡±
Anton coughed, ¡°So where are Caitlyn and my sister?
¡°Caitlyn and a few other scouting teams have been searching the area for survivors and bringing them back to the fort or one of our other settlements north of here. We¡¯re trying to stabilize the area. Eventually, everything in this fort is going to be moved north, but we only just started to fortify the housing up north two days ago.¡±
¡°How are you doing that so quickly?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Simple answer: magic. Longer answer: some of the people we saved decided to focus on Earth magic, and that has allowed them to shape the earth and concrete however they wish. The wall around the fort went up within a day, and the structures within, within the next two days.¡±
¡°How many Earth mages do you have now?¡±
¡°At least 20. Some people saw how useful it was and asked Caitlyn and your sister to ask the Goddess to bless them with the ability to learn the class.¡±
¡°That shouldn¡¯t have required Divine intervention,¡± Anton pointed out.
¡°It didn¡¯t, but Caitlyn and your sister did as requested. One good thing was that the Goddess granted them some new spells as soon as they devoted themselves to her. That has given us the ability to create what you saw when you came back.¡±
¡°Okay, and my sister?¡±
¡°Your sister and the rest of your family are up in the hospital we have created north of here at the center of the fortified housing area. Think of it as an expanding fortress with layers and layers of protection with the hospital and other primary resources at the center.¡±
¡°My family, how did you get them from North Dakota.¡±
¡°Amelia prayed for it?¡±
¡°She what?¡±
¡°She prayed for it about three days ago. A portal opened up, and everyone back there came through. Your dad said it was just in time, too. It seems that the military was canvassing the city and looking for any survivors.¡±
¡°So, is this base a bastion of the Goddess Keres now?¡±
¡°A lot of us have become her followers and received benefits, yes.¡± Felix said.
¡°I guess that¡¯s fine.¡±
¡°It is, and it isn¡¯t Felix said.
¡°It isn¡¯t?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Yeah, the problem with following a Goddess in his new world is that all of the Gods and Goddesses are now competing for followers, and anyone that doesn¡¯t follow their deity is a heretic! Add to that that the conviction you receive is doubled when you kill a follower of a different deity¡yeah, it makes for a bit of a problem when we run into the followers of other deities.¡±
¡°Are you being attacked already?¡±
¡°Oh yeah, we have raiding parties attacking us almost every day. Some are coming from the west, but most are coming from the north.¡±
¡°Every day? I¡¯ve only been gone seven days,¡± Anton said. ¡°Where is my sister right now?¡±
¡°Your sister is at the main fortified settlement north of here near Dover Park. We have soldiers both here and there to protect our interests. The only reason we¡¯re still here is because we¡¯re recovering resources from the base,¡± Felix explained.
¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry about that so much. As long as you have Pavo, you can replace or acquire anything you really need, like food, weapons, and armor.¡± Anton said.
¡°True, but we just want to be prepared. Ammunition supplies are unlimited, and the raiders are getting bold.
As if summoned, a claxon went off, and a radio on Felix¡¯s desk squawked. ¡°Distress flair from the Hospital!¡±
Felix looked at Anton and started talking very quickly, ¡°Two and a half miles north. The hospital area is near where the Dover Housing Authority used to be. Just follow Highway 1 north until it starts to veer off to the west. There are a couple of streets of houses, but from above, you¡¯ll see the forest as a copse of trees in the middle of the houses. Just north of those trees is the building that¡¯s been transformed into a two-story building, the only one in that area that is now the defacto hospital. Also, you¡¯ll see walls around it. Now go!
Anton didn¡¯t have to be told twice. He activated Specter and sped north. As he flew over to the highway and turned north, he increased his altitude to around 500 feet off the ground. As he sped north, he checked his current energy levels. It had only been five minutes since he¡¯d reformed. His Psychic Energy was back to just over 1,000, even without activating Battle Mediation. It would have to be enough.
As he stopped above the hospital and looked down, he saw a scene from The Walking Dead. There were zombies, lots of zombies. As he moved between the fortified areas, he noticed that there were also animal zombies and skeletons. Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t use his Analyze skill while in his specter form, so he had no idea what level any of the other undead were
Wait, if these were undead, that probably meant there was a magical Death node somewhere nearby. First things first, he needed to make sure his sister and the rest of his family were safe. From above, the hospital was easy enough to spot. Luckily, from what he could see, the zombies weren¡¯t like the zombies depicted in World War Z. These were slow, shambling zombies. There were a lot, but it looked like the guards on the walls were able to keep them from breaking through the walls or climbing over them.
Undead, didn¡¯t his new skill allow him to hit the undead from a distance? And he had Spectral Scream. He could Scream a couple of times and then recover his energy as long as he could limit the number of undead. He absorbed energy from Anton and looked for an area where there were only a few undead. Then he saw it. There was an overpass where the main highway went under White Oak Road.
Anton went under the overpass, out of sight but within range of a couple of zombies. Anton deactivated Specter. He could hear the zombies on White Oak Rd above him, crossing from the north side of the road to the south. They were starting to get backed up, but that was fine. If he screwed this up, he should be able to get at least 400 feet away before he exploded¡hopefully. If this worked, though, he¡¯d be able to use Spectral Scream multiple times before he drained one of the moving ones to replenish his Psychic Energy.
Anton reached out with Assimilate. His range was only 85 feet. As he reached out, he felt that there were six undead creatures within range. He chose one, only one, and activated Assimilate.
Assimilate Activated
Level 1 Zombie targeted
Possible Resource Assimilation 1,038
Psychic Energy Absorbed: 5
Mana Absorbed: 5
Stamina Absorbed: 100
Hit Points Absorbed: 6
Zombie killed
Assimilation Overflow initiated.
Zombie Physical body assimilated and converted: 160.
Total Psychic Energy assimilated: 276
Anton felt the zombie disintegrate and fall apart. Gaining 276 Psychic Energy would allow him to use Spectral Scream at least three times before he¡¯d need to assimilate at least one Zombie to recharge. It was time to go to work. Anton moved up onto the road, looked into the horde of zombies, and activated Spectral Scream.
Warnings scrolled through his vision as time froze around him.
SYSTEM Amendment Initiated.
Psychic Skill Spectral Scream was deemed overpowered.
Adjustments initiated.
Psychic Energy Cost: 10 per skill level.
Effect: Fear effect removed. The base attack has been altered to an attack made up of sonic and spiritual energy.
Area of effect Range: Reduced to 100 feet, 90-degree arc in front of the user.
Damage: (? Sonic, ? Spiritual) One point of damage per skill level
A wave of sonic and spiritual energy springs forth from the Specter. All creatures and objects within the area take one-half of the damage dealt as physical damage. Living creatures find their spirit directly attacked, which effectively doubles the damage received.
Limitation: This skill may only be utilized once per Combat Turn (10 Seconds).
Additional Modification. The skill upgrade method has been modified. Skill progression is now based on the number of successful attacks, not the total amount of time used.
SYSTEM Changes Implemented
Anton watched as the wave of energy issued from him. A quick check showed that he¡¯d only spent 80 Psychic Energy for the attack. He noticed the change in the attack immediately. Instead of wiping out everything within 1,000 feet, he only affected the undead in an area out to 100 feet. As he took this in, notifications started to scroll down his vision.
You have killed¡
Before the notification could blind him, Anton flexed his will and set the information to summarize.
You have destroyed 90 Level 1 Zombies
You have destroyed 87 Level 1 Animal zombies
You have destroyed 93 Level 1 Skeletons
You have destroyed 67 Level 1 Animal Skeletons
You have destroyed 42 Level 2 Zombies
You have destroyed 21 level 2 Skeletons
You have earned 46,300 XP
You have earned 4,630 Conviction
Total Successful Attacks 1,240 (840 + 400)
Spectral Scream has increased to Level 9
As the summary left his vision, Anton noticed that the undead he¡¯d attacked were dissolving into smoke and vanishing. These undead were very obviously summoned or spawned monsters. The zombies that had been moving toward the wall to a fortified area turned toward him and started shuffling his way.
Luckily, they weren¡¯t very fast, and none of them made it within 30 feet of him before he could use Spectral Scream again. He activated the skill again. Ten seconds after that, again. After using the skill three times, Spectral Scream reached skill level 10. His Psychic Energy had dropped by 260, but he¡¯d regenerated 33 PE every turn, so he was down a net of 161 Psychic Energy from when he started. He still had 862 Psychic Energy, so he wasn¡¯t worried too much about running out of energy or being unable to escape. He could easily use Spectral Scream four or five more times before he¡¯d need to assimilate something. Of course, if he waited 30 seconds between each use, he¡¯d regenerate 99 Psychic Energy, and his net loss would be one point, at least until the skill level again. If he was careful, he could conceivably keep that up forever.
That didn¡¯t help him right now, though. Right now, he had hordes of undead attacking multiple locations. Before he could really start clearing out the undead, he had one more thing to check. He went over and found one of the bigger zombies that was off by itself and allowed it to attack him. There seemed to be a dark mist emanating from it, which could have been a death-based spell. Since he was immune to the magic, he ignored it. Instead, he allowed the zombie to attack him and was pleasantly surprised when his Physical Damage Resistance of 6 was enough to thwart the claws and teeth of the undead.
Anton¡¯s thoughts were diverted to a nearby wall when his sister Amelia called out from the nearby wall, ¡°Anton, What the fuck are you doing out there?¡±
¡°What¡¯s it look like I¡¯m doing?¡± Anton yelled back as he destroyed the zombie that had been attacking him with a Mind Bolt so he could look up and give his sister a smile.
¡°It looks like you''re trying to get eaten by the Undead!¡±
¡°Nah, just testing a few things before I take them out,¡± Anton said.
¡°Okay? Sounds like you''re overestimating your capabilities.¡±
Anton laughed, ¡°I¡¯m not. I¡¯ll be fine. Are all of you pretty safe in there?¡±
Amelia gave Anton a thumbs up, ¡°Everyone is here. Mom and Dad are helping out with the rest of the family inside the hospital. We have plenty of experienced guards here. That¡¯s not why I called down, though. I called down because the Captain here asked me to let you know that these are great for leveling his troops. He said, and I quote, ¡®If your crazy brother doesn¡¯t get eaten by that zombie, ask him to hit the flanks and keep them centered on coming toward the fortified areas so our people can get some experience.¡¯ This is me asking for him, obviously.¡±
Anton smiled, ¡°Smartass! Yeah, I can see that. Okay, I¡¯ll head up along the highway and kill any that have gone off to the East, then come down on the western side of the horde and make sure they''re focused on coming toward you.¡±
Amelia paused for a moment as she leaned down behind the wall to listen to someone and then stood back up, ¡°He says that his scouts are telling him the undead are staying pretty focused on once they reach the Casino. Before that, they¡¯re veering off mostly to the west, but some have started heading east as well. He said if you could find the source, that would be a great help. Also, he said to say if you see a red flare, that means there¡¯s been a breach and help is needed.¡±
While they were talking, another group of zombies had grown closer. Anton activated Spectral Scream and destroyed another 239 undead¡ªnone above level 2 yet, though. He hadn¡¯t received another Class level, but Spectral Scream did increase to level 11. Anton smiled, ¡°Clean up the edges and look for the source, and if I see a red flare, rush back to help. Got it! See you soon.¡± Anton acknowledged as he waved to his sister and then jogged off to the east toward Highway 1. It was time to corral some undead.
Chapter 52, Exponential Growth is Not Always a Good Thing
Anton headed north along Highway 1. His high speed and agility allowed him to move at up to 301 miles per hour, which equated to about 441 feet per second. Anton focused on the few undead that had strayed off to the east of the highway. They didn¡¯t know they were being attacked until they fell to the ground, dead from one physical punch or slap to the head. He knew they were dead, but now they were deader. Was that even a word? Whatever, he¡¯d received experience for destroying them.
There weren¡¯t many that had veered off from the main grouping, only one or two skeletons or zombies every mile or so. That made cleaning up the edge of the horde a lot easier than he¡¯d thought it would be. It looked like there were a lot more strays off to the west of the horde. That would make it problematic to engage.
One unfortunate side effect of his actions was that the zombies near those he attacked would turn and come toward the undead he¡¯d just killed. That was causing the horde to spread out. Not something he wanted to happen. He wanted them focused on heading south. Anton activated Specter, which made things a bit easier. The dead couldn¡¯t see him, so they didn¡¯t react when one of the dead fell over. Another thing that was nice about attacking while in his Specter form was that he could see the spark of everyone''s souls; the undead, it turned out, also had souls, but they were different in multiple ways.
The first undead he encountered weren¡¯t that different from the normal people he¡¯d encountered, though the spark that was their Soul Core was a lot lighter. The ones he was running into now were even more different, though. Instead of having a white pearlescent spark that he could easily see, the white pearlescent orb of their soul, which they did have, was cracked with dark lines throughout that took up at least 50% of the soul. As he moved up to one of the undead to take a better look, he realized that the souls weren¡¯t cracked. Black streaks of death mana had wrapped around the undead souls and seemed to be squeezing as well as seeping into the soul cores they were wrapped around. Because some of the Soul Cores were still white, they were quite easy to notice when he looked around for them.
Anton noticed that the range of his ability to see the souls of anyone was attributed to his skill Aura Perception, which was only skill level 12. Right now, his range was limited to 200 feet, but his movement speed was high enough that he could move, look around, find an undead off by itself, and attack it with Spectral Reach. Once he started going after the Undead in this way, he was able to find and kill an undead every second as he made his way north.
Energy-wise, it drained him, but he handled that by Assimilating one undead every time his Psychic Energy dropped below 1,000. In this way, he made his way north, destroying the lone undead that wandered off while making sure to keep himself ready for anything else that came up.
As Anton reached the Casino, he didn¡¯t need to see the life force of the undead to know that the horde of undead stretched out to the north as far as he could see. In fact, at a certain point, the pearlescent aspect of the undead seemed to disappear, and the ground seemed to be covered by a darkness that was darker than the night sky that appeared as twilight to him in this place. It was almost like a blanket of The Void covered the ground.
Anton floated up until he was at least 1,000 feet above ground and then headed north. He needed to see how far the dead had spread, and he had to do so quickly so he knew if he¡¯d need to come down and thin out the dead before they reached Dover. Anton headed north along the highway. He kept his speed relatively low, to no more than 60 miles an hour. Thirty minutes later, he reached Wellington and had his answer. As he made his way north, the situation his family and the other survivors faced became readily apparent.
The undead had overrun everything everywhere. Below him were nothing but shambling bodies traveling primarily to the south and west. As he floated above the city of Wellington, he noticed that whatever had caused this didn¡¯t originate in Wellington. The dead were funneling into the city from the northeast, which was where Philadelphia sat. He¡¯d also started seeing different and larger zombies and skeletons. Nowhere did he see any evidence of the living, though
The undead below him no longer contained any hint of the pearlescent white he was used to seeing when viewing another creature¡¯s soul. As he focused on the undead themselves, he noticed that these undead¡ were people. Or they¡¯d once been people. There were no skeletons. Almost every one of the undead was a zombie. Animals, children, adults, the elderly. It didn¡¯t matter. Each and every undead he could see to the north and west had solid black Soul Cores.
Anton moved up to one of the adults with a black soul core and reached out and activated Analyze.
You have Discovered the Soul Core of a True Dead.
True Dead were once living. The soul of the now True Dead has fled. Death Magic has thoroughly invaded and saturated the Soul Core and allows the corpse to be animated. While the Soul Cores of the Dead do not start out like this, this is the final state of all Soul Cores fully attuned to Death. As the Soul Core directly affects the Monster Core of the being harvested, Monster Cores of such creatures are highly sought after for specialized crafting.
Creature Type: Zombie, True Dead
Level: 1
Anton read the information from Analyze and wondered if other types of magic could create different types of Soul Cores as well. It made sense that there would be Death cores for the Undead, or should he refer to them as the Dead? Could there be Soul Cores for creatures of Light or Darkness? What about Soul Cores for creatures with the affinity he held to the Anti sphere of magic? Could he possibly convert a Soul Core to that? Could Anti-Magic even animate something it had sucked the life, or death, out of?
As these questions raced through his mind, he had a thought. Hadn¡¯t he once read a book where monsters had been corrupted into Voidlings, which could almost be the element that he relied on, though not quite the same thing? The void in that setting had hated life. His magical affinity was anathema to all kinds of magic, as far as he could tell. No, for him, it looked like trying to share his affinity meant absorbing them to fuel his power. So, he either had to allow others to grow and coexist or become like a singularity and devour everything. If he were being truthful, he¡¯d rather have people around, though he could still feed on those who would be his enemy, of course.
Anton¡¯s thoughts were drawn back to the Death Core he was touching as it began to give under his touch. It was almost like¡.
As Anton watched, the Death Core he was touching unraveled. The zombie dropped to the ground as the darkness that had been the Death Core exploded into ephemeral vapor.
Congratulations! You have destroyed a Level 1 Zombie. 100 XP Earned.
Anton checked his Event Log to try to figure out what had happened.
Warning: You are touching a Death Core.
Your Anti-magic field is detrimental to the magical configuration of Death attuned Cores.
Death Core Structural Integrity 99.9%
~
Death Core Structural Integrity 50%
Death Core Structural Integrity has failed.
The Energy animating this True Dead has been disrupted.
There had been a Warning, but warnings in his Event Log didn¡¯t pop into his vision. Interesting. Another interesting thing was that it looked like his very touch was detrimental to creatures containing cores of pure magic. Anton had a thought. He moved over to one of the undead that was closer to Dover. Its core was threaded with the pearlescent energy of a normal soul core. The white energy he associated with life or spirit. It was tainted with Death mana, but it was still mostly normal. Anton reached out and touched the Soul Core while he checked his Event Log.
Nothing happened.
So, it looked like if a creature was wholly made up of one type of magic, he could disrupt it, but if it contained the remnants of a soul or had been created with a soul, it wouldn¡¯t be disrupted. That might be very useful going forward, especially if he had to face elementals. Maybe he could touch their cores as he tried to defeat them?
This difference in soul cores seemed to be a new thing because he couldn¡¯t remember there being a difference before. Of course, he¡¯d never run into the undead before, well, except for those vampires, but that was before the reset. Maybe there were more changes to the fundamental interactions of magic than he¡¯d thought.
Anton¡¯s thoughts were brought back to the horde of undead and dead below and around him. Wilmington was due north of Dover, with Philadelphia to the northeast. Baltimore was due west of Dover, with Washington, D.C., to the southwest. If Death Mana was converting people to undead, there could be more than a million converted people between those three cities, probably closer to two or three million.
Suppose he was killing about 200 undead in a packed area. If his range was 100 feet, that was about 10,000 square feet. Anton looked back toward the highway and road. The horizon was approximately 14 miles away, and it was packed with the dead for as far as he could see with his superior intelligence, he figured that equated to just over 500,000 True Dead and Undead per square mile.
What the hell had happened? There were going to be far more undead than the soldiers could handle. If this was the result of a Death Node, it couldn¡¯t be just the result of a Death Node; something else had to be going on.
He''d have to make his way to Philadelphia to see what was creating this horde of dead, but first, he needed to create a gap or gaps in the horde of undead working their way south. If he could do that the soldiers protecting everyone would get to rest and recover.
Anton zipped back south to just north of Smyrna, where Highway 1 and 13 crossed. The dead, for their part, were following the highway, and that point in the highway created a natural choke point, which he was going to take advantage of. Once again, the thought that the horde was being guided or at least ordered crossed his mind.
Anton deactivated Specter 30 feet above the ground, activated Spectral Scream aimed directly below him on the corpses of the dead he¡¯d just killed, and landed lightly. He then proceeded to clear out the area around him with four more activations of Spectral Scream. He ignored the kill and treasure notifications but was pleasantly surprised when a leveling notification appeared.
Congratulations! You have reached level 38
The next 36 minutes were a blur of Spectral Screams followed by an Assimilate to recharge his Psychic Energy. Every Combat turn. When had had a moment he noticed that his Notifications had exploded
Congratulations! You have Earned the Title Zombie Slayer I for killing 100 Zombies.
1,000 XP Granted
+1 to any damage you cause to Zombies.
~Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
Congratulations! You have Earned the Title Zombie Slayer X for killing 5,500 Zombies
55,000 XP Granted
+10 to any damage you cause to Zombies.
Congratulations! You have Earned the Title Skeleton Slayer I for killing 100 Skeletons.
1,000 XP Granted
+1 to any damage you cause to Skeletons.
~
Congratulations! You have Earned the Title Skeleton Slayer X for killing 5,500 Skeletons.
55,000 XP Granted
+10 to any damage you cause to Skeletons.
Anton stopped reading his notifications and quickly checked each of those titles. Each title level earned him experience points, 220,000 XP total for all ten levels in each category. He¡¯d also earned skill levels for Spectral Scream and levels for his Vampiric Pseudo-Specter Class.
Spectral Scream reached Level 18
~
Spectral Scream has reached level 45
You have reached Level 39 as a Vampiric Pseudo-Specter.
~
You have reached Level 127 as a Vampiric Pseudo-Specter.
His skill wasn¡¯t going up very quickly, but his level of growth was explosive. Anton quickly assigned his attributes and then set them to be automatically distributed as he leveled so he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about it. Before he continued going after the undead, Anton checked his Attributes. All of his base attributes had reached 500, almost 600. His effective Attributes were all over 1,000, with his Luck breaking 8,000
That¡¯s not why he¡¯d killed the Undead, though. He¡¯d decimated a square mile of undead to give the people in Dover a chance. He needed to make sure he continued to do so. It looked like it was power-leveling time.
Anton activated Specter and followed Highway 1 three miles north until it crossed paths with Highway 13 again. This time, Spectral Scream only increased to level 89, and his level increased to 175. One thing that had changed was that each Spectral Scream was costing more Psychic Energy, which meant that he had to assimilate the dead more often, but truthfully, that only increased the time it took for him to clear out a square mile by 10 minutes. He was also starting to see some nice gains in his total Psychic Energy, which was now up to 9,793. He could use Spectral Scream nine times before he had to assimilate a couple of undead to regain the energy. One nice thing: there was almost no chance that he¡¯d explode. The fact that there were so many dead around made this the perfect environment for him to earn Experience.
Over the next two hours, Anton repeated the process four more times. He didn¡¯t gain any more Slayer Titles, but he was able to increase Spectral Scream¡¯s Skill Level to 100 and his class level to 299. He¡¯d increased his Class level 261 times in about three hours. That was a phenomenal level of Class progression, which the SYSTEM agreed with. All of his attributes had almost doubled again.
While he looked over his gains, he couldn¡¯t help but think, could his luck have set up this scenario so that he would be able to level quickly without needing to rest? Anton shut down that train of thought. Why tempt fate?
He¡¯d now created six pauses in the horde of undead headed south, separated by between three and five miles each time. That should allow Felix¡¯s people to recover and prepare for each new wave of attacks. Hopefully, they¡¯d be able to recover some of the Monster Cores from the undead because he hadn¡¯t been able to. The SYSTEM had granted him a copper piece or two for each kill, but no Monster Cores. He thought it had something to do with the spiritual component of his Spectral Scream skill, but he wasn¡¯t sure.
Now that the people protecting his family had a few pauses between monster waves, Anton needed to figure out where the horde was coming from. He activated Specter and headed northeast toward Philadelphia.
As he headed east, the undead were everywhere below him, making it very hard to look around and see what was going on in the material plane. Anton headed into Philadelphia proper and landed on top of the Comcast building, where he deactivated Specter and looked around. Below him, the dead and undead filled the streets. He was somewhat surprised when, less than 10 seconds after he¡¯d appeared, a woman with jet-black hair, dark orbs for eyes, and an elegantly detailed dress that reminded Anton of a Kimono appeared above and looked down at him.
¡°Who are you?¡± She asked in a sing-song voice that whispered across his flesh. While her voice sounded otherworldly, whatever magical components her voice had added slid across him as if he didn¡¯t exist. He was immune to all forms of basic magic, after all.
¡°I am Anton. Who are you?¡±
¡°I see you have earned a Slayer Title for Zombies, Skeletons, Humans, Goblins, and Beetles, though the first two are both at level ten, which means you have killed at least 11,000 of my pets¡¡±
¡°Oh, you can multiply that figure by at least. 100,¡± Anton said flippantly.
¡°Such insolence and disrespect. I am going to enjoy turning you into my pet,¡± the woman said as she flicked a wrist. A coil of black mana reached down and tried to spear his head.
The only bad thing about magic that was used against him was that anything he was completely immune to didn¡¯t register in his Event Log, so he didn¡¯t have a clue what spell she¡¯d tried to use. Anton, on the other hand, had Psychic Skills and attacks that didn¡¯t use magic. Anton activated Mind Bolt.
A bolt of mental energy leaped from Anton and slammed into the woman¡¯s head. The woman and Anton froze for a moment before she reached up and rubbed her head, brought her hand down to make sure there was no blood, and then met Anton¡¯s gaze, ¡°I¡¯ll admit, that did sting a little bit, but as you¡¯ll soon see your attacks do not matter.¡±
As the Death Mage said the last, she made a flourish with both hands and a motion like she was lifting up something. Anton watched as the bruise that was beginning to form on her forehead healed instantly. He sent another Mind Bolt and another. He attacked her ten times in ten seconds to no avail. The Mind Bolt would slam into her head, and the damage would disappear instantly. Finally, he released a Spectral Scream, which also had absolutely no effect.
The Death Mage laughed, ¡°Haven¡¯t figured it out yet? I am linked to the dead. The damage you do to me is shared with my minions. Look around. I have a lot of minions, Fool!¡±
Some form of death link with her dead minions? Sure, he¡¯d read about such things in games, but that shit actually existed? Anton looked around. The city was flooded with the dead. Even if they only had one or two hit points apiece, he¡¯d be here all day trying to kill this bitch. Also, he had to know. Anton concentrated his gaze on the Death Mage and activated Analyze.
Race: Human
Increase Analyze Skill Level to unlock further information.
The look of confusion on Anton¡¯s face caused the Death Mage to laugh down at Anton with obvious disdain, ¡°Now you see your end, Boy! But since you wish to know, I see no harm in allowing you to know my class and level at least. I am Venneta AgedFlesh. Not my true name, of course, but the one you will see as you serve me for eternity. And you are a level 299 Pseudo Vampiric Specter? No matter, I¡¯ll learn the secrets of that class from you in a moment. I did say I would tell you my class and level. I am a Mage of Death, Level 3,151.
¡°What! How?¡±
¡°What as a question, a wasted opportunity, Boy. How, though? How is an easy question to answer. I gain experience from every person I convert to the undead. I also gained some bit of experience from every creature they turn or kill. As you can see, my growth has been exponential. Additionally, I had a bit of luck to begin with. A Death Node appeared on top of me, and I happened to be within its protective barrier. I saw many people die touching the barrier before I reached out and claimed the Artifact powering it. In fact, the artifact is currently converting a celestial creature I found. I don¡¯t know what to expect, but she serves Keres, the God of Violent Death, so I figured I should give her what her god desires,¡± Venetta said with a laugh and a lot more attention focused on Anton¡¯s reactions than he liked, ¡°You know her,¡± Vecna stated, it was not a question.
Seeing no point in lying, Anton answered truthfully, ¡°I do.¡±
¡°Then witness her final moments before you join her,¡± Venetta said as she pointed at the ground below him where a grouping of dead parted to reveal Caitlyn lying on the ground, streaks of darkness spread through her body from a black gem that seemed to be resting on her forehead. What made it even worse was that the Sigil of Keres floated above her as it throbbed and grew brighter each moment.
Caitlyn? What were the odds he¡¯d find her right before a Death Node gem finished converting her into a play toy for this evil bitch floating above him?
¡°She is almost there; watch now; this should be interesting,¡± Venetta said.
Anton ignored her. He had four elemental node gems in his inventory. They couldn¡¯t work on or for him, but maybe he could use them to help Caitlyn. Anton activated Specter and practically teleported to Caitlyn¡¯s side. He didn¡¯t hear what Venetta said, nor did he care. Anton was completely focused on Caityln as he reached out and touched her Soul Core as he activated Analyze.
Name: Caitlyn
Race: Human
Class: Soldier (Rare)
Level: 107
Hit Points: 5 of 1,265
Stamina: 0 of 2,517
Mana: 0 of 1,758
Increase Analyze Skill Level to unlock further information.
Anton had no time. He deactivated Specter and pulled all four Elemental Gems from his inventory at once. Anton was just able to detect a pull when all four gems leaped from his hand and slammed into and were absorbed by the black gem against Caityln¡¯s forehead. As the elemental node gems touched the death gem, Anton felt the presence of Venetta as she swooped in for the attack, which probably would have killed him if not for the wave of raw magical energy that washed out, ignored Anton, and blasted the mage away from him. The horde of death around Caitlyn and Anton didn¡¯t fare so well. Every creature struck by the wave of energy instantly vaporized as the wave raced outward.
Anton looked down and watched as Caitlyn opened her eyes. Eyes lit with actual Black flames. She rotated to a vertical position, nodded to Anton, and then vanished in the direction the Death Mage had been thrown in.
***
Caitlyn had been fighting for her existence. An insidious presence had been worming its way into her mind and her core. It had wrapped around every aspect of her and began to squeeze until she had thought that she would die. She¡¯d been patrolling to the north, noticed the horde of dead, and followed it all the way back to Philadelphia where she¡¯d been captured by that bitch. She¡¯d been on the verge of giving up when the Goddess¡¯s voice had rung through her mind.
Not Just Yet, Child
A moment later, Caitlyn¡¯s mind was flooded with Notifications as pain flowed through and racked her body. She tried to concentrate on the Notifications, but it was hard.
Warning, All Resources have reached Zero
Death has Embraced¡.. Error!
You have¡Error!
ERR¡OR!
Elemental Node Gem of Death cannot interact with other Elemental Node Gem due to SYSTEM rules.
Error!
Elemental Node contained within an Anti-Magic Field is Touching Elemental Node Gems.
Anti-Magic Field withdrawn
ERROR!
Elemental Node Gem of Air in contact with Elemental Node Gem of Death
ERROR!
Elemental Node Gem of Earth in contact with Elemental Node Gem of Death
ERROR!
Elemental Node Gem of Water in contact with Elemental Node Gem of Death
ERROR!
Elemental Node Gem of Fire in contact with Elemental Node Gem of Death
SYSTEM Corruption Detected.
Assimilation Intent Detected.
Elemental Assimilation by Celestial Granted.
Elemental Node Gem of Death, Artifact, Assimilated
Elemental Node Gem of Air, Artifact, Assimilated
Elemental Node Gem of Earth, Artifact, Assimilated
Elemental Node Gem of Water, Artifact, Assimilated
Elemental Node Gem of Fire, Artifact, Assimilated
Race Changed from Human to Elemental Celestial
Immunity to Air, Earth, Water, Fire, and Death based attacks 100%
Mana Regeneration increased by 60 per Combat Turn, 6 per second.
You are an Elemental Node for five Elemental Mana Types.
WARNING!
Mana Available Exceeds Current Vessel.
Excess Mana Converted to Hit Point Limit
Excess Mana Converted to Stamina Limit
Excess Mana Converted to Psychic Energy Limit
Excess Mana Released.
You have killed¡
Error, you did not kill
Errors Resolved!
Artifact Link to Venetta AgedFlesh has been severed.
Congratulations! You have reached level 176
Conviction Earned: 5,907,000
The Goddess Keres is Pleased. Yet, an atrocity has occurred without intent or by the will of the Gods.
Would you like to permanently spend five million Conviction to become the vessel of Keres Wrath, Yes or No?
Caitlyn looked at the prompt, understood immediately that there was only one answer allowed, and sent, As long as that bitch dies, to her Goddess, and chose ¡°Yes.¡±
Chapter 53, Role of Divinity
Anton watched as what he could only describe as black fire erupted from Caitlyn¡¯s body. The black fire covered her body and her wings, which exploded from her back as the symbol of Keres appeared over Caitlyn as she flew after Venneta. Anton¡¯s new level and attributes had increased his ground speed. He sped after the fiery woman at more than twice the speed of sound. His Physical Damage Resistance had also increased to 42, which ensured that the little friction damage he suffered from moving so quickly did not damage him.
As he followed Keres in Caitlyn¡¯s body to the north, Anton pulled up and reviewed his Notifications. The newest notification popped out at him.
Conviction has reached 35,555,878,
35 Million? He was earning Conviction for killing all of the dead and undead.? Anton pulled up some of the Conviction award notifications to check why that was happening.
You have killed a Level 1 Minion of Anubis, 10 Conviction Earned.
Minion of Anubis? Was that Death mage dedicating each of the dead that she created to a God? Did she get Conviction for that? If she received Conviction for that, and he¡¯d only killed at most a fraction of the horde¡
Anton activated Specter and raced after Caitlyn. If he was right, things were not going to go the way the Goddess expected them to.
***
Vennetta had never felt such pain before. She had to admit that being the test dummy in a physical encounter that matched Neo getting slammed through the buildings in their epic final fight of the third Matrix movie was on her list of the worst things that could happen to her. The spell she¡¯d cast to augment her healing rate had allowed her to survive the experience, but it had hurt a lot. Even with her incredibly high Willpower, it was still a few moments before she could pull herself out of the crater she made when she¡¯d finally slammed into the ground.
As she stood up, she felt that something was closing in quickly and reached out with her senses. Rushing toward her was¡a divine? What was a divine doing on the mortal plane? Anubis had said that wasn¡¯t possible. She spent a small amount of her Conviction, and her God answered. Caitlyn had spent 5 million on Conviction to call forth Keres. It seemed that spending Conviction could allow a God to possess your body. That was a thing she could do? Could she earn Experience while her God rode her body?
No, whispered into her mind from Anubis.
What a waste of Conviction. Five million Conviction, though. Vennetta had earned far more than that from taking over everyone in the area. Of course, the Death Node connection had been interrupted, but she didn¡¯t really need that anymore, did she? Not with the artifact her God had gifted her. If she could subjugate the Celestial as soon as she killed her. First, though, she needed to banish the god from the Celestial''s body.
¡°I call on the power of Anubis to Banish thee back to thine own realm!¡± Vennetta declared as she pointed at Caitlyn¡¯s oncoming form.
Vennetta could admit it; the Celestial looked like an avenging angel with black fire surrounding her with two flaming long swords as she flew toward her. Unfortunately for the Celestial, the energy of the Goddess that had infused the celestial was snuffed out when the ten million Conviction she spent counteracted the conviction she¡¯d spent. While the celestial¡¯s wings and black fire didn¡¯t completely disappear, their intensity lessened, and the black fire swords vanished.
The celestial, now off balance and trying to retake control of her body that her God had just been ejected from, began to tumble toward Vennetta, who casually pulled out her ebony short sword, the Wrath of Anubis, from her inventory. She lined up her blade and then thrust it toward Celestial¡¯s heart. If she couldn¡¯t convert the Celestial, she could sacrifice her to Anubis.
Two things happened that saved the Celestial¡¯s life. First, the boy appeared between her blade and the Celestial, whom he pushed off to the side as he also parried her strike. Second, the celestial crashed through the window of a skyscraper through the inner walls and out the other side of the skyscraper until she landed in a different building altogether. The building she¡¯d burst through collapsed from the damage she¡¯d done to it. The boy saw this, focused his gaze on Vennetta, and attacked.
What followed next was a sequence of attacks that resembled something out of an animae movie. Impossible fast, ultimately fatal, yet parried or blocked repeatedly. Neither the boy nor herself were highly adept at sword fighting, but it turned out both were fast. Incredibly fast. Fortunately for herself, she was faster. At the end of the first volley of thrusts and parries, she was able to put a slash into his torso and then stab the blade into the right side of his chest and in to his lung.
¡°It would seem, boy, that you have only delayed the inevitable. My blade will kill you, and then I will go kill your friend as well.¡±
¡°Yeah, No! This sword in my chest, that¡¯s nothing but a flesh wound, you ugly skank,¡± the boy said with a wicked smile on his face even with the sword piercing his lung and exiting his back.
Vennetta locked at the boy. The sword in his chest had to hurt, yet he had a smile on his face, and she couldn¡¯t detect an ounce of pain in his eyes. It was like it didn¡¯t even hurt him. Even so, she couldn¡¯t let that last insult pass, ¡°Ugly skank?¡± Vennetta repeated, ¡°I¡¯ll show you an ugly skank as you become my slave in death for all eternity. I call on the power of Anubis through the blade already within you,¡± Vennetta called out as she spent 100,000 Conviction to convert the man before her to a death servant.
WARNING! Conviction Action has Failed! Target is already classified as undead
WARNING! Subjugation has failed! Target has detected subjugation attempt.
At that moment, the boy looked at the sword piercing his chest and said, ¡°Oh really?¡±
***
Anton watched as Caitlyn crashed through a building and ended up in another one as the first collapsed on her. A spark of rage welled up from within; this bitch was now toast. That¡¯s when he was surprised. Not only did this mage keep up with him, she surpassed him and finished her attacks by planting a sword in the right side of his chest. That meant that at least some of her attributes were more powerful than his.
Anton smiled wickedly as he taunted the Death Mage, ¡°You must really like this sword. Too bad, it¡¯s mine now,¡± just before her sword, no her artifact, evaporated as he activated Assimilate.
Warning! You have chosen to Assimilate an Artifact.
You are attempting to Assimilate an Artifact created by Conviction gained in the service of the God Anubis. In order to overcome the influence of the deity that created the item, Conviction equal to the Conviction imbued into the weapon must be sacrificed. Additional Conviction must also be sacrificed to your God to convert the Artifact to your God¡¯s will. Alternatively, you may choose not to sacrifice any Conviction to acquire the artifact. If so, the SYSTEM will recall it
ERROR Assimilate will not allow the Artifact to remain in its current form.
ERROR: You cannot both keep the artifact and allow the SYSTEM to recall it if the artifact does not exist.
ERROR has been elevated; please wait.
Time froze around Anton as it had before. Everything stopped, except for his ability to see with and move his eyes. It was like he was a bug stuck in a clear rock-hard resin. He could look around without moving his head, but he couldn¡¯t move anything else, nor could he activate any of his skills or powers or do anything else. Unlike the last time this happened, he didn¡¯t have to wait long. As suddenly as time froze, everything began moving again as new notifications appeared in his mind.
SYSTEM Message
Previous ERROR resolved.
1 Million Conviction Sacrificed.
10 Million Conviction Sacrificed to Claim Artifact for Assimilation.
Congratulations, you have Stolen the sword: ¡°Wrath of Anubis¡± from the Chosen of Anubis.
Title Gained
Scourge of Anubis ¨C You have destroyed the primary weapon and symbol of Anubis. All attacks against the servants and minions of Anubis receive +10 to hit and + 10 to damage. As the Scourge of Anubis, The God and any clergy or celestial creatures dedicated to the god Anubis automatically recognize you as a hated enemy on sight. This effect cannot be masked or obfuscated.
Should Anubis destroy you, their Divine Prestige will increase, although attempts and failures to do so can chip away at their Divine Prestige.
Should a member of the clergy or one of Anubis¡¯s celestials destroy you, their reward of Conviction is increased tenfold.
Synergy Detected between Raise Dead, Immortal, and Assimilation.
Assimilation has evolved.
First Evolution: Assimilation works as before but has added functionality. You have learned a new Psychic Skill, Animate.
Animate - You may now Animate creatures that you Assimilate instead of breaking them down within a range equal to your skill level in feet. The animated creatures are treated as natural extensions of your body. You see through their eyes, hear through their ears, and feel through their touch.
Animating a corpse that is assimilated requires you to spend 100 Psychic Energy to do so. This cost is paid after all resource pools are reduced to zero and before the creature is broken down or Psychic Energy. 100 Psychic Energy invests enough energy in the corpse to give it structure and mobility.
You may choose to manually initiate the animation process or automate it as you like.
Animated Corpses become extensions of your body and may be controlled out to 100 feet + 10 feet per skill level of Animate from your body.
You may control a number of animated corpses equal to your skill level in Animate.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Animated corpses have 10 hit points and use your resource pools for all other expenditures. You may utilize abilities, talents, perks, skills, spells, and physically attack through any animated corpse you control.
Should an Animated Corpse be flooded with 201 Psychic Energy, it will explode, doing 6 points of damage out to one foot, 3 points of damage to two feet, 2 points of damage to 4 feet, and 1 point of damage out to 8 feet. Animated Corpses are susceptible to this explosive damage.
Second Evolution. An artifact of significant power has been assimilated into your core. The SYSTEM has claimed the magical potential of the artifact as it was unusable by you. Karmic Balance must be maintained, however. A reservoir to contain excess Psychic Energy will be added to your Soul Core and take the place of your Mana pool.
From the void of your missing Mana Pool, a new Psychic Energy Reservoir has been created. As a mana pool grows as you level, so does this Reservoir.
Psychic Energy that is spent will automatically be refilled from this reservoir. Your standard Psychic Energy regeneration rate also refills this reservoir.
Current Psychic Energy Reservoir: 0 of 47,974
Anton closed his notification. He thought about the evolutions that had just happened to Assimilate; he liked them. He¡¯d be able to assimilate more creatures and utilize his skills and abilities more often. Also, the Animate function of Assimilate would come in handy. He could assimilate bodies and then animate them and maybe even turn them into small bombs that could cause a lot of havoc if needed. At skill level one, he could only animate one corpse, which he needed to change.
Anton pulled up his unspent Psychic Skill Points and coughed. He¡¯d forgotten that killing the dead and undead had increased his levels rapidly. He now had 5,671 unspent Psychic Skill Points. Anton designated 755 points to Assimilate, which raised the skill to level 50.
Next, he designated 1,274 Psychic Skill Points to Animate, which increased that skill to level 50 as well. Immediately, he felt a change as his skill Assimilate reached out to every dead and undead within range. With a thought, he flexed his will and assimilated 124 dead. Fifty of the dead within 600 feet were assimilated and then animated. The cost was variable but cost anywhere from 290 to 315 Psychic Energy each. The other 74 dead he assimilated were broken down to replace the Psychic Energy he¡¯d just spent to animate the 50 corpses.
While Anton flexed his new skill, he looked down at the hand that had held the sword that had pierced his chest and then back up into Vennetta''s eyes, ¡°Are you missing something?¡±
Vennetta looked at the rapidly closing hole in Anton¡¯s chest and her empty hand before she exclaimed, ¡°Where is my weapon!¡±
¡°I ate it, ¡°Anton said as his animated dead moved around and spread out to get the maximum amount of coverage they could if they exploded.
¡°No matter, I will destroy you,¡± Venetta started to say as she reached out to grab Anton. He, in turn, grabbed the hand that was reaching for him. Whatever she tried to do to him must have been magic-based because he didn¡¯t receive any notifications. Her brows furrowed, and she whispered something in Latin. Anton ignored her antics and activated Possession. He was pleasantly surprised when it worked. His body flashed into his Specter Form and was absorbed into her body, which he then took control of.
Just then, one of his animated corpses detected movement as Caitlyn walked out to the edge of the floor she¡¯d been knocked into and then looked up in his direction. This Death Mage was strong, so he needed to figure out a way to protect Caitlyn and also kill this bitch. She had way more hit points than him and probably had willpower high enough that he wouldn¡¯t be able to control her for long with Possession. Also, she could heal for days while surrounded by the dead. He could try to outlast her, but then he¡¯d be stuck dealing with her for a while, and Caitlyn might get killed. No, he wanted to get rid of this Death Mage, and he wanted to do it now.
Anton activated Planar Shift
Planar Shift activated
Warning Unwilling ¡
Error! Primary consciousness of user-activated Skill.
Error! The body of the skilled owner is not the body utilizing the skill.
Error Elevated.
Error Reviewed, Skill activated as intended, Possessed body is currently an extension of the skilled owner.
Error Resolved. Possessed Bodies are considered willing targets by the possessor in all cases.
Anton couldn¡¯t take Vennetta to the Sun; that would kill him before he was able to escape, and then he wouldn¡¯t get any experience, so he decided to see how well she liked a vacuum. Anton utilized Planar Shift to move his possessed body and himself 10,000 miles straight up into the exosphere. If this worked, she would either suffocate or burn up during re-entry.
Anton, riding the Death Mage¡¯s body with Possession, reappeared in the near vacuum of the exosphere and immediately deactivated Possession. Next, he targeted her with a Mind Bolt to make sure he¡¯d get credit for her kill and then activated Specter. In the time he¡¯d done that, his body had taken over 100 points of damage due to exposure to vacuum and extreme cold.
WARNING!
50 Animated Corpses are Out of Range.
Control of all Animated Corpses has been lost
Animated Corpses will now revert to their previous State as Corpses.
Anton wondered what that meant for the corpses to return to their previous state but put it aside as he watched the awareness come back into the Death Mage¡¯s eyes. She looked around for a moment until her eyes focused on him before she looked directly at Anton, and a request for telepathic contact appeared.
The Chosen of Anubis wishes to establish Telepathic Contact with you. Allow, Yes or No?
Anton chose ¡°Yes¡±.
Not truly alive or dead, no wonder I couldn¡¯t subjugate you, The Chosen sent.
Hey, Lady, better make it quick; you might be able to hold your breath, but if you haven¡¯t noticed, you''re not moving at orbital velocity. You¡¯re going to get really warm, really quick, Anton sent back with a smile.
From just our encounter, I would think that you, of all people, would know that there are always exceptions to the rules. Magic doesn¡¯t work on you; you cannot be converted into the dead, and you walk a line between life and death. Yes, I¡¯m sure you understand that lesson.
And your point? Anton asked.
My point is this: we WILL meet again. I think I will thoroughly enjoy myself watching you suffer when we do, Vennetta said with a vicious smile.
We aren¡¯t married, nor would I ever marry a necrophiliac bitch like you, Anton said.
Necrophilia, so be it. I¡¯ll make sure to include that in your punishment, worm. The Chosen said just before she vanished.
Congratulations! You have defeated the Chosen of Anubis, a level 3,161 Mage of Death.
Your portion of the Experience Award is 416,461,750 XP
You have been awarded 6,322 Gold
Class, Vampiric Pseudo-Specter has reached level 300
~
Class, Vampiric Pseudo-Specter has reached Level 440
Maximum Hit Points have increased to 20,268. Current Hit Points 20,165
Stamina has risen to 54,711. Current Stamina 4,761
Maximum Psychic Energy Reservoir (formerly Mana) has risen to 67,842. Current Psychic Energy Reservoir: 0
Psychic Energy has increased to 24,460. Current Psychic Energy 23,360
Current Attributes
Strength 4,377 / 110% / 2,084
Agility 4,379 / 110% / 2,085
Dexterity 4,159 / 110% / 1,980
Endurance 4,371 / 110% / 2,081
Constitution 6,183 / 210% / 1,994
Perception 4,379 / 110% / 2,085
Intelligence 4,365 / 110% / 2,078
Wisdom 4,155 / 110% / 1,978
Willpower 6,784 / 210% / 2,188
Charisma 4,365 / 110% / 2,078
Luck 27,385 / 1210% / 2,090
Anton closed his notifications and personal information. He¡¯d received a lot, but right now, he was more worried about what had happened to the Chosen. He¡¯d defeated her, but he hadn¡¯t killed her. What did that mean? He¡¯d been watching her when she vanished. He¡¯d been in his Specter form. He¡¯d seen the node of energy that represented her Soul Core. He¡¯d watched it disappear. Anton activated a couple of his seldom-used skills, Eagle Eyes, and Aura Perception, and moved over to where she¡¯d vanished.
Anton noticed a slight ripple. He activated Manifest, appeared in the material plane, and inspected the area again. There was no ripple on this side of the dimensional barrier. Anton deactivated Manifest and reached out to touch the ripple as he activated his Analyze skill.
Analyze has reached Skill Level 5
You had detected a Conduit into the Cycle of Reincarnation created when Vennetta AgedFlesh accepted Ascension to a Role of Divinity.
Would you like to leave your Mortal Flesh behind and Ascend into a Role of Divinity, Yes or No?
Accept a Role of Divinity, Become a God? No way did Anton want that, but that bitch had just been given the choice to become a God instead of dying. How the fuck was that fair? Anton sighed; that was so fucked up, and nothing that he could do anything about at this point. Even with the levels he¡¯d gained, he had nowhere near the levels that women had.
Anton reread the notification and chose ¡°No.¡±
Next, he activated Planar Shift to return to the top of the Chase building in Philadelphia. Caitlyn, with her black fire wings extended, floated nearby, looking out. Anton took a moment to review his regeneration rate. His Psychic Energy was regenerating 20 points per second. He could Assimilate to recover if he needed to. Still, he could just as quickly recover his primary Psychic Energy pool and fill his new Reservoir in under an hour without doing anything.
Anton activated Manifest before he deactivated Specter and appeared beside Caitlyn. Caitlyn didn¡¯t immediately respond to Anton, which drew his attention to what she was looking at because he knew that she had noticed him. He took a moment to look down and take in the situation. The streets below were in chaos. The dead and undead had lost all sense of cohesion and had even begun fighting amongst themselves.
¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Looks like the death of that mage freed the dead from the control she had over them,¡± Caitlyn commented.
¡°Well, I did defeat her, at least the SYSTEM says so, but I didn¡¯t kill her; she accepted a Role of Divinity, whatever that is.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll ask Keres later; you know what this mess below us means, right?¡±
¡°It means we¡¯re going to have a lot of cleanup to do,¡± Anton said.
¡°Possibly. It also means that the dead that made it to Dover are probably going to be harder to kill. If they¡¯re killing each other, they¡¯re gaining experience, which means they¡¯re leveling.¡±
¡°Right,¡± Anton agreed as what she said struck a nerve, ¡°Meet you there?¡±
¡°I¡¯ll be waiting,¡± Caitlyn said as she vanished. A moment later, a sonic boom knocked Anton off the building. Anton only had time to think That little¡ before he activated Specter and chased after her at full speed. She still pulled away from him quickly until she was out of sight.
Three minutes later, he slowed down as he came upon the small forts that had been erected around the housing areas north of Dover AFB where the soldiers were fighting the dead and trying to keep the walls of the forts cleared. Caitlyn had dropped into a breach that the dead were pouring through and had begun destroying any dead or undead that came close to her. The soldiers that had been defending the breach saw who it was and dropped back. They started focusing on the dead that were coming through the edges of the hole in the wall she was defending. She seemed to have the breach in hand.
Anton noticed that the dead had begun piling up in areas, and the other dead that were still moving were using those piles to climb up and enter forts that still had secured walls. For Anton, dead bodies counted as matte. He could assimilate dead matter, so he moved to a wall with a huge group of undead and deactivated Specter. Next, he activated Assimilate and converted all the unmoving dead within 68.9 cubic feet of him into Psychic Energy with Assimilate. The bodies disappeared as he gained 69 Psychic Energy.
Next, he tried to assimilate the dead to the extent of his 600-foot range, shoved 201 psychic energy into their bodies after he drained all of their resource pools with Animate, and watched them explode. That stunt cost him 15,050 Psychic Energy but cleared the area 600 feet north of the forts In a 600-foot half circle from his position.
¡°What the hell was that!¡± one of the soldiers nearby shouted out.
¡°Sorry! That was me,¡± Anton called out.
¡°Thanks, I guess, but don¡¯t use it unless we¡¯re pressed. These dead and undead are good for Experience,¡± One of the Captains called out.
¡°What the hell is that?¡± another soldier called out as Caitlyn left the sanctuary of the wall and stepped out into the zombies. Every dead or undead within five feet of her began to burn and then turned to ash as she moved forward.
Anton watched as she wielded two swords, which were also covered in the black fire that covered her body and wings as she stepped away from the wall. Once she was 20 feet away, she pointed a sword at the wall, and the ground rose to fill the gap and replace the concrete that had been there.
Anton moved toward her until he was beside her.
¡°Watch out,¡± I can¡¯t control which creatures the fire burns. It burns all creatures within five feet of me,¡± Caitlyn called out.
¡°It¡¯s probably a cross between the Death and Fire gems you absorbed earlier. That¡¯s magic. I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Anton called out as he stuck out one of his hands and passed it through the fire above her wings. Nothing happened.
¡°Aren¡¯t you special,¡± Caitlyn said with a smile.
¡°Maybe a little,¡± Anton admitted. Not as special as you, it seems.
¡°You know we¡¯re going to be at this a while,¡± Caitlyn said.
¡°Not necessarily. Let¡¯s make sure their defenses are adequate, and then we can fall back and provide support as needed. Maybe even take a break. What do you think?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Sounds like a plan,¡± Caitlyn agreed.
¡°Good. We¡¯ll go from fort to fort, clear out the dead that are nearby, improve the fortifications and then move on. The soldiers should be able to hold them off if they have better walls. Can that new ability you have with Earthen structures handle that?¡± Anton asked.
¡°It can. Hey, when you possess other people, can you give them mana?¡±
¡°Unfortunately, no. That is the one thing I cannot do,¡± Anton said, shaking his head. I do not use mana at all.¡±
¡°Okay, it looks like we do this the long way then, and I¡¯ll have to allow my mana to regenerate normally,¡± Caitlyn said.
¡°Looks like it. Let¡¯s get to work,¡± Anton agreed.
Chapter 54, What Did You Do?
Over the next couple of weeks, Anton and Caitlyn worked with Felix¡¯s group to push back the undead that made it to Dover. It wasn¡¯t as bad as either Caitlyn or he had thought it would be. The dead fought against each other and then separated or disappeared altogether. He¡¯d gone to investigate and found that once the undead reached a certain level, they gained some intelligence, and low and behold, they acted intelligently. That had made it much harder to track them down.
As the dead fought amongst themselves and smarter undead emerged, they changed course and headed toward Baltimore and Washington, DC, which left the Dover area free and clear of new incursions. They hadn¡¯t tracked them all down yet. A small group of undead occasionally appeared, but it was much easier for the patrols to track down and deal with them, even if they¡¯d gained a few levels.
After the first week, when they had cleared most of the dead out of Dover, Anton made a quick trip up to Philadelphia to scout out the city. He found empty streets and no signs of the dead anywhere. Not even the corpses of the dead had remained, or their equipment could be found. It was a bit weird but not something he was too worried about. The dead had vanished, which could only be a good thing.
Anton put that out of his mind and returned to Dover. Over the next week, Anton watched as Caitlyn worked with Felix¡¯s Earth mages. Instead of a bunch of little forts, a lot of them worked to create a much larger fortified area with 100-foot walls that were 20 feet thick and allowed people to walk along the top to keep a lookout. There were also areas with overhangs to protect against aerial attacks. There were other areas without the overhangs to allow people to step out and attack things in the sky if needed. They¡¯d learned their lesson dealing with aerial attackers while dealing with the monsters that had spawned from the Air Node.
The new fortified area used highways 1 and 13 as the natural line for barriers along the Southwest and Northeast. White Oak Road held the wall along the Northwest. The southern wall ran from east to west along South Little Creek Road. From above, the fortified area looked like a cup that tilted off to the left, but it gave them almost a square mile to work with initially. Later, it could be easily expanded.
Once the walls had been completed, everything was moved from Dover AFB into the fortified area. During the move, Felix set up his headquarters in the Old Rwaq Institute building along the southern wall, which had been highly modified and fortified. The parking lot had been remolded with Earth magic to contain ammunition storage areas far enough away from everything so that if there was an accident, casualties would be kept to a minimum. The houses to the east of the institute had been connected and turned into a makeshift hospital that looked more and more like a real hospital.
Anton was amazed at how fast the Earth Mages were modifying or constructing the various structures and buildings that were needed. The only thing that slowed them down was their lack of mana. They¡¯d work until they ran out and then rest before getting back up and continuing. Unlike Caitlyn and himself, no one else was leveling rapidly. A few had reached level 40, though.
Caitlyn¡¯s link to Elemental Water came in handy to help supply everyone with drinkable water. The Earth mages shaped an access point to Silver Lake to the Northwest of the northwestern end of the Fort. Unfortunately for Rita¡¯s Italian Ice and Frozen Custard, which was also on that northwestern corner, it was in a perfect place to put access to the water from the lake. Anton watched as Caitlyn reshaped the area into a reinforced pool, which was filled with water from the lake through some underground conduits she had created. Once the pool was made, she worked with some engineers to build stone buildings that pulled water into an area that was turned to steam and then cooled and reclaimed as pure fresh water. In this way, the water was sterilized and rendered pure for everyone.
People still had to come to get the water, but everywhere within the fort was no more than a mile from anywhere else. Food was still an issue, but Pavo was able to get rations from the system shop, so as long as they had a way to make credits, they could feed the people in the fort. Luckily, there had been a large payout from the defeat of the Death Mage. Caitlyn and Anton both donated half of the gold they earned, which ended up giving Pavo 600,000 credits to make sure the fort had enough food. Pavo had said that they should be good for food for a while to come. Even so, they would need to come up with a way to supply food for everyone. Did they need a farm or a greenhouse? What were the odds that he could find the blueprints to a magical greenhouse? One that didn¡¯t have plants that would try to eat the harvesters.
Anton considered his last thought. Maybe Caitlyn could create something, but to do so, she would need something that produced light. She had water, fire, earth, air, and death. If he could get elemental node gems for Light and Life, she might be able to create plant life. If he could also find the darkness-based node gem, she¡¯d have all eight basic elements. Would that give her access to the concept of nature and allow her to grow plants? It was definitely something to consider.
Anton was drawn out of his thoughts when a soldier walked up to him where he looked out over the fort, ¡°Anton, Sir. Felix requests your presence at Headquarters, Sir.¡±
¡°On my way,¡± Anton said as he dropped from the top of the wall to the ground. One good thing about having 62 points of Physical Damage Resistance is that a drop from 100 feet didn¡¯t even hurt as he landed. Anton walked down the street while the runner that had come to summon him ran for one of the stairways down to the ground. Anton walked at a normal pace so the kid could catch up, which he did in short order, ¡°So any idea why the big boss wants to see me?¡± Anton asked.
¡°We have a visitor,¡± the soldier said.
¡°A visitor? He or she must have come in early this morning before I woke up,¡± Anton responded.
¡°He did arrive early. Felix has been talking with the man for the better part of two hours.¡±
¡°And Commander Sheppard, where is she?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Commander Sheppard left around the time our visitor arrived. She was working on the substructure of the fort last night. It is my understanding that the mages and herself worked until they were done, which was only accomplished about three hours ago.¡±
¡°Nice, so the underground area is almost ready to be occupied then?¡±
¡°Commander Sheppard''s report indicated that the area is 90% finished,¡± The soldier said.
¡°Very well, please lead the way,¡± Anton said as he followed the soldier to the headquarters building. While electricity hadn¡¯t been restored, one of the more remarkable items Pavo had found in his Military Supply Node was a simple magical light that would last for one year for 100 credits. They floated wherever they were placed and produced light equivalent to a 100-watt bulb. They could be turned off and on with a touch. Pavo had purchased enough had been purchased so that every building could have at least one. Supposedly, they would work for at least a year. As Anton walked into the headquarters building, he noticed three of the lights in the entryway.
Anton followed the soldier into the back of the building and up a set of stairs to the second level. As they drew close, the soldier knocked once and announced, ¡°Sir, Mr. Anton, as requested.¡±
¡°Ah, here is benefactor now¡¡± Felix started to say as Anton stepped into the room and saw their guest for the first time.
Multiple things happened at once. Their guest, a middle-aged bald man in a white robe, turned, saw Anton, and declared, ¡°You bear the mark of a false God! You shall be cleansed!¡±
Felix pushed back from the desk and became surrounded by a bubble. Anton knew that it was a force bubble and would protect him from quite a bit, courtesy of an item he¡¯d purchased from the SYSTEM.
The soldier who had been in the doorway dived out of the room.
Anton, for his part, looked at the robed man in confusion as the beam of light showed through the roof of the building without damaging it and vanished an inch from his skin. Anton looked down and then back up to the man, ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s not going to work. Is there a reason you¡¯re trying to attack me?¡±
¡°Defiler! Unclean! You serve that which strikes from the darkness. You are Death incarnate; You are Undead, You must die!¡±
A bubble of pure white light appeared around Anton and fully encompassed him.
You have been hit by the Divine Power ¡°Judgement of Light¡± 100,000 Conviction has been sacrificed to strike you down where you stand. Judgment of Light is a magnification of Divine Conviction; it cannot be countered with Conviction¡
Anton ignored the rest of the notification and drew everything he was wearing into his inventory.
You have Died, Specter has activated.
God damn, Divine attacks. They were the only thing that worked against him 100% of the time. That was fine, though; he hadn¡¯t lost anything this time. He looked onto the Material Plane from his Specter form and watched as the bald man turned toward Felix. That was a mistake. Anton reached out and touched the Soul Core of the idiot that had called down a divine judgment on him and activated Possession.
It wasn¡¯t even a contest of wills. One second, Anton was in his Specter form; the next, he was in control of a slightly overweight balding man as soldiers rushed into the office from behind him. Anton used the body he was possessing to call out, ¡°Felix, HOLD!¡±
Felix held up his hand as the guards stopped behind Anton. Felix asked, ¡°Anton?¡±
¡°Yeah, it¡¯s me; who was this idiot?¡±
¡°Was?¡±
¡°Oh yeah, you think he gets to live after that bullshit?¡± Anton asked
¡°I can see your point. As for your question, this was Aaron, Disciple of Light. It would seem that the God Ao has claimed New York City. He is part of a group of Acolytes who have made their way southwest over the last five days. It seems they¡¯d heard that the Undead had been taken care of. They were sent out to spread their God¡¯s influence in this direction,¡± Felix explained.
¡°New York City? Isn¡¯t that 150 miles to the northeast?¡± Anton asked.
¡°More like 140 miles. I know you made it to Philadelphia. Trenton is northeast of there and then New York City.¡±If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.
¡°Were you going to try to set up a trade route with them?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Not at this time,¡± Felix said before he changed the subject, ¡°It¡¯s too bad you can¡¯t empty his inventory while you¡¯re possessing him.¡±
¡°Yeah, it sucks. It also sucks that anyone that tries to steal from his inventory instead steals from me. I wouldn¡¯t worry about it, though. This guy was weak, really weak. I doubt he had anything worth a damn. But you know what he will be worth?¡±
¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Felix asked.
¡°Sending a message¡±
¡°What kind of message?¡± Felix asked.
¡°The kind that falls from the sky.¡±
¡°You know, he follows the light. He could have flight skills or spells,¡± Felix pointed out.
¡°True,¡± Anton said as he opened his inventory and pulled out a full block of C4 and a blasting cap with a timer. He set the timer to 10 seconds, ¡°I wonder if Light can protect someone from C4.¡±
¡°Dare I ask what you¡¯re going to do with that?¡± Felix asked.
¡°It¡¯s the end of June, almost July. For this guy, it¡¯s going to be his independence day,¡± Anton said with an evil grin, ¡°Oh, and in case I haven¡¯t said so, I really appreciate how the Goddess Keres has helped us out. This prick who is talking, yeah, this guy''s death is absolutely dedicated in the Name of Keres. It should be quite violent, too. In addition, I¡¯d like to add¡Fuck Ao and the 100,000 Conviction he spent to smite me.¡±
Felix covered his mouth to stifle a laugh while the soldiers at the door took a wary step back, ¡°Anton, I think you scared the guards behind you?¡±
¡°Sir, the Gods are real. Why would anyone want to piss them off,¡± one of the soldiers asked.
¡°For you,¡± Anton said as he turned to the soldier, ¡°A very wise course of action, ¡°for me, I could give two shits about what anyone except for Keres thinks of me until they do something for me. Keres and I got off to a shaky start, but she¡¯s treated everyone here well, so she has my respect. Ao hasn¡¯t even met me. His little bitch boy just turned my physical body to ash, so fuck that God and the horse he rode in on.¡±
Felix did laugh this time as he called out, ¡°Anton, please.¡± It took a moment for Felix to control himself before he continued, ¡°When are you going to head out?¡±
¡°Which direction is New York City in, Not the road that leads there, the actual city?¡± Anton asked.
Felix opened a drawer and pulled out an old-school compass and a map. He looked at the map and pulled out a protractor and a ruler. A minute later, he opened the compass and turned until he was pointing roughly northeast and pointed, ¡°That direction, about 137 miles.¡±
¡°Thanks,¡± Anton said and activated Planar Shift. His target was 137 miles in the direction indicated by Felix and 5 miles up.
Anton reappeared in the sky above New York City. From five miles up, he could see Manhattan off to the east and New Jersey to his south. Anton looked down and saw what looked like a racetrack below him. He quickly placed the timed blasting cap in the C4 as he fell. He used Telekinesis to stabilize himself and make things a little easier. When he was done, he put the C4 inside the acolyte''s robes near his belt and activated the timer. It wasn¡¯t strapped in, but it should be fine. When 10 seconds had passed, Anton deactivated Possession and expended Psychic Energy to extend the duration of Specter.
As Anton floated to a stop, he watched the acolyte below him come to his senses, look around, and orient on the top of the VIP guest lounge building at the Racetrack. Light surrounded the Acolyte and then the echo of a beam of light was left that pointed to the roof below. The Acolyte had a form of a line-of-sight light travel ability, neat.
Anton moved to the roof where ethe Acolyte stood but stayed well above and back from the roof. It was almost comical when the acolyte opened his robe and pulled out the brick of C4. Anton watched as recognition filled Acolyte''s eyes just as it exploded. The explosion destroyed the Acolyte and the ceiling of the building he¡¯d fled to.
Congratulations! You have killed an Acolyte of Light, Level 41
Anton didn¡¯t receive enough XP to level up, so he closed his notifications and waited. As he suspected, it wasn¡¯t long before four new Acolytes appeared on the roof. One moment, the roof was empty. The next moment, four men stood there looking around. Anton watched as they searched the roof but failed to notice him floating above them. They must not be able to see him in this adjacent dimension.
If I was a Node of Light, where would I be? Anton asked himself as he looked around. That¡¯s when he noticed a pillar of light almost due east of his current position. It couldn¡¯t be that easy, could it? Anton asked himself before he shot off toward the light.
You have entered the Domain of Ao.
You do not have permission to remain in the Adjacent Spiritual Dimension while within a Divine Domain on the Material Plane.
Specter Deactivated.
¡°What in the actual fu¡..¡± were the only words anyone could have heard before Anton reappeared in the material plane one mile above the ground, flying from west to east toward the Church of The Notre Dame.
The Domain of Ao took up a half-mile radius around the church. Fortunately, he¡¯d only been traveling at about 120 miles per hour when he was forced into the material plane. He tried to activate Specter, but it failed. That left him with only one other option as he fell out of the sky toward the church. Anton tried to slow himself down with Telekinesis.
A typical body traveling at 120 miles per hour, one mile off the ground, would fall out of the sky and hit the earth just over 18 seconds after losing power. In that time, the object would travel laterally about 3,187 feet or so. That was just over half a mile. Fortunately for Anton, he was able to control his trajectory a bit and steered his approach so that he slammed through one of the large painted stained-glass windows. Near the ceiling of the church as he crashed through and into the ground at the foot of an altar with a glowing gem floating above it.
You have sustained 880 points of falling damage
Physical Resistance has reduced this by 62 points
Total Damage 818
Current Hit Points: 19,450 of 20,268
It took Anton a moment to collect himself and then dig himself out of the crater he¡¯d created. As he stood, a congregation of Acolytes cast a torrent of light-based spells that were quite blinding but had no other effect on him.
Anton reached out to Assimilate during the light show and absorbed the altar as he commented, ¡°You all don¡¯t need that, do you?¡± Anton utilized the energy to replace some of the hit points he lost, which closed up some of the superficial wounds on his body.
¡°What? Defiler!¡±
¡°Defiler? Your god cast Divine Judgement on me. You know what, Fuck You!¡± Anton declared as something within him snapped. Anton reached out and touched the closest Acolyte to him, who appeared to be the leader, as he activated his Sigil of Keres with his Conviction. Then he focused on sending the Acolyte somewhere else with Planar Shift. If these little shits wanted to serve the light, who was he to stop them?
Planar Shift has evolved,
You may now utilize Planar Shift to send others without the need to accompany them. Base Cost: 1,000 Psychic Energy.
You are purposely willing a creature into a nonsurvivable location, resource costs are x10.
Mental Defense Negligible.
Mental Attack Successful.
Planar Shift, Target ¡°Surface of the Local Sun¡± accepted
As the Acolyte directly in front of Anton vanished, he declared, ¡°You want to serve the light, So be it, Asshole!¡±
Everything stopped as a Notification popped into Anton¡¯s vision, declaring that he¡¯d killed an Acolyte of Ao within the Domain of Ao. Anton swiped it away as he considered the ramifications of pissing off all of the Gods. Then he laughed as he walked over to the Node of Light gem floating above where the altar to Ao had been. There was a protective shell around the gem, though it was only six inches in diameter, and the gem was floating within. Unlike the gems he¡¯d recovered before, he couldn¡¯t fit within the barrier. Though, for him, it didn¡¯t matter. He reached out, grabbed the gem, and transferred it to his Inventory.
¡°Thief!¡±
Anton ignored the cry and began walking toward the entrance. One of the Acolytes surprised Anton by pulling out a handgun from under his robe, aiming, and firing it at Anton. The bullet hit Anton in the center of his chest, stopped, and dropped to the ground. Anton¡¯s Physical Damage Resistance was more than up to the task of stopping most small arms fire.
¡°Seriously?¡± Anton asked as a new voice boomed
¡°You Dare come into my Temple and take my Artifact?¡±
Before anyone could react, Anton exploded into motion, exited the church, and then headed north along Morningside Drive. One second later, he was 4,045 feet from the church as he activated Specter. He hadn¡¯t stopped moving. Even so, if he hadn¡¯t exited the Domain of Ao and activated Specter, the second beam of light would have hit. The light was still faster than him, after all.
¡°Missed me Bitch¡± Anton said to no one in particular as he dedicated 4,189 Psychic Skill Points to Specter and increased it to skill level 100. It was time to start using those points to maximize the skills he did use. That left him with 2,381 Psychic Skill Points. He wouldn¡¯t be able to raise another skill to level 100 unless he leveled again, but he could increase a couple of skills to level 10 in a hurry if needed.
Anton looked over his newly leveled skill. As a Specter, he could now travel at 3,500 miles per hour. That was 5,133 feet per second or almost a mile. As he shot southwest toward Dover, he thought he had heard a scream of denial, but he couldn¡¯t be sure. While he shot forward, he looked over his Notifications.
You have Defiled the Domain of a Rival God. You have earned 100,000 Convictions.
You have Killed a Level 41, Acolyte of Ao: experience and Conviction gained.
You have stolen an Artifact from a Temple dedicated to a Rival God; 100,000 Conviction Earned.
Conviction Award for Destroying an Acolyte of a Rival God within the temple of their God; Conviction Doubled.
Anton¡¯s attention was diverted from his notifications when he saw a black streak come in from the Northwest. As he focused on the streak, it came in for a landing and resolved into Caitlyn. The Black Fire now held a hint of darkness, but her body looked more vibrant. Anton activated Manifest so that he could be seen and moved down to land beside her
I see you, Caitlyn signed
Anton deactivated Manifest and Specter, ¡°Very cool entrance. I Didn¡¯t see you before I took care of our visitor.¡±
Caitlyn shed her wings. The darkness and fire that surrounded her evaporated, and she stood before him in her normal uniform, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have; I felt something calling to me and went to see what it was.¡±
¡°Did you find a Dark and Life Node?¡± Anton asked.
¡°I did. How did you know that?¡± Caitlyn asked.
¡°Just a guess,¡± Anton said with a smile.
¡°Where is this guest you mentioned? I knew he was arriving as I left,¡± Caitlyn said as she looked around.
¡°Well, he decided to call down a Divine Judgement on me,¡± Anton said.
¡°Really, What was that like?¡±
¡°Hot, I¡¯m not immune to divinity.¡±
Caitlyn looked thoughtful for a moment before she responded, ¡°Obviously, it didn¡¯t permanently kill you, so what happened to the visitor?
¡°Well, it turns out that he¡¯d been talking within Felix for a while before he tried to vaporize me. He¡¯d come down from New York City. I took him back.¡±
¡°You did? How¡¯d that go?¡±
¡°Well, I did find out that one of their light-based powers allows them to move incredibly fast,¡± Anton said.
¡°Sounds like useful information, but that begs the question, why did he need to move fast?¡±
¡°Oh, right. Well, I possessed him and teleported him back to New York City,¡± Anton started to say when Caitlyn raised an eyebrow at him, ¡°Okay, about five miles above New York City. He had to use his movement skill to arrest his fall after I released him.¡±
¡°So, he used that light movement to land? That¡¯s it, you just let him go?¡±
¡°Weelll, no. I didn¡¯t just let him go unless you count the particles that were left of him after a brick of C4 went off in his hand as letting him go.¡±
¡°I do not,¡± Caitlyn said dryly.
¡°He pissed me off,¡± Anton said defensively.
¡°Really?¡± Caitlyn asked with mock interest.
¡°I did find this though, Anton said as he pulled out the Light Node Gem from his Inventory.
Caitlyn''s eyes lit up with a smile just before the gem in his hand leaped from it toward Caitlyn. He could have caught it but he noticed the look of wanton greed in Caitlyn¡¯s eyes as a feeling of rightness filled him. Anton arrested his reaction and watched as a gem full of swirling colors appeared on Caitlyn¡¯s forehead, almost like the mind gem Vision had implanted in his forehead in the Marvel movies.
The Light Node Gem flew forward until it touched the gem in Caitlyn¡¯s forehead and flashed. Everyone was blinded for a moment. When Anton could see again a few moments later, Caitlyn was surrounded by fractal planes of rotating prismatic energy.
Just then, Felix rushed out of the headquarters building, noticed Anton, and looked at the full-sized prismatic energy gem where Caitlyn had been standing just a moment before. Felix visibly calmed himself before he turned back to Anton and asked softly, ¡°What did you do?¡±
Chapter 55, A Big Change
Before Anton could answer, he saw his sister Amelia rushing toward them from the hospital. She called out, ¡°Don¡¯t touch her!¡±
Anton looked at her like she was crazy and waited until she stood before Felix and himself before he answered, " I wasn¡¯t planning on it, but I have to ask why?¡±
¡°The Goddess bid me to convey that request and to also commend you on not trying to absorb the artifacts yourself or give them to me or the other family members,¡± Amelia said.
¡°She said all that?¡± Anton asked.
¡°She did,¡± Amelia agreed.
¡°What is Amelia talking about,¡± Felix asked.
¡°Caitlyn almost died when that powerful Death Mage captured her. Well, when I saved her, I gave her the four Artifact Node Stones I gathered from the Nodes that popped up near Dover Air Force Base,¡± Anton started to explain.
¡°Yeah, you told me this already. So did she,¡± Felix said impatiently.
¡°We may not have been completely honest about what happened. I didn¡¯t so much give her the artifacts as she absorbed them,¡± Anton said.
¡°She absorbed them?¡± Felix said
¡°Yes, she absorbed them,¡± Amelia affirmed, ¡°They opened up more abilities based on the five elements she absorbed: Air, Earth, Fire, Water, and Death.¡±
¡°Just before she was covered in the kaleidoscope of light in front of us, she told me that she¡¯d also found the Life and Darkness node gems, which I can only assume she also absorbed,¡± Anton said
¡°Then why is she like this?¡± Felix asked.
¡°I found the eighth-element Node gem for light. She just absorbed it?¡± Anton said with a shrug.
¡°And you didn¡¯t think to use the gems for yourself?¡± Felix said as he looked at Anton.
¡°They were worthless to me. They were artifacts, so they retained some of their abilities while I held them, but I had no access to those abilities nor could I absorb the¡.¡± Anton¡¯s thoughts paused. He could assimilate artifacts. He had, in fact. He just hadn¡¯t thought to absorb the node gems. Why? It wasn¡¯t like Caitlyn and him were a thing. No, he wasn¡¯t helping her for that reason, though she was very appealing, and he would¡ No, the way his life had been going, getting involved with anyone was asking to either bury them or be disappointed when they grew tired of him. If he was being honest with himself, he was helping her because she might be able to help his family if he disappeared again.
On that subject, this was the longest he¡¯d been in any single place since Antarctica. He couldn¡¯t explain it, but something felt off. Tons of XP for killing other humans, the Gods were reappearing. Was that Trial of Transcendence that had been mentioned still going on, or had it concluded? He just felt that something was about to happen, and he wasn¡¯t sure what it was.
Amelia interrupted his thoughts when she asked, ¡°Anton, what¡¯s on your mind? You look like you''re thinking pretty hard over there.¡±
¡°Not much, just wondering what¡¯s going to happen next?¡±
¡°Happen next?¡± Felix asked.
¡°Why would you think something is going to happen?¡± Amelia asked.
¡°I can¡¯t explain it; I just have a feeling,¡± Anton said.
¡°Women have intuition,¡± Amelia said.
¡°I¡¯m in touch with my feminine side,¡± Anton quipped back.
¡°You¡¯re in touch with something, all right,¡± Felix added with a laugh.
¡°A joke from you, wow,¡± Anton said with a genuine look of surprise.
¡°It happens from time to time. ¡°Amelia, did the Goddess indicate how long this was going to take,¡± Felix asked.
¡°No. She just said that Caitlyn would be undergoing a race and possibly a class evolution.
¡°I¡¯m just going to post some guards for now; why don¡¯t you go get something to eat and rest up, Anton? You just returned, didn¡¯t you?¡± Felix said.
¡°Sounds like a great idea,¡± Anton agreed.
¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye on Caitlyn from the hospital across the street,¡± Amelia said.
¡°Thank you, Amelia. Anton, why don¡¯t you get some rest? She¡¯s not going anywhere.¡±
Felix knew the moment Felix stated that Caitlyn wasn¡¯t going anywhere, he¡¯d fucked up. He looked Felix directly into his eyes and tried to convey the depth of his thoughts as he said, ¡°You¡¯re really going to say that now?¡±
¡°What are you talking about? She¡¯s not going anywhere, is she,¡± Felix said with a hint of indignation in his voice.
As if summoned on cue, a SYSTEM-wide announcement appeared, though it wasn¡¯t exactly what Anton had expected.
SYSTEM Message
The Gods have Returned, Old and New alike.
The Trial of Transcendence has ended.
All SYSTEM-assisted growth is removed. All creatures are worth Base Experience Points equal to their level times 100 as modified for variations in rarity between the winner and loser of any combat.
SYSTEM-based Storage is no longer supported, except during specific events. If you¡¯d like dimensional storage, you can acquire spells or skills or create items that provide it yourself.
You will retain access to SYSTEM-based Dimensional Storage for the next 30 days. Items, including physical coins, may be removed from SYSTEM Storage. Nothing may be added, however.
Skills, Spell, and Item-based Dimensional Storage remain unaffected.
All Sentients and Monsters that have achieved level 100 or higher in one or more classes are offered a choice.
Choice One: Remain where you are as you are. Note that if you are significantly higher in level than monsters in your area, level progression will slow down considerably.
Choice Two: Transport to a location within your Universe where creatures at least one-half your level exist. Creatures above your level, even far above your level, may also reside there. The SYSTEM guarantees that you will arrive in a safe location. No safety is guaranteed more than one mile from your starting location, however.
Choice Three: Battle Royal. The Trial of Transcendence has concluded. Even so, there are roles that must be filled. Any individuals who have reached level 100 may participate in a hunt or be hunted event. The last person standing may request one Ability, Skill, Spell, or Item from the SYSTEM in addition to any other gains you make during the event.
Possible Outcomes of the Battle Royal.
Anyone can leave at any time if they fear the competition is too hard. If they do, they will be treated as if they chose Choice Two. You may not leave the Battle Royal while in active combat or being actively tracked. If you choose to engage in combat or are engaged, you must either win, surrender, or evade your opponent.
You win an encounter if you kill your opponent or they surrender to you; there are no draws.
You may surrender to an opponent with whom you enter combat. Surrender requires you to sacrifice Experience Points equal to your level as well as all but 100 credits, a primary nonmagical weapon, and nonmagical undergarments. If you do not have a nonmagical weapon, one will be created for you by The SYSTEM. After this, you will be treated as if you made Choice 2 as you are removed from the Battle Royal.
You will be considered to have Evaded an encounter when the individual you have encountered fails to locate you for five minutes.
To Win the Battle Royal, you must be the last entity standing that has decided to participate. Local creatures and monsters do not count toward this. For the duration of the Battle Royal, everyone will automatically recognize participants and local creatures on sight.
NOTE 1: Regardless of your choice, The SYSTEM Recommends that you review your Status immediately after reading this notification before you make your choice. Major changes have been made to balance Abilities, Perks, Titles, Skills, Spells and equipment.
NOTE 2: If you are going to choose Choice 3, do not take too long to review your status; every moment counts.
Anton closed his notifications. He knew exactly which choice he was going to make; it was almost as if he¡¯d been built for such an event. He turned to Felix as he said, ¡°Felix?¡±
Felix¡¯s eyes focused on Anton, ¡°Yes.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know if Caitlyn will be participating; if she does not, could you ask her to keep an eye on my family.¡±
¡°Are you at least level 100? I know leveling for you is kind of slow.¡±
¡°Oh yeah, I broke level 100 when I killed that death mage,¡±
¡°Really?¡±
¡°Oh yeah, by a couple hundred. Anyway, the notification seemed to indicate that going for Option 3 sooner than later would be better,¡± Anton said.
¡°It did,¡± Felix agreed, ¡°and?¡±
¡°Please look after my family. I do not know how long it will be before I return.¡±
¡°If you return.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll make it back,¡± Anton said as he chose Option 3 and confirmed his choice, and vanished.
Anton felt himself getting yanked out of the material plane, momentarily passing through various dimensions before he appeared on a flat, dusty plane inside what he could only describe as the bottom huge empty crater. He couldn¡¯t be sure, but the sides in all directions looked to be at least a mile away from where he stood. Also, the air was thin, which meant that he was at least a couple thousand feet above sea level but well within the tolerance of a normal human body to adjust to.
Anton hadn¡¯t pulled up his Status before he accepted Option 3, so he did so now. As he did, another SYSTEM Message appeared.
The SYSTEM has become fully integrated.
Changes have been instituted.
For the most part, those changes are for you to figure out.
In General Terms, Abilities, Perks, Titles, Skills, and Spells that may not have been balanced correctly have received scrutiny and adjustment. As this statement pertains to you, Immortal, Specter, Manifest, Spectral Reach, Planar Shift, and Annihilate Life have been adjusted.
Immortal ¨C You are immortal. You may not be permanently killed.
Update: Your Physical Form has been adjusted by your Class to the Race Human Pseudo-Specter, which has adjusted your physical form to Specter.
You may not be killed normally.
Hit Points represent the adhesive property of your True Form. If your Hit Points reach ¡°0¡± your true form is dispersed and you are considered unconscious. It will require one hour plus 1 minute per point of ¨C excess damage you accrue upon death. Excess Damage is any damage that the final blow that killed you did in excess of your current Hit Points.
Example: If you had 10 Hit Points and received a blow that killed you for 20 points of damage you would have 10 Negative Damage and it would take you one hour and ten minutes to reform.
If your Hit Points and Psychic Energy both reach ¡°0,¡± you are disincorporated and considered unconscious. Normally, this would permanently kill Specters; however, the ability to immortalize prevents this.
Psychic Energy regenerates normally while Disincorporated. Once Psychic Energy has reached capacity, you are treated as if you were dispersed and will reform after one hour plus one minute. For every point of excess damage.
Note: if Psychic Energy Reaches ¡°0¡± but you still retain hit points, you are rendered unconscious. If Manifest is active, it ceases and your physical body fades away. You will remain in this state until your normal Psychic Energy Regeneration rate refills your Psychic Energy completely. At that point you wake up normally.
Once your True Body has reformed it has one Hit Point and Regenerates at your normal Rate. Healing spells and skills can increase the rate at which your True Body recovers Hit Points normally.
Specter:
Your Natural form is incorporeal and invisible on the Material Plane. You no longer eat or breathe. Instead, your existence in the mortal realm is maintained by psychic energy at a rate of 1 per second.
Movement: (Flight Based):
Physical Combat: You must Manifest to Interact with the Physical World.
Note: While sleeping or unconscious, you float in place.
You may not make Physical Attacks.
Energy-based attacks usually hurt you. Note: Anti-Mage still affects Magic Normally.
See Immortal for more information about Dispersion and Disincorporation for the effects of damage to Hit Points and loss of Psychic Energy.
Loss of Stamina has no permanent effect on you other than you will not be able to take actions or move without Stamina.
Manifest
As a Specter, you may Manifest a Physical Form. This form acts as your Physical Body within the Material Plane. The Hit Points of your True Form now represent a Manifested Body. While Manifest, Damage to you damages your Manifested Body and your True Form. If your Hit Points reach ¡°0,¡± The Manifested body vanishes, and your True Form is Dispersed.
Note about your True Form from Skill Specter:
Hit Points represent the adhesive property of your True Form. If your Hit Points reach ¡°0¡± your true form is dispersed and you are considered unconscious. It will require one hour plus 1 minute per point of ¨C excess damage you accrue upon death. Excess Damage is any damage that the final blow that killed you did in excess of your current Hit Points.
Cost to Manifest: 10 Psychic Energy Per second.
Spectral Reach
Spectral Reach has been modified Considerably. Range follows normal limitations based on skill level. You may not reach across dimensional barriers with this skill. Instead, you can reach out and grab things as if they were inside your normal reach for 5 Stamina and 5 Psychic Energy per use. Items may be placed into and drawn from any inventory skill, spell, or storage device you have. Utilizing weapons at range is possible but will take practice and may require training in specific skills dedicated to those types of attacks.
The Strength of your Spectral Reach hands is equivalent to your normal strength.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
Planar Shift
Is NOT Teleport. You may not Planar Shift within the same Universe or Dimension. In fact, lateral movement of any kind is prohibited.
Planar Shift may be utilized to shift to an adjacent Universe or Dimension.
You may activate Planar Shift for yourself for 100 Psychic Energy
You may activate a Portal to allow others to travel to other universes and dimensions for 1,000 Psychic Energy. The portal may be kept open for an additional 10 seconds for 100 Psychic Energy.
You may not push others to other Dimensions with this ability,
SYSTEM NOTE: You know why this rule was added.
Annihilate Life
With a touch, you cause living creatures to decay. This is a higher-spell energy-based attack.
Range: Touch
Damage At Skill Level 1: 6 hit points. Damage increases normally as Skill Level increases.
Cost at Skill Level 1: 10 Psychic Energy. Cost increases normally as Skill Level Increases.
Anton closed his Notifications. What the hell, ¡°Hey SYSTEM, what the Fuck man, you can¡¯t just change my skills like that?¡±
Anton waited for a moment to see if the SYSTEM would answer. He¡¯d heard himself, so he must have vocalized his statement, right? After a few moments, he looked down and noticed that he could see through his body to the ground below him. So he was now a Specter, and he was burning his Psychic Energy Regeneration to remain alive.
Anton flew straight up for a few seconds until he was at least a mile above the crater in the ground because it was a crater that appeared to be at least two miles in diameter. Unlike the meteor crater in Arizona, this crater was in the center of a forest that went off into the distance in all directions. Various tree types reminded Anton of Pines and Oaks, but they were just different enough for Anton to realize he wasn¡¯t on Earth anymore.
As Anton looked around and got his bearings, a flash of movement in the distance caught his attention before an explosion rocked the forest. A moment later, another explosion rocked out, and a body flew through trees and then plowed into the ground, through the edge of the crater, and down into the area Anton had just been standing.
¡°Come now, you can do better than that. You even attacked me from Stealth.¡± A man dressed in black called out.
The other man in black leathers with a wicked-looking short sword picked himself up from the ground and turned back toward the hole he¡¯d created in the side of the crater as he yelled, ¡°I will kill you, Ci¡¯less. You didn¡¯t have to kill Becka!¡±
Ci¡¯less had been running toward the crater but stopped when he reached the edge. He looked down and shook his head as he called back, ¡°Matt, you read the same Notification I did. She either had to surrender or die. I gave her a choice, and she made it.¡±
¡°But she was your friend, Ci¡¯less.¡±
¡°We have no friends in the pursuit of power!¡± Ci¡¯less responded.
¡°Who told you that?¡± Matt asked.
¡°The SYSTEM. Now, Surrender or Die, Make your Choice!¡±
Matt didn¡¯t respond. Instead, he moved faster than Anton could see as he drew his sword and rushed to attack Ci¡¯less. That was a mistake.
With an ease that surprised Anton, Ci¡¯less moved faster than Matt could compensate for and delivered a strike with the side of his hand, slicing Matt¡¯s head right off. It was devastating, brutal, and efficient.
Ci¡¯less moved to the corpse, activated an ability, and the corpse of Matt disintegrated. Anton was pretty sure he¡¯d used a looting power of some kind. Just as Anton considered this, Ci¡¯less looked directly at Anton and then flew up to where he was floating.
¡°And who are you?¡± Ci¡¯less asked in a much more reasonable voice.
Before Anton could answer, Ci¡¯less¡¯s head vanished. The only thing Anton saw was the afterimage of a beam of dark light traveling close to or at the speed of light. Anton immediately adjusted his location by going vertical another mile as another man burst out of the forest and flew up to catch Ci¡¯less¡¯s body, which also vanished into a cloud of smoke, which quickly disappeared. Then he flew up to where Ci¡¯less had been floating and looked around as if looking for something.
Anton watched as the man looked around, heard an explosion off in the distance, and flew off to investigate. Did everyone have a looting ability? He would later find out, after his first kill that, yes, everyone was granted a temporary looting ability.
***
When it was all said and done, Anton was delighted with the changes to all of his powers. It seemed that the SYSTEM was trying to bring some order to chaos. At first, he had felt that Specter had been nerfed by removing his ability to travel to and from the adjacent dimension. Now, though, he was more than satisfied with how things had turned out. Besides, he could still get to that dimension with Planar Shift.
When he used Planar Shift, he found that some fundamental rules had changed in the dimension Specter had allowed him to enter. He could still see people on the Prime Material Plane, and he could even see the light radiating from their Soul Core, but he could no longer Identify it. To do that, he had to use Aura Sight on the Prime Material Plane.
Also, Spectral Reach could no longer reach through the dimensional boundary, and he could no longer use Possession on someone while he was in that adjacent Dimension. It seemed the dimensional barrier had been strengthened, and while he might be able to see and sometimes hear through a dimensional barrier, trying to utilize a skill or spell was a big no.
The last thing he noticed in the adjoining dimension was that his movement was now completely will-based. His maximum speed was now based on his willpower. It seemed the SYSTEM was changing some of the rules to mimic things he¡¯d seen in tabletop games.
Anton laughed to himself at those thoughts floated through his mind. He¡¯d learned so much over the last¡he didn¡¯t even know how long. The last contestant in this Battle Royal wouldn¡¯t surrender. Anton hadn¡¯t been able to track him down, at least not yet. His target''s ability to evade detection was as good as his own, which made finding his target nearly impossible. If this continued for much longer, he was going to have to do something crazy, he knew it. While he kept looking for his target, he considered the other things he¡¯d learned.
Anton had also found out that a few other things about his Specter skill had been changed. He could hear everything that went on around him. He couldn¡¯t speak unless he Manifest, though. If he tried to speak, nothing happened as far as he could tell. He could hear his voice, but no one else could. Of course, he could use Telepathy to talk to those near him if he wanted. One nice thing: others couldn¡¯t detect him unless they had a way to detect spirits or auras unless he Manifest.
Moving was fun. He didn¡¯t have to worry about atmospheric friction or running out of stamina. His regeneration rates more than compensated for his Psychic Energy and Stamina consumption. He could also use Spectral Reach to deliver any touch-based attack, even Possession. That made it easy for him to reach out and touch someone if he wanted to without having to Manifest, though his range was only 80 feet currently.
Speaking of Manifest, the changes to it were nice and worked very well in this Battle Royale, which he attributed to his insanely high Luck. If he Manifest and the body was killed, his killer watched the body disperse and, in most cases, automatically thought that they had killed him and looted his body.
During the beginning of the Battle Royale, things were hectic, and he¡¯d even been killed by a Shaman who¡¯d been able to trap and drain him of his Psychic Energy. Unfortunately for that asshat, he¡¯d been so sure of his victory and so happy that he¡¯d ¡°killed¡± Anton that someone else had killed him while Anton was Disincorporated. It had taken a bit for him to reform, but his Immortal ability had ensured that he did, and because he hadn¡¯t surrendered, he was still in the Battle Royale.
Anton was pretty sure that if he didn¡¯t surrender, he would win the Battle Royal no matter what. The SYSTEM had to know that, so the question was, why had the SYSTEM allowed him to participate if he had an unfair advantage? Unless it was trying to get the high-level people off of all those worlds. Anton wasn¡¯t sure what was going on with the system and how it was handling things, which felt, for lack of a better word, chaotic. One moment, things were crazy; the next, the system was balancing itself, overbalancing, and then adjusting the fundamental rules that it followed. It was definitely chaotic.
To Anton, it looked like only one reckless contestant would be left after this Battle Royale. Anyone else who survived would be the kind of person who would rather surrender and live than try for greater glory and die. Anton wasn¡¯t sure that was a good thing. The SYSTEM was culling a large percentage of the risk takers with this event.
Another problem Anton had. His Clock function in his Status was not working, and he¡¯d lost track of time during the Battle Royale. He¡¯d been here for over a month, probably two or three. In all that time, he¡¯d only killed one contestant, and that had been a weird opportunity. That¡¯s when he found out that everyone had a Temporary Looting Power and a Temporary Dimensional Storage where everything that was found and earned during the event was stored.
Everything in his SYSTEM Storage had been transferred to his Maggen¡¯s Exceptional Storage Skill. He could look at his stuff, and he could even pull items out of it if he felt he needed them, but he couldn¡¯t place anything back in it. Everything went into what the SYSTEM termed Event Storage. If he died or surrendered, all of his items and gear would be transferred to the victor''s Event Storage.
That meant that when he finally beat the other contestant, he would get a lot of loot. He wasn¡¯t sure how many contestants there had been, but this world had at one time been full of combatants, and Anton was sure it was about double the size of Earth. He¡¯d found that out when he went up into orbit to see if that would affect his Specter body. It hadn¡¯t, except that it had been really quiet and cold, neither of which bothered him.
Another week passed before Anton decided it was time to end this cat-and-mouse bullshit. He returned to the crater he¡¯d first appeared in, Manifest, and sat down as he activated Battle Meditation.
Less than an hour later, an illusion appeared five feet directly in front of Anton¡¯s sitting body: " It smells like a trap.¡±
Anton smiled, ¡°Coming from someone who has relied on their Stealth and Traps to take out their major opponents during this event, I¡¯ll take that as a compliment.¡±
The apparition was formless, but Anton felt that the man controlling it smiled as he asked, ¡°What is this then?¡±
¡°This is the end or the beginning of a very long fight sequence, ¡°Anton said
¡°Explain¡±
Anton didn¡¯t bother; instead, he converted a portion of the text for his Immortal ability into a notification and pushed it to appear in front of the apparition.
The apparition froze for a moment while its controller read before Anton heard it mutter under its breath, ¡°Bullshit,¡± before, in a louder voice, it said, ¡°I can go until you grow tired of this and give up.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±
¡°I¡¯ve broken level 5,000. Your power is insignificant to what I can do!¡± The apparition declared right before a dagger struck from stealth and wrecked Anton¡¯s Manifest body.
With his last breath, Anton stated, ¡°Long game then¡¡±
When Anton woke up, he was floating in the bottom of the crater. He immediately shot upward at maximum speed just in case that rogue tried to do something when he had only one hit point. The change to the way he respawned was more reasonable and balanced toward others, but it sucked if his enemy was smart enough to wait for him. He¡¯d been killed three times in a row, one time, which had tied him up for almost a day. He¡¯d learned that lesson well, though. When he came back to consciousness after he died, he now made it a habit to move at maximum speed for a complete combat turn, which put him over seven miles from where he reformed.
Anton continued straight up once he was sure any attacks had failed until the sounds around him faded away. Once he considered himself safe, he opened his Notifications.
You have Died.
You have been Dispersed.
Excess Damage Taken: 10,062
Time until Dispersion ends: 168 hours or 6.98 Days
Anton laughed. That idiot had killed him and then had to sit around for 7 days. Served that asshole right. Anton considered his options, and then an idea came to him. Something he¡¯d learned in school: Passive Protests. If this asshole wanted to fight, Anton wasn¡¯t going to give it to him. He was going to make the asshole get bored and surrender or get bored and let his guard down. Anton wasn¡¯t even going to bother with him. Sure, this approach wasn¡¯t going to do much for his family, Felix or Caitlyn, but Caitlyn was probably still on Earth, which meant that his family was perhaps still safe because there had been a lot of idiots that came to this event.
To Passively Protest, Anton was going to activate Meditation and remain that way until the little shit surrendered or he reached skill level 100, whichever happened first. The SYSTEM wasn¡¯t pushing him to act so maybe slowing down was the way to go. Besides, if all he had to worry about was getting bored, he would win this contest of willpower long before his opponent.
Anton closed his eyes in the peace and quiet of the upper atmosphere and activated Meditation.
***
Meditation has reached Skill Level 100
Anton pulled himself entirely out of Meditation and checked to see how long he¡¯d been meditating. He couldn¡¯t tell how long he¡¯d been on this planet because he hadn¡¯t thought to set a timer at the very beginning. This time, though, He¡¯d set a timer before he started Meditating. It had been 171 days and 13 hours plus a couple of minutes since he started meditating. It looked like the Rogue had a little bit of Willpower after all because he hadn¡¯t surrendered yet. Now, it was time to hunt his opponent.
In the end, it wasn¡¯t even hard to find his opponent. He hadn¡¯t thought to use Planar Shift because of the changes to Specter, but he could still see Soul Cores in the Material Plane from there, so he figured why not try. Anton activated the Planar Shift and searched for the Rogue. For some reason, the idiot thought Anton would come back to the crater, so he was keeping an eye on it. To Anton, all the stealth in the world wouldn¡¯t shield his Soul Core from Anton¡¯s notice in the adjoining dimension. Once he had him, it was quite easy for Anton to keep track of him.
Anton tracked him back to his lair, which was in a cave system he¡¯d found near a stream in the forest. He¡¯d even used some of the items he¡¯d acquired from the others he¡¯d killed to set up a makeshift home, complete with a bed, dining room, and even a lounge area. Thus began the second part of Anton¡¯s surveillance and skill training.
Two skills that he¡¯d been severely negligent of were Analyze and Identify. Once Anton knew where his opponent was going to be, he¡¯d go off into the forest, Planar Shift back into the Material plane, and identify as much as he could. He¡¯d also attempt to identify the man once a week, but those always failed. He could read his emotions with Aura Sight so he¡¯d check on him once in a while to make sure he wasn¡¯t getting to distraught.
Now that he¡¯d decided to go after the guy, he was going to, and there would be no getting away for him. If he showed signs of depression Anton would engage and at least try to keep him interested while he tried to kill him. Besides, he didn¡¯t want someone this powerful to be his enemy for all eternity. He needed to get rid of this guy, here and now.
First, though, he needed to figure out who this guy was, and to do that, he needed to level Identity. His intelligence and perception should have allowed him to burn through whatever was protecting his identity, so his failure to do so must have had something to do with his skill. Anton went to work.
When Identity reached level 10 he was able to at least get back the race of his opponent, Human. At skill level 20, he received his class, Rogue. At skill level 30, the class switched to Shadow Rogue and informed him that it was a Master rarity class. At skill level 40, he finally received a name for the prick, Vincent Woodrow. At skill level 50, he even determined that the guy had been lying. His level was all the way up to 9,164.
Vincent must have killed quite a few of the high-level people before he started this event. Anton did some quick math in his head. At Master Rarity, he¡¯d have had to earn at least ¡210 Billion. What the hell! Anton only had just over 777 million XP right now. It was too bad he wasn¡¯t going to earn half of the XP that guy had. Still, he was worth 916,400 XP, which would get him closer to his next level. Maybe there was an XP reward for completing the Event?
Anton brought his mind back to the present. It had taken another 25 days to get Identify high enough so that he knew who he was up against. Now, it was time to end him.
Anton used Planar Shift to shift into the Material Plane while Vincent was out looking for him. Then he carefully started creating voids in the cave wall around where Vincent slept with Assimilate. Anton didn¡¯t know a lot about how creating a nuclear reaction worked, but he knew it had something to do with compression. Anton was putting Vincent¡¯s sleeping quarters at the center of an area that would have approximately twenty 500-pound bombs going off. If he was right that should amplify the explosion and hopefully overcome any of Vincent¡¯s Physical Damage Resistance. At his level, he should definitely have some. Anton made sure that all the bombs had a C4 package on them, and he also made sure to Assimilate the walls toward Vincent¡¯s chamber so the explosion would follow the path of least resistance. He made sure to leave no trace of his work in the caves, though. A couple of days later, he was ready.
Anton found Vincent in the crater again. He had thought to at least offer the guy a chance to surrender, but he couldn¡¯t see and target him when he was in the Prime Material Plane. While in the adjacent Dimension, he could see Vincent¡¯s Soul Core just fine, but once he came into physical reality, he could not detect him with any of his skills. It was a missed opportunity, but there was no way Anton was going to give the shit a chance to knock him out for seven days again. If he couldn¡¯t reach out with telepathy from a long way away, he wasn¡¯t going to reach out at all.
In the end, It wasn¡¯t even a fair fight. Anton watched Vincent from the adjacent plane and knew exactly when Vincent was in his bed. Anton shifted back into the material plane under his lair and floated up until just his eyes came out of a wall behind a stone column. From that vantage point, he activated Spectral Reach twice, once for each hand, and sent one to the center of the room. He then shifted his other hand to come up right beside his leg, where it floated.
With a thought, he pulled the detonator from his inventory into his right hand and pressed the button to detonate the C4 he¡¯d planted on each warhead. As he did that, he also reached out with his left spectral hand, wrapped it around Vincent''s right ankle, and activated his Loot ability.
There was a tremendous flash as the walls crumpled around Anton. A secondary explosion erupted, pulling everything except Anton toward a sphere that had popped into existence. It lasted for a few moments before it disappeared. Where the lair had been, only a rounded hole in the bedrock remained. Anton floated in the open air with an opening to the sky above him. He could see the stars shining down on him. Anton continued to look around as his Notifications blew up.
Congratulation! You are the last man standing in this SYSTEM-sponsored Battle Royale.
New Title gained.
There can Be Only One!
You have won a SYSTEM Sponsored Battle Royal with all participants above level 100. All Attributes +100, All Attributes +10% Efficiency. Additionally, The final XP award earned is multiplied by ten
New Title gained
Backstabbing a Backstabber
Through Trickery and Deceit, you have trapped and killed a Shadow Rogue who specialized in assassination. All Attacks from Stealth and Traps you set automatically double all damage they do after all modifiers. Additionally, any creature killed by you that was unaware of you before the attack is automatically looted.
XP Earned 916,400 for killing a level 9,164 level Shadow Rogue.
XP award, one-time multiplier: x10
XP Earned 9,164,000
Congratulations! You have reached Levels 441 and 442 for your Vampiric Pseudo-Specter Class.
Congratulations! You have earned 91,640 Platinum for killing a level 9,164 Master Shadow Rogue.
Congratulations! You have acquired all the Treasure Carried by Vincent Woodrow in his Event Storage. A full list is available in a new Tab created for that purpose in your Status.
Congratulations, as the last man standing in the Battle Royal Event, you may request one Ability, Skill, Spell, or Item from the SYSTEM.
Anton automatically disregarded Skills and Spells. If need be, he could find those later. He zeroed in on the word ¡°Ability¡± and asked, ¡°SYSTEM, please list available Abilities.¡±
SYSTEM RESPONSE: Infinite
Well, crap. The SYSTEM was telling him that the number of abilities available was unlimited or so variable that there was no limit. That brought up another question, ¡°SYSTEM are abilities classifiable by Rarity?¡±
SYSTEM RESPONSE: Yes
¡°SYSTEM: please list all Mythic or higher level Abilities.¡±
SYSTEM RESPONSE: No
Shit, the system had said something about being less helpful with its information, hadn¡¯t it. Very well. ¡°SYSTEM, Can I broadly define the type of ability I would like to get and designate its rarity and then allow you to decide?¡±
SYSTEM RESPONSE: Yes
Okay then, he could do this, ¡°SYSTEM I would like a Mythic Rarity or Higher Ability that is compatible with my current abilities that will allow me to utilize Magic Normally.¡±
Anton held his breath as the SYSTEM was silent for a moment before a Notification Window physically appeared before him, and computer coding text began scrolling down the blue screen faster and faster. Anton started to grow concerned when the edges of the notification window began to turn red and he could swear steam began to rise from the top corners of the screen. The SYSTEM could have a meltdown, who knew?
Suddenly, the screen disappeared, and a new notification appeared in his vision.
SYSTEM RESPONSE:
First, Is that All?
Second, Made you look.
Third, One Moment Please.
One minute later, a new Notification appeared.
Ascendent Ability Learned. Master of Magic ¨C
Master of Magic - You may utilize and influence all spheres of magic, even those to which you are immune. As a being with the Ability Anti-Mage, you may not use mana. You have overcome this requirement and may now control magic with the power of your mind. Instead of mana, you may use Psychic Energy to create and cast spells that you learn.
You may now learn spells from the eight basic spheres of Magic while still being immune to those spheres of magic.
Spells that you cast, including buffs, may be targeted at you if you desire.
Holy Shit! There actually was an ability that would allow him to use magic.
SYSTEM Message
Awards have been distributed.
Prepare for transfer.
There was a flash. Anton found himself standing on a dirt road next to a cornfield that had been planted in rows. So he knew there were people here somewhere. He just had no idea where he was or what kind of people were there. As he looked around, he hoped that his family, Caitlynn and Felix, were doing okay. In fact, he could ask Keres if he spent some Conviction to do so couldn¡¯t he?
SYSTEM Message:
You have left all Realms under the purview of the Goddess Keres.
The Mark of Keres may be utilized within this Universe to earn Conviction but will not allow you to commune with your Goddess until a Temple has been created and dedicated with ten million Conviction. The normal cost of one million Conviction has been increased by ten times due to the presence of a pantheon hostile to your Goddess.
Anton sighed, ¡°So that would be a ¡®No¡¯ then.¡±
Chapter 56, Reflections and Haven
As Anton stood on the dirt road, he looked around. He was currently standing next to a cornfield, though he couldn¡¯t tell if this was somewhere on Earth or elsewhere. Since the Goddess Keres wasn¡¯t known here, though, he was pretty sure he wasn¡¯t on Earth anymore.
How had he come to this point where he was on yet another planet and wasn¡¯t even human anymore? When the craziness started, he¡¯d been with Beth in Antarctica when they discovered the Pillar. He¡¯d been struck by a beam that shattered his ability to utilize magic, so much so that the SYSTEM, an entity or computer program that oversaw everything, including Gods, had to keep tweaking his powers. He still thought of it as an entity that was just a more powerful god, even if that wasn¡¯t correct.
He''d discovered that a planet, Minerva, was on the opposite side of the Sun and had even met some elves there that he¡¯d tolerated even though he was pretty sure they were trying to wipe out humanity. Then Earth had been designated as a Dungeon World during a SYSTEM Reset or something. He might be able to live forever, but remembering all the weird shit that happened.
He''d met up with Jess Sifford in Minneapolis and freed a lot of slaves, which he felt good about until an Assassin had tried, well she had killed him, but he¡¯d bounced right back and put his finger into her brain, then the SYSTEM had gotten all pissy and trapped him in the void. Sure, it looked like an accident, but sending out a message like ¡°You Were Warned¡± gave it away.
He''d had a lot of time to work on some of his skills while he floated through the void, which also helped him learn how to navigate in that realm. Then he¡¯d learned that the void he was in was that space behind, below¡shit, he didn¡¯t know how to describe it, so he¡¯d say that space below a singularity or black hole. Then he¡¯d found a Sphere of Annihilation, an artificial entrance into the void, and passed through into Evermet Forest on a planet that was most definitely not Earth.
He had to admit, he¡¯d had a little fun on that planet, and he¡¯d learned a lot. The Quest ¡°Free the SYSTEM¡± hadn¡¯t been bad either. While he might have gotten off to a bad start with the SYSTEM, removing an Artifact that limited it had generated a lot of favor from it.
Of course, he¡¯d had to become a City Lord, and then he¡¯d destroy the city node and make a ton of money from the SYSTEM on that deal. He had pissed off a lot of merchants and probably gods too. Then he¡¯d made his way to the City and entered the Labyrinth, which had been weird. There had been a replica of 1928 Earth within it. Also, while he was in that version of Earth, there was a SYSTEM edit.
The next Realm within the Labyrinth he found had introduced him to the Carinus and vampires. It was the first time he¡¯d suffered Soul Damage, which ultimately led to him being converted from a human that could turn into a Specter into a Vampiric Pseudo-Specter. That happened when he broke free from being Azre¡¯el¡¯s bloodsicle.
When he¡¯d left the city of Dravul after slaying Azre¡¯el and making sure a new leadership was in place, he found a portal and fell into a trap of sorts.
Catch Point was a space station built around a transportation point on the edge of the Solar System in another Labyrinth Realm. The people there had not known they were in the Labyrinth, nor did they know about magic. That had also been when he first met Caitlyn Sheppard.
He¡¯d allowed a military team to escort him to the moon through a couple of technological portals, and then he just turned into a Specter and made his way toward Earth. Instead of traveling down to Earth, he went to a Station in Geosynchronous orbit above North America. That¡¯s when he¡¯d learned the skill Possession.
Then he discovered that it was the year 2086 in this version of Earth. He was recaptured and then found that Caitlyn Sheppard was part Celestial. Almost immediately after arriving, there had been a dimensional breach, after which he met Caitlyn¡¯s boss, Felix. Something had happened, and he¡¯d tried to use Planar Shift to get Caitlyn and himself down to Earth. Instead, they¡¯d ended up getting kicked out of Labyrinth and sent to Universe 013aE013013. When they popped into existence, they were 50 feet from his house in Minot, North Dakota.
That¡¯s when the LIMITED SYSTEM RESET happened. Multiple alternate versions of various worlds crunched their populations into specific Universes based on Prime Numbers. The Universe they¡¯d appeared in was simply the 13th Universe after the reset. This had ended up pitting various governments or versions of the same governments against each other.
Anton and Caitlyn had been flown to Washington D.C, where he¡¯d stopped an assassination attempt, and he received a .50 caliber bullet through the back of his head. Then, the Current President tried to be pushy. Anton Possessed him to make things easier and get things rolling.
The idiots still threatened his family, but that had allowed him to figure out that he could use Planar Shift to move between two locations on the same plane of existence instantly, at least until the last SYSTEM balancing happened. But that was getting ahead of himself.
Anton returned to Washington, D.C., and worked with the government to set up an expedition to Antarctica. The facility that he showed to the military. He worked with the President, Felix, and Caityln until the Magical Density reached 10%. The other President of the U.S., Mrs. Ellison, from a world that must have had magic, cast a spell that froze Caitlyn, Felix, and himself. He¡¯d been stuck in a Stasis field for 10 hours. Caitlyn and Felix were stuck for two more days after that.
When he stepped out of the Stasis field, Anton confiscated a lot of weapons, ammo, and explosives from Mrs. Ellison''s forces after he blew her in half. Then he¡¯d had to take the Node device in Antarctica back because it was being used to bomb targets from afar by opening portals and dropping warheads through. They¡¯d destroyed the Pentagon and were working on Andrews AFB when Anton acted.
He destroyed their bomb depot and put the node facility under 1,000 feet of water pressure, which made it very hard for anyone to get close to the Control Node there. With the President and the U.S. Government destroyed for the most part, Anton dropped off Felix with his family and went looking for the troops Felix had sent to Dover Air Force Base. Caitlyn stayed in Washington while he was doing that.
Then something weird happened: 100,000 Karmic Luck was removed from him, and an Earth Node appeared on the Runway at Dover Air Force Base right after he arrived. He wasn¡¯t sure if he¡¯d caused the event, but he was pretty sure it was somehow connected to him. When beetles started pouring out of the ground above the Earth Node, he stepped out to help and was shot by a sniper that had been set up on the aircraft control tower over a mile away. Even now, he could admit that was a hell of a shot. Even so, it made him angry enough to possess the guy and leave him up there with almost nothing.
Anton returned to Caitlyn after a short conversation with the Sniper. Then he brought Caityln to her troops in the fuel cell at the north end of the runway. A little bit after that, the SYSTEM announced that the Gods had returned, which no one understood. Then he¡¯d been backstabbed by a servant of Keres, which he¡¯d killed with a touch. Somehow, he¡¯d linked with the man as he witnessed his descent into Hell.
That had been how he unlocked the skill Annihilate Life, which was pretty brutal. That¡¯s also when he¡¯d received the Divine Blessing of Keres. He¡¯d been offered a choice by the system to decline, which he did. The Goddess had given him her ¡°Gift¡± anyway.
When he¡¯d made it back to the fuel cell, he¡¯d showed Caitlyn his Mark of Keres, at which point she¡¯d vanished. A few seconds later, she returned with the ability to create wings. A quick reconnaissance of the area around the hanger allowed him to discover the water, fire, and air nodes, as well as a Universal Gate.
He¡¯d noticed that the Fire Node was putting out some salamander-type creatures called Zerenders. The people in the area had no chance against something that was on fire, so he¡¯d stepped in and started a guerilla campaign against the Salamanders. He stayed near the fire node and killed any Zerenders he found there until the 24-hour spawning event ended.
When he returned to the Fuel Cell, he investigated the Earth Node and was able to recover the Artifact at its center. Doing so caused the Universal Gate to destabilize, and then the Giants appeared when Caitlyn was shot out of the air by a crossbow that shot spears as its ammunition.
Once he killed the initial attacker, he went to the other Elemental Nodes and removed the artifacts from them as well to shut down the Universal Gate. Some giants made it through, and he ended up in a fight. He took down a fighter and archer with little effort and, while destroying the mage, had the thought to combine a couple of his skills.
Anton combined Syphon, Material Breakdown, and Organic Breakdown, which created his skill of Assimilation. That was also when he learned not to be greedy when he absorbed far more energy than he could hold and exploded. That was when he found out that Explosive Dispersion was much worse than a normal Dispersion. He¡¯d been knocked senseless for 168 hours.
When he woke up from his nap, a fort had been built on the north end of the runway. A quick talk with Felix informed him that his sister, Amelia, and the rest of the family had moved north into the fortified fort near Dover Park, a few miles north of the Air Force Base, and then the Undead attacked.
It had seemed like The SYSTEM was modifying his skills on the fly, but he had to admit the changes were okay. The guards had asked him to let the undead attack because they were good experience for the low-level troops, so he¡¯d gone looking for the source of the zombies.
Anton had discovered that the dead came in two flavors: those who were spawned and those who were converted. That¡¯s when he met the Death Mage Venetta in Philadelphia. She had captured Caitlyn and was trying to convert her with the Death Node Gem. Anton had pulled out the four Elemental Node gems he possessed, which had combined with the Death Node Gem and been absorbed by her.
Anton had then defeated Venetta. Before he could kill her, though, she accepted a Role of Divinity. He¡¯d been given the same choice but declined. He didn¡¯t want to be a God, at least not yet. He and Caitlyn made it back to the Fort, and over the next couple of weeks, they worked with Felix¡¯s group to push back the undead that made it all the way to Dover.
An Acolyte from the Church of Ao had come to visit and called their own Divine Judgment on him when he walked into a room to meet him. A block of C4 and a detonator helped Anton send a message to the church through that Acolyte. This was when he learned that trying to remain in his Specter form when entering the Domain of a God was a no-go without permission.
Anton ended up crashing through the window of a church and landing beside the altar; he couldn¡¯t fly in the material plane yet. Upon crashing, a lot more Acolytes of Ao attacked him. He killed one by Planar Shifting him to the Sun (Which led to the SYSTEM nerfing that skill later). He wanted to serve the light, and Anton had helped him do it. Not until Anton took the Elemental Node Gem for Light did Ao actually make an appearance. When he did, Anton Fled. Divinity could hurt him, and he wasn¡¯t going to get in a fight with a god; he¡¯d let Keres handle that.
On his way back to Dover, he met up with Caitlyn. She¡¯d gone off to get the Life and Darkness Elemental Nodes, which she absorbed upon finding them. As they landed in front of the headquarters building, the Elemental Node Gem of Light flew from his hand and combined with a prismatic gem that had appeared on her head, which then expanded to surround her.
Amelia ran out of the hospital and informed him that the Goddess Keres had told her that Caitlyn would be undergoing a Class and possibly a Race Evolution. That¡¯s when he learned that a Trial of Transcendence had been going on and ended. At the end of the Trial, changes to the SYSTEM were made, and all monsters and sentient creatures over level 100 on Earth were given three choices.
Anton had decided to participate in the Battle Royal as changes were made to most of his primary skills as the SYSTEM balanced powers, whatever that meant. That was when his skill, Planar Shift, lost its ability to push another through to another location or use that skill to move between two places in the same dimension or plane.
Still, once he became used to the changes, there was no way he wasn¡¯t going to be the last person standing, and he was. He reached level 442 and earned all of the gear that Vincent Woodrow had acquired. The reward for winning The System Battle Royale was an ability of his choice. He asked for the ability to utilize spells. Instead of having to give up Anti-Mage and his Spell Immunity, he still didn¡¯t have any mana to speak of; The SYSTEM provided him with a Mythical Ability that used Psychic Energy to fuel magical spells. He could, at will, reduce his immunity to the eight elemental spheres of magic so that he could use their magic and also be targeted by those spells if he wished. The Mythical Ability did not change any of his higher immunities, but he could now use spells of those schools as well, probably with a penalty. He wasn¡¯t sure as he didn¡¯t have any spells to speak of, which was something he was hoping to change.
Which lead to now. The SYSTEM had teleported him to this dirt road next to a cornfield. Anton opened his Status Screen:
Name: Anthony Nicholas Thomson
Birthday: September 13th 2013 (Friday the 13th)
Apparent Age: 27
Race: Human
Classes
Mythic / Vampiric Psuedo-Specter / 442The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
Hit Points: 23,979
-Health Regeneration: 1
Stamina: 78,950
-Stamina Regeneration: 2,037
Psychic Energy Reservoir: 94,190
Psychic Energy: 25,696
-Psychic Regeneration: 285
Conviction Level: 100
Conviction: 25,706,770
Strength: 6,799
Agility: 6,803
Dexterity: 6,477
Endurance: 6,790
Constitution: 8,624
Perception: 6,803
Intelligence: 6,781
Wisdom: 6,471
Willpower: 9,419
Charisma: 6,781
Luck: 31,013
Chaos: 0
Order: 0
Skill Slots: 9,519 / 9,519
Spell Slots: 4,139 / 4,139
Psychic Skill Slots: 3,668 / 10,561
Running Speed
MPH: 4,284
FPS: 6,283
Flight Speed
MPH: 12,852
FPS: 18,850
Abilities:
Anit-Mage / Immortal, Vampiric Pseudo-Specter / Divine Luck / Master of Magic
Titles
I Ain''t Worried / I Can Take it / Goblin Slayer 3 / Trifecta / Fate''s Arbiter / Hijacker of Divinity / Human Slayer III / Goblin Slayer VIII / Beetle Slayer II / Zombie Slayer X / Skeleton Slayer X / Scourge of Anubis / There can Be only One / Backstabbing a Backstabber
Perks
Specter / Basic Map / Personal Storage / Pseudo-Undead / Cold Immunity / Annihilate Life / Mark of Keres
Skills
Basic Map: 29 / Personal Storage: 46 / ASL: 7 / Bows: 21 / Crossbows: 21 / Dodge: 29 / Firearms: 29 / Language: Common: 29 / Language: Standard: 55 / Long Blades: 38 / Long Range Firearms: 21 / Maggen''s Exceptional Storage: 46 / Maggen''s Gift: 46 / Scavenge: 3 / Short Blades: 38 / Snatch: 3 / Two-Weapon Fighting Style: 29 / Throwing: 1 /
Spells:
None
Psychic Skills: Skill Level:
Specter: 100 / Manifest: 71 / Spectral Reach: 8 / Spectral Scream: 17 Analyze: 5 / Aura Sight: 12 / Battle Meditation: 41 / Detect Magic: 2 / Eagle Eyes: 12 / Hyper Focus: 4 / Identify: 3 / Meditation: 51 / Mental Refuge: 5 / Mental Shield: 41 / Mind Bolt: 12 / Planar Shift: 4 / Possession: 17 / Quickened Healing: 1 / Telekinesis.: 2 / Telepathy: 5 / Assimilation: 50 / Annihilate Life: 1 Animate.: 50
Treasure
Copper: 8,000
Silver: 7,112,444
Credits: 1,919,596
Gold: 8,306
Platinum: 93,204
Treasure in SYSTEM Bank
Copper: 15,698
Silver: 1,263
Credits: 1,972,320
Gold: 0
Platinum: 26
Anton opened his Inventory from the Battle Royal, which had been added to his original Inventory Perk. The Perk had been increased to be able to hold 100 million pounds, which was now just over 80% full. The list of foods, equipment, armor, and items was long, really long. Too long to go through until he found a SYSTEM Store or Node. He could sell the items directly to the SYSTEM, but he had no idea what he¡¯d need in this place.
He closed his Status Screen and looked around. He was on a dirt road that went in two directions. Also, he¡¯d appeared in this Universe already manifested. He opened his Basic Map, which had a range of 1.9 miles. While it didn¡¯t show anything he couldn¡¯t see, it did have a compass. He chose to head east along the road.
After such a long time in combat or a combat-based mindset, Anton decided to relax and enjoy a leisurely walk through the countryside.
Up to this point, it had been one impossible emergency after another. Sure, he¡¯d seen fantastic, amazing things, but he wasn¡¯t even human anymore, not that he should have considered himself human once he learned that he was immortal.
Right now, though, he had a moment to relax. He had been gone for Earth for quite a while before he arrived here. Anton hoped his family was okay, but he wasn¡¯t really that worried. The Goddess Keres was the Patron Deity of Felix¡¯s people, his family, and Caitlyn. He might have quite a few advantages, but Caitlyn was a full-blown celestial now who had absorbed the power of eight artifacts.
If every person and monster level 100 or higher had been removed from Earth, she would have no problem keeping everyone safe. He did wonder what she¡¯d become, which brought up the subject of getting home. His sister had brought his family to the new Fort using Conviction. Could he set up a temple here and use Conviction to get home?
Anton reviewed the notification he¡¯d received when he arrived here.
SYSTEM Message:
You have left all Realms under the purview of the Goddess Keres.
The Mark of Keres may be utilized within this Universe to earn Conviction but will not allow you to commune with your Goddess until a Temple has been created and dedicated with ten million Conviction. The normal cost of one million Conviction has been increased by ten times due to the presence of a pantheon hostile to your Goddess.
He double-checked his Conviction. At over 25 million, He had Conviction. Maybe he could find a temple to one of the local gods and take it over. One of the evil gods. He really didn¡¯t want to make an enemy of the good deities if he didn¡¯t have to, although he was sure the Mark of Keres that he carried would put any Priest or Cleric ill at ease.
Anton was so lost in thought that the people walking toward him on the road didn¡¯t register until they were 100 feet from him and called out.
¡°Hello, Stranger,¡± a burly man in pants and a nice shirt said. He was walking beside a woman in a light white summer dress with daisies on it. Both appeared human.
Anton considered how to play this and decided to start humble and uninformed. It shouldn¡¯t be too hard to sell. ¡°Hello, yourself,¡± Anton said, ¡°Nice day for a walk?¡± as they approached him.
¡°That it is, that it is. If I might ask, where are you coming from?¡± the man asked.
Anton considered how to answer the question before he said, ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know. When I opened my eyes, I was on this road near the cornfields.¡±
¡°Ah, a traveler of realms, then. We haven¡¯t had one in at least three years, right Ilsa?¡±
¡°The Great Arrival was some 20 years ago. Then, a few sporadic individuals appeared, but yes, the last appearance was over three years ago, Brandon,¡± Isla said.
¡°If people appear on the road, why is it in the middle of nowhere?¡± Anton asked.
¡°The City Council decided that when people arrived, it would be better to do so in a field or on a road, not in the middle of the city. Since the first Council could change where people appeared, the city was built about three miles away,¡± Brandon explained.
¡°City?¡±
¡°Yes, the City of Haven is about three miles down the road behind us. Every day, someone walks up this way to see if any Travelers have arrived. Today, it was our turn,¡± Ilsa said.
¡°Aren¡¯t you worried about bandits or the like?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Not really, no,¡± Brandon said.
¡°May I ask why not?¡±
¡°The simple answer is the Gods protect us?¡±
¡°Truly.¡±
¡°Yes, Truly. Would you like to accompany us to Haven?¡± Ilsa asked.
¡°I think I might,¡± Anton answered as the couple turned, and Anton joined them.
Brandon and Isla walked beside Anton for a little bit before Brandon said, ¡°I have to commend your courtesy,¡±
¡°Excuse me?¡±
¡°Well, when most Travelers arrive, they ask where they are, usually referring to the area or planet, dimension or planet they¡¯re on or in.¡±
¡°Oh, that,¡± Anton said with a smile, ¡°When you walked up on me, I was considering the fact that I¡¯d been running around from emergency to event to emergency and so on for quite a while. It felt good to relax. You two seemed to be out here doing the same, and I didn¡¯t want to interrupt your time, even if it¡¯s a daily thing that people from your city take turns doing.¡±
¡°Well, that¡¯s all over now, friend. The first council worked with the Gods to make the area around Haven free of monsters so people could have a chance at a normal upbringing. Also, I¡¯m not sure what level of technology you''re used to, but Haven combines magic and science.¡±
¡°Then why are we on a dirt road,¡± Anton asked.
Brandon smiled, ¡°Simple enough. As I said, we do not want new arrivals to be overwhelmed, and the middle of farmland is usually pretty event-free.¡±
¡°In fact,¡± Isla interrupted as she pointed down the road as they came over a small hill, ¡°That is Haven?¡±
Anton looked back and realized they¡¯d been walking up a shallow hill for the last mile. As they crested the hill, Anton looked down the road and saw a city, a vast city that stretched north and south to each horizon. None of the buildings he could see seemed to be over three stories high, but he did see ground vehicles running along a street between the cornfields and Haven. A large spread-out city, wow.
¡°Brandon, why can¡¯t I hear the sounds of the city? From this far away, we should still be able to hear something,¡± Anton asked.
There¡¯s a sound-dampening field at the edge of the city. From the start, we wanted people to be able to get away from the sounds of city life. At night, you¡¯ll also notice that any light the city generates is screened out at the city boundary, so anyone can come out into the fields just west of the city and look up into the night sky and see the stars without worrying about light pollution.¡±
¡°That sounds like a really powerful spell,¡±
¡°It is. Some of the wizards here have spells that are amazing,¡± Ilsa said happily.
¡°Any spells that could get me home?¡±
¡°Not here. The SYSTEM explicitly prohibits anyone from teleporting to another Universe from this plane.¡±
¡°But I have a spell that allows me to shift dimensions and planes?¡± Anton said.
¡°There are some wizards that have the same,¡± Brandon agreed. ¡°They have reported that they can travel to alternate elemental planes and even the Astral Plane from here, but even on the Astral, the SYSTEM only allows them to shift planes back to this universe with any skill or spell they use. They say there are other ways to travel through the Astral and that you can find an exit to other Universes, but you have to look for them.¡±
¡°Why did the SYSTEM do that?¡±
¡°The Gods, when asked, say the SYSTEM sent us here for a reason,¡± Isla said.
¡°Interesting,¡± Anton replied as they continued walking toward the city.
¡°Do you have coin or SYSTEM credits,¡± Brandon asked.
¡°I do.¡±
¡°Well then, I¡¯ll set you up at our local inn near this entrance into the city, and we¡¯ll be on our way.¡±
Brandon and Ilsa walked with Anton to the second building on the right as they entered the city. Many people looked at him for a moment and then went about their business. He even noticed a few younger people eyeballing him, probably trying to decide if he had anything worth stealing.
This is Brax¡¯s Inn. He¡¯s a good sort and doesn¡¯t charge too much, though there isn¡¯t too much in his rooms. If you want luxury, you¡¯ll have to head farther east into town,¡± Brandon said as he offered his hand.
Anton shook Brandon¡¯s hand and then Ilsa¡¯s, ¡°Thank you. Also, my name is Anton. If you ever see me or need some help, just ask.
¡°Sure thing, Anton,¡± Brandon said as he let go of his hand.
Ilsa smiled, ¡°If you need to find us, look for the Temple of Phanes. It¡¯s just North of here along the edge of the city. Ask for either of us. One of the acolytes will get a message to us.¡±
¡°I¡¯ll be sure to do that, and thanks again,¡± Anton said as he stepped up onto the concrete sidewalk and stepped into an Inn that looked like something out of the Wild West with twentieth-century technology. He watched as Brandon and Ilsa went back to the road that headed north along the edge of the city. They were probably headed to their Temple now.
Anton was drawn back to the fact that he was in an entryway when a man off to his left smiled and said, ¡°Welcome to Brax¡¯s Inn. Will you be staying the night?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Anton answered with a smile of his own.
¡°Are you a new arrival to Haven from the west?¡±
¡°I came from the west, yes?¡±
¡°What I meant, Sir, are you new to this planet if you know what a planet is?¡±
¡°Yes, I¡¯m from Earth,¡± Anton said because he wanted to see if there was any reaction.
¡°Very good, sir. We here in Haven welcome all visitors. Your first night''s stay and meal are courtesy of the city so long as you agree to go to see a city official and answer a few basic questions about where you''re from. As you can imagine, many people have arrived here and would like to know if any visitors have news about where they came from. If you would like to forgo talking with the city, the rate for a room and dinner is one silver. This establishment does not accept SYSTEM credits at this time.¡±
Anton pulled a silver coin from his inventory and handed it over, ¡°I will probably still go talk with a city official, but I do not like being beholden to anyone, so I¡¯ll pay for my room; thank you,¡±
The Receptionist accepted the coin and handed Anton a key, ¡°Your room is on the third floor. The stairs are behind you and down the hall a bit. There is a platform if you need it.¡±
Thank you. I think I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Anton said as he made his way to the stairs and to his room. Inside was a single bed and desk. There was also a bathroom with a bathtub and running water. While he didn¡¯t need to take a shower, he could dismiss his current body and then Manifest a new one; it had been a really long time since he had a nice hot shower.
Anton placed everything he was wearing in his Inventory and then stepped into the shower. He soaked for at least 10 minutes before he rinsed off, pulled out some sweats and a shirt, and laid down on the bed. He didn¡¯t need to sleep in a physical body, but he was going to stick with a normal route for a physical person just to see if anything untoward might happen.
Anton closed his eyes and activated Battle Meditation.
Why? Part of him asked.
The other part, with a little Common Sense answered, Because when something is too good to be true, it most likely IS too good to be true.
Chapter 57, Celestial Transformation
Amelia Sheppard watched through her scrying device as the Acolytes of Ao marched down Highway 1 toward the Fort. Since Anton left just over a year ago, he wouldn¡¯t even recognize it now. The miniature fort on Dover Air Force Base had been abandoned, and the Fort of Dover Park had expanded so that it filled the area between the primary Highways all the way from the Dover Motor Speedway to the Northwest and North Little Creek Rd to the south.
New walls were being built south of North Little Creek Road between Highway 1 and Highway 13, all the way down to the Puncheon Run Connector. It would increase the size of their livable area by almost 60%. The walls around the main area all rose 200 feet and had been created with an acute angle and smooth surface to make sure that attackers would have a hard time climbing the walls.
As for the threat of flying creatures, there were archer towers every 50 feet within the walls, and they were all manned with individuals who could use a bow or rifle with at least three people at all times.
That was the other thing that had changed over the last year: their population had exploded. Right now, there are about 70,000 people inside the walls, and everyone has a primary job supporting the community. Be that support, combat, or farming. Most of the food was still being brought in from their quartermaster Pavo, though they had an actual quartermaster now that could get other harder-to-reach items.
The SYSTEM had changed how Merchants procured products. Instead of using a Node, the Merchant classes gained the ability to Teleport to a Merchant''s hub, where they had to trade for what they wanted. Pavo, their first merchant of a sort, still needed capital to be able to exchange salvage for supplies if he didn¡¯t have the coin or credit. Pavo had told her that every time he went to the Hub, he earned class experience as long as he made profitable trades. He also didn¡¯t think the hub was on Earth.
Amelia looked back to her Scrying Crystal and recognized that the Army the Acolytes of Ao was marching south was near the Smyrna Airport, only eight miles away.
¡°Where are they,¡± the leader of the Fort, Felix, asked.
¡°They¡¯re just reaching the Smyrna Airport.¡±
Felix nodded to himself, ¡°You only see that army?¡±
¡°That¡¯s it,¡± But you know as well as I do that the scouts have been reporting encounters that disengage to the east and the west,¡± Amelia offered.
¡°I do¡¡±Felix started to say when one of their soldiers entered the command center, ¡°Yes?¡± Felix asked.
¡°Our scout hiding in Little Creek to the east just reported that a sizeable force has come in from the sea.¡±
Felix laughed, ¡°I have to give those idiots credit; they have some balls. Nobody should be going over deep water right now, but they would have had to go unnoticed by all of our other scouts.¡±
¡°Yes, Sir. And the Scout?
¡°Order them to go to ground or evade, if they can. Trying to run will make them look guilty. Going to the ground and hiding with their Coffin spell might be better.¡±
Amelia also had the Coffin Spell; it truly sucked. For 100 mana, she could be dropped into the ground and stay there as long as she had the mana to do so. The spell level reduced the mana cost, which was one mana for every turn at spell level one. She¡¯d been lucky enough that her mana regeneration rate was two per turn, so she could stay underground as long as she wanted. The thing that sucked about the spell was that she couldn¡¯t see or hear anything else unless she had another Earth-based spell that would allow her to perceive her surroundings. Or a Divine spell, which is what she used.
¡°The scout out that way is Rodger; he¡¯s going to ground in location alpha. He¡¯ll wait until someone comes by and stomps on the ground in the correct pattern.¡±
¡°Understood,¡± Felix said as he turned to the other lieutenants and Captains in the room. They''re coming from the North and the East. Set up our defenses accordingly. Do not leave any holes, though; we need to cover the whole wall.
¡°Yes, Sir!¡± fifteen individuals said in unison and then left to get their soldiers ready.
¡°And me?¡± Amelia asked.
¡°Well, If you could pray to Keres and ask her to send Anton back, or even Caitlyn, that would be great.¡±
¡°I can¡¯t do anything about Anton. The Goddess has been very specific: he must find his own way home. As for Caitlyn, she¡¯s still in her Prismatic Cocoon. The Goddess isn¡¯t sure why it¡¯s taken so long; even her senses are blocked. But, she assures me it¡¯s because Caitlyn is transforming into something much more powerful than she was.¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Felix said, ¡°Then I want you to help get everyone underground that isn¡¯t needed top side within the next two hours. The only access point of access to the compound I do not want to seal is the stairway under this building. Everything else is to be sealed by the Earth Mages.¡± If it looks like we¡¯re losing, everyone will fall back to headquarters and retreat down the stairway. If they follow us down there, it will be their end.
Very well,¡± Amelia said as she left the headquarters building to get everything started. She sure hoped Caityln would wake up soon.
***
For Caitlyn, only moments had passed as consciousness came back to her. She could tell that the Prismatic Cocoon of light still surrounded her as Notifications filled her vision. She couldn¡¯t move yet, so she started reading.
Congratulations! Race Human has Evolved to Race Elemental Celestial.
Perk Gained: Celestial Aura. Your Natural Human Aura has upgraded and evolved to a Celestial Aura.
Your Aura Range is Equal to the average of your Willpower, Charisma, and Luck attribute bonus in feet.
Those within the range of your Aura are automatically protected or suppressed if their Aura Defense is less than your Aura Strength Rating.
Suppressed: You may choose to retract your Aura to prevent Suppression, but you may not pick and choose who is affected by it. Those Suppressed must have willpower equal to one-tenth of your Aura Strength to even attempt to move. While within your aura, The number of attacks that can be made against you is equal to the sum of your Aura Strength minus their Aura Defense divided by 10. If this results in a negative number, even if they have the will to move, they may only take one action during the turn, no matter how many actions they could normally make, unless hasted by a spell, of course. Additionally, if Suppressed to the point where they may only take one action during the Turn, it cannot be an action to attack the Celestial whose Aura has them suppressed.
Protected: While within your Aura, Those you designated as allies are not affected by any aura that cannot first affect you.
Perk Gained: Spell ¡°Elemental Shaping¡± at Spell Level 80.
Your attunement with the elements has automatically gifted you the Spell Elemental Shaping at Spell Level 80. You may shape up to 80 cubic feet of any basic component that is the product of Fire, Air, Earth, and Water at a cost of 80 mana per element. This is an intuitive spell and can be done with a single action. Air, Fire, and Water will shape within a single turn. Earth may take a little longer, depending on its composition.
Mana Cost: 80
Range: 800 feet
Perk Gained: Elemental Movement.
Your attunement to the basic elements allows you to pass through the basic elements without Pause. You pass normally through areas with High winds and cold, Fire and Heat, Rough ground, and water. In practical terms, this means that you could be moving at your max speed from the sky into the ocean, and you will pass through the interface of Air to Water without creating a splash. You will not leave a wake while in water, and you will not leave a trail over land. The elements sway to your passing.
Perk Gained: Elemental Skills
As an Elemental Celestial, the Artifacts you absorbed have bestowed you with one Psychic Skill Unique to each of the eight Elements: (Earth) Armor / (Air) Flight / (Water) Swim / (Fire) Flame Resistant / (Light) Refraction / (Darkness) Stealth / (Life) Heal Self and Other / (Death) Absorb Life.
Perk Gained: Skill and Spell Infusion.
All Gifted Skills and Spells are automatically increased to level 80 at no cost. Lack of use cannot reduce these skills below this level.
Psychic Skills Gained:
(Earth) Armor
You may surround yourself with Earthen Armor.
This Armor will absorb up to 10 + 1 point of Damage per skill level.
PE Cost: 10. / 1 PE per Turn to maintain.
(Air) Flight
You may adjust your composition to that of the wind.
You may move normally through the air at a rate equal to your normal running speed multiplied by one-tenth of your Skill level.
PE Cost: None
Flight requires Stamina. The stamina requirement is equal to the flight multiplier. If traveling at twice running speed, the Stamina cost is doubled.
(Water) Swim
You breathe water normally.
Also, You may travel through water normally.
PE Cost 10. / / 1 PE per Turn to maintain.
(Fire) Immunity to Heat / Fire
Natural Flame and Fire do not affect you. This includes the heat from Lava or Magma, which you can move through normally.
PE Cost: None
(Light) Refraction
At will, you may choose to allow light to reflect or pass through you as if you weren¡¯t there. Not allowing light to reflect off of you effectively makes you invisible. This Skill is effective against all energy states of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Yes, this makes you immune to any light-based Skills, Spells, or Weapons.
PE Cost: None
(Darkness) Stealth
You move naturally without making noise or leaving a trail, and the shadows beneath your feet absorb any sound you might make.
Your chance to be detected is equal to your Intelligence Attribute Bonus plus your skill level.
Requirement: Shadows or Darkness cannot be used in a well-lit area.
PE Cost: None
Stamina Cost: 10 per turn while active.
(Life) Heal Self and Other
You may Heal yourself and others at a cost of 1 PE for 1 Hit Point.
You may heal a maximum number of Hit Points equal to your Skill Level x 5 per Turn.
(Death) Absorb Life
With a Touch, you may Absorb Hit Points from others at a cost of 2 PE for 1 Hit point Each Turn.
You may absorb a number of Hit Points from your target equal to your Skill Level x 5 per use.
Congratulations! You have Evolved your Epic Soldier Class to the Class of Celestial Vanguard.
Celestial Vanguard
Whether on the Material or Divine Planes, the Celestial Vanguard acts as the shock troops for their Gods. Considered a Mythic Class, each level in this class bestows 40 hit points, 40 Stamina, 10 Mana, 10 Psychic Energy, 20 Skill Slots, 10 Spell Slots, and 10 Psionic Ability Slots per level.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Conversion of Epic Soldier to Mythic Celestial Vanguard has reduced your level from 1,296 Epic Soldier to 1,122 Celestial Vanguard. Attributes and Resources have been modified accordingly.
Your new Class has also bestowed upon you a new Perk.
Congratulations! You have gained the Perk: Spell ¡°Weapon of the Elements.¡±
Weapon of the Elements.
Mana Cost: 800
You may call forth a Weapon of the Elements. This weapon may take any form that you desire so long as a weapon that you are proficient with.
Durability 800 ¨C The weapon can take up to 800 points of damage before being destroyed.
Damage: Base Damage + Strength Damage + Choice of Fire, Ice, or Death Damage.
Note: Fire and Death or Ice and Death can be combined.
Elemental Damage is +10 per type of Elemental Damage added to the attack.
If Fire Damage is added, the blade glows red.
If Ice damage is added, the blade glows blue.
If Death Damage is added, the blade glows Black
When Elements are combined, the blade will be streaked with both colors.
You may only conjure one Weapon of the Elements at a time, but it can be summoned and dismissed at will. When dismissed, it is stored within a unique dimensional storage location within the Soul of the Celestial Vanguard.
While within the area of your Aura, this weapon does not require mana to maintain.
If taken from you, it deteriorates at a rate of 8 durability per turn unless eight mana are invested into it.
If Destroyed, the Weapon of the Elements may be summoned again for 800 mana.
Title Gained, ¡°Chosen of Keres
You are the Chosen of Keres. You leap forward as the Vanguard of her faithful and are their primary protector on the Material Plane you call home. Let no others infringe upon the Faithful of Keres.
+10 to All Attributes
+10 to all Resource Regeneration
+100 to all Resource Pools
Caitlyn looked over the changes to her race and class and then opened her Status Screen.
Name: Caitlyn Sheppard
Birthday: May 1st 2051
Apparent Age: 35
Race: Elemental Celestial
Rank / Class / Level:
Mythic / Celestial Vanguard / 1,122
Hit Points: 62,158 / PDR: 122 / Armor: 0
Health Regeneration: 11
Stamina: 167,740
Stamina Regeneration: 1,238
Mana: 134,060
Mana Regeneration: 1,238
Psychic Energy: 16,966
Psychic Regeneration: 133
Strength: 12,276
Agility: 12,276
Dexterity: 12,276
Endurance: 12,276
Constitution: 12,276
Perception: 12,276
Intelligence: 12,276
Wisdom: 12,272
Willpower: 12,274
Charisma: 12,280
Luck: 12,270
Chaos: 10
Order: 10
Skill, Spell, and Psychic Skill Slots
Current / Maximum:
Skill Slots: 23,668 / 23,668
Spell Slots: 13781 / 13796
Psychic Skill Slots: 17476 / 17476
Conviction Level: 100
Conviction: 6,143,470
Running Speed
MPH: 7,733
FPS: 11,343
Flight Speed
MPH: 61,871
FPS: 90,744
Abilities:
Celestial Ember
Minor Intuition
Celestial Elemental
Titles:
Antecedent
Leap of Faith
Zombie Slayer X
Skeleton Slayer X
Chosen of Keres
Perks:
Elemental Champion (Life''s Champion evolved)
Celestial Aura
Elemental Shaping
Elemental Movement
Elemental Skills
Skill Infusion
Weapon of the Elements
Skills
High School Education: 20
Athletics: 12
Swimming: 6
College Education (General): 20
Military Training (General and Officer): 28
Unarmed Combat: 14
Daggers: 5
Small Arms Combat: 12
Small Arms Maintenance: 5
Long Arms Combat: 7
Long Arms Maintenance: 4
Forest survival: 9
Desert Survival: 5
Arctic Survival: 4
Jungle Survival: 4
Spells
Commune: 5
Minor Healing: 1
Elemental Shaping: 80
Psychic Skills: Skill Level
(Earth) Armor: 80
(Air)Flight: 80
(Water) Swim: 80
(Fire) Immunity to Heat/Fire: 80
(Light) Refraction: 80
(Darkness) Stealth: 80
(Life) Heal Self and Other: 80
(Death) Absorb Life: 80
Caitlyn¡¯s mind froze. Level 1,296 before it was reduced to 1,122 for her new class? How the hell?
Caitlyn checked her Experience Log.
Congratulations! You have defeated the Chosen of Anubis, a level 3,161 Mage of Death.
Your portion of the Experience Award is 416,461,750 XP
You have been awarded 6,322 Gold
Class, Epic Soldier has reached level 125
~
Class Epic Soldier has reached level 1,296.
Wow, she¡¯d earned 1,172 levels in her old class, and that was only half of the experience the Death Mage had provided. Also, when the conversion happened, she¡¯d only lost 50 levels, though the amount of Attributes had doubled. 64,800 Attributes as an Epic Soldier or 112,200 Attributes as a Mythic Celestial Vanguard. It wasn¡¯t even a choice.
Caityln¡¯s thoughts were interrupted when the Prismatic Cocoon was shattered as a Beam of Light surrounded Caitlyn.
You have been hit by the Divine Power, ¡°Judgement of Light.¡±
100,000 Conviction has been sacrificed to strike you down where you stand. Judgment of Light is a magnification of Divine Conviction; it cannot be countered with Conviction.
The Psychic Skill, ¡°Refraction,¡± has been activated.
¡°Judgment of Light¡± passes through you without effect.
***
Blaze, The High Priest of Ao, looked down from where he floated above the Fort. His forces were currently trying to make their way into the underground Complex that had been built under this location while he dealt with the only anomaly they¡¯d found. They¡¯d learned that the Sub-Commander had been undergoing a transformation within the Prismatic Cocoon of Light for the last year. While it would have been interesting to see what she had become and even bring her over to the holy light of Ao, it was better to make sure anything that could be an issue was destroyed. He¡¯d spent 100,000 of his Personal Conviction to call down a ¡°Judgement of Light.¡±
Under the assault of the Beam of Light from the heavens, the prismatic cocoon vanished, and whatever had been inside it disappeared with it. When exposed to the light, just another weak mortal,¡± Guggle.¡±
Blaze struggled to look down at his chest, where a prismatic blade burst forth directly over his heart. Blood ran down his robe, which was perfectly white. He was about to cast a healing spell that probably would have saved his life when a hand grabbed the back of his head, and the world fell away forever.
***
Caitlyn watched impassively as the 800 mana she¡¯d just spent to use Absorb Life destroyed the High Priest she was holding by the back of his head. The robes that the floating priest had been wearing seemed to deflate as the body withered and the body turned to dust. Still invisible, Caitlyn also looked around to get the lay of the land and noticed that far too many followers of Ao had overrun the fort. Priests, wizards, and soldiers filled the grounds of the much expanded Fort since last she saw it.
Multiple Acolytes of Ao rushed toward where the High Priest floated in the air, well, his robe anyway. The body had decayed and turned to dust before falling away. Absorb Life was no joke. Also, when she checked her Hit Points, she noticed that she had 400 more Hit Points than the maximum number she could hold, and her Mana Regeneration rate had already replaced the 800 mana she spent.
Caitlyn thought about all the changes that had just been made to her. The only powers she¡¯d gained that had an area of effect were either Elemental Shaping or Celestial Aura. She willed her Aura to expand out to its maximum area of effect. The effect was immediate; everyone within range froze. They didn¡¯t just freeze. Those on the ground dropped into a fetal position while the acolytes that had been trying to fly up to where the High Priest had been came to a stop and looked to be slowly backing away from her.
Caitlyn turned off Refraction to become visible as she activated her Sigil of Keres, which appeared above her. Those outside of the range of her Aura looked in her direction to see what was going on as she used Elemental Shaping to amplify her voice so that everyone would be able to hear her for miles.
¡°You have entered the Domain of Keres. You have attacked my brothers and sisters, those who I am charged to protect. I''ll give you this one¡¡±
From outside the range of her aura, an Air mage used the same trick she was to amplify his voice as he interrupted her, ¡°Why the Fuck would we¡¡±
The Air Mage had been approximately 2,000 feet away from her. Before he could even respond, Caitlyn passed by like an anime character. The Air Mage¡¯s head fell from his lifeless body as she made a flourish with her sword, and it vanished. Of course, her Aura moved with her, and a new group of invaders was frozen while the first group started to regain their senses.
Caitlyn continued as if she hadn¡¯t been interrupted, ¡°Chance to leave without immediate and brutal retaliation. There will be a consequence to this invasion, make no mistake, but¡.¡±
Caitlyn was shot at by multiple individuals outside the range of her aura. Violent Death it was then. It was time to see if Elemental Movement was as useful as she thought it might be. The Perk stated that she could move through air, water, and even fire with no issue. Could she move through Earth as well?
Currently, she was above the street right outside the headquarters building. The underground complex should be directly below her, about 100 feet. As spells and bullets hit her for no effect, Caitlyn lowered herself to the ground. The spells seemed to unravel against her, and the bullets just bounced off.
Caitlyn landed on the ground and willed herself to move down. The concrete and earth seemed to take on the consistency of liquid as she dropped into it. Also, once her head dropped below the surface, everything underground became visible to her. She couldn¡¯t see outside of the stone, but she could see where it had ended. It was like being on the outside of a programed area in a computer game. The area she was in ended up looking like walls, which must be where the open areas were below.
Caitlyn withdrew her Aura and then sank one hundred feet through the ceiling of the complex''s main entry point and fell to the floor. One overzealous soldier had shot her foot as she broke through the roof of the underground chamber, but the bullets just bounced off. As she fully emerged from the ceiling, she heard one of her lieutenants bark out, ¡°Hold your Fire, that¡¯s Commander Sheppard!¡± before Caitlyn tapped his throat mike and said, ¡°Sir, Commander Sheppard is in the main room,¡±
¡°Did you miss me?¡± Caitlyn asked.
¡°He didn¡¯t,¡± one of the sergeants who knew Caitlyn and what she¡¯d been capable of before she¡¯d entered the cocoon said as he pointed to a young man that she did not know. His eyes went wide as a look of shock filled his face.
Caitlyn took pity on the poor kid as she smiled in his direction, ¡°I like your enthusiasm,¡± then she looked around the room, ¡°Now, who¡¯s in charge?¡±
¡°That would be me,¡± Felix said.
¡°It¡¯s good to see you, Sir,¡± Caitlyn said.
¡°You too. You¡¯ve been gone for a year.¡±
¡°A full year? Well then, I¡¯ll have a lot of questions after we take out the army above us,¡± Caitlyn said.
¡°You have a plan?¡± Felix asked.
¡°Yes, Sir! How many followers of Keres do we have?¡±
¡°Everyone here, except for the very young, follow Keres,¡± Felix said.
¡°Awesome, let''s get to the entrance. I¡¯ll need everyone to activate their Sigil and then follow me out. Heads up. As long as you''re within a thousand feet of me, this is going to be a slaughter, not a fight.¡±
¡°Any chance we can get them to withdraw,¡± Felix asked.
¡°First question I asked them. They attacked. Now it is time to sacrifice the followers of Ao to our Goddess.¡±
Felix led Caitlyn to the unblocked entryway, where fighting could be heard. As they walked up, Caitlyn said, ¡°Alright, everyone. Activate your Sigils. I¡¯ll walk forward, follow me, and slay every enemy you find.¡±
The soldiers around her looked at her confusedly until she extended her aura. She made sure to exempt anyone who was a follower of Keres from her Aura, but it looked like they still felt something because everyone around her looked around at each other. Before anyone could say something, everyone noticed that the enemy had stopped attacking. Without waiting, Caitlyn strode forward until she was at the stairway that led to the surface.
¡°Alright, people, let¡¯s do this, No mercy, and remember, our Goddess is the Goddess of Violent Death. Make sure they feel it!¡± Caitlyn said as she started walking up the stairs.¡± She didn¡¯t need the XP or conviction these deaths would generate, but her soldiers might. Caitlyn watched as their eyes filled with lust for battle, and they followed her into the hallway and up the stairs, killing every enemy they encountered.
Over the next two hours, the Fort was cleared of all those who had attacked and killed the Followers of Keres under the Command of Felix and, once again, Commander Sheppard. Caitlyn watched but did not help unless someone outside of the range of her Aura tried to attack them. If they did, she moved to their side, decapitated said attacker, and then moved right back to her previous position so that the effects of her aura would remain constant in a specific area until it was cleared. She didn¡¯t need the enemy finding the ability to move and attack once again after they¡¯d been suppressed.
She watched as a few of the soldiers struggled with the idea of killing helpless people until they saw their dead friends still lying where they¡¯d fallen. Luckily, all of the attackers were dead or fleeing within three hours, which was when they retook the walls. Caitlyn used Elemental Shaping to seal all the holes and cracks within ten minutes, and Felix had sentries posted around the perimeter.
When she was finished patching up the walls, Caitlyn sought out Felix.
¡°What are you going to do now?¡± Felix asked.
¡°Never leave an enemy behind you. I plan to kill as many of these idiots as I can. They don¡¯t get to flee back toward New York City,¡± Caitlyn said.
¡°Do you know where their base of operation is?¡± Felix asked.
Just then, Amelia ran up, looked Caitlyn in the eye, and said, ¡°No.¡±
Caitlyn looked at her and gestured for her to continue.
¡°No,¡± Amelia repeated, " you will not attack the domain of another God directly.¡±
¡°But, they attacked us?¡± Felix said.
¡°The Goddess has made this very clear. We are not to conquer the other Temples on this planet. If they attack us or we find them away from the temple of their God or Goddess, yes, we can kill them and dedicate their deaths to her. But, for reasons she can¡¯t let us know, we cannot attack another Temple. She did see that this would go over badly, so she told me to tell you that not attacking Temples here will help Anton where he is.¡±
¡°Truly?¡± Caitlyn asked.
¡°Yes,¡± Amelia said.
¡°Very well,¡± Caitlyn said with a sigh,¡± Can I at least go after the leftovers from this attack?¡±
¡°Their Temple is in New York City, over 140 miles away,¡± Amelia said.
Felix looked from Amelia to Caitlyn and then nodded to Caitlyn, ¡°Have fun. Once we get the gates rebuilt, I¡¯ll send out a couple of teams into the surrounding area to make sure none have tried to hide close by.¡±
¡°And I¡¯ll pray on it?¡± Amelia said.
Caitlyn nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll be back when I¡¯m done chasing them down so we can catch up. Once I¡¯m back, you can all fill me in on what¡¯s been going on for the last year.¡±
¡°Happy Hunting,¡± Felix said as Caitlyn activated Refraction and vanished from sight before she flew up and out over the base. She would be the eagle, the follower of Ao, the mouse. It was time to go hunting.
Chapter 58, Tipping Point
Anton was brought out of Battle Meditation as Notifications filled his mind.
SYSTEM Experience Award Complete upon transference to new SYSTEM Environment.
One Error Noted
Error due to Divine Alteration of Award Source.
Experience award of 9,164,000 for killing Vincent Woodrow, a Level 9,164 Shadow Rogue, was altered by the God Anubis.
The God Anubis has been Censured. A Fine in Divine Energy equal to double the Experience Points diverted from you has been levied. The SYSTEM will confiscate all Divine Energy earned to repay this debt from Anubis.
The true award of 34,995,025,00, which includes the ¡°XP award, one-time multiplier: x10,¡± is now awarded.
34,985,861,000 Experience has been awarded to the Class Vampiric, Pseudo-Specter
Vampiric Pseudo-Specter Vampire has increased in level from level 442 to Level 2,989
Anton¡¯s mind froze as he sat up in the bed rapidly. He had time to verbalize the beginning of a thought as he said, ¡°What the he¡¡±
A moment later, his Manifested body vaporized as the SYSTEM filled him with Experience Points. The sudden influx of attributes and levels was more then his body could bear; it evaporated. His Spectral form was surrounded by a blinding white light, which didn¡¯t hurt but was bright enough that the light was visible through the walls of the room he was in. He felt the energy rush into him and watched as every base attribute increased from almost 3,000 to over 13,000 in a moment. With his efficiency bonuses, all of his attributes ended up being over 40,000.
¡°Whoa,¡± Anton said as the light faded, and he found himself floating above the bed.
Anton heard steps rushing toward his room before he heard the receptionist''s voice: ¡°Sir! Sir! Are you okay?¡±
Anton was still getting used to the difference between his Specter form and his Manifest form from before to now, but it was so nice to be able to hear people while they couldn¡¯t normally see him. Anton activated Manifest to recreate his physical form. A moment later, his new body solidified around him, and he called out in a hollow voice, ¡°I¡¯m Fine. Give me a moment.¡±
Anton realized that it was taking a bit longer than he expected for his body to solidify in the world entirely. He opened his Status screen and checked to see why.
Hit Points: 23,979 of 158,856
-Health Regeneration: 7
Stamina: 501,525
-Stamina Regeneration: 12,804
Psychic Energy Reservoir: 568,860
Psychic Energy: 171, 986
-Psychic Regeneration: 1,707
Strength: 42,689
Agility: 42,692
Dexterity: 42,367
Endurance: 42,680
Constitution: 56,091
Perception: 42,692
Intelligence: 42,670
Wisdom: 42,360
Willpower: 56,886
Charisma: 42,670
Luck: 194,253
Anton looked over his Resource Pools and his Attributes and then remembered what Manifest did when initially formed or reformed. His True form would represent his current form. The increase in attributes had increased his maximum Hit Points, but his body still had to acquire those Hit Points at his normal regeneration rate. However, the influx of energy had filled his Psychic Energy Reservoir.
That meant¡.
With a thought, Anton activated Assimilation and converted Psychic Energy from his Reservoir into the missing 134,877 Hit Points. Immediately, his body filled out, and he felt much more substantial as his body manifested fully. Anton checked to make sure he was clothed as he floated down to the ground before he opened the door and found the Receptionist looking into the room.
¡°Sir, are you all right?¡±
¡°Just a little SYSTEM update that just took effect,¡± Anton offered.
¡°A little SYSTEM update,¡± The Receptionist asked hesitantly, ¡°Is it over?¡±
¡°Looks like it,¡± Anton said.
There was a commotion at the stairway as three fully armored and armed men raced up. Each wore a symbol on their chest that looked like an upside-down V with a small circle above it. It took Anton a moment to place it, but he was sure it looked almost identical to the symbol for Earth on Stargate in the same movie and series. He couldn¡¯t help himself as he called out, ¡°S G One?¡±
Three men were so focused on getting to him that the leader stumbled before he asked, ¡°What?¡±
¡°The Symbol on your chest, Are you S G One?¡±
¡°Um, no. We are city guards; the symbol on our chest represents Haven. That¡¯s beside the point. What is going on here?¡±
Anton smiled, ¡°Well, as one of my favorite authors might describe it, ¡®System Fuckery.¡¯¡±
¡°Are you implying that the SYSTEM created and generated the blinding white light that everyone with a half mile just saw?¡±
¡°Well, it wasn¡¯t me?¡± Anton said honestly
¡°Is he lying?¡± The leader asked the man to his left.
¡°I can¡¯t tell. My spell isn¡¯t working on him.¡±
¡°There are serious consequences for using higher-tier magic within the city. I need you to come with us so that we can find out if you¡¯re telling the truth.¡±
¡°And if I say no?¡± Anton asked politely.
¡°We will convince you,¡± The third guard said menacingly as he pulled a wand from his belt.
¡°Whatever,¡± Anton said flippantly. Lead the way. I wouldn¡¯t want to cause a ruckus here,¡± Anton stated. As he stepped through the door, he turned to the receptionist, pulled a gold coin from his inventory, and handed it to him: ¡°Once this is all cleared up, I¡¯d like to be able to stay here for another night; please hold this room for me.¡±
¡°Of course, Sir,¡± The Receptionist said as he accepted the gold coin.
¡°Please lead the way,¡± Anton said.
The lead guard turned and headed down the stairs with Anton behind him and the two remaining city guards following. Once outside Braxx¡¯s Inn, they headed further east into the city. Anton could have ignored them. He could have overpowered them. But he was in a new world and didn¡¯t have the lay of the land yet, so he¡¯d play along for a bit longer unless they went stupid.
Anton followed the city guard while the other two followed behind until they came up to a three-story building that looked to be made of marble and kind of reminded him of one of the government buildings in the bigger cities back on Earth.
The building was huge and looked to take up six city blocks, maybe more on the on the backside. From the street, he could see a main entrance where people of various races were walking into and out of the building. Anton was led around to a side entrance where the majority of people entering and exiting the building had the Symbol of Haven sewn on their clothes somewhere.
¡°We¡¯re going to step inside. The exam rooms are on the right. We¡¯ll enter the first one with an open door,¡± the guard in front said back to him and the guards behind him.
Anton followed the lead guard as they walked inside and entered the third door on the right. As he stepped inside, a woman sat behind a desk to his right. Anton watched as the City Guard, who had led him there, pointed to a piece of paper on her desk. ¡°That one,¡± he said.
The woman picked up the paper, read it over quickly, and smiled as she looked at Anton. ¡°My name is Alice. I am one of the many investigators for the city. May I have your name, please?¡±
¡°Anton.¡±
¡°Just Anton?¡± she asked leadingly.
¡°Names have power. Anton is the name I go by,¡± Anton said.
Alice wrote his name in common on the paper the City Guard had pointed at and then continued, ¡°Very well, Anton. If you would please step to your left into the rune circle in the middle of the room.¡±
¡°Can I ask what you¡¯re going to do?¡±
¡°We are going to make sure that whatever happened in Braxx¡¯s Inn did not change you or make you a danger to Haven?¡±
¡°It was the SYSTEM,¡± Anton said.
¡°Then this should take any time at all. Please step into the rune circle.¡±
Anton moved to his left and stepped into the circle. As he did so, he felt nothing, which probably meant that whatever magic was being used to power the rune wasn¡¯t one of the higher spheres of magic. He looked over at Alice, ¡°It might just be better if you asked me what you were looking for.¡±
Alice pulled a wand and pointed it at the rune circle. A cylinder of light sprung up around Anton, and she smiled. ¡°We don¡¯t really need your permission,¡± she said as the wand glowed.
¡°Yeah, you probably do, and No, that¡¯s not going to work,¡± Anton said.
Alice ignored Anton as the three City Guards watched from just inside the door. Her brow furrowed as she concentrated, then she closed her eyes and seemed to try to push even more of her will into the wand.
¡°As I said, that¡¯s not going to work on me,¡± Anton said with a smug smile.
The wand in Alice¡¯s hand stopped glowing as Alice redirected her attention to Anton, ¡°You are currently inside a ward where only sound and visible light can enter and exit. For some reason, I cannot access your Status Page or Notification window, even though I should be able to access it easily. You will remove any defenses you have, or you will not be allowed to leave that warded circle until you do.¡±Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
¡°So, you¡¯re going to go stupid then,¡± Anton said, shaking his head in an obvious ¡®I¡¯m very disappointed with you¡¯ fashion. See, that¡¯s not going to work for me.¡±
¡°You will stand there until I say you¡¡±
Anton stepped through the magically warded rune, ¡°Yeah, See, here¡¯s the thing¡
Anton¡¯s words were interrupted when the leader of the City guard rushed forward and tried to shove his Longsword through Anton¡¯s chest directly over his heart. The blade stopped dead and then bent and snapped as the full strength of the city guard force came to bear on the weapon.
Everyone in the room froze
¡°Damn man, I¡¯m sorry about your¡,¡± Anton started to say as the second City Guard pointed his hand at him and stated, ¡°Sleep. " The third guard summoned a spear into his hand and thrust it at Anton¡¯s head. Anton casually reached up, caught the spear, and released his aura. The effect was immediate and devastating. All four people in the room dropped to the ground, unconscious.
¡°Oops,¡± Anton said as he dropped the spear beside its owner before he retracted his Aura. Next, he went to the open door and looked out into the hallway. Everyone within 30 feet of him was on the ground. With no idea how long it would take everyone to wake up, Anton exited the room and continued down the hallway away from the doors he¡¯d entered through and made his way deeper into the building. At the end of the corridor was another door, which he stepped through. As he opened the door, a group of guards was rushing toward the door.
The City Guard at the head of the group called out, ¡°Halt!¡±
¡°Alright,¡± Anton said as he waited for them to get to him. Once they were directly in front of him, he said, ¡°My name¡¯s Anton; I¡¯m new to the city. I was asked to come in here by the City Guard so they could test something. Unfortunately, I am completely immune to magic, and they took that poorly. I released my aura, which was a lot more powerful than I expected. Everyone down the hallway behind me is unconscious, as far as I can tell. If any of you attack me, I¡¯m going to release my Aura again and then go find whoever the city leaders are and have a talk, or you can escort me to said leaders so we can have a chat, and you can¡¡±
One of the City Guards at the back of the group called out, ¡°Silence!¡±
Before the Guard who had tried to cut him off could say another word, Anton released his Aura again. Everyone within 30 feet of him dropped to the ground again.
Hey, he¡¯d tried to be nice about this, but these asshats were being complete assholes. He retracted his aura and then began looking around. This time, he ignored the guards unless they tried to stop him, at which point he released his Aura and dropped them to the ground again. Eventually, people ignored him as they rushed to the various groups of people who were lying on the ground unconscious. While he wasn¡¯t sure about exactly what his aura was doing to the people who dropped unconscious, he noticed that they weren¡¯t waking up, but they weren¡¯t dying, so he considered that a win. Using his Aura was a really convenient way to defend himself from attack, and now, with his insanely high attributes, his Aura had a bit of a sting to it, even if its range was limited. It seemed that the levels he¡¯d earned had increased his personal power by quite a bit.
After about 10 minutes of walking around, he determined where the council chamber was and walked up to the giant wooden doors. Two guards stood beside a large double door. A man in a regal black robe looked at Anton before he asked, ¡°May I help you?¡±
¡°I¡¯d like to see the council members?¡±
¡°I am the Lead Council Assistant. May I ask who wishes to present himself?¡±
¡°I am Anton. I arrived from Earth yesterday.¡±
¡°From Earth, you say? Weren¡¯t you to be brought here by the City Guard after the display of magic at Braxx¡¯s Inn?¡± the Lead Council Assistant asked.
¡°You are well informed. Yes, the City Guard escorted me here, and then they attacked me. They are currently unconscious, as is everyone else in the building who attacked me.¡±
¡°You attacked them? You are the person that has been putting everyone to sleep in the building for the last twenty minutes.¡± the Lead Council Assistant said, shock evident on his face.
¡°I did not. I did release my Aura, however, which did put them to sleep. If I have to release my Aura again, I¡¯m quite sure everyone within 30 feet will be rendered unconscious. So, if you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to speak to the City Council and find out what they want to know before I leave the area.¡±
¡°Guards, Seize him!¡±
As the guards moved, Anton had grown tired of the horse shit he¡¯d been putting up with since he¡¯d arrived. The first guard who tried to grab him was thrown down the hall behind him at a velocity that was significant enough that he didn¡¯t hit the ground for 100 feet before continuing to slide down the hall until he slammed into and through the wall to the left of the double doors that led outside.
The second guard drew his weapon and brought it down in a broad slash. Anton caught the blade with his right hand before his left hand reached out, grabbed the full plate armor he was wearing by the chest piece, which did live finger indentions in the metal and flung him after his friend. It was very obvious when he let go that the armor had been bent and broken around a single hand before he was released to fly about the same distance before he slid into and tore through the wall on the opposite side of the double doors to the outside of the building.
Before the Lead Council Assistant could utter a word, Anton reached up, put a hand on each door, and activated Assimilate. Both doors vanished as they were converted into Psychic Energy and 20 points was added to Anton¡¯s Psychic Energy Reservoir.
¡°Who dares interrupt the¡
Anton ignored the man, who was rendered speechless as Anton strode into the chamber. When he reached the center of the room, four spells fizzled as they almost touched his body. Additionally, four bullets hit his chest, and two sniper rounds flattened against his head. Damn, his new Physical Damage Resistance of 561 was no joke. He also noted that the impacts hadn¡¯t caused him to shift or move at all. The bullets hit his body and stopped.
Anton activated the Sigil of Keres, which solidified into existence above his head as he announced, ¡°You asked that I come to talk to you and answer some questions. This is me presenting myself to answer said questions. The next person that attacks me, however, dies in the Name of the Goddess Keres. This is your only war¡.¡±
Another sniper round flattened against his skull. Anton looked at the guard with the sniper rifle and cast Mind Bolt at the Archer. The Bolt made a small hole going through his chest and a huge bloody mess, which exploded out of his back against the wall behind him.
Congratulations! You have defeated a Level 425 City Guard.
5,657,813 Experience Awarded.
You have been awarded 425 Gold from the SYSTEM
You have earned 4,250 Conviction.
Congratulations! You have reached Vampiric Pseudo-Specter Level 2,990
Of course, the other soldiers attacked, which only increased the simmering rage that was building within him. He¡¯d been cast into this place pretty much against his will, and now he was being attacked repeatedly. Why the fuck should he put up with this nonsense? Why indeed?
Anton moved. Within one Combat Turn, the remaining five City Guards joined the first in death. He didn¡¯t use a Mind Bolt for those attacks. Instead, he moved around the room in a flash, striking each attacker just once with his fist before returning to his starting point in the middle of the room. He noted that the four mages that had cast spells at him initially had not attacked since he issued his warning and had instead cast spells to defend the five council members seated at the raised seats in front of him.
Anton quickly skimmed the notifications while he waited for one of the councilors to respond. He noted that all the soldiers he had just killed had been above level 400. For each kill, the SYSTEM had awarded him gold, and he¡¯d gained another level. Anton¡¯s attention was brought to the man in the middle of Dias as he cleared his throat.
¡°Whoever you are, the punishment for killing a City Guard is Death. You just killed six. You are hereby sentenced to Death!¡± he declared as he brought his hand down on an Orb mounted to the desk in front of him.
Anton was pretty sure an Artifact had just been used against him when a field of deathly pale energy surrounded him. It did nothing to him, of course. The SYSTEM didn¡¯t even dignify the attack with a notification. So, Anton ignored the sphere of death energy that surrounded him and strode forward.
With a steady stride, Anton walked toward the Councilor in a straight line. To the other Councilors watching him, it appeared that he was walking on air as he came level with the Councilors and stood opposite the Councilor who had just sentenced him to death. Caught off guard, the Councilor left his hand on the artifact and watched Anton like a deer in headlights. Before the Councilor could speak or move, Anton¡¯s hand lashed out and rested atop the Councilor¡¯s hand on the Artifact as he activated Assimilate.
Everyone watched in horror as Anton drained the 86 Psychic Energy, 1,887 Mana, 5,366 Stamina, and finally the 4,231 Hit Points out of Councilor. Once all of the energy had been sucked dry from the councilor, he assimilated the corpse for the final 10 Psychic Energy. This was represented by the body of the Councilor deflating until only a very thin and fragile husk was left, which evaporated as Anton assimilated the body.
How quickly he¡¯d assimilated, the Councilor had surprised him. With his higher Willpower, he was able to absorb the entire body of the level 497 Councilor and convert him into 11,580 Psychic Energy in only one turn. The Councilor''s body had deflated and vanished before he could so much as scream.
Anton looked to his left, to his right and then to the Lead Council Assistant behind him, ¡°I believe that I have made myself abundantly clear. If you attack me, you die. Now, who would like to ask their questions, or should I be going?
For a few moments, Anton¡¯s question was met with silence until the female Councilor immediately to the left of the seat he was standing in front of cleared her throat as she said, ¡°Guards, Stand down. Marcus, who is this before us?¡±
The Lead Council Assistant looked up and said, ¡°Unto the Esteemed Council of Haven, may I present Anton, who recently arrived from Earth.¡±
Anton nodded as he tapped the orb with his finger a couple of times before returning to the middle of the room and looking back at the remaining four councilors.
¡°I am Anton, and I am from Earth. I was informed that you might have questions.¡±
¡°I have to ask, Why did you kill them?¡± The male Councilor to the left of the female councilor asked.
¡°I was polite to Alice and the City Guards and the various groups of guards that tried to attack me repeatedly as I made my way to this room. You will find that they are all still alive. I remained restrained repeatedly, even though that is not my nature normally. Then, after I gave my warning, six of your guards attacked me again. As you can see from the Mark above my head, I follow Keres, a goddess of violent death. If someone wishes to issue a violent death unto me, I feel it only fair that I reciprocate. Besides, Why wouldn¡¯t I kill each and every person who attacks me?¡±
The Councilor looked exasperated as he said, ¡°But you will make enemies everywhere you go?¡±
Anton didn¡¯t bother to answer the point. If someone was attacking him, they were already his enemy.
The female counselor must have picked up on Anton¡¯s thoughts by reading his body language as she cleared her throat and asked, ¡°Did you cause the blinding white light that emanated from Braxx¡¯s Inn earlier today?¡± The Councilor on the far right asked.
¡°No, that was the SYSTEM, as I explained to the City Guards that came to Braxx¡¯s Inn.¡±
¡°What did the SYSTEM do,¡±
¡°It would seem that I pissed off the God Anubis back on Earth enough for him to try to prevent an Experience reward I earned. Upon arriving here, the SYSTEM performed an Audit and found the discrepancy. The white light was the SYSTEM giving me the reward I¡¯d earned.¡±
¡°Then why didn¡¯t you just let Alice look at your Status and Notification list with her ritual? If what you say is true, that would have been the end of it,¡± The female Councilor said heatedly.
¡°Because it won¡¯t work on me.¡±
¡°That ritual works on everyone, no matter their level.¡±
¡°Will it work on someone immune to magic?¡±
¡°No one is immune to magic?¡±
¡°Which I assumed was the default answer Alice was going to stick with, so I stepped through her ¡°impenetrable¡± ward, just like I stepped through the wards that were protecting the five of you and ignored all the spells that were thrown at me by your mages. I am immune to magic.¡±
¡°If you are immune to magic, that still doesn¡¯t explain why the bullets that hit you had no effect. If you¡¯re immune to magic, You can¡¯t use magic to protect yourself, can you? So, how are you immune to physical attacks?
¡°I¡¯m sure you all have heard of Physical Damage Resistance, being level 400 or higher, My resistance is higher than yours.
¡°No one is sent here with a level lower than 400 or higher than 499,¡± the Councilor said adamantly.
¡°You are quite correct. When I arrived west of Haven, I was level 442. As I stated, a god in the previous Universe I was in tried to limit a reward I received, and that bit of tampering was corrected this morning.¡±
¡°I see,¡± the Councilor on the far right said, ¡°Then, If I might ask, what level are you?¡±
¡°I am now over level 1,000,¡± Anton said truthfully.
¡°Truly,¡± The female Councilor who had assumed the role of the Council Speaker.
¡°Truly,¡± Anton Confirmed.
¡°Anton, you¡¯ve only been in the city for a single day, but let me ask you, what levels do you think the people of Haven are?¡±
¡°Everyone I¡¯ve had combat today was over 400, so I would venture to say level 400.¡±
¡°And what level were the people back on your homeworld?¡±
¡°Except for a few exceptional cases, most were under level 100 as far as I could tell.¡±
¡°Haven is a city where people are born and die, but it is a city that was created by those of us who were sent here from elsewhere. The people in charge and the veteran guards might all be over level 400, but the majority of the citizens of Haven are under level 100 because most of them were born here. New arrivals such as yourself are normally between levels 400 and 499. When someone could pose a threat to the majority of our citizens, we usually remove them from the city if possible or destroy them if necessary,¡± She explained.
¡°Hey, I have no guilt over what happened here. I was attacked repeatedly, and I gave out warnings. They were ignored, and people died.¡±
¡°And if I were to tell you that someone is on their way here that can do to you what you did to others, what would you say to that?¡±
¡°I would say that you did a very good job stalling me, even though I had no intention of attacking anyone that does not attack me first,¡± Anton said matter-of-factly.
Pop
¡°No one that is truly evil ever does,¡± a voice said from directly behind Anton said.
Anton turned to see a twelve-foot male Celestial, complete with a giant two-handed flaming sword and a holy Aura, standing behind him.
¡°Only the Righteous can withstand my might!¡± The celestial declared as he swung a giant two-handed sword faster than anyone in the room, save Anton, could follow. The sword was brought around in an arch to cleave Anton in two. Anton reached up with his left hand and caught the blade with two fingers as he simultaneously punched the Celestial in the center of his chest. The Celestial stopped moving as time seemed to freeze, and notifications filled Anton¡¯s vision.
Combat Log
Divine Strike for 795 points of damage Blocked by your Unarmed Defense of 9,849. No damage taken.
Basic Melee Punch Successful, Critical Strick Noted
64,074 Damage (21,358 Base with a x3 Multiplier) Inflicted
Celestial Soldier Hit Points reduced to -50,399
Celestial Soldier has been disincorporated and returned to his Plane of origin.
You have destroyed a Celestial Soldier of a God Abhorrent to your Goddess. The Conviction award is doubled.
You have received 28,700 Conviction.
Celestial Soldiers are constructs. Basic Monster Experience Awards are utilized.
You have received 143,500 Experience Points
You have received 2,870 Gold
You have looted a Celestial Great Sword
Celestial Great Sword. Base Damage 12: In the hands of a Celestial, this sword is imbued with the divinity of their God. All Damage Considered Fire and Divine based and doubled after the Strength Bonus is applied.
Anton had no idea why his perception had sped up to the point where he could review his notification in the middle of combat but he was very appreciative of the fact that it had. He now knew exactly what had happened to the Celestial and why. He¡¯d punched it hard enough to send it back to its plane of existence. If the rules of disincorporation for Celestials were anything like his, it would be days, if not weeks, before he returned.
Anton brought his attention back to the room as he turned to face the four councilors and noticed that their look of shock mirrored the look he¡¯d seen on the Celestial''s face before he popped like a balloon. Anton made eye contact with each councilor before a slightly manic glint entered his eyes, and he said, ¡°I do believe I was quite clear about my feeling about being continuously attacked.¡±
Anton had reached his tipping point. The simmering rage within him bubbled to the surface and before anyone in the room could respond, Anton attacked.
Chapter 59, Resistance is Futile
Anton moved from one Councilor to another. He had not lowered any of his innate magic resistance, allowing him to bypass every magical shield and protection they had. The fact that one of his strikes inflicted 21,358 points of damage, which was tripled because each of his strikes was considered a critical hit, ensured that each time he struck, a councilor died. Notifications began filling his vision, which he immediately minimized as he moved from councilor to councilor and then onto the mages, who had finally reacted and tried to cast spells at him.
The councilors and mages were all dead and assimilated as before the end of the first turn. When he¡¯d finished, Anton moved to stand directly in front of the Lead Councilor Assistant as the final Notification pushed through the filter he¡¯d put in place.
Congratulations! You have reached Level 2,993
Congratulations! You have destroyed the Council of Haven. Would you like to claim ownership of the City of Haven, Yes or No?
Anton chose ¡°Yes.¡±
Anton smiled as a new SYSTEM Message appeared in his vision.
SYSTEM Message: The Council of Haven has fallen.
Anton has claimed the City of Haven.
¡°What have you done!¡± The Lead Council Assistant exclaimed as he fell to his knees and reached toward the heavens.
Anton ignored him, moved back to the Head Councilor''s seat, and touched the orb mounted to the desk. It wasn¡¯t an Artifact; it was the City Node. As Anton concentrated on it, multiple menus with multiple questions popped up. He was asked repeatedly if he would like to make this or that change. Anton confirmed all the current settings as he heard booted steps rush into the Council chamber. With his high perception, he heard bowstrings get drawn and rifles locked and loaded as guards prepared the fire.
Before Anton even considered what to do about the guards, the Lead Council Assistant spoke up, ¡°Hold your fire! Hold your fire! If you attack our new City Owner, you will die. He made this very clear to the previous Councilors and soldiers who were guarding them. He did so multiple times. He then wiped out the councilors and the four mages in this room within 10 seconds. Within 10 seconds, they ceased to exist, So HOLD YOUR DAMN FIRE!¡±
Anton focused his attention on the Lead Council Assistant, gave him a thumbs-up gesture with his right hand, and then said, ¡°You''re Hired! Keep doing what you''re doing while I access the City Node for the next few minutes. I¡¯ll be done momentarily.¡±
Anton quickly accepts all previous settings as he keeps an eye on the City Guards, especially the two rogues making their way along the wall. They had Stealth active, but Anton could see through It with no problem. Which skills utilize magic? If they did, why did skills affect him? Their stealth didn¡¯t, but he was pretty sure that was due to his high perception and intelligence, which allowed him to see through their skills easily. An errant thought crossed his mind: If skills utilized magic, even basic spheres to which he was immune, then they shouldn¡¯t be able to affect him unless something else was mimicking those effects. Maybe it¡¯s a SYSTEM Thing. It must be a SYSTEM thing. It was weird that the information wasn¡¯t listed anywhere in his ability.
Anton focused on the City Node until he found what he was looking for. There was a functionality that would allow him to change or modify the Level 3 City Center he was currently sitting in. The functionality existed, but did he really want to create a temple here? Probably not. Still, he pulled up the City Hall map and took note of all the rooms, passages, and secret doors that were hidden throughout City Hall.
Anton pulled his awareness from the City Node and noted that the two rogues, or assassins, that were sneaking up on him were now within five feet and about to strike. The Lead Council Assistant had his back to Anton, but there was one City Guard who was watching Anton and the two rogues.
Before the rogues could attack, Anton moved to stand directly in front of the leader of the City Guard, ¡°You were going to say something?¡±
¡°What?¡± The man said.
¡°The oldies are truly the best,¡± Anton said with a hint of a smile.
¡°What?¡±
¡°Especially when you play into them,¡± Anton stated with a smug look on his face.
¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± The guard said confusedly.
¡°Understand this. This City needs Guards, The City needs you, and the two rogues that think they¡¯re being sneaky as they tried to move into striking range. There¡¯s just one problem, You can¡¯t hurt me, you can¡¯t kill me, and if you piss me off, I¡¯ll just turn you into my next meal, literally. So, take your soldiers and go fuck off while I¡¯ll talk to¡By the way, what is your name?¡± Anton asked, directing the question to the Lead Council Assistant.
¡°My name? My name is Liam, Councilor.¡±
¡°I¡¯m not a Councilor, nor am I a master or any other such nonsense. If you must address me with a title, then use the honorific Mayor. Mayor, Mayor Anton, or Anton is fine.¡±
¡°As you like, Mayor Anton,¡± Liam said.
Anton looked to see the two rogues still trying to sneak up on him.
¡°What the fuck is up with you people,¡± Anton said with a hint of exasperation as he created Spectral Hands and moved one near each rogue. Next, he directed the hands to touch each piece of clothing and weapon on the rouges and activated Assimilate them. Anton looked directly at them as their clothing and weapons were assimilated, which left them completely naked.
The Captain of the Guard stopped moving as his eyes went wide. The reaction of the two rogues was a little more hilarious. The male rouge stood completely still while he equipped more clothing from his inventory while he remained stealthed. The woman, on the other hand, lost her concentration and appeared naked in front of everyone. Gasps of surprise suddenly surrounded Anton as they noticed and ogled her.
As both rogues continued to equip clothing that Anton immediately assimilated, their frustration grew increasingly apparent. Granted, he wasn¡¯t getting more than two points of psychic energy per article of clothing, but he had to admit the look of embarrassment and horror on the woman¡¯s face was priceless.
While everyone in the room looked on with shock, the woman continued to put on clothes that then disappeared. Anton used the distraction to return to the Chief Councilor''s seat and sat down. As he continued to use his Spectral Hands to Assimilate any clothing the rogue equipped, he started laughing loud enough for everyone in the room to hear. When he was sure he had all of their attention, he said, ¡°Play stupid games, Win stupid prizes.¡±
The rogues turned and looked at him as he held each of their gazes. Not that he actually cared that either of them were naked. Still, he made sure that the female rogue understood that he was thoroughly enjoying the view as he said, ¡°Yes, I can see both of you. You¡¯re both very fit, and I must admit, Miss Female Rogue or Assassin, whatever you are, you are quite stunning. So here¡¯s what I¡¯m going to do. You two and the rest of the City Guard are going to go to the door and leave. At least four of you will remain outside of the doorway¡ Wait, hold on a second.¡±
Anton touched the City Node and used the city coffers to replace the doors. Everyone watched as the doors suddenly reappeared as the SYSTEM replaced them in the closed position. That done, Anton turned back to the city Guard and noticed that the female had been able to get a slip-on. He assimilated it.
¡°Okay, now that the doors are back, all of you, besides Liam, are to wait outside the door while I speak with Liam privately. Leave a contingent of four guards. Liam will be along later to let you all know what¡¯s going on. Dismissed.¡±
The Captain of the Guard was about to say something when Anton saw Liam shake his head ever so slightly. The Captain looked from Liam to Anton and then stood to attention as he said, ¡°As you command,¡± before he turned and led the rest of the guards out, including the rogues.
Once the doors closed, Liam looked at Anton and asked, ¡°May I speak freely, or should I walk on eggshells when speaking with you?¡±
¡°When we¡¯re alone, you can speak as you like so long as you do not attack or initiate an attack against me,¡± Anton said.
Liam nodded and then continued, ¡°Understood. My question is this: did you have to humiliate the city guard?¡±
¡°That is your question? Very well. Yes, I had to humiliate the rogues. Why? Because the Captain was watching them as they tried to sneak up on me. He could see them, which meant that he was about to order an attack, which would have forced me to kill everyone in the room besides you unless you would have also tried to attack. I would rather not deprive this city of its dedicated guards if I don¡¯t have to, especially since I don¡¯t expect to stay for very long. That said, I also wanted to show the Captain that I could disarm every single soldier under his command without moving a muscle and do it in such a way as to leave them utterly helpless if he continued to test me.¡±
¡°I see,¡± Liam said thoughtfully.
¡°Maybe you do, maybe you don¡¯t, but the one thing I hope I¡¯ve made abundantly clear to you is that I am a man of my word. If I say I¡¯m going to do something, I will. Those that attacked me died. Those that attack me in the future will die. It¡¯s not a complex concept to understand, and I¡¯m sure some monsters work on the same principle.¡±
Liam nodded, ¡°May I ask what your plans are for the city of Haven?¡±
¡°That depends, but first, let''s retire to the meeting room behind these seats where we can both sit down. There is no need for you to stand there because, please understand, I have questions, many questions,¡± Anton said before he stood and walked to the door into the meeting room behind the Council Chamber. Liam walks to the side of the seat, up the stairs there, and then follows him into the meeting room.
Once they were both seated, Liam asked, ¡°May I summon refreshments?¡±
¡°Of course.¡±
Liam pushes one of the buttons on the armrest of his chair, which Anton noticed was also on his chair. A moment later, a young female elf rushed in and paused when she saw Liam and Anton sitting at the table. She recovered quickly and moved to Liam¡¯s side, ¡°What can I get you, Sir?¡±
A minute later, the attendant left with Liam¡¯s order and Anton''s request for a glass of water. While they waited, Anton asked, ¡°Liam, are you from Haven, or did you arrive like I did?¡±
¡°I was born here.¡±
¡°You¡¯re only 20 years old? You look a bit older than that?¡±
¡°Haven, as it is now, did not exist when I was born. Some 20 years ago, the expansion of Haven started. It was just a small village before that.¡±
¡°Am I correct in assuming that the area outside of the City¡¯s Influence consists of creatures and monsters of level 400 or greater.?
¡°the inner city consists of an area for housing and industry that is approximately 10 miles in diameter, centered around the City Hall. Then out to 25 miles in all directions there is farmland for various crops and livestock which feeds the people within the city.¡±
¡°And outside that 25 miles radius?¡±
¡°Outside that radius the rest of the planet is as the SYSTEM intended, Wild. There are other smaller villages and castles owned by very powerful individuals but Haven is the one place on the planet that is protected, or was protected, by the Council and the Gods.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
¡°When you say protected by the Gods, what do you mean exactly? Do the Gods personally protect the land, or are their Angels or Demons protecting the city.?¡±
¡°The Conviction of our faith is used to fuel a barrier that keeps all monsters out of this area,¡± Liam explained.
¡°So, what you''re saying is that the Temple district in this city serves the fundamental purpose of protecting everyone here. If that is so, why do you have a City Guard?¡±
¡°The barrier maintained by our faith only keeps monsters outside the city. Individuals who are transported into the city or who travel here must be kept in check should they cause issues.¡±
¡°I take it most of your visitors are in the 400-level range?¡±
¡°They are,¡± Liam confirmed.
¡°Okay then, so now, if I were to release control of the city, what would happen?¡±
¡°Most likely, the strongest people in the city would vie for control.¡±
¡°Is that a good or bad thing?¡± Anton asked.
¡°The priests would want control; then there¡¯s the merchants guild. Also, the Adventurers Guild would want it.
¡°What about the Captain of the Guard?¡±
¡°I¡¯m sure he would also like to become a Councilor if such a position became available again,¡± Liam answered.
¡°Very well. You mentioned merchants. Is there also a Mages guild or someplace that teaches or sells magical spells as well?¡±
¡°But you said you''re immune to magic,¡± Liam said confusedly.
¡°Oh, I am, but I have some questions for someone knowledgeable in the arcane arts.¡±
Before Liam could respond, the Attendant returned with their drinks and snacks. Without hesitation, Anton picked up the cup of water and took a long drink. When he was done, he placed the glass on the desk before him as the Attendant watched him closely.
Anton casually looked at the notifications populating his vision as he keep his attention on the attendant.
Warning! You have been Poisoned.
Poison Level: 499.
Poison Type: Consumed.
Poison Lethality Rating if Consumed: Epic
Poison Lethality Rating if touched: Below Common
The manufactured poison, Sweet Dreams, has poisoned you. This toxic poison is colorless and has no odor. If touched, the poison is absorbed through the pores of the skin and will instantly inflict 249 points of damage.
If ingested, the potion will do 499 points of damage per turn for six turns.
Anton closed the Notification window and smiled as he looked at the Attendant. Liam looked at Anton with interest as Anton stared into the attendant''s eyes. After the full six turns had passed and Anton had taken the entire 11,976 points of damage, each turn had been considered a critical hit which adjusted the damage by a four times class multiplier. Damn, the Assassin that made that poison must have an Advanced Class.
¡°Interesting Poison, it really has no taste,¡± Anton commented.
¡°Poison!¡± Liam exclaimed.
The attendant''s face paled, ¡°Pu Pu Poison? He didn¡¯t say anything about a poison; he just said to give you the water and watch you to see if you wanted anything else.¡±
¡°Who is he?¡±
¡°Baltar, the Assistant Chef,¡± The attendant sobbed as she fell to her knees.
¡°Baltar, I know him, a bald halfling with a silver goatee. Unique among his kind because almost all halflings have hair,¡± Liam said.
Anton looked at the Attendant. Either she was a phenomenal liar, or she¡¯d been duped. He activated Analyze
Name: Leonore Davern
Race: Human
Age: 17
Class: None
Level: 0
HP: 2
So a dupe, probably. Anton looked at Liam, ¡°You have individuals working in the City Hall that haven¡¯t even attained a class yet?¡±
¡°Of course. Until today, this was the safest place in the city.¡±
¡°Well, both of you wait here, I have a halfling to go catch.¡±
You¡¯ll never find him if he doesn¡¯t want to be found,¡± Liam said.
Anton deactivated Manifest and shot off toward the kitchen. And then, utilizing his knowledge of City Hall from the SYSTEM map he¡¯d pulled up when he took control, he quickly checked each exit that was close to the kitchen. There was no sign of the halfling which was as Anton had expected. He slipped through a wall into a secret passage that ran across the length of City Hall and shot toward the opposite side of the building, where he found the halfling walking as fast as his little legs could carry him toward a secret exit along the wall behind some bushes. Before he reached the door, Anton activated Spectral Hand and then Assimilate on the Dwarf, except this time, he didn¡¯t take the last step to reduce his body to energy and instead activated Animate, one of the new Psychic Skills he¡¯d obtained right before he was sent here.
Animate
You may now animate creatures that you assimilate instead of breaking them down within a range equal to your skill level in Animate in feet. The animated creatures are treated as natural extensions of your body. You see through their eyes, hear through their ears, and feel what they touch.
Animating a corpse that is assimilated requires you to spend 100 Psychic Energy to do so. You may choose to manually initiate the animation process or automate it as you like.
Animated Corpses become extensions of your body and may be controlled out to 100 feet + 10 feet per skill level of Animate from your body.
You may control a number of animated corpses equal to your skill level in Animate.
Animated corpses have 10 hit points and use your resource pools for all other expenditures. Damage done to an animated corpse is subtracted from the corpse''s hit points, not yours.
Should an Animated Corpse be flooded with 201 Psychic Energy, it will explode, doing 6 points of damage out to one foot, 3 points of damage to two feet, 2 points of damage to 4 feet, and 1 point of damage out to 8 feet.
Anton felt his point of view shift to two locations. He could control his Spectral form and the body of the halfling while not manifested. Oh, the possibilities. Now, he wished he¡¯d taken over the Council; that would have made this easy. He also wondered what would happen if he went outside the range of his skill. Would the corpse of the halfling fall to the ground or stand there waiting for him? He couldn¡¯t give it orders because he didn¡¯t talk to the Animated corpse; it, indeed, was an extension of himself. Also, there was no adjustment. Suddenly, he completely controlled both his Spectral Form and the body simultaneously.
Anton activated Detect Magic. The skill worked from both his Spectral Form and his halfling body. He quickly removed all of the magical equipment and clothing he could see on the halfling''s body. Two rings, the shoes he wore, which were more like sandals, and a dagger he was carrying. He would analyze them later. Anton Manifested in the hallway and walked back to the Council Chamber.
As he walked back into the meeting room, he noticed that Liam was attempting to calm the attendant just as he looked up and met Anton¡¯s eyes. His halfling eyes, but they were his eyes now.
¡°Baltar?¡± Liam asks as he notices that something is not quite right with Baltar.
¡°The spirit of Baltar is no longer with us,¡± Anton stated from his manifested body before he continued from Baltar¡¯s Body, ¡°But this body is now mine to control.¡±
The attendant gasped and then fell to her knees, sobbing.
¡°What are you?¡± Liam asks.
¡°I¡¯m a man with some unique skills, and now, here is what I would like you to do. First, I need directions to the Merchant quarter. I need to go shopping. Second, I need you to invite the groups you mentioned, as well as anyone else who is powerful enough, to either rule this city or serve on a council that will govern this city. Tell them if they wish for that opportunity, they will need to be here by midday tomorrow.¡±
¡°As you wish.¡±
¡°Also, Liam, you are now the Administrator for the City of Haven. I don¡¯t know what the current rank structure within the city is, but I¡¯m going to adjust the Administrator position so that you¡¯d have just as many powers as an assistant to the Councilors. In this case, you¡¯ll be second to the Mayor. If something happens to me, you¡¯ll be in charge.¡±
¡°But I can¡¯t possibly hold that position if something happens to you,¡± Liam states neutrally.
¡°You really need to stop worrying about anything happening to me. It¡¯s not going to. Well, I guess it could if a God were to take direct action against me, but as long as the SYSTEM is forcing the Gods to play by its rules, those rules protect me. So, don¡¯t you worry your little head about it,¡± Anton said. As he had Baltar¡¯s body walk back into the Council Chamber and touch the City Node, a SYSTEM message was generated.
SYSTEM Message!
Liam Hearthfire has been named the Administrator of Haven by the City Owner, Anton.
¡°You do realize that this puts a target on my head,¡± Liam stated with a look of worry in his eyes.
¡°Then use the funds of the city to purchase what you believe you need to protect yourself and have the Captain of the Guard assign some guards to you. As for me, I¡¯m going to head to the Merchant¡¯s quarter.
¡°How are you going to get there? Everyone who sees you will challenge you,¡± Liam said.
Anton dismisses his manifested body as Baltar¡¯s body walked back into the room, ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem. I assume everyone knows Baltar?¡±
¡°They do,¡± Liam answers.
¡°Good, then I¡¯m going to head out. I would suggest that you bring the Captain in and get those guards. I¡¯ll be back later,¡± Anton said before he walked Baltar¡¯s body out of the Council Chamber, followed by his Spectral body. One thing Anton did notice as he walked out of City Hall was that there was a maintenance cost of one Psychic Energy every turn to maintain the animation of the body he was controlling. Also, his Skill Level of 50 meant that he could take over up to 50 bodies, which he could easily control with his Psychic Energy Regeneration of 1,710 per turn.
Another thing he noticed was Baltar¡¯s animated body wasn¡¯t deteriorating while he maintained it. Sure, he looked a little pale, but all he needed to do was buy a few hooded cloaks to take care of that problem in the future. Also, he moved his spectral form below ground and floated underneath Baltar¡¯s body as he headed toward the Merchant¡¯s quarter.
It ended up being a bit of a long walk. Unlike his regular body, Baltar¡¯s was quite a bit slower. Still, it was a lovely day for a walk, and he was able to take in the atmosphere of the people as they went about their day. Two guards followed Anton, but they stayed about fifty feet behind him as he made his way north.
After he¡¯d walked an hour, he came to the end of the road. It ended at a drop-off to another part of the city that was at least 100 feet below him. Also, if he didn¡¯t know better, it looked a lot like the overhead view of Mos Eisley in the Star Wars movies. The buildings weren¡¯t made of Adobe or clay. Instead, they looked to be made of concrete in most places, and there was an area that looked to have landing pads toward the center of the depressed area.
Anton looked around and noticed a way down to the lower ground level. To his west, there was a ramp that allowed both vehicle and foot traffic to make their way up and down simultaneously. There was also one to the east, but it was much further away. Just then, he heard the sound of multiple jet or rocket engines as a ship slid out of nothing in front of him and went to land.
Anton moved his Spectral form forward until it was out of the sheer cliff of the ground he was floating through and looked up to where the ship had appeared from. His Spectral body saw a cloud-filled sky, and the sky above the city that Baltar was looking at was clear. There was a portal there. He couldn¡¯t see it from Baltar¡¯s body because of the angle, but he should have been able to once he started heading down the ramp. From where Baltar was standing, it would look like the ship appeared out of nowhere. The fact that there was a ship was also interesting.
Anton returned his spectral body to follow along underneath Baltar¡¯s body as he made his way to the ramp and down into the Merchant¡¯s Quarter. It descends along the outer wall until it makes a 90-degree right turn toward the center of the depression the Merchant¡¯s Quarter sat in. The City Guards follow Baltar down to the bottom of the ramp, where he came to a four-way intersection.
The Merchant¡¯s main lane was actually a road that circled the landing pads. As they reached the end of the ramp to the upper area of the city, Anton came to a stop at a four-way intersection. He has to cross the Merchant¡¯s Lane to get to the inside ring where all the businesses and warehouses were. It looked like there was an inner road that also circled the center, which allowed one business to sit on this outer lane and two businesses to sit on the inner lane, one on the outer and inner side of that inner lane, respectively.
The vehicles in the area ranged from horse-drawn carts to cars to hovercraft. Some were magically driven, while others showed the telltale signs of being technological constructs. The first business he saw was a shop that had a sign that said ¡°John¡¯s Trade Shop.¡± On the opposite side of the street was a place called ¡°Tom¡¯s Roadhouse.¡± Anton could smell the food from where he stood, and it smelled delicious. He might not have to eat food anymore, but he could appreciate it.
Anton made his way across the road, which had a working crosswalk, complete with a walk and stop sign for pedestrians and lights for vehicles. Anton noted that the lights were only followed by vehicles on the road. Flying vehicles and individuals ignored the lights. The lights followed the standard Earth design.
Anton crossed the street and made his way into John¡¯s Trade shop. As he entered the building, a large man behind the counter looked up and pointed at Baltar, ¡°We don¡¯t allow undead¡wait, you''re not undead.¡±
¡°This body is not,¡± Anton said.
¡°Then what are you?¡± the man asked.
¡°Anton slid up out of the floor and activated Manifest.
Instead of being surprised, the giant man simply said, ¡°Neat Trick.¡±
¡°It is. The body you were originally talking to is now an extension of myself. I¡¯m Anton, the new City Owner. John, I presume,¡± Anton said as he stuck out his hand.
John clasped Anton¡¯s wrist and let go, ¡°Nice to meet you, Anton. I am John, and this is my establishment. What can I do for you today.¡±
¡°I¡¯d like to see what you have and also access the SYSTEM Shop if possible.¡±
John smiled, ¡°I can definitely tell you what we have, but I don¡¯t know what a SYSTEM Shop is?¡±
¡°It¡¯s like a City Node, except it gives everyone access to goods and services if they can afford them. All goods and services.¡±
¡°Oh, the way the Merchant Classes used to work. I¡¯m sorry to tell you, friend, that more than 20 years ago, the SYSTEM changed how it handles merchants. There isn¡¯t a SYSTEM Shop anymore.¡±
¡°So how do Merchants get their goods?¡± Anton asked.
¡°The old-fashioned way, we trade with people and sell the stock we get for a profit. However, we merchants do have access to a dimensional hub where we have access to almost anything you can think of. Of course, you have to be a good merchant to get access to the Hub, and let me tell you, I am one of those well-established merchants.¡±
¡°Can you accept credits and coins from the system bank, or do we need to pay you using what we have on hand?¡± Anton asked.
¡°I have a SYSTEM Bank account; any self-respecting Merchant or Vendor has one,¡± John said as he pulled out a thin metal plate, ¡°Just put your hand on this so I can check your credit.¡±
¡°Do you mind if I check something?¡± Anton asks
¡°If it involves me making more credits, sure,¡± John states happily.
¡°Anton walked Baltar¡¯s body over to John and placed his halfling hand on the metal plate, ¡°What does your plate tell you?¡±
¡°You have 131 million credits. No other coins are listed on this account.¡±
Anton smiled as he spoke through Baltar¡¯s body, ¡°Well then, it sounds like I need to do some trading, doesn¡¯t it?¡±
Chapter 60, Prioritizing Activities
¡°All right, John, the first thing I want to do is transfer the 131 million credits on this account to my friend''s account. What¡¯s your normal fee for that?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Normally, I take 5%, but 131 million credits? That¡¯s like, wait a second,¡± John pulled up his fingers and began to count.
¡°You know what,¡± Anton said, interrupting his train of thought, ¡°Why not just make it an even 10% or 13.1 million credits for you and 117.9 million credits for me.¡±
It¡¯s my money, Anton said from Baltar¡¯s mouth, ¡°I¡¯m quite sure.¡±
¡°If you''re sure, please put your hand on this tablet,¡± John said as he pulled out another tablet and placed it in front of Anton¡¯s Manifested body.
Anton placed his hand on the tablet while John manipulated something on a third tablet he had in his hand for a few minutes before he looked up and said, ¡°All set.¡±
¡°Good,¡± Anton said simultaneously from both bodies as he pulled his hands off the tablets they were touching. Through Baltar, Anton wandered around the shop while Anton looked at John and continued, ¡°So recently, I was part of a SYSTEM Event in another Realm, A Battle Royale as it were. During that event, I estimate that there were at least five million participants.¡±
¡°Five million?¡± John said wonderingly.
¡°Five million. Now, I didn¡¯t kill or end all of them because everyone had an opportunity to surrender. If you were killed or surrendered, any loot they earned while on the planet, which included all weapons, armor, and items, were added to the victor¡¯s Event Storage location, which we can pull stuff out of but not put back into.¡±
Baltar looked thoughtful for a moment before it clicked: ¡°You have a lot of stuff to sell, but if you pull it out, you won¡¯t have any place to put it back in?¡±
¡°Exactly.¡±
¡°What is that, like 20 million items or so?¡± John asked.
¡°Let me put it this way: I was able to level my Identify and Personal Storage Skills to level 80, which is the maximum level mortals can level their skills to. I Identified 885,600 items, which are now sitting in both my Personal Storage and a secondary Storage Skill I have.¡±
¡°Did you say 885,600 magical items?¡± John said with a cross between excitement and dread in his eyes.
¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Anton asked.
¡°I might not be able to buy everything you¡¯re selling. I¡¯m wealthy, but not that wealthy.¡±
¡°I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d get one lump sum. Besides, I need some things which are probably going to be expensive in their own right.¡±
¡°What kind of things.¡±
¡°Spell Scrolls, Spell Books, and access to some of the best Magical Trainers this world has to offer.¡±
¡°You could get those with the 117 million credits you just received from Baltar,¡± John said with a smirk.
¡°Also, if there are ways to increase spell levels or skill levels for skills I already have, I¡¯d be very interested in acquiring enough to level at least 20 skills to level 80.¡±
John looked thoughtful. With what you just told me, you will definitely be able to cover the cost. The issue will be availability. I will need to travel to the Hub and speak with my contacts there to see how much I could acquire.¡± John paused for a second before he suddenly looked up, ¡°Wait! You said you were in a Battle Royale. Do you have Mythical, Legendary, and artifact-level items in your inventory?¡±
¡°Of course, but I¡¯m not talking about those items. I may be able to use them for something else.¡±
¡°Do you have any items that would be useful for a merchant?¡± John asked excitedly.
¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know,¡± Anton said truthfully. Maybe. The first thing I want to do, though, is hand over the times I have in my Personal Storage areas and then move all the lesser items out of the Event Storage that was supplied by the SYSTEM so I can move the rarer items out of the Event Storage and take a proper look at them.¡±
¡°Okay, I can work with that. How much space do you think we need?¡±
¡°Let me check,¡± Anton said as he pulled up his Personal Storage and his Maggen¡¯s Exceptional Storage skills, which had both reached level¡80. When had they reached level 80? Well, he had been meditating to get meditate to level 100. Anton quickly checked his skill list and noted that only two skills that he possessed broke the level 80 mark. Specter and Mediation. All of his other skills were either level 80 or under. Most weren¡¯t above level 40.
Anton pulled up the description of both storage skills and checked the area they could now hold. Each stated that it could hold up to 1,035 cubic feet. Anton turned back to John as he explained, ¡°In my personal storage skills, I currently have approximately 2,070 Cubic feet of weapons, armor, and items. Neither is entirely full. My Event Storage probably has at least ten times that amount.
John¡¯s eyes went wide with shock as he stuttered, ¡°An¡and you want to sell it all to me?¡±
¡°If you think you can handle that kind of volume,¡± Anton said.
John stood quickly as he said, ¡°Follow me.¡± He led Anton to the back of the room and a hallway with four doors. Instead of going to one of the doors, he stepped to the wall at the end of the hallway and touched a spot on the wall. There was a slight green glow, and the wall panel slid silently to the right. Beyond the panel was another door, ¡°Once we step through here, we¡¯ll be in an adjacent dimension, a pocket dimension that acts as my warehouse,¡± John said as he stepped through.
Anton followed with his actual body but left Baltar¡¯s body in the shop. This was a perfect time to see what would happen if he moved out of range of one of the bodies he controlled. As soon as he stepped through the door, the portal behind him closed, and the information he¡¯d received from Baltar was cut off, just as expected. Now, he had to see if he automatically connected to Baltar when he stepped back through or if the body was no longer usable.
Anton¡¯s thoughts were interrupted by a new Notification.
WARNING! The City Node of Haven has been Claimed.
You have 60 minutes to return to the City Node and secure it. If you do not, the individual claiming the City Node will become the new Owner of Haven.
John looked up from his notification, ¡°So, John, why did someone just take over the City Node of Haven after I stepped into another dimension?¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
¡°You heard me?¡±
¡°Well, some of the guilds in the city know about my warehouse and that it¡¯s in another plane. If they saw you walk into my store, someone could have passed on that information.¡±
¡°And you had nothing to do with it?¡± Anton asked suspiciously.
¡°Am I upset that one of the guilds or people within the City is taking the city back from an unknown leader that just arrived? No. Am I more excited about making a deal with that unknown leader for the items that he¡¯s bringing from another Realm? Absolutely.¡±
¡°So, for you, it¡¯s all about the profit?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Very well then, were you paid to bring me into your pocket dimension?¡±
¡°No. I wouldn¡¯t do that. As you can see from looking around, I am a merchant. I stay out of your politics. Now, if we¡¯re done talking about politics, can we continue?¡±
Anton wasn¡¯t sure what to think, but John didn¡¯t seem to be lying, so Anton nodded once.
¡°We should have enough room to unload the amount of goods you described,¡± John said as he swept his arms around to take in the area around him, which had individuals in the distance scurrying to and fro.¡±
¡°Wait, does this dimension have other exits?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Of course. My warehouse is connected to five other locations on the planet. Haven is the largest thought. This Warehouse is also connected to the Hub, but that is a one-way connection from the Hub to here. Only a Merchant can access the Hub. It¡¯s just the way this skill I have works, which links the two locations. Those that do not have a warehouse are limited to selling and buying only what they can carry. As you can see, I can go there and sell quite a bit, but if I have the coin, I can purchase it and send it back to my warehouse, where it will be sorted and stored,¡± John explained.
¡°Is that a class skill?¡± Anton asked.
¡°It is. Also, it is a scarce skill. I¡¯m not going to tell you what rarity, but let''s say not many Merchants or Vendors have this skill.¡±
¡°John, are you trying to convince me that you are irreplaceable?¡± Anton asked with a grin.
¡°You seemed pretty pissed off there for a moment, so, yeah, I¡¯m trying to make sure I am an irreplaceable resource.¡±
¡°Okay, I¡¯ll bite; what does having this warehouse allow you to do that most other merchants and vendors can¡¯t?¡±
¡°It allows me to provide a special service where I can purchase and sell items to my customers no matter where they are.¡±
¡°How do you do that?¡± Anton asked.
¡°We sell an item that will allow me to receive and send items into and out of your Personal Storage.¡±
¡°How much does something like that cost?¡± Anton asked.
¡°It depends on the weight limit, range, and number of uses per month.
¡°Number of uses?¡± Anton asked.
¡°That¡¯s how many times per month you can place an order. I should note that turning in items for sale and receiving something on the same day counts as only one transaction. We limit the number of times the Portable Exchange can be utilized to once per day, so if you only turn stuff in for sale and don¡¯t place an order that day, you¡¯ve still used one of your Transactions for the month. Obviously, we only allow one action per day at maximum, which would cost about 300,000 Credits annually.
¡°And Weight? Anton asked.
¡°The chart for that area is much larger, but the smallest weight class is one pound, which costs 100,000. The largest that I can obtain is 8 million pounds, which would cost about 80 Trillion Credits,¡± John said.
¡°Let''s keep to the cost of something I can reasonably afford, say 100 million credits.¡±
John pulled up his tablet and did some quick calculations, ¡°If we were to limit each category by one-third of the proposed, we could get you one with a weight limit of 200 pounds, a range of 100,000 miles, and useable once per day of the month.¡±
¡°Well, circle back to that. Let''s take a look at the gear in my two personal Inventories and see what that¡¯ll get me. First, though, do you have the ability to create a SYSTEM-generated contract?¡±
¡°Of Course,¡± John said
¡°Good. I want a contract between you and me that states that you will not try to cheat or skimp out on me for the sale or trade of any items that I give to you during the next day. Even if our negotiation moves past the day, this contract will be good for any items we make a deal on today,¡± Anton explained.
¡°I can do that, so long as the modifications my skills make to the purchase and sale prices of all of your items and anything you wish to purchase from me do not count as cheating or skimping on the deal,¡± John said.
¡°I can agree to that.
John pulled a scroll from his inventory, placed his hand on it, and concentrated for a moment. The scroll glowed for a moment, and the blank scroll filled with words. He looked it over quickly and then handed it to Anton.
Anton looked over the contract. For the life of him, he couldn¡¯t see anything in the contract that would bite him in the ass. He¡¯d have to trust his Perception, Intelligence, and Luck. He smiled and signed the contract, which John also did a moment later.
¡°Okay, if you would just pull everything out of your two storage locations and place them on the floor in this area over here,¡± John said as he pointed to an area off to the side.¡±
¡°All right. It looks like there are 885,600 pieces of gear in my storage. Everything is Epic Rank or lower, though. I didn¡¯t try to identify any of my Legendary or better gear.¡±
¡°Let¡¯s see what you have then,¡± John said with a huge smile.
Anton opened his Personal Storage and Maggen¡¯s Exceptional Storage and began depositing items on the ground. When he started, he¡¯d place an item on the ground, and it would automatically move to a location on the floor, which seemed to have a sorting system. Gradually, he increased the number of items he was pulling from his inventory until he was dropping 1,000 items a turn.
Fifty minutes later, Anton received a new Notification.
You have lost control of the City of Haven.
You have been Exiled from the City of Haven
You have been Bloodhunted.
Anton paused for a moment as he looked at John, ¡°What¡¯s a Blood hunt?¡±
A look of shock overtook John¡¯s face as he looked back at Anton, ¡°I just saw that the City of Haven had a new Owner. Are you saying that you were Bloodhunted as well?¡±
¡°I was exiled and blood hunted,¡± Anton said.
¡°Well, being exiled is a common thing. Any City owner can do that. It simply means that if someone who is exiled enters the city''s boundaries, they are automatically marked for all to see. There is also an automatic bounty of 1,000 credits to be given to the person that kills the exile.¡±
¡°Is that all?¡±
¡°The Bounty can be increased, though you won''t know what it is until you enter the city again. As for the blood-hunted status, that is a specific status given by the skill of a very successful assassin. The leader of the Assassin¡¯s Guild. In fact, this means that the new City Owner is probably the Assassin¡¯s Guild Leader. They¡¯ll be coming for you.
¡°It won¡¯t matter.¡±
¡°Of course, it matters! I can¡¯t do business with you if they find out.¡±
¡°All that¡¯s changed is that now I have to go kill an Assassin and take control of the city back to get rid of this status. It¡¯s a nonissue, really. Why do you think I didn¡¯t rush out of here when I received the first message?¡±
¡°But¡¡±
Anton pulled up the description of his Ability Immortal and pushed it onto a visible window for John to read, ¡°Read that, please.¡±
Immortal ¨C You are Immortal. You may not be permanently killed.
You may not be killed normally.
There was a lot more to the description, which explained how it tied in with his Race and how he came back from being disincorporated, but he didn¡¯t share that. Instead, he just shared the fact that he was immortal. When he saw the look of realization in John¡¯s eyes, he continued, ¡°Now, as you can see, Even if the Assassin successfully attacks me with the worst possible poison or backstab attack he could come up with, I¡¯m not worried. Now, can we continue?¡±
¡°And you¡¯ll protect me if it comes to that?¡± John asked.
¡°Depending on the deal we come to after we¡¯ve gone over everything, most likely, yes. Well, what I mean is that I¡¯m not going to let the Assassin come after you, but I¡¯m not going to be your bodyguard either, just to clarify.¡±
¡°That¡¯s fair. Let¡¯s continue,¡± John said.
Anton continued to pull items from his two inventories for the next hour and a half. When he was done, his inventory only carried enough food for a month if needed and camping supplies; he was going to trade in all of his various weapons and ammunition to see if he could come up with some better ordnance here since this place seemed to be both technological and magical. Besides, he really didn¡¯t need them anymore.
When Anton was finished, John pulled out his tablet, touched a few keys, and pushed the information onto a visible screen in front of him.
Rarity Number Value (Credits)
Common / 85,903 / 8,590,320
Uncommon / 112,471 / 112,471,200
Rare / 540,216 / 5,402,160,000
Advanced / 78,818 / 7,881,840,000
Master / 51,365 / 51,364,800,000
Epic / 16,826 / 1,682,640,000,000
If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
Total Value: 1,747,409,861,520 Credits
Trade Value: 873,704,930,760 Credits
Anton looked over the numbers, ¡°I take it the Trade Value is the minimum you hope to make if you sell the items outright, and the Trade Value would be how much you would get for the items if you sold them at the Hub to other Merchants which is the amount you¡¯ll give me for the goods?¡±
John smiled, ¡°Usually, I have to explain how buying, Trading, and selling work, but you seem to have a good handle on it. Though the Trade Value is what I¡¯m willing to pay you. I will make a little more than that at the Hub.¡±
¡°Yes, as you can see by looking over the Inventory, I have already identified the items¡¡± Anton started to say.
¡°Not an issue. As soon as any item is placed inside the warehouse, it¡¯s Identified and sorted and the SYSTEM Value is checked,¡± John said.
¡°Really?¡±
¡°Yes, Really. Why?¡±
¡°I haven¡¯t identified any of the other items in my Event Storage. There were quite a few.¡±
¡°Do you want to unload all of the items so you won¡¯t have to worry about them?¡± John asked.
¡°If it will automatically Identify them. However, any items that are considered Psychic or use Psychic Energy to power them are not for sale until I¡¯ve at least looked them over.¡±
¡°Does that include Legendary, Mythic, Relic, or Divine items?¡±
¡°If they''re Magical, they do me no good, so yes. They¡¯re for sale. Wait, Qualify that. I have a friend. If there¡¯s a really good healing staff, I¡¯ll keep that as well, but other than those items, yeah, everything is for sale.
¡°Alright, let me link the Warehouse to you. You should receive a prompt.
Would you like to give John Aldman access to your Event Storage? Yes or No?
Anton chose ¡°Yes.¡±
Your Event Storage has been Emptied
Your Event Storage has been removed.
Anton''s vision was drawn back to the Display Window, which showed a broad breakdown of the items he¡¯d just given to John.
Common / 885,868 / 88,586,812
Uncommon / 1,143,354 / 1,143,353,825
Rare / 5,637,724 / 56,377,244,041
Advanced / 802,531 / 80,253,099,099
Master / 488,459 / 488,459,033,000
Epic / 173,521 / 17,352,055,900,000
Legendary / 429 / 156,694,159,000,000
Mythic / 322 / 1,566,941,590,000,000
Relic / 272 / 15,669,415,900,000,000
Divine / 181 / 156,694,159,000,000,000
Total Number of Items: 9,132,661
Total Value: 174,105,189,026,217,000 Credits
Trade Value: 87,052,594,513,108,400 Credits
¡°Well, that¡¯s a lot,¡± Anton mused.
¡°It is. Now let me sort this by the number of Psychic Energy-powered items available. I¡¯m going to shorten the explanations of the ones I find.¡± John offered.
Bracelet of Protection
Quantity: 7
Rarity: Legendary
The user may invest up to 700 Psychic Energy into a Bubble of protection. This Bubble will prevent Physical and Magical Damage. Every point invested will prevent one point of physical or Magical Damage.
Bracer of Telekinesis
Quantity: 4
Durability: 800
Rarity: Mythic
Psychic Energy Required: 400
Range: 800 Feet
Duration 10 Turns, 100 Seconds
Maximum Weight: 16,000 lbs
The wearer may mentally control any number of items or creatures up to the maximum weight limit. Note: Creatures may be able to break free if their Strength Score is higher than 800.
Bracer of Telekinesis
Quantity: 1
Durability: 900
Rarity: Relic
Psychic Energy Required: 100
Range: 900 Feet
Duration 10 Turns, 100 Seconds
Maximum Weight: 8,100 lbs.
The wearer may mentally control any number of items or creatures up to the maximum weight limit. Note: Creatures may be able to break free if their Strength Score is higher than 900.
The First two caught Anton¡¯s eyes then he noticed a Divine version of the Bracelet.
Bracer of Telekinesis
Quantity: 1
Durability: 1,000
Rarity: Divine
Psychic Energy Required: 100
Range: 1,000 Feet
Duration 10 Turns, 100 Seconds
Maximum Weight: 10,000 lbs. + Special
The wearer may mentally control any number of items or creatures up to the maximum weight limit. Note: Creatures may be able to break free if their Strength Score is higher than 1,000.
Special: This Divine Bracelet may be dedicated to a God or Goddess with 1,000 Conviction. Once Dedicate Conviction may be added after the initial activation cost is paid. For every point of Conviction spent, the wearer may lift an additional 10 pounds. There is no limit to the amount of Conviction that may be spent.
Note: Once Dedicated, This Bracelet¡¯s Durability may be repaired at a cost of 100 Conviction per Durability point.
Anton looked at John, ¡°Set the Divine Bracelet of Telekinesis; I¡¯m keeping that one.¡±
Then he went back and focused on the other 180 Divine Items he¡¯d picked up. 50% of them used magic and were worthless to him. One item caught his attention, though.
Tome of Spells
Quantity: 1
Durability: 1,000
Rarity: Divine
Psychic Energy Required: N/A
Range: Touch.
This Item may absorb and Transcribe any Spell cast at it.
Once Transcribed, the held spell may be used generally by Magic Classes or learned permanently by mage classes that permanently learn spells, which removes the spell from the Tome of Spells permanently.
This Tome may hold up to ten spells of any rarity at one time.
Currently Store Spells
Identify, Mythic
Fireball, Mythic
Teleport Other, Mythic
Steal Memory, Mythic
Force Construct, Mythic
Flight, Mythic
Teleport, Mythic
Adaption, Mythic
Anton looked at the book and had this uncanny urge to assimilate it. That would be alright, wouldn¡¯t it? Especially with his new ability to utilize magical spells, he learned? That thought gave him the idea to try to find other items he could assimilate. He found some Boots of Silent Striding that would be nice to try assimilating if they weren¡¯t only Master Rank. This reminded him that he needed spells, so he had John set aside any spell books, no matter what rarity they were. He wasn¡¯t going to keep them all because there were a lot of repeated spells, but the higher rarity ones would be harder to get hold of, so he might hold on to those.
Everything else, including the few Psychic Items he found, didn¡¯t really look like they¡¯d help him, so he decided to sell them. There was a Divine Staff of Healing that he also set aside. It was dedicated to ¡°The God of Healing,¡± but as he¡¯d found out, items could be rededicated, so he had John put that one aside, too. He¡¯d give it to Amelia when he saw her again.
He also kept ten each of the Rare Magical Longswords, Short Swords, Daggers, Bows and Quivers. He also kept ten of each type of armor he¡¯d acquired: Leather, Chain, and Plate. He could give those to Caitlyn to give out to everyone back on Earth or to an ally if he ran across someone who could use it. Next, he went through everything and held onto four weeks'' worth of rations and enough water skins so that one person could survive for seven days. He also held onto two tents and four sleeping bags just in case he ran into someone who needed them. He could keep more, but he didn¡¯t see the point. With the Portable Exchange he was thinking of buying, He should be able to buy anything they might need wherever he was.
Anton looked at John, ¡°Okay, what¡¯s the total?¡±
¡°Well, I could give you a breakdown, but I¡¯ll just give you the total. If you keep the Bracers of Telekinesis, the Staff of Healing, The Tome of Spells, and all the spell books you found, approximately 100 in each rarity class, that comes out to 9,131,538 items you want to trade with me. The amount I¡¯m supposed to pay you is 87,053,594,513,108,400 Credits. I do not have close to that amount.
¡°What if I purchased the best Portable Exchange you have?
John looked thoughtful as he tapped his tablet. When he was done, he continued, ¡°The best Portable Exchange comes with its own Storage Area, which is quite large since it can hold up to 800 million pounds. Additionally, it has a range of 100 billion miles within the same universe, but it can access the Astral, which allows it to bypass most range requirements. So, Realistically it can reach most places within the multiverse where the SYSTEM has sway. Outside of the SYSTEM, well, we¡¯re not sure about that. Also, you can utilize it once per day, but the most expensive model allows you to, in an emergency, pay a fee if you need to use it more than once in a single day.
¡°What¡¯s the fee?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Variable, but between 1,000 and 100,000 credits, depending on the request,¡± John answered.
¡°Sounds fair.¡±
John nodded and then continued with his original thought: ¡°The weight class and the range are one-time costs, but the uses per month are an annual fee.¡±
¡°That¡¯s fine; let''s pay that fee for the next 10,000 years.¡±
John looked flustered, ¡°That¡¯s three billion credits! Are you sure you want to do that?¡±
¡°Quite sure, so now what¡¯s the cost?¡± Anton asked.
¡°The Portable Exchange will cost 90,003,000,000,000 Credits.¡±
¡°If you deduct that from what you would pay me?¡± Anton asked leadingly.
John tapped his tablet and then looked up with a sigh, ¡° I would still owe you 86,992,951,513,108,400 Credits.¡±
Anton nodded, ¡°That does seem like a lot.¡±
¡°I want to make a deal with you, but I can¡¯t afford to purchase all of your goods.¡±
¡°Okay, what if I were to invest in your business.?
¡°We¡¯re not that big yet,¡± John said as Anton¡¯s intentions clicked in his brain, ¡°Ah, I think I understand. As my business partner, what would you want your duties and responsibilities to be? ¡°
¡°I want 49.9% of the business, the Portable Exchange, and 1 Trillion Credits for now. Do you have one Trillion Credits?¡± Anton asked.
¡°I do. The business is currently worth about 759 Trillion, so getting one trillion won¡¯t be a problem. Still, your investment in the business would let you purchase it outright.¡±
¡°I know, but I do not want to own a merchant business. I need someone else to do that so I don¡¯t have to remain here. Besides, with me exiled and Bloodhunted, could you officially recognize me until I¡¯ve cleared that up?¡±
¡°John grinned, ¡°Well, no.¡±
¡°All right, then. Let¡¯s get that contract written up, and then give me the items I¡¯m keeping and the one Trillion Credits, and we¡¯ll call it good.¡±
¡°All right, here are the items you wanted to keep,¡± John said as he pointed to a spot on the floor where everything Anton wanted to keep started appearing. A new piece of parchment appeared in John¡¯s hand and was immediately filled out. ¡°This contract lists every item that you¡¯re turning over to me. You can go through it if you like, but our first contract still holds, and purposely trying to leave something off the list would violate that contract. Besides, I¡¯m making out like a bandit with this deal. While you pick that up and add it to your inventory, I need to go to the HUB and purchase the Portable Exchange you want from the Merchant. I don¡¯t keep one that expensive in my warehouse.¡±
Anton nodded as he took the contract from John and read it over. It was ingenious how the contract listed every item in a ten-line scrolling text that he quickly went through. With his Perception and Intelligence, he quickly verified that every item listed came from him and that none of the items he wanted to keep were on the list. When he was done, John had returned and he signed the contract and handed it back, ¡°The contract looks good, and our partnership is even listed. I would ask that you keep at least one Trillion Credits available for me. Besides, the Trillion credits you¡¯re going to give me. You can use the rest as you see fit unless you lose more than half of the assets and credits I¡¯m providing you today. At that point, you need to contact me through the Portable Exchange, and I¡¯ll go deal with whatever issue you seem to be having.¡±
¡°I think I can manage that,¡± John said as he handed Anton a silver ring.
Anton placed the ring on his finger and received a generic Notification.
Congratulations! You have found A Portal Exchange.
Anton opened his status and noted that the ring had created another Tab within his Status Screen. From there he could control the inventory the ring provided and also send and receive messages from John. Anton closed his Status screen and moved all the stuff on the ground that he was keeping, which included 100 Legendary, Legendary Mythic, 100 Ascendent, and 100 Divine-ranked spells into his Personal Storage. There were quite a few repeats, but, hey, they were Divine and Ascendent-level spells.
When he reached the Tome of Spells, he reviewed his Assimilation Skill. It would destroy the item, but it could lead to something exciting. Decisions, Decisions.
Anton waited until John transferred the one trillion credits to him before he asked, ¡°Hey, John, do you have an empty room in this warehouse for volatile items?¡±
¡°Volatile Items, You know, items that go boom.¡±
John scratched his head before pointing to an area down a lane that was suddenly bathed in green light, ¡°What do you have that might blow up?¡±
Anton smiled, ¡°Me.¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°I¡¯m about to absorb this Tome of Spells. It¡¯s a Divine level Artifact. I think it might be a good thing to make sure that any safety measures you have are in place.¡±
¡°You know, we¡¯ve only been partners for about five minutes, and I am already questioning the intelligence of that decision.¡±
Anton laughed, ¡°I like it when my business partners understand their shortcomings,¡± Anton said as he moved down into the green box.
¡°Give me a minute to surround you with barriers and also move this area into a more remote location of the Warehouse.¡±
¡°Do what you gotta do,¡± Anton said as everything around him shifted, and he found himself in an area with nothing visible for quite a distance. Just how big was this warehouse?
A voice spoke from a point directly in front of him, though no one was there, ¡°Anton, Defenses are in place between you and the rest of the warehouse. Proceed with whatever you¡¯re going to do,¡± John said.
Anton opened his Status and checked the text of Assimilate concerning magical items.
Second - You may absorb magical items. The amount of Psychic Energy added is variable but follows these basic rules.
Basic or Common Rarity Magic Item: 10 PE
Scarce Rarity Magic Item: 20
Rare Rarity Magic Items: 30
Advanced Rarity Magic Items: 100 PE
Master Rarity Magic Items: 200 PE
Epic Rarity Magic Items: 1,000 PE
Legendary Items and Higher: Assimilation of Legendary or higher rarity Magic Items cannot be predicted.
Anton dropped into Mediation for a moment and focused his mind on assimilating the Tome of Spells and each of the spells loaded within it. Specifically, he wanted to be able to utilize his ability, ¡°Master of Magic,¡± to convert the abilities of the Tome into a skill that he would then combine with Assimilation or cast with Psychic Energy.
Anton placed all of his items and gear into his Personal Storage except the Tome of Spells. He concentrated on the Tome and activated Assimilation.
Anton considered what he was about to do for a moment and then asked himself, "What was the worst that could happen?"
Anton activated Assimilation.
Anton felt pain as his manifest body took a colossal amount of damage, but he didn¡¯t explode, which was a nice change. Once he was sure he wasn¡¯t going to explode after a minute or so, he opened his Status and pulled up his Event Log.
Assimilation of Tome of Spells Started.
WARNING! This is a Divine Magical Item
WARNING! There are eight mythical-level energy constructs embedded within the divine magical item.
WARNING! Psychic Energy Pool is at Maximum.
WARNING! Psychic Energy Reservoir is at Maximum.
WARNING! You are Trying to Assimilate a Divine Magical Item.
Luck of 194,509 has been noted.
Ability: ¡°Master of Magic¡± has been activated.
Race: Vampiric Pseudo-Specter noted.
Intent to Combine abilities within artifact noted.
Mythic Construct ¡°Identify¡± already known; Energy Assimilated.
Mythic Construct ¡°Fireball¡± converted to Psychic Energy fueled spell
Mythic Construct ¡°Teleport Other¡± converted to Psychic Energy fueled Spell
Mythic Construct ¡°Force Construct¡± converted to Psychic Energy fueled spell
Mythic Construct ¡°Flight¡± converted to Psychic Energy fueled spell
Mythic Construct ¡°Teleport¡± converted to Psychic Energy fueled spell
Mythic Construct ¡°Adaption¡± converted to Psychic Energy fueled spell
Mythic Construct ¡°Steal Memory¡± has been assimilated.
Assimilation has Evolved.
Assimilation has gained a Seventh use.
Memory Assimilation
Memories may be absorbed in two ways once the target''s body has been touched where the brain of the target is contained. This ability may leave a temporary or permanent effect as the user desires.
Temporary - Every 10 Psychic Energy allows you to absorb and review one minute of your target''s memories, starting with the most recent. 600 Psychic Energy (PE) will review the last hour, 14,400 PE for one day, 100,800 PE for one Week, 432,000 for one Month, and 5,256,000 PE for a year.
The Target will lose access to the assimilated memories for the amount of time assimilated, at which point the memories will be available to the target as usual.
Permanent ¨C Unlike the Temporary version of this use of Assimilation, the part of the target body that stores memories is destroyed as the memories are absorbed. The assimilation of the brain helps fuel the process, reducing the cost and allowing you to reach farther into the target''s past.
Starting with the target''s most recent memories. For each 100 Psychic Energy (PE) spent, you assimilate one year of the target''s memories and remove one point of intelligence. When intelligence reaches 1, Wisdom is reduced. When Wisdom reaches 1, Willpower is diminished; when all three attributes, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Willpower, have reached 1, the target is a vegetable. If all memories of the target are absorbed, An amount of PE equal to the age of the target multiplied by 100, the brain is wholly assimilated, and the target dies.
NOTE: This attack will not destroy the True Soul or the memories stored therein. Creatures that exist on a purely spiritual level are not affected by this use of assimilation, though temporarily reviewing memories may still be possible if you can physically touch the target.
Divine Tome of Spells has been Assimilated.
The Power of the Divine has flowed into you
Spark of Divinity Noted
The intent to Combine has been noted.
Title: Hijacker of Divinity has initiated a Second Title.
Congratulations! You have gained the Title ¡°Divine Pilfer 2 of 10.¡±
In addition to the original benefits of Hijacker of Divinity, you now gain an additional +25 for all base attributes and +10% efficiency for all attributes.
Additionally, any time you assimilate anything with Divine Energy of a sufficient energy level, this effect may be increased again. This can only happen a total of 10 times. Both Hijacker of Divinity and Divine Pilfer count toward this maximum.
Note: This Title will Automatically evolve once you become Divine.
Congratulations! You have gained the Perk ¡°Spell Absorption¡± has been gained.
Spell Absorption
Activation Cost: One Action
You may choose to Absorb any spell cast at you and store it within you.
You may only hold a maximum of 10 spells at once.
Spells absorbed may be recast or assimilated and learned as a Psychic Energy Spell of the same type.
If Absorbed, The Assimilation will take a number of days equal to the Rarity level. A Common Spell will take one day. A Divine Spell will take ten days. The Slot any spell in the process of assimilation takes up is not freed up until the spell is fully assimilated.
Spells Assimilated are learned at the Rarity and Spell level at which they were cast. When cast, they will utilize your attributes to modify their base effects.
Spells that are absorbed and not assimilated are cast as if from the original caster. Once cast, the spell may not be assimilated and is lost, freeing up that spell slot to absorb another spell.
Note: You must be aware of the spell to absorb it. Spells that strike without warning may NOT be absorbed.
Note: Yes, Spell Absorption may be utilized to absorb Magical Barriers.
WARNING! Assimilation of Artifact Energy Exceeds maximum Psychic Energy containment level.
WARNING! Assimilation of Artifact Divine Energy has inflicted 124,065 points of damage on your Manifested Body.
Hit Points Remaining: 35,065 of 159,065
He¡¯d lost over 88% of his health, BUT¡he hadn¡¯t exploded. That was a step in the right direction. First things first, he needed to heal, so he might as well use one of the skills he¡¯d picked up a while ago, Quickened Health. With the new way his body healed, he was only healing 8 HP every turn, which meant that it was going to be at least 25 hours before he was fully healed. He still had a lot of hit points compared to everyone else, but he definitely needed to get them back as fast as he could. If he dedicated one action a turn to healing, he should be fully healed within three and a half hours.
Anton activated Quickened Healing and went to work while he waited for John to either come to check on him or bring him back.
Chapter 61, Exiled, You Must Mean...
As Anton waited for John, he reviewed the Mythical Spells he¡¯d picked up.
Fireball - This spell creates a small ball of fire that can be fired out to a range of 100,000 feet. Upon impact, it will make a 100-foot diameter fireball that will envelop everything within it. Any item or creature that takes twice its hit points or durability is instantly vaporized.
PE Cost: 100 / Range: 100,000 Feet (18.9 miles) / Adjustable Damage, Maximum 100,000 Damage.
Teleport Other - This spell allows you to target another individual and teleport them anywhere within range if they fail their magic resistance check. While Psychic Energy fuels this spell, the target resists against Magic as Normal. PE Cost: 100 / Range: 100,000 Feet (18.9 miles)
Force Construct - This spell allows you to create a force construct within a 46.4 cube centered on yourself. The constructs may take any shape, form, or thickness you desire and may be clear or opaque.
The Initial Psychic Energy Cost is 100 and requires 1 PE per turn to maintain. All Force Structures share an HP pool of 100,000 Hit Points. As damage is absorbed, the whole structure is depleted. It will not fail until all 100,000 hit points are depleted.
There are other Mythical Versions of this Skill that can create much more durable force constructs. That strength was sacrificed to reduce the initial cast and upkeep cost.
Flight - This spell allows the caster to fly up to 6,818 miles per hour at a cost of 100 mana per turn. It should be noted that this spell does nothing to protect the caster from the damage associated with traveling through an atmosphere at such a high speed.
Teleport - This spell allows you to teleport to any place you can see within 10,000 Feet for 1 PE.
There are other Mythical Versions of this Skill that will allow you to teleport much further and even across dimensional boundaries. That functionality was sacrificed to reduce the cost of casting.
Adaption ¨C The Mythical version of this spell allows the caster to adapt to any Environment. From the bottom of an Ocean to the void of space. From a vat of Acid to a pool of liquid magma. Theoretically, the caster could survive at the center of a sun or even a Black Hole, though that claim has not been tested.
Initial Cost: 100 PE
Upkeep: 100 PE per turn.
Anton looked over the spells. They were all Mythical Rank, but it looked like the spells he¡¯d absorbed had all been tailored to a low initial casting cost. As he looked the spells over, he realized that each spell was quite powerful for the mana cost. The Fireball spell alone was extremely powerful, with up to 100,000 points of damage for 100 mana in a 100-diameter sphere. If he dropped a Force Construct around himself and then dropped a Fireball, he could clear out everything around him and not take any damage. If needed, he could drop a Fireball at his feet, and his Manifested body would survive. Well, he wouldn¡¯t die anyway. Of course, he was immune to the magic, but fireball had a blast component, so it was better not to chance it.
Anton smiled; all in all, the spells were a welcome addition to his arsenal and improved his ability to move around a battlefield and destroy large numbers of enemies. He would need to add more spells that he could cast and absorb, which he should do when he had the chance. Using Mythical spells to handle his issues every time would be an overkill.
Anton quickly checked his Spell list and realized that the spells he¡¯d just received did not use up the spell points he had. It appeared that if he absorbed the spells, they were treated as if he¡¯d earned the Spell Points, which was broken beyond belief. As he looked over his six new spells, each was considered level 80 and listed 3,240 Earned Spell Points for a total of 19,440. Considering he only had 27,190 spell points that he could assign, the fact that the spells he absorbed didn¡¯t count toward that total¡yep, broken. This begged the question, was there an upper limit?
The next obvious question he had was, should he take back eight of the divine objects he¡¯d taken and assimilate them to improve his Divine Pilfer Title? He was definitely of a mind to do so, but he¡¯d made a deal with John. Also, he didn¡¯t really need them at this point. Besides, he had an Assassin Guild Leader that he needed to visit and a Temple to construct. Maybe he could spend some of his Conviction to get tailor-made Divine items that would further improve some of his other Perks, abilities, or titles? Yeah, he was going to do that.
Anton¡¯s thoughts were interrupted when John¡¯s voice filled the air near him: ¡°Anton, are you done with your super big explosion yet? Because we haven¡¯t detected anything?¡±
Anton laughed, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m good; please bring me back.¡±
The world shifted around Anton again, and he stood before John.
¡°So?¡± John asked.
¡°So, the energy release wasn¡¯t as bad as I thought it was going to be, though I need to rest for a while. Any issues with me staying right here while I recuperate?¡± Anton asked.
¡°How long do you need?¡±
¡°About a day?¡±
¡°Well, you technically own 49% of the business, so I don¡¯t have a problem with it. Are you sure you don¡¯t want to go settle that whole Bloodhunted and Exiled problem you have?¡±
¡°I¡¯m not really concerned,¡± Anton said.
¡°Someone could come in here looking for you. As a resident of Haven, I would be required to allow them access,¡± John said.
¡°Not an issue. I¡¯ll be in here somewhere; they shouldn¡¯t be able to detect me. I¡¯ll come back to this location when I¡¯m ready to leave,¡± Anton said.
¡°Okay, I guess,¡± John said.
Anton deactivated Manifest and shot away toward one of the shelves he saw about a half mile away. He floated up to the top of the shelving racks and found a group of boxes to float in the middle of. He continued to maintain Quickened Healing and then closed his eyes and activated Meditate.
***
Scuff continued to look around the trader''s shop, keeping an eye on Baltar''s body, which was standing next to a wall. Scuff, while a goblin that didn¡¯t look like much, was also one of the top scouts for the Assassin¡¯s Guild. His low level and the poor and homeless vibe he cast made him one of the best scouts and trackers in the guild. No one expected a level 10 rogue to be part of the Assassin¡¯s Guild; it was one of the reasons the Guild Leader had sought him out; he needed a few scouts that were not within the normal limit range for The Assassin¡¯s Guild. If he did well for another year, the Assassin¡¯s Guild would help him level and even change his class.
Today, he was told to follow the new City Owner when he left the Capital Building and report any changes in his status, which he did. Everyone knew about John¡¯s extra-dimensional warehouse; it¡¯s one of the reasons none of the rogues tried to steal from him.
Scuff had sent a message when Anton had stepped through the door into the warehouse, and he¡¯d been watching Baltar for just over a quarter-hour before he dissolved. It was the only way he could describe it. He¡¯d been standing in the hallway, and then he¡¯d just evaporated while his clothes and the little equipment he carried fell to the ground. One of the attendants had noticed, run over, picked it all up, and then taken it behind the counter. Baltar had just ceased to exist.
After another hour, John came out of the warehouse without Anton and went back to helping other customers. One thing had changed. However, John appeared more jovial than before. Did he kill this Anton character? The Bounty was quite good at one million credits. Maybe there¡¯d been something in the warehouse that could have done it.
Regardless, the attendants and even John had started looking after him more and more, so he decided it was time to make an exit and watch the store from the other side of the street. If Anton reemerged, he wanted to be here to report it. Without saying a word, he scuttled out the front door and across the street over by one of the trees along the outside of the crater. He took up a position in one of the bushes near the trees and kept watch while he pulled out a low-grade communication crystal and made his report to the Guild.
For the next day, nothing changed. He was contacted once every six hours to see if Anton had left, but so far, nothing had happened. The night had come and gone while he watched, which was why he was roused from dosing when a group of city guard, the new City Owner, and four elite members of the Assassins guild walked down the ramp from the upper city and stood in the road outside of John¡¯s Trade Shop.
¡°John, Present yourself Now!¡±
Scuff watched as John came outside, and the City Owner questioned him. A moment later, the guards moved to surround the shop while the City Owner, his four lieutenants, and ten city guards walked inside.
Whatever was about to happen was going to be good, and he had a front-row seat to watch.
***
Anton ended his Mediation skill and opened his eyes. His attention immediately focused on an unfamiliar voice.
¡°WHERE IS HE?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± John said.
¡°He was here, yes?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± John answered.
¡°And he didn¡¯t leave?¡±
Anton moved to where he could see John and his guests and noted one man and ten city guards, along with four more individuals hiding in stealth. The stealthed individuals were standing in a position that allowed them to guard the loud man''s back. From the dress and garb, Anton took them to either be rogues or assassins, which meant that he was probably looking at the new City leader.
Well, he¡¯d picked up a new power, he needed to kill this asshole, and he also needed to know what he had done with the City Node, if he had moved it. So, Spectral Hand with a touch of Assimilation, maybe his whole brain. It couldn¡¯t be that easy, could it?
Anton was about to activate Analyze and realized he hadn¡¯t leveled the skill. Well, he was sitting on over 63,521 Psychic Skill Points, so he invested 3,240 into Analyze and increased its skill level to 80. Then he concentrated on the Leader and activated Analyze.
Name: Artemis
Race: Human
Age: 38
Common Class: Assassin
Level: 482
Active Titles: City Owner: Haven / Slayer of Sentients X +100% chance to hit and Damage against all targets. / All other titles masked by Ability Personal Shroud.
Active Ability Detected: Personal Shroud¡ªPerception and Skill-based attempts are 100% less likely to detect your use of Invisibility or Stealth.
Also, magic and skill-based scrying below divine rarity will not work against you.
Hit Points: 5,560
Stamina: 11,604
Mana: 5,820
Psychic Energy: 727
Anton smiled; yep, this guy would be a perfect candidate for him to use Spectral Reach and Assimilate Memories. Anton moved down until he floated just beneath the floor and then shot forward until he was within range of the Party. When he was close, he rose out of the floor just enough to see his target. Anton reached out with Spectral Reach and had one of the hands the skill created grab Artemis by the back of the head.
Artemis tried to dodge it, but it was pointless. Since his objective was to kill the man, he went quick and dirty and broke down his mind as he absorbed every memory within Artemis¡¯s head while the matter of his brain evaporated.
Almost thirty-nine years of memories flowed into Anton and were archived by Anton¡¯s superior intellect. In the moment it took for Artemis¡¯s eyes to cave into his skull as they receded into the void left by the missing brain, Anton knew everything that Artemis knew, which had an interesting side effect.
SYSTEM Message
The Assimilation of Artemis¡¯s mind into your own permanently has had the following effects:
One, You have all the memories and knowledge of Artemis for the entirety of his life. While these memories may or may not influence your actions, they are yours.
Two, The following Skills are either improved or learned.
Note: Knowledge-based skills, such as language and knowledge skills, will be retained as if earned at 100% of the value that Artemis achieved. Physical Skills will only improve by approximately one-half the earned skill points.
Language, High Elvish, Level 10
Language, Dwarvish, Level 10
Language, Gnomish, Level 10
Language, Lizardman (Tear¡¯nar), Level 10
Language, Goblin, Level 10
Language, Orc, Level 10
Language, Gnoll, Level 10
Basic Map, Increased from Level 29 to 35
Long Blade, Increase from Level 38 to 43.
Scavenge, Increase from Level 3 to 20.
Short Blades Increased from level 38 to 43.
Snatch, Increased from Level 2 to 20.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
Throwing, Increased from level 1 to Level 20
Two-Weapon fighting Style, Increased from level 29 to 35.
While the skill increases were nice, the items Artemis was currently wearing were nicer. With his hand from Spectral Reach still holding Artemis¡¯s head, Anton pulled him into his body into his Personal Storage. He¡¯d go through Artemis¡¯s equipment later.
Anton watched as John¡¯s mouth went slack-jawed as the other four assassins instantly moved into a defensive stance. One of them went so far as to reach out with their weapon and strike Anton¡¯s floating Spectral Hand, which vanished. Anton summoned two rare swords from his inventory, flashed forward into the position the Artemis had been in, and then Manifested into existence.
He was going to say something but was never given a chance as all four assassins attacked simultaneously. Anton was pleasantly surprised when the fight actually forced him to go all out. It wasn¡¯t a question of skill or attributes. Anton exceeded the four assassins in both. It was a question of numbers. There was Anton, and then there were four of them. When he appeared, he had expected to be able to parry their attacks easily and strike with impunity. Unfortunately, the four bodyguards went all out.
Anton could, if he pushed himself to extremes, make 36 attacks in a single 10-second combat turn. It would cost him 499,950 stamina to do so and leave him with only 16,825. The irony of him doing that was that after he went all out, his Stamina Regeneration of 13,260 would allow him to continue attacking up to 21 times per Combat turn.
He didn¡¯t know what the four assassins that went all out against him had for Stamina''s regeneration, but he knew two things. After he¡¯d used his incredible speed to parry 21 of their attacks, the four pushed themselves and burned out their Stamina pools as they struck him 15 more times each. The strikes would have cleaved normal people in half, but his manifested body had a Physical Damage Resistance of 576. When the first strike hadn¡¯t drawn blood, he¡¯d pulled up his Status Screen and then his Combat Log.
You have been struck for 514 points of Damage. Physical Damage Resistance of 576 negates all damage.
You have been struck for 512 points of Damage. Physical Damage Resistance of 576 negates all damage.
There were 59 more messages identical to the first with varying levels of damage, none over 525 points of damage in the first turn. If he were any less durable, he¡¯d have been turned into little chunks of flesh. Instead, the only thing ruined were his clothes.
As the four assassins attacked, Anton had been prepared for a long, drawn-out fight in which he would focus on one assassin at a time and ignore the other three. That¡¯s not what happened.
As soon as the next turn began, Anton realized that they¡¯d blown their wad, so to speak. All four could barely lift their blades to make two attacks, which he was quick to capitalize on. He parried their eight total attacks, two from each of them, as they tried desperately to end him. When the four almost simultaneously dropped to the ground on their knees, he knew they were done.
Anton put one of his swords back in his inventory and then went to work. Before the second turn was done, Anton had assimilated the memories of the four assassins and added each of their bodies to his Personal Storage. His Psychic Energy was at 162,402 of 172,892 and was returning at a rate of 1,755 per turn. He also learned something new about Assimilating memories. They were his memories. As soon as he assimilated them, he could recall everything they¡¯d seen, touched, tasted, and done. He¡¯d almost felt sorry for the assassins as he executed them until their memories flooded into his mind. This Assassin¡¯s guild was evil, with a capital ¡°E.¡±
As Anton looked around where the Assassins had been he noticed that the ten City Guards were standing around Anton and John motionless.
¡°I¡¯m going to say this once, only once, then if you''re still here 10 seconds later, you join the former City Owner and his cronies,¡± Anton waited for a response, but none of them moved, ¡°Return to your Captain, let him know what has happened and tell him, I will be along to talk to him in a bit. Let him know that if I meet any resistance after I¡¯ve taken the city over again, I¡¯m going to destroy the Capital Building and sell the damn City Node back to SYSTEM, and you all can deal with everything outside of the borders, Now. Go!¡±
With that last command, the City Guard broke and scrambled for the portal entrance, which still stood open. John cleared his throat. ¡°There are 90 guards outside of that portal. Are you going to kill all of them if they try to stop you?¡± John asked.
¡°No need. That idiot Artemis moved and tried to hide the City Node in the Assassin¡¯s Guild. I have to retrieve it from his private quarters. After I leave, I¡¯d suggest that you close the portal and exit through another exit or hang out here for a couple of hours. It should all be settled by then.¡±
¡°Okay, I guess,¡± John said as Anton released the Manifested body and shot through the portal in his Specter form. A moment later, he was outside of John¡¯s shop and heading toward the South side of town¡ªfunny thing about memories. A lot of teleport circles and back alley paths that lead to deadly traps made sure anyone trying to get to the Assassin¡¯s Guild couldn¡¯t do so without teleporting into said traps. Since no one knew where it was and it was shielded from any teleports except the linked teleportation platform, it was tough for anyone to find the Assassin¡¯s guild. That is unless you had the memories of the guild leader and his top four sub-commanders, each of which knew of various physical paths into the Assassins Guild. Within a minute, Anton had entered and bypassed every magical trap, some of which targeted noncorporeal entities such as himself. Unfortunately for the individuals that had set those traps up, such a being also being immune to magic hadn¡¯t been part of their consideration when they created the traps.
Retaking the City Node was anticlimactic. No one knew where it was, and the message that went out informing everyone that it was contested didn¡¯t tell them where it was. One hour later, he was the City Owner of Haven once again. He quickly went through the various functions he had access to and created and sent out his first Announcement.
Citizens of Haven: The City Owner, Anton, Me, is no Longer Exiled; all bounties are rescinded.
Second, the Bloodhunted Bounty made by the former City Owner, Artemis, is also rescinded, as he will be unable to pay any bounties he¡¯s promised because he is dead.
No other changes to how the city is operated forthcoming at this time.
Have a nice day
Anton, City Owner of Haven
Straight and to the point, just the way he liked it. Next, he decided that the Assassin¡¯s Guild needed to go, like now. With the memories of Artemis, Anton named and Exiled every member of the Assassin¡¯s Guild for murder, except Scuff; that little goblin hadn¡¯t actually killed anyone yet, so Anton left him off the list for now. Once he was sure he had added all the names he wanted to, he put out a bounty utilizing his personal wealth to fund the bounties to be paid.
City Announcement!
There are currently 213 Assassins tied to the Assassins Guild. I have exiled them from Haven and marked them. In the Name of the Goddess Keres, I call on the righteous to seek out and destroy every one of these assassins.
To appease the local gods, I offer this recompense: Those who slay an exiled assassin will receive one million credits, to be split among all who helped. In addition to the first million credits, a second million credits will be donated to the temples of any deities that the individuals who accomplished this task serve, Also to be split as the individual reward was split. I have set aside 639 million credits, which the SYSTEM will pay out automatically.
Why 613 million credits?
I¡¯m glad you asked.
For those of you who make the deaths of these murders and fiends as violent as possible, an additional million credits will be awarded by the SYSTEM.
Now go forth and Kill, Kill, Kill
In Keres¡¯s name, of course.
Okay, he could admit the Kill, Kill, Kill comment was cheesy as hell, but damn, that fish lady in that book had been crazy. Anton brought his straying thoughts back under control and tried to store the City Node.
Error!
An active City Node may be moved, but it may not be stored.
Of Course, it couldn¡¯t be stored.
Anton quickly went through the rest of the Assassin¡¯s Guild and watched as the individuals still within the underground lair noticed the exiled flag that had appeared above each of their heads and wondered what they were going to do. Unfortunately, they were hiding in the one place that those above ground probably wouldn¡¯t find, which encouraged Anton to return to Artemis¡¯s hidden quarters and send out another announcement.
City Announcement #2
To all the Assassin¡¯s hiding in the Assassin¡¯s Guild¡¯s underground Lair
Yes, Garbor, that means you. You too, Josey. By the way, who names an Assassin Josey? But I digress. I¡¯m also talking to the other 35 assassins I counted in this lair. Grab your shit and go. In ten minutes, I will destroy each of the teleporting platforms. Then I will start killing anyone I find in the lair, and trust me I know where every body is buried, every treasure is kept, and every secret sleeping area that any of you created is. How? That was information Artemis gifted; well, he didn¡¯t gift it; I ripped it from his mind, but you get the drift.
If you wish to try to survive, you have a better chance anywhere but in this Lair with me.
You have 10 minutes. The clock starts ticking NOW!
Anton floated back into the main meeting hall and was happy to see that more than half of the people present believed him and fled. Some even fled via the underground tunnels that led outside of Haven¡¯s walls. In the end, only three individuals were stupid enough to stay. All were lifetime members of the Assassin¡¯s Guild, and through Artemis¡¯s memories, he knew none had anywhere or anyone to flee to above ground.
He ended each of their lives with Spectral Reach and Assimilate memories.
Once that task was done, he stored the bodies and then went to the teleporter circles and destroyed them as well. Altogether, there were seven teleporter circles. Four main ones and three personal ones that the occupants didn¡¯t think Artemis knew about. Unknown to most of the guild, Artemis had purchased a state-of-the-art Magic detection kit that could detect any magical fluctuations within 100 feet. He knew when the circles had been installed and had, in turn, put up a secondary ward around each that would activate if he wished. Anton assimilated the stone or plate the runic circles rested on, thereby causing them to become inert.
Next, he went to each physical exit to the Lair, except for the one, and destroyed the supports with Spectral Reach and Assimilate. This caused the tunnels to collapse. No one would be coming into the lair without going through a considerable effort and making a tremendous amount of noise.
This left him with a moment to check his Status Sheet, which hadn¡¯t been reviewed in full for a while. First, he checked his Notifications.
Congratulations! You have reached Vampiric Pseudo Specter Level 2,990 through 2,996
Next, he pulled up his Status Screen.
Name: Anthony Nicholas Thomson
Birthday: September 13th 2013 (Friday the 13th)
Apparent Age: 27
Race: Human
Classes
Mythic / Vampiric Psuedo-Specter / 2996
Hit Points: 161,438
-Health Regeneration: 8
Stamina: 517,280
-Stamina Regeneration: 13,272
Psychic Energy Reservoir: 585,120
-Mana Regeneration: 0
Psychic Energy: 173,065
-Psychic Regeneration: 1,758
Strength: 44,248
Agility: 44,251
Dexterity: 43,915
Endurance: 44,238
Constitution: 57,698
Perception: 44,251
Intelligence: 44,229
Wisdom: 43,909
Willpower: 58,512
Charisma: 44,229
Luck: 196,437
Skill Slots: 64,343 / 64,343
Spell Slots: 27,217 / 27,217
Psychic Skill Slots: 60,281 / 70,413
Conviction Level: 100
Conviction: 25,869,500
Running Speed
MPH: 27,876
FPS: 40,886
Flight Speed
MPH: 83,630
FPS: 122,658
Abilities
Anit-Mage
Immortal
Vampiric Pseudo-Specter
Divine Luck
Master of Magic
Titles
I Ain''t Worried
I Can Take it
Goblin Slayer 3
Trifecta
Fate''s Arbiter
Hijacker of Divinity
Human Slayer III
Goblin Slayer VIII
Battle Slayer II
Zombie Slayer X
Skeleton Slayer X
Scourge of Anubis
There can Be Only One
Backstabbing a Backstabber
Divine Pilfer 2 of 10
Perks
Specter
Basic Map
Personal Storage
Pseudo-Undead
Cold Immunity
Annihilate Life
Mark of Keres
Spell Absorption
Skills
Basic Map: 35
Personal Storage: 80
ASL: 7
Bows: 21
Crossbows: 21
Dodge: 29
Firearms: 29
Language: Common: 29
Language: Standard: 55
Long Blades: 57
Long Range Firearms: 21
Maggen''s Exceptional Storage: 80
Maggen''s Gift: 46
Scavenge: 20
Short Blades: 57
Snatch: 20
Two-Weapon Fighting Style: 52
Throwing: 20
Language, High Elvish: 29
Language, Dwarvish: 29
Language, Gnomish: 29
Language, Lizardman (Tear''nar): 29
Language, Goblin: 29
Language, Orc: 29
Language, Gnoll: 29
Spells
Fireball: 80
Teleport Other: 80
Force Construct: 80
Flight: 80
Teleport: 80
Psychic Skills: Skill Level
Specter: 100
Manifest: 71
Spectral Reach: 8
Spectral Scream: 17
Analyze: 80
Aura Sight: 12
Battle Meditation: 41
Detect Magic: 2
Eagle Eyes: 12
Hyper Focus: 4
Identify: 80
Meditation: 100
Mental Refuge: 5
Mental Shield: 41
Mind Bolt: 12
Planar Shift: 4
Possession: 17
Quickened Healing: 22
Syphon: 14
Telekinesis.: 2
Telepathy: 5
Material Breakdown: 0
Organic Breakdown: 0
Assimilation: 50
Annihilate Life: 1
Animate.: 50
As Anton looked over the skill list, he noticed that he¡¯d picked up some languages he hadn¡¯t had before and had improved on some of his weapon skills. Assimilate Memories was definitely showing its worth. He also realized that because the skills were being earned through use, sort of, that meant that if he failed to continue using them, they would eventually decrease in level and drop off. Still, they were free for now, and if he needed them again, someone, somewhere, was eventually going to piss him off.
He smiled at the thought. He might have questioned his bloodthirstiness in the past, but the SYSTEM was brutal, and he was done apologizing for doing what he had to do to survive. He specifically told that part of himself which was informing him that no matter what he did, he was going to survive to SHUT THE HELL UP. It wasn¡¯t just about him.
Anton looked around at the empty Assassin¡¯s Guild and had a thought. He had enough Conviction to set up a Temple to Keres, and this lair was the perfect place to do it because, besides no longer being needed by the asshats that had utilized it before, It was under the temple district of Haven. There couldn¡¯t be a better place to dedicate this facility to Keres and allow him to head back to Earth, or at least contact Keres and see what was going on back there.
Chapter 62, Because Its Fun
The total cost of converting the Assassin¡¯s Guild to the Temple of Keres was fifteen million Conviction. The initial ten million Conviction that he¡¯d known about and then an additional five million Conviction to include the entirety of the Assassin¡¯s Guild. Additionally, there had been a fifty million credit cost to convert the rooms and chambers into what the SYSTEM called a ¡°Temple Configuration¡± which meant that instead of dark rooms with leather covered furniture and implements of death and destruction everywhere, there were now dark rooms with leather covered furniture and implements of death and destruction everywhere that looked¡different. Yeah, he didn¡¯t get the whole esoteric setting vibes that various setups gave off, but if it would make the followers of Keres happy, they were credits well spent.
As part of the temple, he also added in a teleportation node so he could teleport directly into it and purchased an additional node that could be placed elsewhere for an additional million credits. It seemed like the SYSTEM didn¡¯t want people setting up teleportation nodes unless they had a significant amount of credits.
Once he had everything purchased and the SYSTEM was finished making changes to the temple, Anton made his way into the main hall where a 30-foot-high statue of Keres looked out over the room. Unlike a lot of statues that have been seen in the past, which might resemble the person they were meant to represent vaguely, this statue was a lifelike representation of the Goddess as he¡¯d seen her. Additionally, it accentuated the feminine aspects of her physique quite well.
¡°It is a nice ass, if I do say so myself,¡± the voice of Keres whispered from the room around him.
Anton had assumed that she would feel him activate the Temple and just smiled as he said, ¡°So, is it blasphemy for me to agree or disagree with you? I mean you¡¯re the one complementing your ass, so if I agree with you am I the pig-headed pervert or a loyal servant.¡±
¡°Please, your my loyal servant, in some alternate reality of course because we both know that¡¯s not you,¡± The Goddess Keres said with the hint of laughter in her voice, ¡°Still, you have done well today.¡±
Anton smiled, ¡°Maybe classify me as one of appreciates his Goddess¡¯s ass¡ets at least.¡±
The goddess didn¡¯t respond to the statement and instead changed the subject, ¡°So, you have come to enjoy the Mark I left on you,¡± Keres said from a point directly in front of him as a translucent image of the Goddess appeared.
¡°Let¡¯s say that I¡¯m a realist and right now, you have helped take care of my family and friends, as far as I know. If that¡¯s true, I am appreciative,¡± Anton said.
¡°Your family is fine. Caitlyn is currently acting as an ambassador of sorts while your sister spreads my word and brings in more followers. That isn¡¯t to say there haven¡¯t been uprisings from other gods, but none were able to provide for their followers what you did for Caitlyn. I am still astonished that you left all eight artifacts to her when you could have claimed them for yourself. That action is what has garnered most of my goodwill toward you, if you hadn¡¯t figured that out yet. It gave me an opportunity to establish a foothold I might not have otherwise been able to in a world with a mostly Christian population before the SYSTEM came along.¡±
¡°Before we continue, can you give this staff to my sister?¡± Anton asked as he placed the Divine Staff of Healing on the altar. ¡°
¡°Yes, I can,¡± The goddess said as darkness enveloped the staff and it vanished.
¡°I still don¡¯t get it. Are you evil, neutral or somehow good?¡± Anton asked.
¡°That is a question of morality and philosophy. I am what my followers need me to be, but if you must know, the purpose I assumed when I took up this mantle was previously neutral, leaning toward evil. I am more neutral, leaning toward fairness and justice, which can be achieved violently when necessary. In my case, the more often that happens the better.¡±
¡°So, I have created a temple in this other Universe, can I come home now?¡± Anton asked.
¡°The simple answer is no. You are far too powerful for Earth, or the planet you¡¯re on, which is fine. The SYSTEM you are currently in cannot remove you at this time. Just don¡¯t give it a reason to. I do plan to send through a couple of people from Earth as soon as they reach level 400, which will be a while baring explosive growth.¡± Keres said.
¡°You know¡you¡¯re making me like you less and less,¡± Anton said honestly.
¡°Seriously? Are you telling me that you want to miss watching the shit storm you created above you. I can¡¯t even look upon the area yet, I don¡¯t have enough conviction sources in the area but the gods in that realm are bitching to anyone who will listen about how an upstart is trying to wedge a new pantheon into their pure and structured universe. Like that shit was going to last¡¡± Keres said as a look of pain crossed her features and she change the subject, ¡°which is something we will not discuss at this time, if ever. Just know that if you¡¯d like to get a message to your family or them to you, you can do so through the temple in an email-like fashion.¡±
¡°So, what you¡¯re saying is go forth in this area, try to get as many followers as I can for you and make sure to piss the gods and goddesses off here. Or is there someone here you don¡¯t want me to piss off?
¡°Just stick with making the evil gods mad, lead the good ones alone and I leave to your judgement on the neutral ones, though I would offer that messing with any gods that govern nature is probably a bad idea, just something to keep in mind.¡±
Keres nodded her head up and down as she said, ¡°That is NOT what I¡¯m saying, but as someone who is only Marked by me and not a true representative of my will or clergy, your actions, while they might be viewed as something I might orchestrate, will be viewed as your actions. You are a free agent who they can poach or kill you without fear of direct reprisal from me, if they could kill you. It is the game we play at our level, after all.¡±
¡°So, no safety net,¡± Anton said.
¡°No safety net. Now stop looking at my cleavage and ass and go do something¡interesting.¡±
Anton made a point to walk over to the statue and look up at the crack of the Goddess ass, as he said, ¡°You know, that is a very nice ass¡¡± as force gripped his balls and squeezed ever so slightly.
¡°That I may dream about in the future but will most assuredly never disparage or ridicule.
The translucent image of Keres winked at him and vanished as the force cupping his balls squeezed just a bit more before disappearing altogether, which left him feeling both violated and aroused. After a moment he said, ¡°Point taken, thanks for the talk,¡± before he released his manifested form and shot up through the roof of the temple, through the ground and up into the sky at least one thousand feet.
As he looked around to get his bearings, he knew that he was on the west side of Haven a few streets north of Brax¡¯s Inn. That wasn¡¯t the most interesting thing though. The streets were full of people from all the temples in the area, and they were spreading out through the city. Anton floated above everything and watched as men and women of all races rushed across the city on the hunt for the one thing that every sentient creature covets, wealth.
***
Scuff walked up to one of only three taverns in the Merchant¡¯s quarter as a hand lanced out of a nearby shadow, grabbed him by the back of the neck and lifted him up off the ground without effort.
¡°I¡¯ve got one!¡± a burly man in ragged leather armor called out¡±
¡°What have you got there, Burk?¡±
¡°One of them Assassin¡¯s, I¡¯ve got one of them Assassin¡¯s¡±
¡°I¡¯m not an assassin,¡± Scuff screeched.
¡°Let him go, Ralph. He doesn¡¯t have a tag over his head. If you kill the goblin in the city, you¡¯ll be paying a fine, not making money.
¡°Well shit,¡± Ralph exclaimed, ¡°I could swear this one was part of the Assassin¡¯s guild.
Scuff didn¡¯t say a word, because as far as he knew he was part of the Assassin¡¯s Guild but if he didn¡¯t have one of those marks floating above his head he¡¯d count his lucky stars and keep his mouth shut.
¡°Ralph looked over to the bartender and pointed at the Goblin, ¡°Get this guy a meal and a drink. It¡¯s on me,¡± Ralph said before he turned to Scuff, ¡°No hard feelings, but if you had been in the Assassin¡¯s guild, you were going to be our payday. Anyway, enjoy your meal, Sorry for almost gutting you I guess.¡±
Scuff just nodded and scurried to a table in the back corner away from everyone, where he ordered his meal and an ale. He still couldn¡¯t believe he hadn¡¯t been marked, and he watched as people came and went and talked about the latest sightings of this or that assassin someone had noticed.
Scuff kept to himself while he watched everyone rush around. For some reason he¡¯d been spared. He would need to be even more careful going forward. Maybe the SYSTEM was telling him that being a Rogue was good enough? Maybe, since his focus had been on information gathering, that¡¯s what he should be focusing on. The question then was, who was he going to gather information for?
***
Anton moved further up until he could look down over most of the city and see how various mobs had formed and seemed to be going through every portion of the city. Intermittently he¡¯d receive notifications that this or that Assassin had been found, killed and that the SYSTEM had paid out the award he had promised. Additionally, every once in a while, he¡¯d receive a notification and 400 to 500 Convictions. That happened whenever the bonus was paid out for a violent death. Additionally, a new notification appeared which let him know exactly why he was receiving Conviction.
A New follower of Keres has been recruited. You have received 415 Conviction.
A new follower of Keres has been recruited. You have received 401 Conviction.
A new follower of Keres has been recruited. You have received 403 Conviction.
Anton minimized those notifications and altered his settings so that the notifications for recruiting people would not override more important notifications.
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With everything underway and people on the hunt for the Assassins, Anton headed back to John¡¯s Trade shop. As he approached the Merchant¡¯s district, he noticed that the city guard and some adventurers had been posted at all entry points into the district and at the entrances to the various shops. It looked like the Merchant owners and the city guard were working to ensure none of the assassins could take refuge in the district.
Anton passed through the doors to John¡¯s Trade Shop and manifested just inside the door.
¡°Welcome to John¡¯s¡. Oh, it¡¯s you,¡± John called out.
¡°Yep, I¡¯m back. How¡¯s business going?¡±
¡°I haven¡¯t stopped visiting the hub until just about an hour ago. I haven¡¯t made a dent into the items you dropped off yet. Also, what were you thinking about setting everyone up after the Assassin¡¯s Guild?¡±
¡°I was thinking that they were one of the most evil, unscrupulous organizations I¡¯d come across.¡±
¡°There are Good, Neutral, AND Evil Gods in the Temple District. Those that serve those gods follow those paths. Are you saying that you¡¯re going to kick the evil gods out?
¡°Not at all. What I am saying is that Haven will be a Haven, which, when I arrived, seemed to be implied by the name of the city and the attitude of the pleasant people I came into contact with. When I absorbed the memories of the Assassin¡¯s Guild Leader, well I learned that Haven was not neutral or safe territory at all and that the crimes the guild had been part of¡Well¡¡±
¡°You¡¯ve made an enemy of at least three gods and the clergy of those gods,¡± John said.
¡°Actually, I watched what was going on for a bit. It would seem that the servants of the Gods you¡¯re worried about don¡¯t take kindly to what the Assassin¡¯s guild did, or they just want to earn the bounties that have been offered because they seemed awful energetic to get out and hunt the criminals.¡±
¡°That doesn¡¯t sound right,¡± John said.
¡°Think about it. They¡¯re evil. Those that may have been above them have been labeled as criminals and a huge bounty will be paid out to them and their God or Goddess if they take down their fellow followers, thereby allowing for advancement within their ranks as well. Then, once the hunt settles, someone will try to re-establish the Assassin¡¯s Guild again. Why wouldn¡¯t they hunt the criminals? They can get a payday and a promotion out of the deal.
¡°When you put it like that, well, is that what you intended?¡±
¡°Not exactly, but I¡¯ll take it. It makes it so I¡¯ll have one less shadow organization I¡¯ll have to deal with,¡± Anton said with a smile.
¡°Speaking of dealing with things, I¡¯m sure you''re quite busy, so why did you stop by?¡± John asked.
¡°I need a place to set up a teleportation node to my God¡¯s temple that others can use freely. I was thinking about putting it here in your store somewhere, maybe attached through a secret panel in one of the side rooms?¡±
John looked thoughtful as he looked around, ¡°Well, as you know, there is a bit of dimensional magic involved in the shop, it¡¯s bigger on the inside. So yeah, we can add your teleporter to it. How secure do you need it to be?¡±
It needs to be accessible only to those who can produce the Mark of Keres and yourself. I do not expect many visitors to begin with. If we can get a steady flow of supplies flowing to it, it¡¯ll be more of a secure location to catch a nap and possibly get some food,¡± Anton said.
¡°That won''t be an issue. If you hire a cook and we bind them with an oath, as well as his or her assistants¡¡±
¡°Yeah that sounds good. How about I let you handle getting it all set up as well,¡± Anton said as he pulled out the teleportation node and handed it over.
¡°I take it you can get into and out of it without an issue,¡± John asked.
¡°I can. I¡¯m going to leave this to you to handle, though. The people you chose can have access. Also, hire a cook and a small cleaning staff to clean the place. Also, there is a goblin named Scuff, If you can find him, add him to the list, I¡¯ll talk to him. Except for them and yourself, no one is to have access to the Temple unless they have that mark. For those you hire, have them make a SYSTEM Oath but offer them four times the going rate of pay, paid out of my funds of course.¡±
John smiled; I can do that. There¡¯s so much profit coming in from your goods that you can easily afford the upkeep of a single Temple.¡±
¡°Profits?¡± Anton asked interested.
¡°Yes, as I said I¡¯ve already been to the Hub. I took a few of the artifacts you left with me, and their trade value alone allowed me to put the one trillion credits aside that you requested and start stocking the shop. Don¡¯t you worry, though, I¡¯m keeping track of everything that¡¯s earned and purchased with your money so I can break down how much has been invested in the business.¡±
¡°Sounds good. I¡¯m going to take a look around the area surrounding the city and maybe the whole planet. I may be gone for a bit. If you need to, feel free to hire more guards.¡±
¡°You¡¯re not going to try to bring the city under control?¡±
Anton smiled, ¡°Actually, No. Individuals of power here are over level 400. If they can¡¯t control themselves or their rivals, they¡¯ll deserve what they get. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be checking on¡¡±
John cut him off as he handed him a ring, ¡°This ring will allow me to contact you as long as you''re close by.¡±
¡°Define close by,¡± Anton said.
¡°Anywhere on the planet in this dimension or any dimension that can perceive this dimension,¡± John said.
¡°That sounds perfect,¡± Anton said as he put on the ring. He watched as John concentrated and a mental connection was established.
Can you hear me now, John asked.
Loud and clear. I was worried it might not work, but it seems to be working fine.
Why wouldn¡¯t it work? John asked.
Magic doesn¡¯t like to work around me, Anton answered truthfully.
Is that why you are so willing to sell so many magical items, John asked?
That, and I had so many of them, Anton answered truthfully.
John switched back to using his voice,¡± That ring should allow you to reach me from anywhere on the planet, maybe even one of the local moons. If you¡¯re out of range, I¡¯ll send a message through the Portable Exchange Tab.¡±
¡°Sounds good. By the time I get back, the Assassin problem should be taken care of and the shadow council that actually runs the city will probably want to talk to me.¡±
John looked confused, ¡°Shadow Council?¡±
A large city isn¡¯t just run by the council that I destroyed. Some people were running them. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll try to utilize their influence to stabilize and take control of the city. They¡¯ll probably even put pressure on you. Don¡¯t worry about it too much. When I get back, I¡¯ll take care of it. Just keep yourself and ¡®our¡¯ business safe.¡±
Before John could respond, Anton released his manifested body and flew out the door and then off to the side and up around the edge of the portal over the Merchants District. He¡¯d figure out where that portal went later. Right now, he wanted to get a feel for how the city was set up. He didn¡¯t even bother looking around to see what was going on in the city. People were hunting for assassins and trying to make themselves rich. If there was one thing anyone could count on, it was the universal truth that while people might not be greedy, an easy way to increase their wealth would entice almost everyone to participate. As his speed as a Specter had increased to 27,877 miles per hour or about 8 miles in a second, Anton was 10 miles above the city within two seconds.
As Anton looked down on Haven, he could see that while it was a large city, the farmland surrounding it took up a large area of the land in all directions, which was surrounded by rivers on two sides and forests. On the other side of the forest to the north he could see mountains in the distance. The mountains had to be at least 100 miles away. To the south, past the forest, he could see a hint of lighter green and light brown beyond. Was there a desert to the south?
Anton flew south for a minute, and sure enough, after their forest, there was an extensive grassland followed by a desert that ended with a water line onto an open sea or ocean. From ten miles up, it had to be an ocean because he couldn¡¯t see an end to the water to the west, east, or south.
Anton decided to see where this went and continued south. He brought the compass up on his head''s up display in his vision and kept the compass pointer on South as he shot in that direction. He saw a couple small islands but nothing else stood out, except for¡were those giant turtles? They looked like they were about an inch in size, which meant they were big. Anton paused his trip south to drop to the surface and verify that the turtles were in fact over sixty feet long. They were huge and seemed to be swimming on a course that was parallel to the coastline. He''d only been traveling for about 30 seconds when he noticed them so they couldn¡¯t be more than 240 miles from the coast. Also, once he dropped in closer, he saw that the smaller sea turtles were all toward the center of the turtle swarm, which was the only way he could think of describing it. He also dipped below the surface and saw that a few adults were also swimming along under the young, protecting them from would-be predators that might come up from below.
Anton stayed a little closer to the surface as he only rose to about a mile above the turtles before he headed south again. After a minute he¡¯d left the turtles far behind and continued until he saw a snow-covered coastline. Unlike a normal coast, he could tell that mountains rose out of the ocean to peaks that were over a mile high, where he could see large white birds¡they weren¡¯t birds, they were Wyverns, which promptly ignored him in his Specter form.
Once he crossed the coast, a group of large steaming lakes became visible and just 100 miles inland he came to a prominent meteorite impact site that was at least a mile in diameter with a lake at its center. At one end of the valley, the crater created a river that ran out of the crater valley as a waterfall that dropped at least one thousand feet to the ground below. Outside of the crater, the landscape was covered in snow, and even the mist from the waterfall crystallized as it dropped toward the ground below. The winds caught the snow and it dispersed for miles in all directions. As long as it remained cold here, it would snow all the time. Still, inside the crater, the natural warmth of the lake created a temperate zone.
Then something caught his attention. There was a mansion beside one of the lakes. A mansion that would not be out of place on 20th Century Earth. Sitting in a lawn chair next to the lake, in a purple bikini, well, the lower part anyway, sunbathing was a beautiful blonde woman. As Anton drew closer and his eyes took in her almost nude body, her lips quirked into a smile before she looked up directly at Anton. In a voice that carried evenly to him but didn¡¯t seem to be any louder or softer than someone speaking as if they were right beside him, she said, ¡°Please, join me,¡± as a chair appeared beside her. Her chair morphed around her as the top of her bikini and a loose white see-through camisole appeared on her.
Since she could clearly see him, Anton flew down, manifested beside the chair she¡¯d provided, and sat down. ¡°Good day, I am Anton. May I ask who I¡¯m speaking with?¡±
The woman smiled before she said in a light-hearted voice, ¡°So severe. Let¡¯s say that I¡¯m interested in this planet and have been watching you closely since you arrived.¡±
¡°And what did you think?¡±
¡°You get results that work in my favor so I am pleased,¡± she said.
¡°Okay, so why did you want to see me?¡±
A look of confusion crossed the woman¡¯s face, ¡°Me, wanting to see you? You¡¯re the one flying to the southernmost continent and visiting me in the house I set up?¡±
¡°I¡¡±
¡°Please, you may be able to take on the form of a ghost but I knew you were looking at me as soon as your eyes zeroed in on my chest. You were practically burning holes through my nipples,¡± she said with a laugh.
¡°That¡¯s a bit of exaggeration¡¡±
¡°Is it, where you looking at my chest?¡±
¡°Yes,¡± Anton admitted. If he were going to be damned, he¡¯d be damned for shit he actually did, and he did look at her chest.
¡°And¡±
¡°And, you are very beautiful,¡± Anton said honestly.
¡°Not afraid I¡¯ll think you¡¯re a pervert, then?¡±
¡°Not at all. In the right circumstances I¡¯ll even admit to being a bit perverted but in this case, seeing a topless woman sunbathing over 1,000 miles from civilization was a bit of a surprise. As I said, you are beautiful.¡±
Two glasses appeared between them on a table that had just appeared. ¡°I think I like you, Anton. The glass is full of lemonade; please enjoy. And yes, I can see what abilities you have, so acting like you¡¯re worried about poison being present will not work with me. Enjoy your lemonade.¡±
¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am,¡± Anton said as he picked up the glass and took a drink. It was quite tasty.
After a minute she smiled and offered, ¡°Please feel free to call me Liandra,¡±
¡°Very well Liandra, what are you doing on the planet. If you can tell who I am, you must have some very powerful skills or spells.
¡°Would you believe me if I said I¡¯m working?¡±
¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I believe you?¡±
¡°Okay, bad question. A major change happened a short while ago. That change has accelerated a few things, which the various SYSTEMS we know about, have reacted to; The Trial of Transcendence, the Battle Royale that you recently participated in, and a few other SYSTEM events in different universes that are going on even as we speak.
¡°Who is we?¡± Anton asked.
¡°It really doesn¡¯t matter who ¡®we¡¯ is. All you need to know is that as an immortal, it is very likely that ¡®we¡¯ will cross paths. I wanted to take this opportunity to reach out so that even if we can¡¯t be friends, we¡¯d at least like not to be your enemy,¡±
¡°Are you a different faction of God than those running this Universe then?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Yes. But no, I am not a Goddess as it were, though it is arguable that I am as powerful as they are.¡±
Anton didn¡¯t know if Liandra could be more powerful than the Gods but he guessed anything was possible, ¡°So you saw an opportunity to talk to me and set up this encounter?¡±
¡°I did.¡±
¡°Very well, what¡¯s your pitch?¡±
¡°Pitch?¡± Liandra asked.
¡°Deal. What do you want?¡± Anton clarified.
Liandra smiled, ¡°Right now, nothing. One of us may need a favor later on, but at this moment we do not need anything from you.
¡°Now don¡¯t get me wrong because the sexy blonde look is definitely you, but, why the half-naked introduction?¡± Anton said.
¡°Because it¡¯s fun,¡± Liandra said with a massive smile as every artificial structure and she vanished simultaneously. Anton was left sitting on a log next to a naturally heated lake. The crater was still temperate and quite pleasant to sit in, but he was still on the southern continent of the coldest continent here.
Anton considered Liandra for another moment, figured there was now a third faction at play that he didn¡¯t understand, and decided to continue exploring. He deactivated Manifest, shot out of the crater, and headed south until he came to a point where the compass failed to work. He kept his trajectory and continued until he left the frozen continent behind as he headed north on the opposite side of the world. He wondered what he was going to find on this side of the planet.
Chapter 63, The 10th Iteration
Liandra had sated her curiosity. The anomaly she¡¯d detected was a once mortal with the extremely rare ¡°Immortal¡± ability. That ability hadn¡¯t been seen in a time measured in iterations by those that cared about time as a measurement. If Anton didn¡¯t go mad during this next part or get absorbed or mutated by chaos, he might be a worthy addition to the hordes'' leadership.
She laughed out loud as she appeared in the mobile command creature that looked like a cross between something from the Cthulhu mythos of Anton¡¯s home world and a giant Godzilla, except on a galactic scale. It had produced a cavity where others of her kind could meet and discuss from the front lines as it were.
Erg, in his much reduced semi-humanoid form, noticed her and asked, ¡°Did you learn anything interesting?¡±
¡°As I thought, it was once mortal with the ability ¡®Immortal.¡¯¡±
¡°Truly? That ability hasn¡¯t resurfaced in a very long Time. But, that is a distraction, what about the Forge of Creation?
¡°It is gone¡±
¡°Truly?¡±
¡°Yes.¡±
¡°Well then, it looks like the Multiverse and its endless cycle of expansion and contraction through its various Iterations is about to come to an end¡finally,¡± Erg said as a pulse expanded out into the Primordial Realm of Chaos and the order to attack was given.¡±
***
The Goddess Keres watched as Anton flew south over the planet that contained Haven. She saw him pause near a thermally heated lake, and then the image flickered as some form of interference kept her from viewing the man she had marked. As she was about to shift her perception entirely into the second Universe, he returned to her perception. He was flying north up the other side of the planet away from the mostly frozen continent.
Something had been on the continent that she couldn¡¯t detect, sparking a memory of something she¡¯d seen after accepting her role as a Goddess. This was immediately followed by shock as her primary avatar, along with every other God and Goddess of the 19th Universe, felt their Universe and its attached dimension implode.
Between moments, the Universe that had once been Anton¡¯s home and now held his family ceased to exist. The only reason Keres, as she was known now, was able to perceive the obliteration of the Universe and all adjacent dimensions was because part of her consciousness was sitting in the 1,109th Universe.
Luckily for those within the Fort back on Earth, which consisted of Caitlyn and Anton¡¯s family and everyone they¡¯d gathered, Keres had a moment to react and did so. It also helped that the violent death of every single creature in her Universe, including a portion of herself, fueled her desire. With the Divine Points generated from the violent deaths and the Conviction recently provided by Anton as well as all of the people killing those assassins in her name, she was able to pause time just long enough to create a shell around the small city which had been named ¡°The Fort¡± that held a majority of her followers and transfer them to her realm, which was outside the area of effect of whatever was attacking Universe 19. Her senses, already split between two universes, noticed that this attack was not just limited to the 19th Universe.
Those Gods that had personal domains might also survive the catastrophe, but many of them entered the cycle of reincarnation. She still didn¡¯t get that part. She was part of that cycle, and souls served her, but there was another cycle after that cycle, which was the final cycle of reincarnation or something like that. It was what happened when souls gave up or gods were killed? It was some death after death thing, which didn¡¯t make sense, but hey, The SYSTEM let her know when she became a goddess that she could die, and that if she did, that¡¯s what seemed to be happening on a massive scale. The sales pitch she¡¯d received had stated that if she served in her role well, there would be rewards during the next cycle of reincarnation. She was all about receiving personal rewards. Of course, if the Universes were destroyed, would there be an after?
Even while those thoughts ran through her mind, Keres pulled ¡°The Fort¡± to safety as she wondered what could wipe out a Universe? She didn¡¯t even have the power to do that yet, nor did she know of any god or goddess who could. The SYSTEM might be able to, since it seemed to regulate everything and there were various other SYSTEMS that she knew about¡Could there be a war going on between SYSTEMs?
Regardless, the bubble she¡¯d created to save the people in ¡°The Fort¡± could not exist as physical matter within her Divine realm. That was one of the SYSTEM rules that could not be violated. But there were always loopholes. Before it could be converted, Keres placed the bubble in stasis. Everyone within was now locked down in the moment just before she¡¯d moved them. They would not transform into their spirit or soul form, nor would they deteriorate at least until she figured out what was going on.
As she considered what to do next, a voice rang out across the Multiverse.
¡°NO!¡±
Suddenly, something that should not have been possible happened. Keres felt the flicker as she was skipped through time. She¡¯d been frozen. She was a God, what could possibly freeze¡.
Keres'' mind cleared and her perception allowed her to see and feel how the edges of the realm she¡¯d been standing in had been eroded into almost nothing by the surrounding astral plane. Her Divine Realm was a fraction of the size it had once been. The bubble of stasis she¡¯d created remained, but everything else that had been in her realm. The souls that had served her as well as the angels and demons that had been her servants were gone or had been claimed by the Astral Plane. They weren¡¯t elsewhere, she would know that. No, they were gone. How long had she been frozen?
As she allowed her senses to reach out, she saw the remnants of scars on the dimensional membranes spread through this corner of the Astral where it had touched other Universes and Dimensions. There were rips in the fundamental underpinnings of reality that had healed and scarred over. Additionally, the SYSTEM that she knew was gone. She could feel that there was a SYSTEM in place and that it was re-establishing its connection to her and through her the bubble of stasis that it hadn¡¯t noticed before, but things were different as the Notifications she received attested to.
As for the other divine beings that had been around, they were gone. She could detect their wishes of welcome, though she recognized none of the well-wishers. Also, they seemed different somehow. There was a quality to them that none of the divines she had known displayed. They appeared more powerful somehow. As she continued to read through the Notifications, she began to understand why. The changes to the SYSTEM fundamentally changed the requirements and benefits given to those who were considered Divine. Why had she been spared if all the other gods in her pantheon hadn¡¯t, then she felt it. Her link to Anton was still active and he was, where the hell was he?
***
Anton had been coming flying north over the opposite side of the planet when the world, universe, and dimensions around him popped. That was the easiest way to describe it. One moment he¡¯d been flying in his Spectral form. The world had vanished underneath him as he heard.
¡°No!¡±
Just before he was disincorporated. Unlike before, when his awareness faded and his surroundings faded, his senses expanded and he still had access to his Notifications.
You have been disincorporated.
You have Reformed.
SYSTEM in Flux, Temporal Hold enacted, Please wait!
Fortunately for Anton, temporal shenanigans only worked on him partially. In this case, being immune to 80% of the effect allowed Anton to witness what happened at almost a normal speed because it happened so quickly. That meant that Anton had a front-row seat to something that no one, save those involved, should have been able to witness.
Anton¡¯s point of view, still much more significant than usual, shifted until he could see the multiverse represented as a giant sphere with countless bubbles floating around inside of it. There was even an error which pointed to his location with a ¡°You are here¡± tool tip hovering nearby. He could even see the shockwave within the darkness or fluid that the bubble that was his universe had been floating in, which appeared as a spherical eddies racing away from where other bubbles, universes, had been. Anton intuitively knew that it wasn¡¯t fluid and that he was witnessing the destruction and deaths of so many mortal and divine beings that counting them would be pointless. As the eddies collided and rebounded, tears in the underpinnings of the Multiverse appeared, and the pearlescent whiteness of chaos began flooding in through the cracks.
Then Liandra and so many creatures that he could not quantify a number rushed through one of the. She looked around and started to grow within the area of the Multiverse she¡¯d appeared in as the sphere Anton¡¯s point of view could perceive shrank. It was counterintuitive. As the eddies expanded and collided and spread out, the edge of the Multiverse that he could perceive shrank, and the sphere grew smaller. His point of view kept track of Liandra as she grew larger and more prominent with the shrinking space and the body that she¡¯d displayed to him on the frozen continent bulged, morphed, and became an amorphous multicolored blob with no discernable face or eyes.
Anton couldn¡¯t see what produced the words he heard, but Liandra¡¯s voice rang out none the less, ¡°No? Who are you to tell me no?¡±
A moment later, specs from the center of each spherical eddy rushed toward the only remaining bubble at the center of the darkness as the sphere shrank, which he¡¯d missed. There was one Universe which hadn¡¯t been destroyed yet. Another speck emerged from the last Universe, which a tool tip informed him was the first Universe. Every one of the specs merged, much as Liandra had morphed but retained the image of a middle-aged man as the man grew until he was the same size as Liandra. He looked around and sighed as he returned his attention to Liandra, ¡°I am Adamantadine. There I was minding my own business and you had to come along and destroy not one Universe, but every Universe that was not part of my SYSTEM? By the looks of it, you have the entirety of Chaos with you. What are you trying to do, reabsorb the Multiverse?¡±
¡°You know nothing worm,¡± Liandra burbled and hissed as she shot forward and enveloped Adamantadine. From where he sat floating, Anton watched as Adamantadine smiled, at least he thought that he was smiling. Through the translucent fluid of Liandra¡¯s body, he couldn¡¯t be sure. Then the blob that was Liandra ceased to be and became, is that the correct description, became part of Adamantadine¡¯s body, which rippled, shifted, and returned to the way it had looked before.
¡°Liandra!¡± a voice called out from one of the rips as a claw at least 10 times as big as Adamantadine ripped into the Multiverse.
¡°Okay then, looks like I have some cleaning to do,¡± Adamantadine said to no one in particular. Then his attention focused on the claw as he directed his voice toward the rip that it had made, ¡°First, No more of that bullshit,¡± Adamantadine said as he waved his hand and the claw was severed as the rip it extended through sealed.
¡°AAAWWWEEE! YOU CAN¡¯T DO THAT. You cannot STOP CHAOS!¡± The voice called out as creatures of chaos began flooding into the Multiverse through the rips in the fabric of the Multiverse.
¡°Let¡¯s agree to disagree on that point,¡± Adamantadine stated flatly before the walls of reality broke around the sphere of the multiverse, and countless forms of flesh and energy of all sizes flooded into the area the sphere had once occupied. Ironically, Anton noted that the first Universe remained and that none of the creatures of Chaos could touch or affect it.
The mob of chaotic creatures passed around and through Anton faster than he could follow. He also felt something shift within himself, but at the moment, it seemed that the system couldn¡¯t react to those changes.
Then something amazing happened, Adamantadine split into two, then four, then eight, then sixteen, and so on. As he split, each copy of Adamantadine summoned a pearlescent sword that seemed to be made of Chaos and each dived into the mob of chaotic creatures. As each sword cleaved a chaotic creature, the creatures were drawn into that replicant of Adamantadine, absorbed, and another duplicate emerged. In the space of seconds, there were 1,024 copies of Adamantadine moving faster than Anton could follow. They flashed throughout the mobs of creatures. Ten seconds after that there were 1,048,576. Ten seconds after that, 1,073,741,824. Anton watched as this pattern continued as the copies of Adamantadine worked together to destroy the hordes of creatures pouring in from the Realm of Chaos.
¡°WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS, YOU ARE A CREATURE OF CHAOS. YOU SHOULD BE EMBRACING THE RETURN TO THE WAY THINGS WERE?¡±
¡°There you are!¡± Adamantadine declared as every copy of himself merged and formed the most prominent Adamantium Dragon Anton had ever seen. Considering it was the only Adamantium Dragon he¡¯d ever seen, he honestly didn¡¯t have anything to compare it to.
Anton watched as one of the Dragons'' front claws reached through the horde until it closed around and grabbed a single chaotic creature and held it. Adamantadine drew something that resembled an eel, worm, and viper that continued to squirm and try to get away from him. The dragon brought it level with it¡¯s eyes and a mental voice shook everything within Anton¡¯s area of perception.
¡°The purpose of chaos is NOT to eradicate all life in the Multiverse, that is your goal Erg. Yes, I know who you are now that I hold you. Perhaps in your next incarnation you will consider that before you try to wipe out all living things.¡±
Before Erg could utter a sound, Anton watched as chaos ripped Erg apart. He knew instinctively that the only portion of Erg to survive whatever Adamantadine had done was that portion of his soul that didn¡¯t require memory because even his memories had been ripped away and absorbed by Adamantadine.
Anton wondered what would happen next when his perception shifted back to his own body. He realized that Chaos now surrounded him with nothing close by. A moment later, Adamantadine, in his human form, appeared directly in front of Anton. He looked at Anton for a moment and smiled.
¡°Hello¡¡± Anton started to say.
Adamantadine smiled as he interrupted him, ¡°Interesting, you saw all of that. Well, I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want to sit around for this next little bit, it¡¯s going to take a while for me to fix the Multiverse and prepare it to house the only remaining Universe and then it¡¯ll take even longer¡You know what, you don¡¯t need to know that. So, I hope you enjoyed the show,¡± Adamantadine said with a smile as he muttered to himself, ¡°Now, I¡¯m going to adjust his temporal resistance to 0% until this stasis field is released¡¡±
Anton heard no more as everything around him faded away.
***
Anton woke to find himself lying on a grass field. The Sun was up, and he could hear birds chirping in the distance. He immediately noticed that he had a ton of notifications, but the first thing he did was check on his link to the Goddess Keres. Once he found it, he reached out.
¡°Anton? Is that you? It has been so long.¡±
¡°How long exactly?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know, but the Multiverse has entered the 10th Iteration,¡± Keres declared.
¡°Tenth Iteration¡¡±
Anton quickly searched his archived notifications. He remembered reading something about iterations during the limited SYSTEM reset. Yep, here it was.
Limited Iteration Reset
An Iteration is the cyclical point of reference, defined as the point at which all energy and matter within the Multiverse and all adjacent dimensions have reached a point of Entropy.
After an indeterminable time, the Multiverse is reborn. That point of rebirth is the beginning of the next Iteration.
The current Iteration is the 9th Iteration to have occurred.
A Limited Iteration Reset will repair all damaged Prime Realms and incorporate changes to SYSTEM functionality.
¡°Are you saying the Multiverse Reset? Then again that makes sense.¡±
What makes sense?¡± The Goddess asked.
¡°I saw someone, I can¡¯t seem to remember his name, take on the hordes of Chaos right there at the end, led by someone named¡You know I can¡¯t remember.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Keres sent, ¡°I think I know who you saw. He prefers to keep to himself. The smart gods that have resurfaced tend to leave him alone.¡±
Anton took the hint and changed the subject. ¡°So, this is the 10th iteration?¡± Anton¡¯s throat caught, but he pushed through and asked, ¡°And my family?¡±
¡°Ironically, I have some good and bad news,¡± Keres said.
¡°What do you mean by good and bad news?¡± Anton asked
¡°I was able to place ¡®The Fort¡¯ and everyone in it in a stasis bubble. They¡¯ve been in that bubble this whole time; that¡¯s the good news.¡±
¡°And the bad news?¡±¡±
¡°The bad news is that I cannot release them into my divine realm, else they¡¯ll physically die. Also, there have been complications and I do not have the support network or power to release them on the Prime Material Plane yet. A significant portion of my Divine Power was spent maintaining that Stasis Bubble and the small Divine Realm that I still have.¡±
¡°That sounds bad,¡± Anton offered
¡°Bad?¡± Keres laughed through the link, ¡°Why don¡¯t you go through all of your notifications? While you do, think about the fact that the changes will also apply to Caitlyn and your family when I release them from Stasis.
¡°But¡¡±
A hint of frustration entered their mental conversation as Keres sighed, ¡°I can keep them as they are until we find a solution that works. They will definitely benefit, some more than others, but understand that the Forge SYSTEM, as it¡¯s called, does not allow for much variation from its chosen path of implementation. Read your notifications, and we can talk after.¡±
Anton sighed and broke the connection. The first thing he did was look around and ensure that he was in a relatively safe area. He was lying in a forested glade under a cloudy sky. He definitely felt like he was outside on a planet, but that was all he could determine. There were no creatures within at least 1,000 feet of him, save some small birds and bugs. Anton opened his Notifications
This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
Temporal Stasis has reached 100%
Temporal Stasis has ended.
ERROR Clock Settings are Out of Limits.
Clock reset
9th Iteration has ended due to catastrophic event.
The 10th iteration has commenced.
Welcome to the Forge SYSTEM
This Forge SYSTEM will act as the template and starting point for this Iteration. While the Multiverse is infinite. Not all locations within the Multiverse will begin with the Forge SYSTEM. Some areas will not have a SYSTEM governing them while others may have SYSTEMS that spontaneously pop into existence.
Creature and Monster Designations:
Entities with the Forge SYSTEM come in two types: Basic and Enhanced.
Basic Entities do not contain cores, nor will they contain anything but Common Races or Classes.
Basic Entities are limited to Levels zero through one hundred.
Enhanced Entities start with a basic Core.
Cores regulate the amount of magic and energy that entities within the Forge SYSTEM may safely utilize. Cores may be upgraded and will provide the following benefits as they are:
Common: +10 to all attributes
Uncommon: +100 to all attributes
Rare: +1,000 to all attributes
Each rank after increases by a factor of ten.
Racial Evolutions follow a similar bonus progression. Note that racial evolutions cannot be higher than the creature''s Core rank.
Class Rank follows the same pattern, though classes also have a Level rated from zero through one hundred for each rank. Each Rank must reach level 100 before the next Class Rank can be chosen and leveled.
Common Class Levels required 1,000 XP per new level.
Uncommon Class Levels require 2,000 XP per new level.
Rare Class Levels require 3,000 XP per new level.
Each Rank above Rare increases the cost by 1,000 per level.
Core Progression, Racial Evolution and Class Choice will be determined after SYSTEM adjustment.
9th Iteration SYSTEM Format detected.
Conversion to 10th Iteration Format Started
All Titles, Perks, Skills and Spells not of ascendant or divine rank have been archived.
Individual is Reset to Adult Human Male.
One Tenth of all Previous Basic Attributes is awarded with the Title ¡°Really Freaking Old.¡±
Strength +4,424, Agility +4,425, Dexterity +4,391, Endurance +4,423, Constitution +5,769, Perception +4,425, Intelligence +4,422, Wisdom +4,390, Willpower +5,581, Charisma +4,422, Luck +19,643
The Ability ¡°Anti-Mage¡± is a Fundamental Ability and Remains as is.
The Ability ¡°Immortal¡± is a Fundamental Ability and reverts to its Fundamental configuration.
Immortal
Healing Rate Is Increased to 10 plus 10 times Core Rank.
Current Healing Rate 10
You cannot be killed. If you are reduced to zero hit points, your body will repair itself at your current healing rate. Once you have at least one hit point, you will wake up.
Due to the Ability Anti-Mage, this ability is fueled by available psychic or physical energy, not Mana. This ability will work in Mana-deprived regions.
The body will regenerate from the smallest piece of Anton available when and where hit points are reduced to zero. No, Anton will not die and then spontaneously regenerate where a piece of his hair fell out days, weeks, or years ago.
If your body is disintegrated, the soul will reform the body where it was disintegrated at full health a number of turns after your Hit Points divided by your healing Rate. If that is not possible, you will appear in the corresponding location within the Astral Plane.
Current Respawn time: 3.5 Hours
The ability ¡°Vampiric Pseudo-Specter¡± has been removed. If you desire to require a similar power during this the 10th Iteration, seek out a Racial Evolution to regain the benefits of this ability as a Racial Evolution.
Title ¡°I Ain¡¯t Worried¡± Archived.
Title ¡°I can Take it¡± Archived.
Title ¡°Goblin Slayer 1 through 8¡± Archived.
Title ¡°Trifecta¡± Archived
Title "Human Slayer 1 through 3¡± Archived.
Title "Beetle Slayer 1 and 2¡± Archived.
Title ¡°Zombie Slayer 1 through 10¡± Archived.
Title ¡°Skeleton Slayer 1 through 10¡± Archived.
Title ¡°There can Be Only One¡± Archived.
Title ¡° Backstabbing a Backstabber¡± Archived.
Perk ¡°Specter¡± has been removed but may be regained through Racial Evolution.
Perk ¡°Basic Map¡± duplicates an available Skill. Skill Added at Rank Zero.
Perk ¡°Personal Storage¡± duplicates an available Skill. Skill Added at Rank Zero.
Perk ¡°Pseudo-Undead¡± Removed. May be regained through Racial Evolution.
Perk ¡°Cold Immunity¡± Removed. May be regained through Racial Evolution.
Perk ¡°Annihilate Life¡± Removed.
Perk ¡°Mark of Keres¡± No change
Perk ¡°Spell Absorption¡± is changed as follows.
Spell Absorption
Activation Cost: One Action
You may choose to absorb any spell cast at you and store it.
You may only hold a maximum of ten spells at once.
Spells absorbed may be recast.
Spells that are absorbed are cast as if cast from the original caster. Once cast, the slot may be utilized to absorb another spell.
Note: You must be aware of the spell to absorb it. Spells that strike without warning may NOT be absorbed.
Note: Yes, Spell Absorption may be utilized to absorb Magical Barriers.
Item: Braces of Telekinesis, No Change
Item: Bracelet of Protection, No Change.
Portable Exchange, No Change (Note: No Registered Merchant Connected. Storage Function is available at this time.)
All copper, silver, gold, and platinum in your personal storage has been converted into system credits.
Current Credits available. 1,000,386,805,426
Skills and Spells:
The way skills and spells are learned and what their levels represent has changed. As such, your Skills and Spells have been modified.
All previously known Languages are kept at no Skill Point Cost. Current Languages: English, Common, High Elvish, Gnomish, Lizardman (Tear¡¯nar), Goblin, Orc, and Gnoll.
The Skill ¡°Basic Map¡± has been learned and will scale automatically with your Core Rank at no cost.
Basic Map (Rank: Basic)
Users may pull up a simplified terrain map that will display everything that they have noticed within 1 foot. What is displayed is determined by the SYSTEM user''s perception. Skills and Class Abilities can modify and improve this Skill.
The Skill ¡°Personal Storage¡± has been learned and will scale automatically with your Core Rank at no cost.
Personal Storage (Rank: Basic)
Personal Storage is an extra-dimensional storage area. The weight that can be held and the area available for storage increase with each skill rank.
Current Area: 1 foot Cube
WARNING
Master Ranked Spells have been added to your personal Grimoire.
Note: Utilizing spells above the Rank of your Core will harm and/or kill you.
The following Spells have been added to your Grimoire and may be used as needed.
Fireball
Fireball (Master) - This spell creates a small ball of fire which can be fired out to a range of 100,000 feet. Upon impact, it will make a 100-foot diameter fireball that will envelop everything within it. Any item or creature that takes twice their hit points or durability is instantly vaporized.
PE Cost: 100 / Range: 100,000 Feet (18.9 miles) / Adjustable Damage, Maximum 100,000 Damage.
Teleport Other
Teleport Other (Master) - This spell allows you to target another individual and teleport them anywhere within range if they fail their magic resistance check. While Psychic Energy fuels this spell, the target resists against Magic as Normal.
PE Cost: 100 / Range: 100,000 Feet (18.9 miles)
Force Construct
Force Construct (Master) - This spell allows you to create a force construct within a 46.4 cube centered on yourself. The constructs may take any shape, form and thickness you desire and may be clear or opaque.
The Initial Psychic Energy Cost is 100 and requires 1 PE per turn to maintain. All Force Structures share an HP pool of 100,000 Hit Points. As damage is absorbed, the whole structure is depleted. It will not fail until all 100,000 hit points are depleted.
There are other Mythical Versions of this Skill that can create much more durable force constructs. That strength was sacrificed to reduce the initial cast and upkeep cost.
Flight
Flight (Master) - This spell allows the caster to fly up to 6,818 miles per hour at a cost of 100 mana per turn. It should be noted that this spell does nothing to protect the caster from the damage associated with traveling through an atmosphere at such a high speed. This Spell requires the user to have a Core at Master Rank without risking harm to caster.
Teleport
Teleport (Master) - This spell allows you to teleport to any place you can see within 10,000 Feet for 1 PE.
Other Mythical Versions of this Spell will allow you to teleport much further and even across dimensional boundaries. That functionality was sacrificed to reduce the cost of casting.
Adaption
Adaption (Master) - The Mythical version of this spell allows the caster to adapt to any Environment. From the bottom of an Ocean to the void of space. From a vat of Acid to a pool of liquid magma. Theoretically, the caster could survive at the center of a sun or even a Black Hole, though that claim has not been tested.
Initial Cost: 100 PE
Upkeep: 100 PE per turn. This spell requires the user to have a Core at Master Rank without risking harm to caster.
Current Resource Pools and Regeneration Rates.
Hit Points: 12,842 / PDR: 128 / Armor: 0
-Health Regeneration: 10
Stamina: 11,850
-Stamina Regeneration: 5,339
Psychic Energy Reservoir: 128,414
-Mana Regeneration: 0
Psychic Energy: 13,012
-Psychic Regeneration: 1,301
What the hell just happened? He wasn¡¯t able to utilize Specter anymore? And the Spells? He had the spells, but if he used them, it would probably kill him. In the case of Fireball, that would be okay, but if he did that, he had no doubt that taking 100,000 points of damage would leave nothing left of him, which meant it would be at least 3.5 hours before he respawned. The SYSTEM called it Respawning, how MMOG of it.
Anton looked over the other changes. A one-foot radius map was worthless, but he guessed that most people wouldn¡¯t even have the skill, and his class stated that it could change that. This brought up the question of how he got a class, created a core, or evolved his race.
Sure, the SYSTEM had given him one tenth of his attributes¡wait. He found the link to Keres and reached out.
¡°That didn¡¯t take long. I take it you have questions?¡±
¡°I do,¡± Anton answered truthfully.
¡°There are rules, 1,000 Conviction per question. Long answers might up the cost. The SYSTEM is the final arbiter on all fees.
¡°Why did the SYSTEM take away my race?¡±
¡°Simple answer, because it wanted to. The longer answer is because your race fits into a race evolution category that you haven¡¯t earned yet. Since the 10th Iteration, the SYSTEM is trying to keep everyone on a level playing field, at least to start with. That means everyone starts with the same basic settings. No Core, No Racial Evolution and No Class.¡±
¡°But it was okay to give me a title that gave me attributes?¡±
¡°Anton, you are immortal, of course you¡¯re going to get special treatment. But, to ease your mind. Anyone who has made it this far gets to keep their abilities unless those abilities fall into a new category like Racial Evolution. Titles and Perks are a bit different. Only Ascendant and Divine Ranked Titles and Perks weren¡¯t touched, but they could have been slightly modified. Titles granted by the SYSTEM do not fall into that category¡.
Anton felt Keres laugh through their mental connection, ¡°What?¡±
¡°Really Freaking Old,¡± That¡¯s actually quite funny and still broken. You realize that most common classes at the most are going to add 10 points to each attribute, which includes Hit Points, Stamina, Mana and Psychic Energy by the time they reach level 100 and get ready to upgrade their Core to Common Rank and take on a new class or improve the one they already have. At the Uncommon Rank, the class will increase their attributes by about 100 points over 100 levels and 1,000 points at Rare. That puts the attributes you currently have, except for luck, firmly in the Rare to Advanced Rank range, and you don¡¯t even have a Common Core yet.¡±
¡°Okay, so how do I increase my core rank or find an Evolutionary Evolution?¡±
¡°Core and Racial Crystals are given as rewards for monster kills or SYSTEM quests. Ten basic core crystals will create one common core crystal. All you need to do is infuse ten common crystals, and your core will upgrade from Basic to Common. This pattern repeats through the ranks for both your Core and your Racial Evolution.
¡°How about Classes?¡±
¡°Classes are a bit different. To begin with, you can accept any class at Common Rank even with a Basic Core. However, in order to upgrade your class to uncommon rank, or choose a new class at uncommon rank, your core must be that new rank,¡± The Goddess said.
¡°That seems pretty straightforward. I take it that if I were to kill an uncommon creature and get a crystal from it, I could use that crystal to upgrade my core to common immediately?¡± Anton asked.
¡°Yes, but only for your Common rank. Once your Racial Evolution, Core, and Class all achieve Common rank, you cannot increase your Racial Evolution or Class to Uncommon until your Core is Uncommon ranked. It¡¯s very easy to start, even to get that initial attribute bonus of +10, but after that you need to make sure you stay balanced as you progress.
¡°What about my skills and spells. Did I suddenly forget everything I learned before?¡±
¡°No, the SYSTEM decided to stop tracking skills as they were, and instead, skills represent specialized powers that you have access to. Additionally, you cannot utilize a skill or spell above your Core¡¯s rank without serious side effects. I see that the SYSTEM allowed you to keep the spells you learned from the Tome but kept them at Master rank, it also made you use Spell Points for that¡Yeah that¡¯s fair because those spells are incredibly powerful. Also, your attributes let you start with 538 Spell Points and those six Spells. Let''s use Fireball as an example. Your Core is like a fuse. It allows you to conduct energy through you, which is utilized for your skills and spells. Each rank is logarithmically higher than the previous rank. Because of your high starting attributes, you could probably utilize up to Rare level skills or powers without much worry. Go above that, however, and the energy will burn you out from the inside. If you cast any of those spells, it will most likely vaporize you. Note that this is probably also true for your ability to absorb spells. Yes, that was granted by an artifact, but the spells you absorb are using you as the structure to hold them, and they are much more powerful. You should be okay with rare rank spells, but above that, I would allow you anti-mage ability to ignore those spells.
¡°So that¡¯s going to work as advertised?¡±
¡°I read the same notifications you did. The SYSTEM didn¡¯t change anything so it should work normally.
¡°Okay, so how long before you can release the rest of your followers?
¡°First, I need a domain at least equal in size to what I placed in stasis. Then I need one million Conviction per person¡
¡°How many people were in The Fort when you saved it?¡± Anton asked.
¡°13,724¡¡±
¡°You need over 13.7 billion Conviction?¡±
¡°And an area to place the city in, as well as a Divine Domain dedicated to me in that area. There will also be a cost to the SYSTEM in credits that the SYSTEM will charge, probably near, if not a little bit more than the conviction cost,¡± Keres offered.
¡°Shit!¡± Anton said both out loud and in his mind to Keres. Anton brought himself back under control, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you done this already?¡±
¡°I¡¯ve only been unfrozen myself for about 100 years. As yet, I haven¡¯t produced any followers in this Iteration. Which, I should point out, is better than any of the other Gods from the 9th Iteration, as I haven¡¯t been able to find any of them. I believe they¡¯re all gone. The few divine presences I¡¯ve been able to detect seem to keep to themselves.
¡°So what you¡¯re saying is that this is a reset for everyone. If it¡¯s a reset, that begs the question, where am I?¡±
¡°Honestly, I have no Idea. I suggest you get to exploring,¡± Keres offered with a hint of mirth present through their connection.
¡°I guess so,¡± Anton said as he closed the link and received a new Notification.
15,000 Convictions has been deducted from your total for asking and receiving answers to 15 questions from the Goddess Keres.
Total Conviction: 25,869,500
Unspent Conviction: 10,852,438
Temporary Conviction: 15,017,062
Temporary Conviction Return Rate: 1 per day. (Normal Recovery Rate of 1,000 (Conviction Level x10) per day reduced due to Goddess'' lack of Conviction which is heavily influenced by the number of followers and temples the Goddess has available.)
Anton considered what he read and realized one thing. The Conviction he currently had was a finite source that he shouldn¡¯t squander. He would need to work to increase Keres¡¯s followers and influence if he wanted to see his family again, which he had to admit was something he hadn¡¯t really counted on. The goddess had done him a solid favor by saving them and it looked like she¡¯d lost a lot in the process. It now looked like it was time for him to return the favor.
Chapter 64, I Cast Magic Missile into...
Anton stood and looked around. Where the hell was he? Additionally, he felt like he was newly born. Well, not exactly, but still, he no longer could become a Specter, fly, or ¡ damn it! On the plus side, his attributes were high enough that he could run pretty fast, but now he had to worry about wind resistance again. Well, shit.
He did have the skill Basic Map, which only had a range of one foot, but the one thing he had right now that he wouldn¡¯t have without it was a compass. Anton checked, found the North, and headed east. If this planet were like Earth, the sun would rise to the east and set to the west.
As he walked through the forest, he saw various creatures that looked very much like what he¡¯d expected to see: deer, foxes, squirrels, and different types of birds that looked very familiar¡ªhad the SYSTEM recycled creatures and plants from the previous Iteration? As he walked through the forest over the next hour, it sure looked like it. Or, was this an artificial environment?
As he looked around, he saw two metal rails on the ground running over wooden boards buried in the ground. They were train tracks! Was there a train here somewhere? Interesting. At least he now had a path to follow to find a civilization in this world. The tracks led off to the north and south. Anton looked north and then decided to head south. Anton started jogging, and pretty quickly, he passed through the forest at about thirty miles per hour. As he ran, a thought crossed his mind: Did he need food and water? He was immortal, so if he died of starvation, he should come back. He didn¡¯t feel thirsty or hungry. Of course, it wasn¡¯t like he wasn¡¯t used to not needing to eat; he¡¯d been living off of psychic energy for quite a while now.
Anton¡¯s thoughts were brought to his surroundings as he left the forest behind and came out onto open hilly plains. A road had come into sight and wound toward the train tracks until it was running alongside him as a town came into view. The road moved about 100 feet away from the train tracks which passed by the south side of the town to a set of closed doors in the city wall. Anton slowed down and moved over to the road, where he began leisurely walking toward the closed town doors. When he was about a half mile away, he noticed that the town had a ten-foot wall and gates. Also, the two beings he saw standing on the wall weren¡¯t human; they were shorter, had green skin, and had large noses and ears. They looked like¡Nope, they were goblins, and they were wearing metal helmets that looked a lot like something he¡¯d seen in the World War II documentaries. There were symbols and words painted in red on the helmets, but they didn¡¯t resemble anything he¡¯d seen before.
Anton looked at the goblins who had seen him and picked up their rifles to point them at him. When he was 500 feet away from the wall, one of the goblins called out in common, ¡°Halt!¡± As Anton stopped to see what they wanted, the second soldier fired his rifle as the first gave a toothy grin and muttered, ¡°Too easy.¡±
Anton wasn¡¯t sure exactly how powerful he was compared to the two. As soon as he saw the second goblin start to squeeze the trigger, he activated his Bracelet of Protection and invested 700 Psychic Energy into it. Immediately, a Shield of Protection that would stop 700 points of damage popped into existence. Because he willed it, his Anit-Mage ability did not automatically dispel the effect. His Master of Magic ability was turning out to be very useful.
You have been struck by a bullet fired from a Common Rifle.
Shield of Protection has taken 10 points of damage.
Current Shield of Protection Strength: 690 of 700
Anton read the combat notifications and laughed. The rifles only did 10 points of damage. 20 points if it were a normal critical hit and possibly 80 if someone had a multiplier up to eight times if they were spec¡¯d for it with their class skills. His Physical Damage Resistance was 128. The bullets wouldn¡¯t even get through with that maximum multiplier. Not to mention that he had 12,842 hit points. Granted, this was a Common Rifle, so maybe higher-ranked items could get through his resistance, but for now, he wasn¡¯t worried.
The second Goblin shouldered his rifle, and both fired again, reducing his Shield of Protection by another 20 points. As they started to reload, Anton activated his Bracers of Telekinesis and yanked the goblin that had thought this would be ¡°Too easy¡± off the wall and toward him. The second goblin ducked out of sight. Anton heard him scream for help while the one he had control of telekinetically flew toward him.
Anton spared a glance at his Status Screen to note that his Psychic Energy regeneration of 1,241 per turn had already replaced the 700 Psychic Energy he¡¯d used to create the Shield of Protection and the 100 Psychic Energy he had invested in this use of Telekinesis. Granted, he hadn¡¯t been moving as quickly as he could and had been taking things relatively slowly as only 30 seconds had passed, which was what the SYSTEM considered three combat turns.
The floating goblin tried to bring his rifle to bear. At this point, Anton locked his body in the position it was in and turned him 90 degrees to his right. As the goblin came to a stop directly in front of him, Anton decided to see if he could take advantage of his Anti-Mage ability while maintaining the Shield of Protection. He reached out through the Shield, grasped the rifle, and yanked it from the goblin¡¯s hands. The Shield of Protection remained intact and ignored him as his hand passed through. It even ignored the rifle when he pulled it back through the barrier to take a closer look at it. He could pass through barriers without affecting them; good to know. It was a cheat, but it was good to know.
Anton looked over the rifle, which appeared to be semi-automatic with a five-round clip. He looked from the rifle to the goblin and noted that he had extra clips attached to his belt. Anton extended the rifle through the barrier, aimed at the Goblins¡¯ leg, and fired.
The goblin screamed as green blood exploded from the back of his leg. Anton looked down at the goblin and, with a smirk, parroted his comment back to him, ¡°Too Easy.¡± The Goblin''s eyes widened as Anton moved the barrel of the right up to the goblin¡¯s head directly under the helmet and pulled the trigger. The screaming stopped as a small hole appeared between the goblin''s eyes; green blood and brain matter exploded away from Anton onto the ground behind the goblin. Some back splatter hit his Shield of Protection, and immediately fell away to the ground.
You have Killed a Level 5 Goblin, 50 XP Earned,
No treasure earned, and the monster level is too low.
No Treasure? That sucked! Anton¡¯s attention was brought back to the second goblin on the wall as his rifle rang out again. He¡¯d been so focused on the rifle and shooting the first goblin he¡¯d missed the previous two shots. He quickly checked his Shield of Protection and noted that it was now down to 650 of 700 points.
Anton, tired of putting up with the little shit on the wall, moved the 500 feet to the giant double door and punched the door on the right, which splinted and fell away. He quickly checked his Combat Log and noted that he¡¯d inflicted 541 points of damage with that single punch on an object with a durability of only 200. The locking log had also been shattered by his punch, which was why the door had splinted and fallen to the ground.
As he looked through the hole in the wall, he noted that a group of goblins was running toward him from further down a wide street with low buildings on each side. In the distance, he could see a much larger group of goblins rushing up out of the ground and moving toward an open gate on the opposite side of the town. They were emerging from a hole in the middle of the street, and while he probably had 100 goblins rushing toward him, there had to be thousands moving away from him and toward whatever was happening on the other side of the city.
As he took the time to look around, he could hear the sounds of a significant battle happening from the other side of the town, where explosions and gunfire drowned out the screaming and yelling that he could hear. The goblins were invading and going to war with someone or something else? What were the odds that such a good experience grind would become available¡
Anton looked at his effective Luck attribute. 240,474? His Constitution was 12,841, and his willpower was 12,428, but all of his other attributes were just over five thousand. The ability Divine Luck made such a big difference. He didn¡¯t even have a class, Common Core or Evolutionary Evolution Core yet, and his Luck attribute was incredibly high. Still, he had the goblin on the wall above him and the one hundred or so goblins in front of him. As Deadpool would say, ¡°Time to make the chimichangas,¡± Anton sighed; he didn¡¯t even have the two Desert Eagles to help him out.
The one nice thing about having such high attributes is that he could make eighteen attacks per combat turn for 4,950 stamina while his stamina regenerated by 5,339 in the same period. Additionally, every goblin appeared to be moving in molasses. While he couldn¡¯t move so fast that the goblins couldn¡¯t track him, what he could do was move and attack almost twice per second. While he couldn¡¯t move at his maximum speed because air friction was a thing, he could quickly move at 100 miles per hour, which meant he could shift his position by up to 146 feet per second or 73 feet per attack. As long as he moved horizontally around his targets, he¡¯d appear and disappear out of their lines of sight between attacks, which was precisely what he did.
He was up on top of the wall, had kicked the second goblin there, and was already moving toward the horde of goblins before they¡¯d even reached for their ranged weapons. The first goblin in the horde found this out when he simply pushed that goblin''s head into the goblin''s right beside him, killing them both before he dashed off to the left around the outer edge of the goblins. Those goblins in front lost track of him and were turning to their right as he attacked the third goblin by shoving his head into the goblin beside him. He did this seven more times, killing a total of 35 goblins in that first turn and only getting hit by one stray bullet, which reduced his Shield of Protection to 640 of 700 points.
The goblins turned to and fro as Anton moved back and forth. One lucky shot from a handgun caught his shield again and inflicted another 10 points of damage on it, reducing it to 630 of 700. He thought of pushing some more energy into the Bracelet of Protection to max out the shield again but received an error.
ERROR!
Once established, the Shield of Protection will last until reduced to zero or 115.7 days, whichever happens first.
The Shield of Protection may be voluntarily dropped at any time.
Once deactivated, the Bracelet of Protection cannot create another Shield of Protection again for the amount of time that it was active, up to a maximum of 115.7 days.
That information hadn¡¯t been in the initial write-up, but it made a bit of sense. There had to be a negative for a shield that could block so much damage. Still, he had something to do here and now, so he concentrated on combat again. He was far stronger than any of the goblins trying to attack him, so it was nothing for him to smash one goblin into another. A thought crossed his mind, and before he continued, he spent 10 convictions and activated the Sigil of Keres above his head.
On the first turn, he killed 35 goblins; on the second turn, 36; and on the third, 36 more. As he looked around for his next target, he noticed a shamanic goblin in a thick black robe holding a large staff, smiling at him evilly. He saw that the majority of goblins coming out of the tunnel continued south away from him as the robed goblin directed them that way. There was approximately 200 feet between himself and the Shaman, who seemed to be directing energy into his staff. Anton could cross that distance in a moment but decided to see what this shaman had up his sleeve. Just to be safe, though, he deactivated the Shield of Protection and allowed his Anti-Mage ability to come to the forefront of his protections.
Doing so prevented him from being able to absorb spells or utilize any magic he might have, but most lower magics wouldn¡¯t be able to affect him, and even the higher-powered magics would have less effect. With a command word, the Goblin Shaman pointed his staff at Anton, and a ball of sickly green energy exploded toward him.
Anton watched as the ball moved toward him. He could have dodged, but he saw no point. Instead, he moved toward and into it. As the green boiling mass of magic touched him, it vanished, and Anton continued until he stopped one foot in front of Goblin Shaman.
Anton reached out, grabbed the Goblin¡¯s staff, and yanked it out of the Goblin''s grasp with his left hand as he reached out with his right hand and flicked the goblin in the head with the full might of his right pointer finger. The look of surprise on the goblin''s face as he burst through the spell was compounded when Anton reached through his magical shield to grab his staff. The goblin¡¯s look of surprise vanished when Anton¡¯s right finger made contact with his head. The skull caved in as the goblin fell back and tumbled away from Anton, dead.
You have inflicted 10% of your normal 541 points of damage. 54 points of damage inflicted.
Congratulations! You have killed a level 105 Uncommon Goblin Shaman.
You have gained 10,500 XP
Error! Common Core NOT detected
Error! Class NOT detected.
Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.
Would you like to choose one of the Four Basic Classes¡ªFighter, Rogue, Mage, or Cleric? If you choose one of the basic classes, the SYSTEM will provide the required Class Core.
Or, would you like to acquire additional class shards to acquire a unique or rare class?
Note: Experience will be banked, and Class levels cannot be gained until a class is chosen.
Anton chose to wait. He should have no issues fighting anything in the Common or Uncommon ranks, and if that changed, he¡¯d pick one of the common classes. As for cores, had he found any core, evolution or class shards yet? Anton checked his Notifications.
Congratulations! You have discovered Common Core Shards, Total of 9.
Congratulations! You have discovered Common Goblin Evolutionary Shards, Total of 8.
Congratulations! You have discovered Common Soldier Class Shards, Total of 6.
Congratulation! You have Discovered Common Lurker Class Shards, Total of 3.
Congratulations! You have discovered an Uncommon Shamanic Class Shard.
All Shards have been deposited into your Portable Exchange Storage.
107 Common Goblins, Average Level 31 Killed.
Focus here for the individual breakdown.
XP Earned: 33,170
XP Banked.
Copper Earned: 3,317
System Awarded Treasure deposited into your Portable Exchange Storage.
One Uncommon Goblin Shaman Killed, Level 5
XP Earned: 10,500
XP Banked.
Silver Earned: 105
System Awarded Treasure deposited into your Portable Exchange Storage.
NOTE: SYSTEM awarded Treasure will be deposited in your Personal Storage if space is available and then into your Portal Exchange Storage.
Items on the monsters or creatures killed must be recovered normally.
Congratulations! You have earned the Title Goblin Slayer I, +5% Intimidation toward Goblins +1 Bonus Damage when attacking Goblins.
1,000 XP awarded.
XP has been banked.
Anton¡¯s attention was brought back to his surroundings as the horde of goblins less than 500 feet away split as half continued to the south, and the other half decided that Anton was to be their target. Just as he considered doing something, ranged attacks converged on him. Magical missiles, arrows, bolts, spears, and various other implements flew at and into him. They did nothing. Well, okay, they tore up his clothes and bounced, but they did nothing to him. The spells failed, and the arrows, even one that hit his eye, bounced off like the bullet had bounced off of Superman in ¡°Superman Returns.¡±
Okay, then. They wanted to play hardball, and he had a magical staff that he didn¡¯t need and that he didn¡¯t have to break with his bare hands¡Awesome. Anton threw the staff out over the horde and grabbed it with Telekinesis cast from his Bracers of Telekinesis. When the staff was almost directly over the hole in the ground that the goblins were coming out of, he stopped the staff there. The goblins that had turned toward him were making their way around the hole about 500 feet from him. Anton braced himself against the ground and visualized snapping the staff in two.
BOOM!
Everything within 512 feet of the staff died instantly, and those within 16 feet of the hole were vaporized. Anton, standing about 500 feet away, received 10 points of damage from the blast, which he ignored. The blast also caused the tunnel entrance to collapse in on itself and stopped the flow from below, which was what he had been hoping for. He quickly checked his Notifications.
2,621 Common Goblins Killed, Average Level 43
Focus here for an individual breakdown.
XP Earned: 1,127,030
XP Banked.
Copper Earned: 112,703
System Awarded Treasure deposited into your Portable Exchange Storage.
251 Uncommon Goblins Killed, Average Level 10
Focus here for the individual breakdown.
XP Earned: 251,000
XP Banked.
Silver Earned: 2,510
System Awarded Treasure deposited in your Portable Exchange Storage.
Congratulations! You have discovered 125 Common Core Shards.
Congratulations! You have discovered 110 Common Goblin Evolutionary Shards.
Congratulations! You have discovered 15 Common Soldier Class Shards.
Congratulation! You have discovered 17 Common Lurker Class Shards.
Congratulations! You have discovered 21 Uncommon Core Shards
Congratulations! You have discovered 25 Uncommon Goblin Evolutionary Shards.
Congratulations! You have discovered 16 Uncommon Soldier Class Shards.
Congratulation! You have Discovered 11 Uncommon Lurker Class Shards.
Congratulations! You have discovered an 9 Uncommon Shamanic Class Shard.
Congratulations! You have Earned the Goblin Slayer II through Goblin Slayer VII Titles. +35% Intimidation against Goblins. +7 Damage when attacking Goblins.
83,000 Bonus XP awarded.
XP Banked.
Anton closed his Notifications. The good news was that if he wanted to utilize goblin core shards, he could probably create a Common Core and a Goblin Evolutionary Core. As for a class, he could go for Fighter, Lurker, or Shaman class if he wanted to. He wondered if mixing and matching the class shards would create other classes. If so, he needed a better selection, and it looked like he was limited to 10 different shards when forming his class so he wanted ten really good class shards.
As he thought about how combining shards might work, he could see how that mechanism might work when creating an Evolutionary Core. He could mix and match 10 different shards to add new traits or get 10 Human Evolutionary Shards and remain mostly human and possibly improve something. Yeah, he wasn¡¯t sure how that was going to work yet but he knew improving his personal evolution was on his list of things to try to do.
He had been fortunate enough to continue to have access to his Portable Exchange because there was no way his Personal Storage would be able to hold all those shards and coins in only one cubic foot of space. It sucked that he¡¯d lost access to Maggen¡¯s Exceptional Storage, though as soon as he could spend Skill Slots, he might try to purchase that skill if it was still available. More Storage space was always useful. Then again, it looked like Skill Slots were going to be extremely limited. Maybe he could find a spell that would allow him more storage space.
Anton¡¯s attention was brought back to the ground in front of him when there was a rumble and the ground that had caved in shifted and reformed into a tunnel leading into the depths.
¡°What the Hell?¡± Anton asked out loud as Goblins began flowing out of the tunnel a few moments later. It looked like they were rushing up five at a time, side by side front to make with almost no room between them. The goblins on the opposite side of the opening, even those that had not died in the explosion, continued south out of the city. Anton rushed to the mouth of tunnel and started killing goblins.
He killed ten goblins by grabbing two at a time, slamming their heads together, and throwing them back and behind him before he stepped forward down into the tunnel.
He killed ten more goblins the same way and took another step forward down into the tunnel.
Instead of rushing, he kept up a steady pace and killed 10 goblins per turn as he moved down the tunnel one step at a time. That set up a rate of killing sixty goblins and taking 6 Steps forward per minute. After three minutes, the tunnel turned to the left, and he could no longer throw the bodies up and out of the tunnel, so he started dropping the bodies into his Portable Exchange storage. If each of the little shits weight about 100 pounds, he could store up to 8 million of them. He laughed as he had a thought. If he found some pompous ass that genuinely pissed him off, he¡¯d have a ton of corpses to chock their dumb ass with after a bit.
Anton was shot and stabbed with swords and spears. A few shamans and even mages appeared, but as soon as they appeared, they died as there was no way for any of the goblins behind the first two rows to see what was killing them and target him before they died. He also noticed that the shards that were dropping only dropped on average once for every 10 goblins that were killed. In that first minute, he¡¯d already picked up another 10 Common Core Shards and nine Common Goblin Evolutionary shards. He¡¯d also picked up one Common Mage Shard, three more Lurker shards, and six Soldier shards. There had been fewer shamans this time, and he got no shards for that class. As he got into the rhythm of making his way underground, he realized that there was about a 10% chance for any specific type of shard to drop. That was good to know.
Anton continued down the tunnel for the next hour. It was slow going, but it wasn¡¯t hard, just time-consuming. When he came to the end of the tunnel, it opened into an enormous cavern with goblins pouring out of the portal on the opposite wall. Every goblin in the chamber targeted him. In the next two minutes, Anton destroyed 432 goblins and made it to the portal. As yet, not a single attack had surpassed his damage resistance, and except for that initial shaman, he hadn¡¯t run into another Uncommon Ranked Goblin.
Before he could think about it, Anton stepped into the portal. Whatever was causing this dungeon overflow had to be stopped. Once on the other side, he felt a wave of small bodies attempt to push against him. With a thought, he utilized his Bracers of Telekinesis to grab and hold all of the goblins in front of the portal, thereby corking and stopping the flow of goblin bodies. That gave him the moment he needed to ascertain the situation.
First, he checked his new notifications.
Congratulations! You have found the Entrance to Dungeon 001ALABORG
This is the First Dungeon to emerge on Terra
Note: This Dungeon is currently at over 1,000% occupancy.
First, that was a hell of a Dungeon name. Second, over 1,000%? Anton considered how he could handle this when he noticed a large glowing crystal floating in the center of the room. Anton kept hold of the goblin bodies with Telekinesis while he pushed his way through the goblins. He sure wished he could still turn into a Specter, but it was what it was. Those goblins that he walked toward tried to cringe away. One tried to attack him, which he killed and dropped into this Portable Exchange space. After it reappeared out of thin air a moment later, Anton ignored the attacks and just pushed forward until he was directly in front of the Crystal.
The Goblins near the large man-sized glowing crystal could not step within five feet of it due to a barrier that surrounded it, which Anton stepped through. Once inside, he reached out and touched the Crystal.
Congratulations! You have found the Labyrinth Genesis Crystal.
You have cleared¡ERROR¡The dungeon is not cleared.
Error! Barrier still active
Error! You should not be able to touch the Labyrinth Genesis Crystal.
Error! Conditions to release Labyrinth Genesis Crystal have not been met.
A Labyrinth Genesis Crystal? Had the Labyrinth also faded during the end of the 9th Iteration? If so, it only made sense that it would start over or go into a state of hibernation. Anton thought about it for a moment and then, while touching the crystals, asked, ¡°State Criteria to release Labyrinth Gensis Crystal.¡± A moment later, new notifications appeared.
Labyrinth Genesis Criteria.
Supply Sufficient Energy.
Energy Types Absorbed: Magical, Psychic, and Spiritual.
The type and magnitude of energy absorbed determines the growth rate and rarity of the new Labyrinth and the rate at which it establishes new connections to the Multiverse.
Note: As part of the Labyrinth Genesis Process, this Dungeon and its Dungeon Core will be consumed.
SYSTEM Rewards will be granted to any beings that participate in this genesis process.
So, the Labyrinth was starting over and required a party to clear the dungeon and then initiate the process. Could he force the Labyrinth Genesis Crystal to begin the process on a timer or under a specific condition? Anton pulled up his Status Screen, interfaced with the Crystal¡¯s menu since he was touching the Crystal, and noted that there was a functionality that would allow him to initiate the process based on a contingency setting.
Anton smiled as a thought crossed his mind. He never liked being told what to do, and he needed to see what would happen when he tried to cast one of his spells, so why not? Anton set the contingency trigger for when a fireball hit the shell to initiate the genesis process. If he was right, there were ten times as many creatures as were supposed to be in the whole dungeon. If they all died suddenly and the energy from his fireball was available, it should initiate the process and provide a lot more energy then was required, which would take care of the overflow problem, the goblins around him, and everything within a small radius.
The only thing that would suck was that he probably wouldn¡¯t get any experience for the goblins that died, but he had some banked XP already. If he initiated the genesis, he should get some incredible titles and maybe even some cool rewards. Anton voiced his thoughts, just in case the SYSTEM needed help figuring out what he was hoping to get out of this.
¡°If this works, it sure would be nice to get some mythically rare shards for my core, evolutionary, and classes; just a thought.¡±
With that thought voiced Anton put all of his items into his Portable Exchange Storage area. As he stood there naked, he kept his left hand on the Labyrinth Genesis Crystal, made sure the contingency trigger was set, and then placed his right hand just outside of the barrier. With a smirk, he said, ¡°I cast Magic Missile into the Darkness,¡± as he spent 100,000 Psychic Energy to cast his Master Ranked Fireball set to appear just past his hand, right outside the barrier surrounding the Labyrinth Genesis Crystal.